LA GALAXY HEAD COACH SIGI SCHMID
On Bradford Jamieson’s performance:
“Obviously he’s been out for a long time, coming back from that he played the other night in the Open Cup, and I thought he did well. I really like him, I know he’s always been a winger, but I like him sort of in that middle attacking position, because I think he’s a much better passer than people realize, and he gets more of the ball in there, he’s more involved, and his speed puts pressure on the other team defensively and offensively, I thought he did well. We want to be a little more direct trying to obviously get guys on the same page with Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] on the field, and all the changes we’ve had to make. We’ve been scoring more goals when we’ve been playing two forwards and playing more of a 3-5-2 or a 5-3-2 whatever you want to call it, and so that’s the way we came out tonight, and I thought obviously we did well and got a little more direct.”
On Sebastian Lleget and Romain Alessandrin’s injuries:
“[Sebastian] Lleget, I don’t really know. It’s an ankle. I don’t know how severe it is, we’ll see. For [Romain] Alessandrini it’s a slight quad strain. He should be able to go by next weekend.”
On the team’s defensive performance:
“I thought they did a really good job at shifting and sliding. I thought [Chris] Pontius put in a really good shift on the right, because we asked him to play the whole line, we asked him to play right back and right midfield, he did a good job with it. I thought Jorgen [Skjelvik] was good tonight as well. He makes the one play on that counter attack and break away that’s vital and crucial for our game, and [Michael] Ciani, and all the guys in the back, [Dave] Romney, I thought all the guys were solid in what they did, and we did a good job with talking and stepping up to people and not running out of our zones as much”
On the team’s first half performance:
“In the first half, the one thing we’ve been talking about is that it’s tough to play when you go down one and two to nothing. And so, that’s our main objective coming out in the first half. I know maybe offensively it was a little bit disjointed, and as I said, we’re a little more direct. The important part of the first half was that we came out at zero, and I think when we come out at zero at halftime, good things happen for our team, so the second half; that confidence, and not having to play from behind makes a big difference.”
On the win:
“It’s always nice to win like this. This is sort of the end for the first half of the season in a way. I think we have 19 games left at this stage, so there are still 57 points out there to be had, and as we talked about wanting to start the road to the playoffs, we talked about that before the San Jose Earthquakes game, and we’ve wanted to build up ever since. If you look at our last four or five league games, you look at that record, that’s a record that’s good enough to get you into the playoffs. So if we can play every set of five games like that I’ll be happy, and that’s the objective for us now.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIĆ
On how the win feels for the team:
“I think the season starts from day one and I wasn’t here. I missed one month. But it was a good day today. Let’s bring this confidence with us. We have an Open Cup game Friday. We want to win that game also and go further in the Cup so this is what you work hard for. Today was what we wanted. This is what we want everyday, to win 3-0. It’s was important to keep the zero also for the confidence on the defense side and for the whole team.”
On the team’s formation:
“Today I think, when we changed to two strikers it worked easier. I think we are more stable. Today, we were more direct. We were more in our game. We were doing things that we were better at and we do it much better like that. Let’s continue like this. We have been working the last two weeks on the things we are doing right now and you can see the result.”
On his pairing with Ola Kamara:
“I think he’s a good guy. He listens well. He should keep doing it. He’s a good guy and physically strong. He’s a monster. He has a condition that nobody else has. He runs a lot and in front of the goal he’s dangerous. He’s a good compliment because I’m not the one that can run off of three guys, and he’s the guy that can do that. He’s helping me a lot and I’m thankful for what he’s doing. Even when he doesn’t get assists or goals he’s doing fantastic work.”
LA GALAXY DEFENDER ASHLEY COLE
On the overall team performance:
“I think overall it was a good performance. No goals conceded, three goals scored. And I thought we fought, we battled and we deserved the win today.”
On whether he liked tonight’s formation:
“Yeah of course. Every formation probably has pros and cons but when you have these two up front, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic and Ola [Kamara], they cause a lot of damage. They cause a lot of problems, Ibra hold it up, Ola holds it up, Ola goes in behind, so yea we’re enjoying it. Specially at home, I think it works better in our advantage but today we are happy to get a win.”
