Columbus Crew Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter
On tonight’s game
I can safely say it’s our worst performance of the year. It’s disappointing. I think we had the intention to play a good game and really come here and make it difficult, you know, and we did just the opposite. We made it very, very easy for the Red Bulls. Not to take anything away from them but the manner in which we conceded goals was amateurish.
On Crew striker Adam Bedell’s performance
I think it’s great that he got off the mark and he got a goal. He’s a good finisher. We need to keep creating opportunities for him because he can finish.
On Crew goalkeeper Steve Clark’s performance
I think he did will. He’s been doing well all year. Today was no different. Overall he made some big saves.
On Thierry Henry’s performance
You have one of the former best players in the world [and] probably one of the best players in the league. It gives us, at least, alarm bells when he has the ball and when he’s around the ball, he’s passing and moving, he’s in the box, I would think we’d want to be near him.
On the Crew returning home
We got to pick ourselves up, right? We got to pick ourselves up and move on. Put this game behind us. It’s over as of now and we’re moving forward. I think the message to the guys is ‘Let’s not talk about it, let’s do it”.
Columbus Crew striker Adam Bedell
On scoring his first MLS goal and his performance
It was really good. It was kind of a surprise getting in with [Columbus Crew forward] Jairo [Arrieta] going down but you got to be ready. I showed that I was. I got in there and [it was a] great through ball by [Columbus Crew midfielder] Ethan [Finlay]. I took it on the hop and lucky enough to go in. So it feels great.
On tonight’s game overall
It is a tough result but, you know, I thought, going forward, we did create some really good chances. Just couldn’t capitalize. Back to the drawing board. Get back to training on Monday [and] work towards Wednesday. You put this one out of your head and work towards the next one.
On Thierry Henry’s performance
The guy’s world class. Just a great performance tonight. It seems to be a great performance from him every night. He played really well and took the team on his back. Congratulations to him.
Columbus Crew defender Chad Barson
On tonight’s game
I think we just need to play better. We knew the importance of this game and we didn’t come out to play to the potential that we needed to. We need to start putting our words into actions and really playing to our potential; not just talking the talk.
On the Red Bulls’ attack
We knew going into the game that we needed to find Thierry Henry on counter attacks. That’s one of their strengths and he can obviously lead those counter attacks really well. Obviously tonight we didn’t do a good enough job doing that. He’s obviously always a dangerous guy throughout the play of the game but especially on counter attacks, where they really thrive. We didn’t do well enough.
On Thierry Henry’s performance
There’s no doubt [that] the guy’s still has it. He’s played at the highest level in the world and he obviously still knows how to do it. Hats off to him. He’s a great player. Everyone knows that. At the end of the day, we just didn’t do enough to minimize the impact he had on the game.
New York Red Bulls Head Coach Mike Petke
On Henry's performance in the game
I would love to get Thierry out in the 60th minute of many games to rest him with games coming up, but shows having him on the field, he's always a threat. I mean his performance tonight, purely on scoring opportunities and assists, is world class and that's why he is on the field game in and game out.
On Bradley Wright-Phillips' 15 goals and if he can be the clubs' first player reach 20 regular season goals
It would be great because he's earned it, and it would help us as a team. I told Bradley before the game, I was honest, do what you do best and score goals, and he did. He could have had more, you talk about strikers being streaky and his streak is just continuing. He got hot, whenever that was, when he scored his first goal this year, and he just wouldn't let up. He's a true striker because he has that nose for goal and I'm very glad that we have him.
On the difference between the first and second half
The second half we were much more organized. Our balance was better, we talk so much in the week leading up and even in my pregame tonight, that balance and spacing were key for tonight. Middle to the end of the first half we were all over the place, it looked like two separate teams, again. We were getting dragged everywhere and we had guys going forward and not necessarily getting back in the timely fashion I would preferred. But in the second half we were getting behind the ball a little bit because they were looking for the tie, and they needed two goals, but we were very organized. Bringing Dax and Sekagya on late in the game helped us out a lot. Dax is a true central holding midfielder and he did well with that tonight, and Ibra did very well.
