Portland Timbers Quotes
Portland Timbers head coach Caleb Porter
On how he feels about the performance…
“The guys in that locker room I couldn’t be more proud of. I told them they remind me why I do this every day because the amount of heart and fight they showed to get that result, that’s not easy. If you know this game and you’ve actually played it, it’s very difficult to get a win down a man for 45 minutes. These guys dug deep and were organized, kept their composure. They showed their experience. They showed their fight, their heart, couldn’t be more proud. It’s a big result and through all we’ve been through in the 15 games, which I don’t think there is a team that’s been through more, I can guarantee you that. We’ve never quit, we’ve kept fighting and here we are, a result off of being in third place. So that’s MLS. We know that and I think that it shows in the steady hand that we’ve had over the first part of the season. Three games ago we had lost three on the spin. We came into that game backs against the wall and lesser teams, they would have crumbled, but here are we are three games later unbeaten in three and seven points. It doesn’t surprise me because I know the character of these guys and I will go to war with them every day.”
On scoring on a set piece and getting a clean sheet…
“I think it’s fitting we get our first clean sheet down a man. So there’s no more difficult clean sheet when you go down a man and we get our first set-piece goal other than a direct free kick. We’ve scored a couple off direct free kicks, but nothing off of service. We get our first set-piece goal as well. So now we tick off those boxes and you guys have to keep quiet a little bit on those two things for at least a week.”
On the decision to substitute Lucas Melano for Diego Valeri…
“So, obviously going down a man at halftime you have to reorganize. We slid [Diego] Valeri over on the right and when you lose a man, the organization of your team defensively doesn’t change because you still have in the back part of your team basically two lines of four and then we dropped [Fanendo] Adi in to play on the d-mids. What you lose is the ability to press the ball, and so their center-halfs were able to play out now, which is why we were more forced to defend deep. We knew we could absorb, but we also felt with Valeri having to defend for 45 straight minutes, having played that game a couple days ago, we needed to reorganize and go with someone fresh who can bring a little bit more pace on the counter and then obviously we got Adi off and shifted him [Melano] up top and go with basically our best defenders in those two lines of four because it’s about surviving and getting a result when you are down a man.”
On how close Jake Gleeson is to capturing the No. 1 shirt…
“That’s tough to say. Obviously you’ve got to look at fact that we have two good goalies. He’s been outstanding, no doubt about it. When Adam’s [Kwarasey] back then we’ll talk about it, but there’s no sense in talking about it now when Adam’s not back and we know Jake will be in there.”
On making three changes to the starting XI for the match against San Jose…
“In looking at the last game with the Fire and then coming into this game, I wanted some fresh bodies. We felt three guys was the right amount. And we weren’t happy with the overall attacking play, and looking at the matchup with San Jose and the fact that they are a team that is very athletic, we just felt that if we played true wingers again that looked to play in channels all the time that that’s a good matchup for San Jose and would play into their hands because they can run with you and we wanted to insert a guy like Ned [Grabavoy] who brings a little bit more cleverness, creativity, possession and movement – similar to how we play Darlington [Nagbe] – we played him narrow and overloaded. I know Ned, I know what he is capable of and I trust in him and I thought he was outstanding today. One of the better players on both sides of the ball. In that first half before we got the red card I thought we were the better team and a big part in that was that we kept the ball and had a few more ideas in the attack because Ned came inside and now they have to manage his movement. And at times when we have [Dairon] Asprilla and [Lucas] Melano they can be predictable in staying wide as wingers and they are effective in that but we just felt like we needed a little bit more movement inside and creativity and soccer IQ.”
On how impressed he was with Taylor Peay’s performance…
“I thought Taylor Peay was great. I have to give credit, too, to T2 and Andrew Gregor [T2 head coach], because having that team allows a guy like Taylor to keep playing, keep sharp and maintain his confidence. I see training every day and I will be honest with you I probably don’t play Taylor or Ned unless I see what I see in training. I thought both of them were outstanding this past week. I watch training every day and see things people don't and when I see a guy that looks like he’s sharp and confident and ready to go I have to go with my gut instinct, and those were the two guys that I just felt would have good games today and I thought they both did.”
