COLUMBUS CREW HEAD COACH ROBERT WARZYCHA
On the passion shown by the team:
The game didn't look different from the games we played at home before. The difference was the goals. If you remember the game against Colorado, against New York, against Houston I think they were good games. We were not fortunate when we had the chances to basically score. Most of our chances came, in those games, in the first half and we didn't score. And today was different. The goals changed the game. And even if you played the potentially best team in our group, which is Montreal who have the most points, you can do good things and you can win the game. They are the same players, they are getting tired. It is also a 90 minute game for them too.
On the team’s defensive performance:
I think we were very aware tactically. Everybody did their job. The way that we described to our guys how they (Montreal) are playing, or what they are doing, or how they possess the ball, or how they sometimes abuse possession and everything worked out for us. The second goal that Dominic scored, he got the ball from the guy who was facing his own goal, he was trying to make another pass, and he took it and he scored.
On Bernardo Anor's performance:
I think we have to come back to some of the previous games we had. He played in some reserve games, in the game in Dayton and he played in Chicago on Thursday morning and he was doing well in the practice. I thought he was a guy for the job tonight and I was right. I think he played very well.
On Chad Marshall and Danny O'Rourke's return to the lineup:
Obviously it's a big blow with Glauber's ACL, we lost a second player and he is very, very important to us – as well as Eddie Gaven. But having Chad and Josh [Williams] gives us some hope and I think stability. The players believe that we are still a good team and I think we showed that tonight.
On challenge of picking his lineup after Thursday's game:
Trying to do the best we can. We knew what they are capable of doing. That's why we went with Ben Speas and Bernardo [Anor]; we went with Dominic [Oduro] higher and Pipa [Higuain] instead of [Aaron] Schoenfeld and Dominic on the right. We thought they were going to respect Dominic's speed and drop back a little bit and we were right.
On defensive midfielders joining attack:
We talked about it yesterday. We did some patterns and then asked one of the midfielders to join the attack and be closer to the forwards. [Matias] Sanchez was first and did very well. He took the shot and luck was on our side.
On building upon the win:
I think as much as we get some games like this, it gives us confidence. But next game, next Saturday, we need to improve because if not this game is not going to mean anything.
On next week's lineup:
A lot of things happen during the seven days. I don't like to change too much to be honest with you. I like to reward the players who actually did very well. So mostly these players will be on the field next Saturday against Chicago. From the back line, through the midfield, and our two forwards they did very well. Most of these players will be on the field next Saturday against Chicago.
On Federico Higuain's positioning:
We talked with Federico before the game and we want him to be more central, that's where he's more dangerous. I think teams want him to drift left or drift right and not be able to be dangerous. Today he stood more between the penalty boxes and that's why he was so successful. He was picking up the second ball and also Bernardo [Anor] was tucking in and so was [Ben] Speas. Bernardo was going with his left foot, which we wanted because the left back is a left footed player, so I think it was easier for him to penetrate the inside. And that gives Chad Barson the space on the right side to go forward. Federico played tactically well today and that's why he was more effective. He always talks about the touches and having as many as he can. But staying inside he had a lot of touches today especially between Bernardo, him, [Matias] Sanchez, and [Danny] O'Rourke. I think [Dominic] Oduro and him was a very good combination, at times we looked a little like Barcelona.
On Matias Sanchez's leadership:
It depends on the game we are playing. His aggressiveness and his tackles and running of the ball obviously he is going to be one of the leaders, absolutely. If you play well then people will follow you and you can be a leader without even speaking.
On if Josh Williams could play centerback for the rest of the season:
I don't want to go that far in the future. Having [Chad] Barson available for this game, he's a young player and did very well. You play a game like this and the defense was so good so obviously I am going to keep him on the inside. That's a position he likes and hopefully he is going to bond with Chad [Marshall] and they are going to be good center backs. If we keep a clean sheet every game there's no reason to put him on the right side or the left side.
On stopping Montreal's forwards:
Tactical awareness or anticipation were things we did very well. As a unit we were solid, there were no holes in the line. We gave them a couple of chances in the first half, but that was from transition, losing the ball in the wrong spots. But that happens. You can't play without giving teams chances. They came here to score goals and they did everything to get the chances. But Andy [Gruenebaum] was outstanding and saved a couple and kept it 2-0.