On if he has rethought his trust in the younger players after tonight's game
(Matt Miazga) is 18 years old, Chris Duvall is either 20 or 21 and Oyongo is around 19-20, whatever his age is, I mean there is going to be mistakes. But the important thing for me is, I pulled Matt out afterwards and said 'How many games have you played in MLS,' he said 'Five.' I said I played 300-something games and I had a hell of a lot of mistakes in this league. It's all about how you bounce back, and I think in the second half he responded, he showed it didn't get to him and that's all you can hope for from him. Many young kids would have folded, and they didn't. There are going to be mistakes, there is going to be a learning curve. By putting them in, as I have the last five-or-six games, I am showing that I know that I am going to stick with him. That's not to say that he won't come out once and awhile, come out here-and-there. But I believe in these young kids, I believe that this is the way for the future of this club.
On having Dax McCarty back after his long absence
To be honest with you, I was hoping to get Dax out tonight and it became clear that we really needed to clog up that midfield up. Higuain was all over the place, seeing a lot of the ball and I thought to keep asking Tim to come way back deep wasn't the best thing to do. So we get Dax on, and then to bring Ibra on late in the game, to have almost both of them sitting, with one getting forward and having that one sit. I told Dax last year and this year that if he were to embrace that roll as a true traditional holding midfielder, it's a dying art, it really is. You look around this league at who is holding true midfielder; Kyle Beckerman. You look back in the day; there was a number of them that I played with. And that is, to me, what will elevate him to the next game. To do those selfless acts of just working things up and starting that attacks, and I thought he did really well when he came on.
On if Wright-Phillips is exceeding his expectations
That's a tough question answer. He's sitting on 15 goals and we have 17 games left. Perhaps he has exceeded some expectations. We knew where he came from, we knew a bit about him and we were hoping we could get goals from him and he's really on a great tear. He's playing better, as well, and I don't think he gets enough credit for it. He is playing the position a lot better. I said there's a price to pay when playing with Thierry Henry up front, he likes to go all over the place and we want him too. Fabian last year, the lone striker up there, and Cooper before. It's not easy, and they have developed such a great relationship, those two, there's trust there. I think to say that Bradley scored 15 goals without giving a lot of credit to Thierry, as his partner. But this is the guy we hoped we'd get and I'm glad he's on this streak now.
New York Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry
On team’s performance in 4-1 victory against Columbus
We have to defend better as a team, period. We’ve been doing that the whole season, conceding a goal like this. Enough is enough. We managed to come back today and a lot of times in so many games this year we couldn’t. I don’t think 4-1 was a deserved result for Columbus. They played well, they passed the ball well, in the second half we actually didn’t even touch it. But, today we scored and that changed the game. We cannot carry on giving goals away. We have to do better as a team, period.
On upcoming games
It is what it is, we’re going to have another type of difficulties against Philly. It’s never an easy to task to go and win there. We also have to enjoy the win, we didn’t win like that at home for a very long time. Although if we’re talking about the game, it’s a bit harsh on Columbus. All I know is if we want to make the playoffs and have a run in the playoffs, we have to defend better as a team I repeat again.
On becoming club’s all-time leader in assists
You guys know me, that’s not the sort of thing I’m thinking tonight. Like I said, you should always take better criticism when you win. We found ourselves so many times in this very dressing room, crying because we conceded so many goals that we shouldn’t have conceded because we didn’t defend well as a team. We managed to escape today. Let’s all be happy about it, but let’s also go home and think about how we conceded that goal. Another day, before the Philly game we maybe talk about that (club assists record) but my mind is not on that right now.
New York Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips
On current run of form
I don’t know if you can expect to be on this kind of a run. I’m just getting very fortunate at the moment, I’m enjoying it though.
On playing up front with Henry
You see today the assist he put on a plate for me. He did it for two other plays today I think. It makes it so much easier playing with a guy of his class.
On feelings going into game
I just go out there and do what the manager, what Mike tells me to do about defending and so on. I just think if I get a chance, try and hit the target. If it goes in you guys talk to me, if it don’t I get showered, dried and go home.
On other seasons he’s had like this in his career
There were two seasons I had where I got 20-odd goals. I had a few streaks like this, I don’t know if it was as long but I’ve had a few seasons where I’ve scored some goals.
On potential of becoming the first player in club history to reach 20-goal mark
I don’t know, if it happens it happens, there’s a first time for everything. I hope it can be me. If it’s not there’ll be another time.
