LA Galaxy Postgame Quote Sheet
LA Galaxy 3, Colorado Rapids 0
Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017 – 8:00 p.m. PT
2017 MLS Regular Season
StubHub Center – Los Angeles, Calif.
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH SIGI SCHMID
On what went differently for LA Galaxy to get the win tonight:
“Well we didn’t have video review all night which was helpful because we know how those turn out. I thought the team came out with a real good aggression. I thought the team came out against NYCFC the same way. It felt the same way tonight, except we didn’t get goals in the NYCFC game. The first 55 minutes of the game I thought we were the better team. After that we took the foot off the gas pedal a little bit. They obviously could play very free flowing because they had conceded the game as well so that made the game a little more difficult. We still need to get better but in terms of our overall work rate I was very pleased tonight.”
On how he thinks this plays into what’s coming for the rest of the season:
“Just one game at a time. This game will help us in terms of trying to go out and get the next game. All the guys get confidence when you play well together. Having Romain Alessandrini back out there helps our team. Having Jermaine Jones back out there helps our team. I thought Bradford Jamieson IV played well until the gas tank went empty but I was really pleased with the effort that he put in.”
On how it felt their first home win in a while:
“We talked about that after the game in the locker room. We said we’ve got to turn this place into a fortress again and today was maybe a first step in that direction.”
On Gyasi Zardes getting his goal:
“Anytime a goalscorer gets a goal it takes this huge anvil or whatever you want to call it off his back. You got it off your back and now you can walk a little prouder, you can be a little more relaxed and you’re a little more confident the next time you get there. So for him it was a very important goal.”
On what Jermaine and Romain bring to the table that the Galaxy were missing:
“Jermaine’s played very well as that defensive midfielder winning balls and just opening the game up for us from that position. I think he’s so effective when he plays deep in that hole rather than getting pushed up higher. I think he’s much more effective there. Alessandrini…there’s not too many players that can, pretty much every time, unbalance the first time or beat the first defender. If you can do that on a consistent basis then things open up. If we can keep a unit together out there on the field and guys read that better and understand that better and make the right runs off it, it’ll become even more productive for us.”
On earning the shutout:
“We did a better job of dropping our line. We talked a lot about how Dominique Badji has got speed and I think last week against San Jose, Marco Urena did the same thing and he also burned the U.S. in the same way. But we stepped up too high and too early in part of the field so we talked about dropping our line and then when we hold our line we’re closer to our 18-yard box so you saw Jon Kempin come off his line and collect probably 4-5 balls in the 18. Before we were playing 15 yards higher and that’s not a ball he can come and get and it becomes a dangerous situation. The defense did a much better job – Steres and Romney – about dropping that line and staying connected.
LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER ROMAIN ALESSANDRINI:
On becoming a father:
“It's maybe the best feeling in life. I am very happy. With this win tonight this may be the most beautiful week in my life.”
On the first half
“I try every game to give everything. Tonight in the first half I was on fire. But the second half was a little difficult for me, I didn't sleep a lot this week. I have everything in the first half, but the most important thing is the win and I am very happy for that.”
On the second half:
“I think everyone was tired and it was difficult to keep the ball, but we have to keep working and look forward. In the second half we didn't concede any goals and that's the most important.”
On not playing well this season:
“I cannot explain. There was a lot of injuries and red cards. We have to keep our heads up, to look forward and to prepare next season because we have a lot of good players and we have to win a lot of games to finish well this season.”
On the next match against Seattle:
“Seattle is a good team; we have to work hard this week. We have to keep the same mindset and fighting spirit and we will see.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD GYASI ZARDES
On the game and scoring for the first time this season:
“Nothing is going to be easy, you just constantly have to work hard and I felt like the intensity was very high at training and I think that’s what helped us come out here and play our full potential.”
On the length of time between home win:
“I don’t keep track of the past, I just focus on the future but also I can focus on now as well. Our primary goal was Colorado and we’re looking ahead to our next game now.”
On whether there was a big weight lifted off the team’s shoulders:
“There’s always pressure but it’s how you deal with it and I felt like my teammates and I dealt with a lot of pressure over the past couple of months and we came out here to battle hard, work for each other and be victorious.”
On Romain Alessandrini being back:
“It’s great to have him back and healthy. I think we got the injury bug this whole year with this team. So many players are out but a lot of guys stepped up and I give them credit.”
On scoring and the feelings around it:
“It feels great to hit the back of the net like I’ve said before, and it gives me motivation to keep working extremely hard to progress as a striker and try to get more goals for the rest of the season.”
On playing alongside Bradford Jamieson IV:
“It’s just that relationship and chemistry, we kept talking to each other. I think the more we spoke to each other and communicated, the game really opened up.”
LA GALAXY GOALKEEPER JON KEMPIN
On the result:
“It’s great. It’s been a weird year. We have to keep pushing. One day our luck is going to change, and I think it changed today. we got a couple of good goals, we got a good call in the box, a penalty that started everything.”
