COLUMBUS CREW HEAD COACH ROBERT WARZYCHA
On stopping defensive breakdowns:
I would say concentration on individual performances. Second goal, the guy scores with his chest, how often does that happen? Basically it has to be determination. I'm saying it wasn't determination. The guys actually had a good game, but obviously it was two crosses and two goals.
On the loss:
The game was everything. We talked before the game and that this game means a lot. Chicago is just behind us but we said we don't think about Chicago being so close to us, we think about what we can gain by getting three points. We talk about teams that are in front of us. If we got three points we'd be in a good position. We started the game very well, scoring a goal in the [seventh] minute. We possessed the ball and had some opportunities; the guys played well. Chicago had a little momentum in the first half and nothing serious happened. I didn't think they had chances to create chances or score a goal. The same in the second half; [Joel] Lindpere is a special player who made two crosses and two goals.
On the Ben Speas illness affecting the lineup:
That's something that came up just before the game and obviously [Jairo] Arrieta had to play on that side. We didn't want to change anything up front for a reason. That's why Dominic [Oduro] stole that ball and scored through the penalty. And Arrieta had a very good second half, he was very dangerous.
On Jeff Larentowicz's impact:
He's a good player. He's a League veteran and a good player. But I don't think he changed the game. [Logan] Pause was their captain so I think whether it's Larentowicz or Pause in the middle, I don't think that change changed the game.
On Chad Marshall- Josh Williams pairing:
They are both good players. They covered ground and are both good on the ball. I don't think, in the first half, [Mike] Magee or [Chris] Rolfe, I don't remember them getting a good chance. We were stepping to the ball and we were winning everything in the air. Just simple crosses that we need to be better at and marking the guys in the box. The second goal came in the middle of the goal. I think Josh was the one who let Mike [Magee] score the second goal.
On not making early subs:
We had the momentum at that time, we created a number of chances so I didn't want to change that. You have to take one player off the field so obviously, you don't want to take a forward because we want to score a goal. You don't want to take [out] [Jairo] Arrieta or [Dominic] Oduro because they are on the field and they can score at any time. Arrieta was very busy on that side and Oduro has scored seven goals so I didn't want to take him off. The team was creating chances and I didn't want to change.
On lineup changes for next week:
I think the way we played I can't be disappointed. We created a number of chances, we were quick, and there was a good understanding. We just have to just tighten things at the back. So I'm not looking for a number of changes because I don't have the players. I don't have a player to replace Chad Marshall or Josh Williams.
On leadership on the field:
I think we have a number of veterans on the field and they have to be the ones. You would think in the situation they [Chicago Fire] didn't look dangerous. How many crosses did they put in the box, how many crosses did we put in the box? So it doesn't have to be a goal. Two goals happened in two minutes or three minutes. But like I said we need to be tight in the back and mark players. Because Dilly's [Duka] goal, he was very open at the far post and [Mike} Magee came from behind Josh [Williams]. So we have to make sure there's the right communication and we do our job in the box.
On postgame comments to team:
I think there's always next game. It's against [Sporting] Kansas City. There's a give and take. We have to win the game in Kansas City and it'll probably even up. But too bad we lost again at home where we are supposed to be winning. Sometimes the fortune is not going right. We were so successful for so many years winning the games at home. We have to build our fortress again. We have to make sure we don't lose the game here.
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER/FORWARD DOMINIC ODURO
On the mood of the locker room following the game:
It is obviously it’s very disappointing. As I said last week, we have to keep the momentum going. We did good the first half. The second half was not good. We cannot be dropping points like that at home. We should have had points in this game. Just so many mistakes. Silly goals, sill mistakes on our part. We will just try and go back and drop all of the silly mistakes. Play like we did in the first half. Especially going back to the game against Montreal which was really good. We need to get back to that. Obviously tonight was not good enough.
On the execution of the Crew’s offensive attack:
Like I said we were playing well, creating chances. We just have to stop the opposing team score in our net. It’s unfortunate that we let them put a couple in the net. We just to keep compact. We cannot let goals like that fall into our net. That is really disappointing at the end of the day.
