Crew head coach Robert Warzycha
General thoughts on the game
“We played against a very good team to be honest with you. They came out strong in the first half. I don’t think we had much rhythm in the beginning. They were connecting more passes and they came out stronger. In the second half it was a different story. We came out strong, creating chances and moving the ball well. The red card, obviously, changed the game. After they got the red card they bunkered in, we created more chances and scored two goals.”
On what led to Dallas’ goal
“You have to play until the whistle and that was a mistake by [Tony Tchani] that led to a goal. I think he [Tchani] played very well in the second half; he was winning 50/50 balls and running forward making crosses. It seemed like he wanted to be the best player on the field.”
On Justin Meram making the difference when subbed in
“I felt that Meram’s speed could hurt them [Dallas] on the left side. I think he did very well today, he was very quick, didn’t hold the ball too much and that’s how we wanted him to play. If he keeps playing that way he can be very effective.”
On Josh Williams play
“I think [Williams] was a beast today in the back. He was winning every header, his passing was good and he was vocal on the field. I think he was very good.”
Crew defender Sebastian Miranda
On his goal
“We practiced some plays and corners and the idea was maybe to find Milo [Mirosevic]. I was outside the box unmarked and I headed the ball and scored. It was my first time scoring with a header in my career. I headed it as hard as I could and it went in. The important for me was not the goal but that we won. This was good for our confidence.”
Crew midfielder/forward Justin Meram
On the goal
“I was trying to read the play and the ball went by me. I saw Eric [Gehrig] step up and win the ball back. I had a good position looked up and saw an opening. I took the shot and luckily it went in.”
On needing the spark
“We needed it. It has been over 200 minutes without a goal and we finally got the monkey off our shoulders and we were able to get the first goal. Once you get the first one the others will come”
Crew defender Eric Gehrig
On the game
“It was tough. We went down halfway through the first half on a fluky goal. It wasn’t good because we were playing so well lately and not getting results. At the same time I knew that with us being at home and the crowd getting into it we were going to do well. We started creating chances in the second half and thankfully we were able to get two goals.”
On the assist to Meram’s goal
“As defenders we are taught to stay high and push up in the opposing half. I was able to intercept a ball and direct it towards Justin [Meram]. Right when he got it I started yelling for him to turn and then when I saw the opening I yelled ‘Hit it!’ and he did. Even though I assisted on the goal all credit goes to him for scoring a great goal. I am very proud of him and of our team tonight.”
FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman:
On the match changing with Zach Loyd's second yellow card:
“I think it was a couple things. I thought it was a very aggressive game and there was a lot of physical play going on. I'm only speaking from my side. I didn't think the right calls were being made. What I said to the boys at halftime: 'This will be a difference maker in the second half.' They will find a way to give you a red card, so be smart. That didn't take very long at all. “
On whether Zach Loyd's second yellow was deserved:
“I thought the second yellow was probably deserved, but there was two or three hits that went on that could've stopped the whole play. Those are the things that don't occur. Those are the things that aren't called that eventually come into something else. The first yellow I really questioned. Looking at the replay, I think that was a questionable call. “
On the change in mentality being up 1-0 and having a man sent off:
“It changes on the other team more than yours. The other team is going to be throwing more people forward and will be more aggressive and try to get something on the break.
On your team, you're trying to figure out your shape and if you remember, I had just made a sub before they scored. I had put in another forward and all of a sudden we had too many attacking people and we just lost someone. We had to lose somebody in the midfield. We had to make some adjustments and I had to make another sub, take the guy off that I put on. “
FC Dallas defender Daniel Hernandez:
On the match changing with Zach Loyd's second yellow card:
“I just thought the second half, we dropped back a little too deep like we had done a lot in the past. We weren't really keeping the ball. We knew Columbus was going to come out in the second half and put pressure on us anyway. We lost the ball in the midfield and it went kind of on a counter attack and they shot. We already were kind of struggling a bit to get possession. Obviously that hurt us after the red card. Unfortunately, we’ve had to deal with that for the last couple of weeks. I think after the red card, at that point we were tied and trying to figure out a way to still pick up our game and get a goal, but at the very least, hold the 1-1 tie. I thought we did a decent job defending. It was just the same old story for us: one simple lazy mistake of not marking up at the top of the box. It was a great header, but the guy never should've been free. “
On Sebastian Miranda's game-winning goal:
“It was an unbelievable header for him, a great goal. But again, it's the little things that have been costing us games all season. Whether it's making a mistake and getting a red card, or ending the game slipping up and making a mistake and letting the opponent back in the game. This was a game I think we could've held on with a tie. It was just one simple assignment that somebody wasn't marking up at the top of the box where they should've been and it cost us the game.”
