COLUMBUS CREW HEAD COACH ROBERT WARZYCHA
On the match:
I think we started the game pretty well. To score the first goal away form home is always important. I think we gave up the tying goal too easily and too early to tie the game it 1-1. Second half I thought the game got a little better, we had some success possessing the ball, but the second goal was a crucial moment in the game, just giving up that goal on a set piece was backbreaking.
On if the loss is any tougher after scoring the first goal:
I don’t think so. You lose the game away from home, it’s not the end of the world. The thing is, the way we gave up the goal is where we have more questions.
On Thierry Henry:
I think whatever you want to say. New York has a special player in Thierry Henry. He had two goals and an assist. Obviously that third goal was something that he saw and tried to do.
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER MILOVAN MIROSEVIC
On his goal:
It was a good wide play between us (Jairo Arrieta), a one-two and then I ran into the box. Fortunately he saw me and I just put my foot on it.
On scoring so early:
It’s a good start but you have 87 minutes left so it’s a long way. I had a chance I think, five minutes after. We were defending a lot and when we had the ball we were trying to be as deep as we can. Of course, we found at 1-1 from that moment on the game was more tight. We were waiting and trying to attack.
On the quick turnaround Wednesday vs. Chivas USA:
Of course it’s going to be a totally different game. If we’re going to go to the playoffs we have to win that game for sure. From the first minute we have to show that we want to be there, and that’s our target now, we have to forget this game. We have now six games left instead of seven and we have to start getting some points.
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER DILLY DUKA
On getting the early goal:
When we scored, I can only speak for myself, but I really didn’t think we were one up. I didn’t think we changed our game plan at all because we knew it was so early in the game. The line of our pressure we kind of stuck to it and sat in a bit and waited for them to come at us. They got one back, I don’t know how much longer after our first goal and kind of caught us by surprise. It was a beautiful long ball and a good finish. Even coming in at halftime we stuck to the game plan, and were just unlucky.
On moving on past the loss:
We have to forget and we have to move on. You have to think about that home game, it’s a crucial game and it’s a good game to get three points, we’re looking at the playoffs so we have to forget and move on.
On if the team is feeling pressure down the stretch:
To be honest I’m not a guy who looks at the internet and the media, so I don’t feel any pressure. We go to practice, we go to games and we just want to win as a team and we’re only thinking about what’s going on in the locker room.
NEW YORK RED BULLS HEAD COACH HANS BACKE
On tonight’s match:
I think it was a well deserved win. You know how difficult it is when you go down that early in this league, we bounced back pretty well and picked up some top class chances in the first half, three, four of them. In the beginning of the second half is just not the most intense game, but we finished off very strong and of course it’s a good sign; I mean we have a good bench now, we have three, four or five players that can definitely make a difference and change the game. It definitely means a lot when you go into a busy week, playing Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday.
On Rafael Marquez’s performance:
I mean he is precise, when you give him time and space definitely he can be very precise and turn, or if it’s cross the final pass, whatever. I said, calm down and commence your own build up, your attacking game, you don’t get too hectic. So 60 minutes was perfect for him tonight.
On playing long balls against their defense:
I said we needed to test the back four, we need to play behind them. If we play in front of them, they are strong, they are good 50/50 guys, big boys, force them to turn and they will probably have a team that is stretched. Hopefully that could open up some space in front of the back four and midfield. I think we had four or five very precise passes over the top and it always makes the backs a little bit uncomfortable when you know you have runners behind, when you need to cover the space behind, you need to drop. For 90 minutes we tested the back four over the top.
On Thierry Henry’s second goal:
Yeah, what can you say, you don’t see too many goals on corners like that; but it was in a way a relief to get the third goal, even if it’s not many minutes left. I mean it’s so even in this league and many times (Eddie) Gaven and (Dilly) Duka made us feel a little bit uncomfortable when they picked up the one-on-ones and a lot of crosses too, so that was a relief, the third one.
On Thierry Henry’s overall performance:
I mean he’s been training very well, he’s getting fitter and fitter after his injury and I think that as close as you’re coming to the playoffs, that’s a big win for these guys. They get so much more motivated and I feel our team is improving with so many players coming back from injuries and getting sharper. But when he’s sharp and motivated, it’s very difficult to stop him.
