Columbus Crew SC Sporting Director & Head Coach Gregg Berhalter

On getting a win after a busy week...

"Today, I think we played good, but the determination of our guys, their willingness to fight through tiredness got us the win. I thought we would get at worse a tie, and the surprise came with a counter-attack at the end. We could have counterattacked more effectively in the second half, the spaces were there, but the tired legs, a third game in eight days… You could see it had an effect."

On how they weathered the storm in the second half...

"We wanted to keep possession, we wanted to tire them out, but when their first goal came, you can see we lost confidence. They come storming back in the game, they had an excellent second half, putting a lot of pressure on us. But in the end, we were able to control the score and get the final goal."

On getting a game-winning goal in added time...

"To me, it’s all about the mentality. I am very pleased with the mentality of the group today. Historically, we have had a tough time playing in this building. This was kind of grinding through whatever pain we needed to and show the determination to get the victory."

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen

On the performance and getting the win...

"It was a huge win. The three points are huge. Coming off three games in eight days is never easy. For the boys to get the win and grind through the 90 minutes feels great. Mentally, we were a little tired, but we stuck through it. Now, we’ll get our bodies back."

On Justin Meram’s performance and hat-trick...

"It was amazing. He was awesome today. He took his opportunities and he did well."

On the team’s mentality...

"It says a lot about our mentality. We’ve been working hard since day one of preseason, and it showed today."

Midfielder Justin Meram

On his game-winning goal...

"They were playing with numbers forward. They were taking it to us at the end, and the ball came out to me. It was a last minute sprint. I gave it everything I had. Niko Hansen made a great run to stay with me and had the awareness to play it back. It was a great team goal."

On winning even though they let the Impact get back from 2-0 down...

"When you’re up 2-0 at the half and you let the other team come back, the crowd is with them, they had all the momentum… To get a late one feels great and shows we have not given up as a team."