On a big home win:
“We needed that. We have a couple more games at home, we got a big game next week away. we have to keep it going. Who knows? We make the playoffs. It’s huge for our fans, we need to continue to get wins at home.”
LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER JERMAINE JONES
On his injured foot:
“It’s pretty good. I got the last two stitches out before the game. It feels OK. Sometimes it feels a little bit weird, like an electric shock when you hit the nerve a little bit, but it’s OK. If I can play, I’m playing.”
On Zardes scoring:
“We said every game you have to keep working and goals will come. That’s the game of the striker. I’ve played with so many and the best ones are the ones that don’t care. They go out there and score goals. I think Gyasi scoring on his birthday is amazing for him. We’re all happy with the win the bag, he scored and can celebrate.”
On building momentum at home:
“Sometimes you watch the game, like New York at home... I think we played an amazing game. They get two shots on goal, and we lose the game. You can find some other games and get frustrated. To switch that back over the winning games sometimes is tough. We just have to stick together and believe in ourselves. I think that’s what we did today, Over the whole 90 minutes we were the better team.”
On playing as a holding midfielder:
“People are saying I’m getting old, so I don’t have to run that much anymore (laughs). It’s good. I play anywhere I can help. If it’s a holding six, I can play it. if we get wins, that’s more important. I have no problem; I’ve played it a long time in my career.”
LA GALAXY DEFENDER DAVE ROMNEY
On the result:
“Three points is great. It’s definitely easier to defend when you have a lead. You work the ball around the back instead of getting antsy and trying to press.We pretty much knew if we kept them in front of us, we didn’t want to let Badji get behind us, if we limited that we knew they weren’t going to be creative enough. I thought we executed that pretty well.”
On whether winning at home is a weight off the team’s shoulders:
“Yes and no. this isn’t where we want to be at all, the season is still a disappointment in my eyes. One win in the grand scheme doesn’t mean a lot. It does help the confidence. Unfortunately, playoffs are out of our hands. We can do as well as we can, but if other teams get results then it doesn’t mean anything. Just play for pride and next season.”
COLORADO RAPIDS HEAD COACH STEVE COOKE
On tonight's game:
"We weren't good enough, with the ball, without the ball. Individual players made big mistakes in the first half and that dug us a hole. Collectively we weren't good enough throughout the game. I thought we responded a little bit in the second half which is what we asked for and in fairness I am not questioning anybody's effort or commitment or the fact that they care because I know that they do and I know they are working the hardest. We have to find a way to get through this period and we have to bring quality and intelligence as well as effort to the games and I think some of that the decisions we made tonight and some of the intelligent choices we made, the quality of the ball wasn't good enough and that dug us a hole in the first half."
On what they can do to improve for the next game:
"Get back on the training ground and work and fix it with tactics and fix it with decisions that everybody makes. Fix it together and stick together because I think last season we had that motto of keep fighting. I just said to the guys in there you don't need that motto when you are on top of the league as we were last year. You don't need to keep fighting when you are winning all your games that's easy everyone is going to keep fighting but we do need to keep fighting this season and when you're on a four or five road swing and you've lost a couple of games in a row, three or four games in a row, that is when you need to keep fighting so that is the message to the players. We owe it to everybody, we owe it to ourselves, we owe it to the club, we owe it to the fans to keep working and fighting and now not just give effort but add quality and add intelligence to what we are doing as well."
On giving up a penalty in the first half:
"I haven't asked him [Zac MacMath] obviously it is a penalty kick I think and I think it is the right choice and nowadays with four referees and one upstairs and a few cameras hanging around I think generally that is the right choice. I am not blaming Zac MacMath, I am far from that. He is a great professional and somebody who has meant a lot to this club so I am not going to start going publicly at Zac MacMath. What I do think is that going down in those circumstances was difficult and then the second goal I think we caused our own down fall with two very poor defensive headers and I think it was [Emmanuel] Boateng who capitalized on our mistakes."
COLORADO RAPIDS MIDFIELDER DILLON SERNA
On his performance tonight:
“I think you always have to be ready. Expect for there to be an injury, or something like that to happen. So for me, I prepare every game pretty much the same. Honestly, you just get to play more of the game, so it was good for me.”
On the team’s performance:
“I think it was one of those things we kind of got down early in. Just one of those things we couldn’t build back from. I think moving forward we just have to be more brave, and keep fighting, and take more risk. I think we have to be more accountable. The team has got to get better.”
On the LA Galaxy ending their winless streak at home:
“We knew that they were going to come out and be fighting for their lives, just like us. They haven’t won at home in a long time, and we didn’t want that game to come against us. Unfortunately, it did, and we’re going to forget about this one, and start preparing for next week.”
On upcoming match against Houston Dynamo:
“I think they’re going to be fighting for a lot more than just a soccer game. They’re going to be fighting for a city, for everyone in that city. So, thoughts are with them right now through this difficult time. But, at the end of the day we want three points.”