Portland Timbers quotes
Portland Timbers head coach Caleb Porter
On his overall thoughts on the match…
“We’re very disappointed to not get anything out of the game. The reason we’re disappointed is because we played very well. It was undeniable to me that we were the better team on the day. When you look at every category in terms of chances, in terms of possession and in terms of every metric you want to measure, we were the better team. That’s what makes it disappointing. I thought the guys deserved to get something out of the game, and it didn’t happen. I think when you play the game and you play so well and you leave empty-handed – it’s tough to swallow. But it also leaves you with a lot of optimism and hope moving forward because the play was good. It was the best we played against this team here. That doesn’t make anybody feel any better, but in moving to the next game that means not a lot needs to change. We just need to keep playing that way and make a few more plays. Obviously we didn’t make a play on the goal. Everybody was marked up on the set piece and we just don’t make a couple of plays there, and that was the difference on the day.
On the performances from Lawrence Olum and Zarek Valentin…
“I thought we had good performances across the board from everybody. Even Amobi Okugo had to go in because David Guzmán comes out because of an elbow to the head. It happened twice on the day. We’re just not getting some of those breaks right now. It will turn. That’s the way it rolls a little bit in this league. We’re not getting some of these breaks. Maybe it’s a penalty kick, or maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s a red card. The same play for us, we’re getting the call and we’re not getting it the other way this week. We can’t lose energy. We can’t worry about that stuff. We just have got to keep focusing on the positive play. If we do that, the players know that they’re going to get points out of it.”
On any adjustments that need to be made…
“Just having the group together. This is the first game that we’ve had with the front four together and 11v11 in a while. We lost a little bit of continuity and rhythm and contact time on the training ground and that type of thing, but listen – it’s not always whether or not the ball goes in the back of the net. It’s the chances. You’ve got to look at the chances. The chances were there. In terms of correcting that, I don’t want to correct anything other than the final touch and making a better play on their goal off the corner kick.”
On whether or not the team is having bad luck conceding the early goals of late...
“I think it’s just the way it rolls sometimes. We might have been lucky to score the first goal so much early in the year, and now it’s evening out. It’s nothing to do with how we’re starting because the group was ready to play this game.”
On the play where Darlington Nagbe’s shot deflected off Seattle defender Chad Marshall…
“Yeah. Probably two handballs. Definitely one. Definitely one penalty kick.
On the decision to start Zarek Valentin...
“We just wanted to get a little bit of new energy in there, and we knew Zarek would give us a little bit more possession. We also we knew with the way [Clint] Dempsey plays and comes inside a lot, we wanted a guy that was going to be connected in the line and make good defensive decisions. I thought he was excellent overall today. I thought we got very good performances across the board. There wasn’t anyone on the pitch that played today that I was unhappy with, even in [Dairon] Asprilla who came in the game and spiced it up. Everybody fought hard and I think the team play was very good. I was extremely pleased to come on the road and play this team with the caliber they have and the firepower they have, with a crowd like this and limit them to the shots that they had. How many times does Seattle play a home game and they don’t get 10 shots? That doesn’t happen very often. How many times has a team come and doubled their shots? I’ll let you guys look it up. I’d like to see the last time it happened. I don’t think you’re going to find it. I don’t think you’re going to find a time that Seattle has been doubled in shots on this field and out-possessed both of those things at the same time. Again, it doesn’t make me feel any better. I’m pissed off, the team is pissed off, the players are pissed off, the supporters are pissed off, we’re all pissed off, but guess what? Now I’ve got to think about as a coach on the bus ride home for three hours is how we’re going to make sure we get points in the next game, and how we’re going to get points is hopefully play exactly the way we played today and make a few more plays.”
Portland Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell
On the match…
“Obviously it was a good game to be part of. Disappointing first five minutes to concede a goal, but after that I thought we dominated the game.”
On his thought process after conceding an early goal…
“We started so well. It’s just a corner and flick on and flick into goal. Disappointing one to concede from a corner, but we were still confident going into the game and creating chances and playing so well. That’s probably the hardest thing about it. To play so well, certainly in the first half and come out with nothing.”
On what you take away from playing so well but not getting a result…
“That’s football sometimes; you just have to go with the highs and not get too low. (Keep) an even keel. We will bounce back. We’ve got a big game back at home on Friday, two games at home now, so games we’ve got to pick points up in.”
On the positives he can take away from the game…
“There was a lot of positives today. I think we played very well. I think we passed the ball really well. We got back to keeping the ball. We created a lot of chances. Just didn’t fall for us. At home we will have that crowd behind us...a lot of positives.”
Portland Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson
On the feeling of the group after the game…
“Obviously it’s rough to play a game like that and not come away with a result. I thought we were the better team on the day. At the end of the day it’s about three points, putting the ball in the back of the net and keeping the ball out of the back of ours. Unfortunately we didn’t make a play in one instance and they capitalized on it and we walk away with zero points.”
On being able to refocus and make saves after conceding an early goal…
“It’s the job. It’s tough. Especially because I thought we started so well, particularly against the run of play. But knowing if we just continued what we’d been doing we knew we would get an opportunity to score. Unfortunately we didn’t put one in the back of the net, but the lads out there did such a good job of creating chances and playing well.”
