Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; ">COLUMBUS CREW SPORTING DIRECTOR AND HEAD COACH GREGG BERHALTER
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On his thoughts on what changed in the second half:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">It was patience; we knew it wasn’t going to be easy, we’ve been watching them. They’ve been a tough team, save for that Seattle game, to break down especially in the first half so we knew it was going to be difficult, we got the PK right before half time and it was unfortunate that we couldn’t convert that but, we knew as the game went it would open up, they would get tired. I stressed at halftime: patience.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On his thoughts of playing a team like Chivas USA and Justin Meram’s efforts:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">Yeah, you know the focus was moving the ball quickly, getting the ball wide and going from there. I think that’s exactly the goal. We got the ball in a wide position, Waylon [Francis] made a smart choice to give it to Justin [Meram] there in a shooting position and it’s a goal. I think that’s what we’re relying on to get it going.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On his expectations of Chivas USA’s play prior to the match:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">Yeah, because we watched the first half of the Seattle game, it was four nothing, could have been six nothing, so I knew they were going to change their tactics a little bit. I knew they were going to sit back. On a warm day, bright and sunny, those days are difficult sometimes to really get into it and move the ball quickly but that was the talk at half time. I said, guys we have to start moving the ball faster and that’s how we’ll hurt them.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On his thoughts of first half play compared to the second half:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">I think after not converting the penalty, the guys realized we have to make a run at this; we have to invest a little bit more into this. Runs need to be harder, ball movement has to be quicker and you can see that. The guys were really putting a lot of energy into getting forward in the second half in a good way.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On what he saw in the second half:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">Again, I think that it was a game of patience; it was a game of will. It was a game of sticking to the game plan. You guys want me to say that I wanted to score three goals in the first ten minutes and the game would have been over but that’s not soccer it doesn’t always happen like that so I think that this was a great overall 90 minute performance based on that.
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On the performance of Kevan George and Daniel Paladini in the place of Wil Trapp and Tony Tchani:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">I thought they played really well. In the first half the spacing wasn’t right and the second half they played really well and I’m proud of those guys for not contributing that many minutes and coming in and playing and putting a good performance in a game that was important for the club.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On Justin Meram’s growth as a player:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">He has quality and that’s the most important thing. He can make plays and he has the ability to shoot in one v. one, that’s very good. It’s a high level for this League, he’s going to be dangerous. For him it’s going to be focusing mentally for every game, every performance to put it in and to be effective. We’re asking him to take chances, play aggressive and when he does that he’s really good.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On having Bernardo Anor back:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">It was great that we were able to give him those extended minutes today. We want to get him back, we want to get him in form especially as we finish up the season. So I think it’s really important and just for our group to have options pushes everyone a little bit harder.Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; ">
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER DANIEL PALADINI
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On what made the difference in the second half:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">That’s [quick ball movement] our game plan. He [Gregg Berhalter] stresses on keeping the ball in the first half. It was not as good as it was in the second half. At halftime, he came in and said pick up the intensity, move the ball quicker, and we did. We knew they were going to break down and that they were going to get tired especially playing three games in eight days.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On scoring quickly at the start of the second half:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">It is always good to get a quick goal. Justin [Meram] scored a clinical goal what is what he is known for. Cheers to him.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On being in the Starting XI:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">Overall, it was okay. The first half was about getting the jitters out as I have not played in a while. I thought the second half that we all played well, and that it showed.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; ">COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER JUSTIN MERAM
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On today’s game:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">It’s good. You need to get the victory. The other Eastern Conference teams are making a run, and we need to as well.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On biggest difference between the first and second half:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">I think we went back to playing our game. Being simple, and waiting patiently until we got the right opportunity.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">On the team offensive services:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">The services were great. They have always been great. Both of the outside backs [Waylon Francis and Eric Gehrig] and center midfielders [Kevan George and Daniel Paladini] provide great balls. They make it easy for us.
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Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; ">CHIVAS USA HEAD COACH WILMER CABRERA
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On today’s game:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">We knew that it was going to be a tough game for us after the third game in one week, 3:00 p.m., it’s hot. I think the guys, suffered in the second half. The first half as tough, we played even, we controlled the attacking from the Crew very well, but in the second half we had guys running around, we paid the price and we gave them too much of a threat. We tried tot take risks and when you try to take risks, you have to be able to deal with crisis in the back and we didn’t have very good answers in terms of attack.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On positives to take away from his team’s performance:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">It wasn’t easy, especially in the first half for the Columbus Crew which is a very good team, an attack-minded team. It wasn’t easy for them to penetrate, we controlled that very well. We need to emphasize that moving forward, that is something we need to work on. Passing accuracy was much better for the team. It wasn’t easy for the Columbus Crew until we ran out of gas.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On looking at what needs to improve ahead of Friday’s home match against Sporting Kansas City:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">We have to be more consistent with our defending. We gave up two goals in the same way. In the second half, we lost the ball in transition; we lost the ball in the middle. For the two goals that came outside of the box, we have to step up better we have to do a better job in that aspect because that is something that cannot happen. The same player scored the same type of goals in less than ten minutes. Obviously, if we want to get a result at home, we have to be a threat. We have to have better ideas and have to have a better mentality. The possession has to happen for this.
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CHIVAS USA FORWARD RYAN FINLEY
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On positives to take away from today’s game:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">I thought we came out in the first half and you know, played a pretty solid game for the first half but we kind of let it slip away. In the second half, once they got one goal, it kind of started to snowball from there. There are some positives we can take away from the first half, hopefully we can go back and correct some of the mistakes from the second half.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On being back in Columbus:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">Obviously it’s nice, you know, this is the organization that gave me my chance, in the League, that drafted me, and I will always be thankful for it. Obviously it is nice to see some guys that I played with and keep in touch with, some of my friends, so that is always nice.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On what the team needs to work on heading into its next match against Sporting Kansas City:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">Obviously, myself included, we turned the ball over a little bit too easily sometimes, so I think throughout the week that might be a point of emphasis. Hopefully, we can keep possession a little bit better Friday night and be able to create some more opportunities, because you know, like I said, I thought we were pretty solid at the back in the first half, it’s just kind of the mistakes of us losing the ball in bad spots and them taking advantage of it.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; ">CHIVAS USA GOALKEEPER DAN KENNEDY
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On today’s game:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">Well, we know this is a team that really likes to possess the ball and dictate the game that way, so we came here and I think in the first half we really had good shape and gave ourselves a real chance and we got on the ball and had some composure. Unfortunately, you know we gave up that first goal and then we were chasing the game. When you chase a game, you kind of leave yourselves a little exposed and we gave up another couple of goals. You’ve got to credit Columbus, they are a very, very good team. Unfortunately for us, if we could’ve just kept that first goal out you never know what could’ve happened.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On what positives the team can take away:
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; ">We need to take positives. That’s where we’re at right now. We need to know that if we give ourselves a chance with our formation and being organized, possessing the ball the way we can, we will be in the game. We just can’t let it get away from us.
Char" style="font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; ">On what to prepare for SKC:
We’ll get home, we’ll recover and we are playing a dangerous Kansas City team because they are coming off some hard results, so it is going to be a dogfight.
