Portland Timbers Quotes
Portland Timbers head coach Caleb Porter
On how he would evaluate the game…
“Tight game. Two good teams. First I’d like to credit Atlanta; I thought they played well today. They have some good players. I thought in particular [Miguel] Almirón – was very lively – he found a lot of the ball. He was very dangerous on the day. A good side. Pretty even game overall. Obviously they had the better of the possession. We had the better of the chances. Disappointed to give up that early goal in the start of the second half. But from there the next 44 minutes was all us. I really thought we left it on the field. We gave it everything we had. I thought we were going to get the goal to win the game. Obviously we pulled one back and had a couple bounces that maybe go different, the post, a couple other times when the ball is in the box where we don’t quite get the half chance off. A couple through balls that just don’t quite get through. Again you’ve got to credit them. I thought their backline played pretty well today. Obviously disappointing not to get the three. We’ll take the point. Not satisfied with that at all and now we’ve got to make up for that on the road.”
On what Sebastián Blanco brings and how he’s adjusted to multiple roles on the field…
“He had a good game. I thought he worked very hard. I thought our whole team did after we conceded, which is also disappointing to start the second half that way to give the ball away in a bad spot. It starts with just being casual and then the reaction from there. They didn’t get many looks. They had a lot of possession. They rarely broke us down. Jake [Gleeson] didn’t have a ton to do on the day. With their attacking group we knew they would have some of the ball and some good looks, but they only had seven shots and none of them were real clear. I thought again the fight and the response, the rest of the game the way the guys played and how hard they dug we have to do that for 90 minutes. And we are going to have a couple really difficult games coming up at Montreal and at Seattle. When I looked at the schedule I knew this was going to be one of the toughest stretches of the season with four of five on the road. We are clawing. We are getting some points, but I’d like to see more three-pointers. We need to build on that second half and how we played after we conceded.”
On what they need to do to keep opposing attacking players from getting between the lines…
“Today they got in between us some but didn’t create out of it. It’s not always just about stopping them from getting in between the lines, it’s about how you manage it once they get there. I thought we were much improved in that today. The way they play they are going to find some pockets and you’ve got a really good player in Almirón. He’s a quality player. Let’s be honest, there is a reason that he had interest from some of the top clubs prior to coming here and I thought he was great. But again when you look at it outside the goal they didn’t create a ton. So that’s disappointing because we give up the goal off of giving the ball away and then you can say do we step better there and put pressure on the ball, that’s the key. We worked on that last week and I thought the connection between our midfield layer and our back layer was better. But when they do get in there, and inevitably teams are going to because that’s always the space teams are trying to get into, so we have to get better pressure on the ball.”
On the decision to play Roy Miller alongside Liam Ridgewell…
“Lawrence [Olum] has played 10 games and I think he has done well. Roy had done well also and when Ridgy [Liam Ridgewell] came back in it kind of displaced Roy and that was really the only reason he was taken out of the lineup. I just felt in trying to flip the switch and maybe get a little bit more ball-winning next to Ridgy in the backline. Roy tends to leave the line a little bit more, in the air and on the ground, so that was the thought. And looking forward we are going to be losing two games from now Darlington [Nagbe] and [David] Guzmán. So we are going to have to figure out that holding mid spot, which is ultimately why we brought Lawrence in to play that spot. So that was the thought. Get a little bit different chemistry and ball-winning in the backline with Roy. Also his ability to speak Spanish with Guzmán never hurts that chemistry there and the way he plays. And to start to prepare Lawrence to be ready to play holding mid. And I think today missing Darlington you could see that we just aren’t quite as good in possession. Sometimes you don’t know his impact until he’s gone. It’s not always the goals, but his ability to float around and find pockets and help us keep the ball and get out of tight spaces. In the attack I think we’ve been missing a little bit of chemistry in there and it’s because we haven’t had the group together. We had [Fanendo] Adi and Blanco out, then we had the next game [Diego] Valeri out, and then we had Valeri and Nagbe out and then this game we had Nagbe. So you can see there is a little bit of loss of cohesion in that attack that we had kind of rolling to start the year and the reason is simple we haven't had the group together game after game. But I still thought they worked very hard. Valeri’s working himself back in after being out a couple of weeks. So it will be good getting him 90 minutes, it will be important for him just to get that sharpness and that fitness back. Again, I think it is a game where you leave feeling disappointed, but we have to feel good about the effort."
Portland Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell
On scoring the equalizer…
“Long time coming, so obviously glad to get the goal and obviously drag us back into the game. Obviously sad we couldn’t go and get the second one to win the game, but a hard-fought draw.”
On being able to get free on set pieces…
“Sometimes it’s work in training, sometimes it’s a spur of the moment thing. Most goals that I get are tap ins or from two yards, so it’s just me getting free. Obviously I felt that I was free and I had a running chance of getting in there and David put it on a plate for me. It was a tap in in the end.”