COLUMBUS CREW FOWARD DOMINIC ODURO
On the win:
We really needed this win. When we were on the road for our game, it wasn’t really that good with the conditions of everything. But I thought that overall it came out good. Everybody was motivated to win this game because of the fact that we haven’t won many games at home. We had decided to come out and prove to ourselves that we are a better team than we thought, and we knew that from the get go after getting the two goals in the beginning. That being said, we still need to make our winning a habit now. I mean, we know where we want to go so that’s where we need to keep going as much as we can.
On the assist on Matias Sanchez’s goal:
I was trying to beat the guy around, pass the ball around and go from there. It was unfortunate, I think that he tripped me a little bit but I was right there to finish it so other than that it ended up being a great pass. I would take that assist!
On the club getting the first goal tonight:
Like I said, it meant a lot. We could tell that we were doing very well. And we kept pressuring down on them from the get go. I was really positive; we dreamed what we came out to do and how we execute it. We played well and the other team played well, everyone is happy and excited. Hopefully we can do the same against Chicago.
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER MATIAS SANCHEZ
On his first half goal and his first career tally:
We won the ball. Dom [Oduro] took the ball, gave it to me, and I shot. I am very happy for my wife, she is pregnant. We are awaiting a baby in December. I am very happy.
On how the first goal affected the team’s moral:
Yeah. If our team scores first, it is very important, because you get order in the field. You can take the ball and do things. It is very important to score first.
MONTREAL IMPACT ASSISTANT COACH MAURO BIELLO
On tonight’s performance:
I’m a little bit disappointed in the way we came out. Obviously we had a little bit of a break, but we were expecting them to come out and press us. We made a couple of mistakes in the first twenty/twenty-five minutes, we weren’t good and were very timid. We were second to everything and they [the Crew] showed that they wanted it a little bit more at that point in the game. We were able to still break them down and create chances; the game goes like that sometimes – [Andrew] Wenger has a clear opportunity and [Andy] Gruenebaum makes a great save. After that missed opportunity, the game would have been 1-1 at that point and things change. Second half we controlled the game in terms of possession and created a couple of opportunities. In the end, we weren’t able to score today, and the mistakes in the beginning cost us.
On Andrew Wenger’s performance:
For a forward, when you’re having difficulties scoring, you have to continue to work hard and do the simple things. Sometimes goals they come in bunches and sometimes it’s a little bit difficult. Andrew needs to continue to work hard, but the good thing is that he got in those situations and created those chances – that’s what’s positive. Chances come all the time; he’s just got to be ready for the next one.
On the Crew playing two games in three days:
If I look at their roster [the Crew’s], a lot of guys that didn’t play, played tonight – Chad Marshall and [Josh] Williams did not play on Thursday. We still expected them to come out strong and they’re playing at home in front of a lot of people tonight, they were pumped. This is a team [the Crew] playing with a little bit of urgency because of the situation they’re in, but we’ve got to be ready for everything. We’ve got to be ready for teams that want to beat us because we’re in first place – if you’re not ready in the first twenty/twenty-five minutes, you’re going to pay.
MONTREAL IMPACT MIDFIELDER JUSTIN MAPP
On tonight’s performance:
They jumped on us and we weren’t really sharp in the first fifteen/twenty minutes, giving up a couple goals. On the road you’re fighting an uphill battle, so we just made it tough on ourselves.
On the Crew’s performance:
They’re [the Crew] at home, we expect them to have energy and come at us. Unfortunately we weren’t really prepared for it and it cost us in the end.
On playing after a bye-week off:
After a couple of weeks off it takes a little bit of time to get back in your rhythm. No excuses because we’re an experienced group, so you can’t blame it on any layoff, but maybe it had something to do with it.
MONTREAL IMPACT DEFENDER JEB BROVSKY
On the Crew’s performance:
We didn’t think they were tired coming into the match, we just knew that we had to stay energetic from the start. Obviously credit them [the Crew], they came out hard and caught us flat-footed – that’s something we talked about at halftime and we were pretty upset with ourselves that we had that start.
On tonight’s performance:
We just have to look at ourselves individually, and collectively as a whole in the next training session, then say, “Hey, we can’t play like that and expect teams to respect us”. We’re on top of the league, but it doesn’t work that way. We’ve got to go back to the drawing board and really look at ourselves in the mirror and say, “This is a gut check time right now”.
On playing Houston next week:
It’s a good opportunity for us to a play a good team coming in our home, a good Eastern Conference rival. We need points now because we just gave up, essentially, six points on our own side. We need to keep going and we know Houston is not going to lay down for us either.
