Robert Warzycha, Columbus Crew head coach
On the game overall:
I think making every sub was a part of it, putting new players on the field. And they’re a good team, obviously at the end of the first half they had some possession, they were finding (Brian) Mullan on the right side. I made an adjustment at halftime and the second half was a little bit different. So sometimes if you play on the road mentally you try to protect your goal and that’s why you’re dropping so much. Next thing you know you’re inside your own box. So we adjusted in the second half and I think it was much better.
On play in the second half:
I think, especially being 1-0 down, we played a little bit quicker. We created that chance with (Andres) Mendoza after they scored a goal. So I think we played a little bit more decisive and were making a little bit more runs. So that’s why the chances opened up. The second goal obviously killed the game.
On Andres Mendoza’s play:
Obviously with that player and his caliber he should have probably scored that goal, and it would be 1-1. But what can we do. We don’t score the goals and then obviously they pushed for another one. That was good pressure by them in the middle and they grabbed that chance.
Robbie Rogers, Columbus Crew Midfielder
On the road loss:
They’re a good team. Playing at home they keep the ball well. I think that they played well. They got forward with numbers and used their speed. I think that they dictated the game and we didn’t. Even though we created some chances and had some good looks, it wasn’t enough. They scored two good goals. Now we just need to regroup and we have two games now at home so that’s the most important thing.
On play in the second half:
We didn’t really change anything. I thought our movement off the ball was really good. I thought defensively we did alright until (Brian) Mullan scored that bomb from the outside; it kind of just took the wind out of our sails. Playing in altitude, you definitely feel it in the second half. For sure you feel it. And they do a good job of moving the ball from side to side.
Tommy Heinemann, Columbus Crew Midfielder
On the game overall:
It was tough because we had a lot of chances tonight and I don’t think our work rate was as high as it’s been the past few games. It’s a team game, and I say that when our work rate is not there and we don’t’ create as many chances, it’s tough to score. We had a couple good chances that we should have capitalized on. But our work rate needs to be better next week.
On Rapids defender Marvell Wynne:
Yeah, Marvell (Wynne)’s one of the fastest backs in the league. You have to find other ways to beat him and other ways to get around. Losing Eddie (Gaven) hurt tonight, kind of threw everyone off a little because he’s a good player and he can get at it a lot. But we have a very deep team and just need to work a little harder. Close down players, get the ball back a little more, work for each other a little more.
On Andres Mendoza’s shot that Matt Pickens saved:
That was a good save. It’s tough; we just have to focus on getting back to work and getting ready for next week.
Colorado Rapids Head Coach Gary Smith
On the match:
I thought the performance overall tonight was as good as anything else
we’ve produced here. It was always going to be a very tight and evenly
matched affair. There was a lot of tenacity and industry in the opening
exchanges, it enabled us to win possession in good areas, broke up any
flow to their game, and barring one or two better final balls, we
might’ve even seen ourselves nudge in front in the first half. But when
you come in at nil-nil and you’ve had a good portion of the game…
there’s still plenty to play for.
On Mullan’s goal:
It was going to take something special to break the deadlock. Brian’s
strike – I mean, I can’t believe he’s scored a better goal than that in
his career. That is as clean as they come. If there hadn’t been a net on
the back of the goal, it’d still be rising now. It just kept rising.
That was a magnificent strike.
On closing out the game:
There was still some work to be done, and the second goal I think was
needed to settle any nerves and to see the final exchanges out. But the
last ten minutes of the game is probably as well as we’ve managed a game
– at home or away – when we’ve been in front. I just thought in the
end, the two-nil result was a well-deserved one.
Colorado Rapids midfielder Brian Mullan
On his goal:
My first thought is always a pass. I just thought I hadn’t taken a shot
in a while, and there was a lot of space, and I was hitting them well in
the warm-up, so I tried it. Basically I just noticed Gardner – he was
15 yards away and I just tried to put it by his right ear and it
happened. It rarely does but it happened that time.
On his post-game conversation with Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer:
He just said “great goal,” and I told him it would probably never happen again.
On the team’s play:
I think we were patient. We held the ball, and we moved it unselfishly. I
think that’s something that’s been missing. We’ve been winning, but
grinding it out, and I think this is the way we need to try to play
more. The defense was solid, the midfield did their job moving the ball
around, and the forwards were combining well and getting in good spots.
Colorado Rapids forward Omar Cummings
On what the win means for the team:
It just means more confidence, more momentum going into the next game.
Knowing that you are winning games, you are scoring goals, especially
going away [next weekend] it means good confidence for the team.
Everyone is scoring goals; to see Sanna and Pablo score last week, to me
and Brian getting it this week, so you have multiple scorers and just
scoring a lot of goals is confidence for any team.
On Sanna Nyassi assisting on his goal after he assisted on Sanna’s last four goals:
It’s one of those things where the favor could be returned, and it was. I
wasn’t thinking about it – it was just a matter of time. We got it good
tonight.