On how instrumental Chris Pontius has been:
“He has so much experience, he has been in the league a long time. He brings us something different. He wins headers from goal kicks, can put in a good cross, he fights, he battles and he’s got quality as well. He is always there, always working hard for the team and that’s what we need. Eleven players like that.”
On what the defense did well tonight:
“Played ten in the back [jokes]. I think our shape was good. We watched a good video of them, of how they played and how we wanted to play. Apart from the long shots from outside the box, I think we kind of controlled it. We covered for each other, we spoke more, and I think that was very important for today’s game because sometimes they leave three up so it’s difficult at times but I think the midfield was more connected to us, more connected to the strikers as well. Overall I think we battled. We are happy with the three points we deserved today.”
On this win signifying a fresh start for the team:
“Yeah of course, you can’t look back and change the past results. Now we have to look forward. This is our last home game before the break. Now we enjoy some days off and get ready for Portland. I think it’s important that our season starts now. It started tonight and we got the three points.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD OLA KAMARA
On his connection with Zlatan Ibrahimović tonight:
“I think we played a little bit simpler football today. I always want to play together with him on top and I think that in a couple of games where both of us are playing strikers it’s looked a little bit like it has today. So I think it’s a good thing for this team.”
On whether he gets the feeling the team will go on with this formation:
“I can imagine two of us playing strikers for sure.”
On his confidence after scoring tonight:
“I am feeling good and it was important after maybe a big miss for Norway and then I missed the first one in this game, so to actually get that goal it was important for me. But of course the shutout, the three points and three goals is a good feeling to end the first half of the season.”
On whether the mentality of ‘the season starts now’ is true:
“I think if you see the last five games, it’s been quite good actually. We got some victories, we got some three points, but we haven’t won enough at home and that’s something we have to start to because here, it should be a fortress.”
On tonight’s 3-0 victory:
“I think the way we competed in this game was important, the shutout gives confidence to all the defenders and all the midfielders of course, and also scoring a couple of goals gives us attackers a lot of momentum and positive feelings. So I think this is when to build up.”
REAL SALT LAKE HEAD COACH MIKE PETKE
On the defensive breakdowns:
"Nothing broke down defensively until the third goal to be quite honest with you. We worked on three specific things in training this week and talked about them religiously and one of the main ones was [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic can be quiet for 80 percent of the game and he gets his opportunities. Even in the first half he was posting up on Brooks Lennon our right back who is a lot smaller and not good in the air and we made the adjustment right away and then any time the ball went wide Marcelo [Silva] would switch with him and it worked great. In the second half you know Nicky [Rimando] got a tough touch on the ball and he puts it away. In the second one again he is a big boy and we didn't man up against him to be honest with you and after that we are pushing forward and they get the third goal."
On the team's performance:
"I would evaluate the first half we did exactly what I wanted if not more to be quite honest with you except for getting the goal. I mean Albert [Rusnak] had a clear cut chance in the first 15 minutes and it hits his heel. We sent Corey [Baird] through twice. One time he just missed the ball, he would have been on a breakaway. The second one was he tried to slip through on a 2 on 1 and it didn't come out right. It's a tale of two halves, in the second half again once they get that goal we are an aggressive team in those situations and it didn't work out for us tonight."
REAL SALT LAKE GOALKEEPER NICK RIMANDO
On defending against Zlatan Ibrahimovic:
"He is a big target up there. He is a presence, he fights for every ball, seems to put away the chance he gets so he was a hand full for us on the attacking side for sure. I think our first half was obviously better I mean 0-0 right and they got three goals in the second. I have to watch the tape but obviously I think they gave him the ball a lot more, they looked for him a little bit more and were direct with him and again he put away the chances that he got."
On the team's performance:
I think our possession was good, our movement was good, playing out of the back was good. We created a lot of chances I think in the first half, got behind their defense and unlucky not to put one of those away but I think playing away the mentality was good and the second half we could all do a little bit better. There is a lot I think that was good in that game."
REAL SALT LAKE DEFENDER JUSTEN GLAD
On defending against Zlatan Ibrahimovic:
"It's Ibra, he's good in the air, he creates things, he can shoot from distance, he's a big body, he's got a lot of qualities about him obviously and he causes problems in a lot of different ways."
On the Galaxy's attack:
"I think they just capitalized on our mistakes. I didn't think any of their goals were that impressive. I thought they were all stoppable for sure and goals change games."