On opposing teams scoring goals in short spurts of time:
It is a little bit unfortunate at the end of the day. I do not think that we meant to give all of those goals away. I think that it was just a silly error. What else can you do? Stuff happens, but that is what makes this game really great. But like I said, it is disappointing at the end of the day. We just have to do it right. At the end of the day, we just have to make it right. Second half was not good enough. We lost our focus for two minutes and it cost us.
COLUMBUS CREW DEFENDER TYSON WAHL
On the loss:
It’s very disappointing losing at home, we haven’t been getting any victories at home and it’s frustrating. I thought we played well against them a week ago at the Open Cup, we made good results. And for the first 25 minutes we were really good. We kind of dropped off after we scored and you can’t let that happen. I think at home we have to keep pushing and go for the second goal and I think it came down to a couple plays in the second half and we just weren’t good enough in those plays.
On the goals allowed:
They were very similar plays, cross from the left, we needed to figure out our marking a little better in the box and we didn’t do that. Obviously we can see goals, everyone can do something a little bit better, nobody is pointing any fingers. We will have to improve on those plays.
CHICAGO FIRE HEAD COACH FRANK KLOPAS
On tonight’s performance:
We knew that they were going to come hard and the start was important – a lot of times it’s how you catch teams. We needed the good start, but we gave up a penalty kick early. I felt good in the game, even after that we had good confidence. We came into halftime, we talked about it and the team never gave up. The game is 90 minutes and we found another way – we had some very good moments and created chances. We scored two goals, but they had some good chances also. In a game like that the goalkeeper has to come up big like Sean [Johnson] did and that’s what you have to do to get three points on the road.
On halftime adjustments:
We needed to get on the ball more. A lot of times when we play them [the Crew], long diagonal balls are not the strength of our team, we don’t have a chance. We needed to combine through the middle, we needed to play combinations, we needed to move the ball quicker – especially from side to side and get the ball to Dilly [Duka] wide in the channels. Once we get it there and he’s [Duka] on the field and we’re getting defenders one-on-on under pressure – that’s where our strength is, to be able to combine. The big balls, I mean, if you play long balls diagonally to [Chad] Marshall, you’re not going to win any headers, you know?
On the quick turnaround after the Open Cup meeting on June 13:
Our changes helped a lot; we needed to rest guys who weren’t 100% from the Open Cup game. I thought it was a great team win and the one thing with the guys – they’ve never given up, even through the slow start and adversity, there’s always been a belief in the team. The team is the most important thing with the group and you can see that no matter what happens, there are no regrets and they’ll leave everything on the field.
CHICAGO FIRE MIDFIELDER DILLY DUKA
On tonight’s performance:
Three points, that’s big, man. Columbus is a good home team throughout history, so to come here and get three points – I don’t know if we moved up a spot in the table, but with the points, it helps big time.
On the importance of his first goal with Chicago:
I needed my first goal in a Chicago jersey. I feel like I’ve been getting good shots off in past games and I’ve just been a little unlucky. This one I got played a good ball and I just made sure I got behind it so it could go in. I’m happy for that, but it’s extra special we got the three points with it.
On reacting to his goal:
You know what? I saw it go in the back of the net and then I just looked at my players and was like, “we’re back in this”. I didn’t try to celebrate or anything, I didn’t care, I just wanted to get these points – to come here and get points is big.
CHICAGO FIRE FORWARD MIKE MAGEE
On his success with goal-scoring:
[Laughing] Don’t jinx me man. I can’t comment on numbers of goals right now.
On the recent form of the Fire:
Our defense is playing great, but we’re giving away goals. It stinks, but it shows a lot about this team and sets the tone for the week to come – we know we can battle and we fight for each other, that’s the hardest thing in soccer. If we can just get our minds right to start games, we could be a hell of a team.
On his goal:
It was off my shoulder. The defender had the beat on me and I was just trying to get in front of him. I hoped it would hit me somewhere and it hit me right here [points to shoulder].