NEW YORK RED BULLS MIDFIELDER DAX MCCARTY
On how often he scores on headers:
You know what’s really funny about that. I think I’ve only had nine or ten goals in my career and I think three or four of them have been headers. Tell you what, this year I’ve had two goals off corner kicks. I got one against Chicago. I think I like to think of myself a little bit as a secret weapon on corner kicks.
On Thierry Henry’s goal:
You can’t say anything about it. You just watch it, and be in awe of it. He says he saw him and the keeper, everyone was kind of floating to the near post. In that situation that’s perfect because we have a bunch of guys back. We don’t have anyone in the box, he sees it and it’s an amazing goal. It’s just another one to add to his highlight reel which there are plenty of.
On his role in the midfield this season:
I’ve been playing more defensive midfield this year, which I’m perfectly comfortable with. I enjoy the position but it’s kind of taking away from my attacking game. I’m no Messi or Henry for that matter but I like to think of myself as a useful player going forward. Wide right is probably not my strongest position but at the end of the day I think I can do the job there. I think with Connor’s engine getting up and down the line and my ability to tuck inside and try to keep position for our team and find space in behind the midfield and combine with Thierry and the forwards. I think it’s a good mix for us, especially when we have Tim (Cahill), Rafa (Marquez) and Teemu (Tainio) who are all fantastic players capable of playing the middle along with myself, it give Hans options.
NEW YORK RED BULLS MIDFIELDER TIM CAHILL
On the match:
I just think this has been building for a number of weeks now: the momentum, the consistency, the discipline, the performance. Straight away, it’s a bit unfortunate to concede the goal which threw us off a bit. But I think this is probably the fourth time since I’ve been here that we’ve gone down and we’ve come back and dominated the game. I think the game speaks for itself. It had everything, the excitement of the goals, the class of some of the payers, the determination, winning the tackles. We’ve got a good foundation and I think we’re coming together at the right time. It’s good we started off with a win. We play Wednesday, we play Saturday.
On how crucial it is that four of the final six games are at home:
I think it’s crucial we just concentrate on Wednesday. As a footballer in my past, in the history of playing football, when you start worrying about too much ahead things start to go wrong. The main thing now is Wednesday and how we’re going to regroup, how we’re going to recuperate.
On what he saw from his first meeting with Kansas City:
Away from home, drawing with the top team in the league, I found they were very physical and they played the long ball. They got the ball wide and they seemed to lump the ball a lot but the thing is they got some good wingers who are very tricky, that can cut back in and cross it. They like winning free kicks and set plays. We’re going to concentrate on what we’re good at as well and try to break them down like we did tonight.
NEW YORK RED BULLS FORWARD THIERRY HENRY
On allowing an early goal once again:
I don’t know what I felt to be honest. I was like ‘Wow, again.’ I don’t know what it is with us, we don’t start well in the games and somehow we come back into them every time. But you know you can’t do that when playoff time is going to be around. At the end of the day that’s my concern is what I was saying after the game on TV. What’s annoying me is the way we start games and the opportunity that we give although I thought at times today we played well, better than we did against Portland. But you don’t know sometimes you might not be able to come back. We are coming back most of the time but that’s one of my biggest concerns.
On Rafa Marquez’s performance:
You could see at the end he was obviously out of rhythm but you also saw what he can do. When Rafa plays, I have another option. I can move behind the defense, and you saw it tonight. How many times you saw me dropping tonight? None. How many times you saw me going behind the defense? Every single time. It’s another dimension for me when Rafa plays; he has that game. Therefore for me, it’s a bit better and you saw it on the goal, but you know exactly where I stand on Rafa.
On whether he expected Columbus to sit back:
No, not sit. Because at the end of the day, don’t get me wrong they can pass the ball and play well but they were less offensive than usual. Saying that, it worked at the beginning and a couple of times they caught us on the break and didn’t finish at times but we kept our head down and we worked. But as I said, I know I’m repeating myself again we went down 1-0 early.