On if the team keeps playing well that the results will come…
“I think we continue the trend we are on. Take the positives out of this game and move forward, than yes we will get results, there is no doubt about that. It’s just there are little breaks that you need. Little instances that don’t fall your way and unfortunately we were the team that didn’t get them today. If we keep focused and doing what we’ve being doing we will be in a good position.”
Seattle Sounders FC quotes
Seattle Sounders FC head coach Brian Schmetzer
Opening statement…
“I just want to go on record publicly and thank the ECS tifo people for that wonderful photo of me prior to the match. It meant a lot. It was good, so thanks. Thank you.”
On the Sounders’ defensive performance…
“Well I said before the game a couple of things, and that it was going to require a team effort. And I think what you saw out there was a team effort. I think Brad [Evans] gutted his way through a long, hot afternoon. Gustav [Svensson] and Chad [Marshall] were again very solid. Joevin [Jones] was good when they brought [Dairon] Asprilla on, he didn’t let him go past him. The midfield, the guys in the middle of the park, did well. Another stellar performance for Cristian Roldan and another captain’s performance from Ozzie [Alonso]. And Harry [Shipp] being a creative, attacking type of player did his share, as well. You couple that with Nico [Lodeiro]’s energy. And I don’t know if you guys caught it, but at the beginning of the game [Clint] Dempsey – until we could figure them out – he had to do a lot of defending down that left-channel area, as well. So top-to-bottom today I think it was a good team defensive effort.”
On whether playing in front of a big crowd makes it easier for him to motivate the team…
“I think that’s all on them. I’ve said it before, it’s a group that’s full of pride. I reminded them again that they are the champions still. Nobody’s taken that away from us yet, and I think that mentality showed through. I wasn’t quite sure that early in the year in the year we were playing good and I was up here talking about how good we played. And I could look at stats and say we played really well, but we never got points and we never got results. We might not have played our prettiest soccer the last couple of games, but they’ve figured out ways to win. And part of that was sacrificing their bodies to block shots and do what they needed to do.”
On the what stood out from the performance of Roldan…
“His overall effort, and work rate, and thinking and his tactical acumen. We like to push up the field on the left-hand side. Clint likes that little left-hand pocket. Cristian had to deal with [Diego] Valeri and [David] Guzman in the first half and a bunch of midfielders. But he was also able to cover the left-back position as needed when Joevin and Deuce were in there. He had a massive performance.”
Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Cristian Roldan
On the goal…
“Just trying to do my job and [be in the] right place at the right time. It was a great cross and a great header by Chad [Marshall] I think it might of gone if I wasn’t there. Just redirected it and it just happened to go in the back of the the net – very fortunate.”
On the week of practice before this match…
“We practiced that play in particular quite a bit. It was something that we felt that we had an advantage at, and obviously Chad is a monster in the air and a competitor and he’ll do anything for the team and he put his body on the line and I was just able to follow up with what the coaches wanted me to do. And that’s all credit to them.”
Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei
On the effort of the defensive side…
“Great. Two games in a row we play well defensively and I think it does good for our confidence. We’ve struggled at times, you know, responding to how the games are shaping up and our chances and maybe almost falling into the same traps again or going down a goal and then kind of surrendering if you will. But now knowing that we have two games where we only needed one goal and we kept it really clean in the back, I think that’s really good for us going forward. I have to say it’s a total team effort and all 11 guys played well defensively and it’s a well-deserved shutout.”
On what Brad Evans brings to the team…
“He’s a very smart player, which is why he’s been able to slide into numerous positions. It’s good to have someone like him on one of the outsides. With wingbacks these days it’s tricky because you’re asked to go join the offense but you’re still a defender. You have to pick your spots very wisely and I think he does that. He goes forward when he knows he can go forward and puts in dangerous balls and puts people in dangerous positions. We know we are secure on the right side. Very good to see him play two full games now without picking up a knock. That’s a really good sign.”
Referee Mark Geiger (Via Pool Reporter)
Why didn’t you issue a penalty for the Portland Timbers when a shot from Darlington Nagbe struck the outstretched arm of Chad Marshall in the 54th minute?
“When considering the speed, distance and the fact that Marshall’s arm did not go to the ball, this was not considered a handball offense.”
Notes:
· Saturday’s match marked the 96th contest between Portland and Seattle since 1975.
· Portland outshot Seattle 19 to eight in Saturday’s match. Portland is the first road team to have more possession and more than double Seattle in shots since April 4, 2015, when the Houston Dynamo recorded 56 percent possession and a 16-5 edge in shots.
· The Timbers had 15 shots in the first half, which ranks tied as the second-most shots produced by the Timbers in the first half of a road match.
· The Timbers finished the match with 448 successful passes, the most by Portland in a match this season. The output was also the most by a single team in any match between the Timbers and Sounders in the MLS era.
· Midfielder Darlington Nagbe completed 57 of his 59 attempted passes, while attempting four shots and creating two chances. Nagbe’s 96.6 percent passing accuracy is the highest percentage by a Timbers player this season (minimum of 40 passes).
· Ten different Timbers players had multiple tackles in the match. It is the third time Portland has done that in the club's MLS era (July 31, 2016, vs Sporting Kansas City and Oct. 8, 2014, vs San Jose Earthquakes).
· The home team has won eight straight regular-season meetings in the series between Portland and Seattle.