On partnering with Roy Miller in the defense…
“I think we defended very well. [Atlanta] is a very good side. They pass the ball a lot, they keep the ball a lot as they show in their possession and I thought Roy coming in did very well. We’ve got a very good squad this year, which obviously is good. We need the depth. Whoever comes in and plays, obviously plays very well, and Roy did that today.”
On defending against Atlanta’s attack…
“They play out from the back. They’re not bothered whether you press them up high or low. They play no matter what. They’re a difficult team. I’m sure they’ll cause lot of teams problems this year. I think we’ve done better of it in the second half because we broke their first press and their second press and connected a few more passes. That’s what you’ve got to do. Try and connect the second pass and keep that one and then attack them. I felt we did that very well in the second half.”
Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri
General thoughts on the match…
“We left everything on the field and that’s why we scored the goal. We almost won the game in the last part of the second half. In that side, we’re very happy, but obviously disappointed with the result because at home we needed three points because now we have a couple more games on the road. We need to get points on the road.”
On the team’s response to going down early in the second half…
“Very, very pleased with the response of the team and the way we played after [Atlanta’s] goal. I think that’s the most important thing. We put a lot more energy and pressing with the ball. With a couple chances, we were close to scoring the second goal.”
On if Portland played its best after Atlanta scored…
“I think the result changed the situation. At home we need to win the game and we pushed a little more. We tried to press a little higher because in the first part, at zero-zero, we thought if they have the ball with the center backs, it doesn’t matter for us. But after their goal, that changed and we pushed the game a little bit.”
On how he feels after 90 minutes coming back from injury…
“I feel good. Tired to be honest. It was 2-3 weeks only training. You lose a bit of rhythm, but very good.”
Atlanta United FC Quotes
Atlanta United FC head coach Tata Martino
(through an interpreter)
Overall thoughts…
“It’s good to play good soccer, but we leave with our hands empty. We were the better team.”
On starting Julian Gressel on the right…
“Just wanted to put more numbers in the midfield and it was a success.”
Coming out with a plan in the second half…
“The only thing I told them was to continue what was going on the first half, because it was a bit of a shame we weren’t winning the game at that point.”
On the defense…
“I want to focus a little more on the amount of chances that Portland had, which weren’t many, aside from the anger or passion toward the end of the game. We did a good job making sure they didn’t have a lot of opportunities. The most dangerous thing for them all game was set pieces.”
On road form…
“Considering the type of teams we’ve played on the road, we’ve done well.”
On the defensive nature of the game…
“Both teams were guilty of not really being determined in the final third, and that’s probably why you saw such a low-scoring game. Both sides would get to the final third and were unable to capitalize.”
Atlanta United FC goalkeeper Alec Kann
On the cross that led to the goal…
“I have to make the decision to go or stay, I’ll have to watch it again. It’s a tough ball to play, with the flight and often times goalkeepers get frozen in that spot. It’s tough, but it’s one we’ve got to look at and improve on.”
On feeling of leaving emptyhanded…
“This is tough place to go, we would’ve loved three points. I think we arguably had more control of the game and it’s disappointing to get just a point when we should have a win, but at the end of the day a point in this stadium is a good result.”
On the road stretch and returning home…
“Outside of the New York game, I think we’ve been very good on the road, Montreal was an unlucky loss. We’ve been good on the road, we need to go home for these next two games and pick up six points. It’s nice to go home and unpack for the first time in a couple of months.”
Atlanta United FC midfielder Julian Gressel
On his first professional goal…
“I was just in that moment, the ball comes to me and I take a good touch.”
On the comfort level of being on the right…
“I’ve played it before and I kind of knew what I had to do. Coming in I think I’m a versatile player who can play multiple positions and coach knows that and he trusted me in that role today.”
On getting a result on the road and on road form…
“Our mentality has been good on the road so far, you kind of wish to pick up a win here or there, but it’s been good. We’ve been in games and we’ve grinded out results and that’s what you’ve got to do on the road and hope you get lucky here or there to punch three points. We’re excited to be at home two games in a row.”
Notes:
· Sunday’s game marked the 113th consecutive sellout for the Timbers at Providence Park.
· Since 2013, Portland's record following a loss is 20-8-12 in league play since the 2013 campaign.
· Portland's 21 goals scored are tied with the Houston Dynamo for most goals scored this season.
· The Timbers are undefeated in their last five home matches against the Eastern Conference opponents.
· Defender Liam Ridgewell notched his first goal of the season. Ridgewell is the 11th player to score for the Timbers in 2017, the most of any MLS team this season.
· Ridgewell tied an MLS career high with three shots.
· Midfielder David Guzmán delivered his fourth assist of the season, tying him with Diego Valeri for the club lead. It was Guzman's second assist directly from a set piece, which is tied for the most by any MLS player this season.
· Fanendo Adi played in his 100th league match for Portland, becoming the sixth Timbers player to play in 100 MLS matches. Adi joins Darlington Nagbe, Diego Chara, Jack Jewsbury, Rodney Wallace and Diego Valeri.