On what he wants the guys to take away from the game and think about during the break…
“Well there is a lot to take away. Obviously again we score on a set piece. We put up a clean sheet. We showed a lot of character. And I think now that we have somewhat of a reset and recharge we can reflect on the first 15 games and say, ‘we’ve been through a lot and we’ve grown stronger.’ I have a lot more knowledge about my team and I think we’ve grown with some new guys in playing and getting results. We’ve grown in our belief collectively which people underestimate. When you have new guys in until they’ve won games with the club there’s not that collective belief, whether it’s two guys, three guys, four guys, in some cases we’ve played five or six new guys, that have never gotten results together and individually in the uniform, so I think we’ve gained a lot through it and I always think these things even though they feel tough at the time there are real positives and I think it’s why last year we go on a run because we had similar things, not as much as this year, but I think that is why we were so strong at the end of the year. And also you have to say when you lose guys to injuries, I get to see guys. Over these 15 games you saw some good and you saw some guys that maybe aren’t ready to grind just yet, aren’t ready to be in games and get results for us, and that’s important to know this for Open Cup, Champions League and now the rest of the year, we know those things and that’s a part of it. That’s a fact of life in football is you either get the job done or you don’t and ultimately we have to make decisions based on that. We have a lot of evidence now to make decisions moving forward rest of season."
Portland Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell
On earning the first clean sheet of the season…
“It’s huge. Certainly in the squad, with new players coming in and playing games, it’s all about squad game. We’ve had a lot of injuries and different things go on this season. You saw Taylor [Peay] come in today, you saw Ned [Grabavoy] come in today. It’s a big confidence boost to the group and we’re going to need everyone throughout the season, so it’s nice going into the break knowing everyone stepped up to the plate and played well.”
On scoring the goal…
“It felt great. I think it’s a long time coming, to be honest with you. I work on it day in and day out, certainly with set pieces. I think someone asked this morning if I’ve scored on a set play. It felt great, certainly to get the win and to get the result at home was fantastic.”
Portland Timbers midfielder Ned Grabavoy
On getting the start against San Jose and being ready…
“As a player and a pro, I need to show up every day and try and do whatever it takes to help the team win when my name is called. In saying that, regardless of who played and who was where in what position, the team deserves a tremendous amount of credit for grinding out those three points that were really important to get going into this break. Obviously, we got put into a tough spot right before the half. The team deserves a lot of credit.”
On the organization in the midfield…
“We had to drop [Diego] Valeri more on the right, so we kind of lost that guy underneath. It was difficult at times in the second half to try and play a little bit and even find combinations to ignite a counter attack, but you shuffle a few guys around. Everyone understands what’s at stake, and like I said, we defended from the highest guy to the goalkeeper. And not just individually, but we did it in tandems and as a group. For me, was the first half excellent? No, probably not. We were ok at times, but for me, the second half, organization-wise and shape-wise, it was probably the best we’ve looked defensively, so there are some good things to look at, especially in the second half.”
On complementing the club’s leadership as a veteran…
“I came into a group that already had a core group of guys. These guys won a championship. I’m a veteran guy. Obviously, I need to lead at times on the field and be vocal. I think I’m better when I’m engaged in the game and doing that, but at the same time, this group has had its leaders and its core group together. I just need to show up every day, do my job, put the work in and eventually these things start to come natural.”
Portland Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson
On recording his first-career clean sheet…
“It’s huge. The circumstances in which we did it was even bigger. To go a man down in the first half, it just shows the fight and grit this team has. I think we’ll use this as a massive platform to show that we can grind out these games and use it as motivation to win the next one.”
On limiting San Jose in the final third…
“It was just the desire to get that win. We knew how much we needed it. It would have been a six-point swing between them and us, so it was that determination that got us through at the end and I couldn’t be more proud of the boys.”
On the team getting its first log for the clean sheet…
“It was heavy, but it was great. I think the back line deserve it more than I do. Obviously, it’s a good feeling.”
Portland Timbers defender Taylor Peay
On getting his first start of the season and the team getting its first clean sheet…
“It felt good. It was a team effort. It wasn’t one guy; it was everyone. We all buckled down and we got the result, so we’re all happy about it.”
On securing the win playing with a man down…
“We just came together. It was just one of those things. You’re down a man, you come together and you have to grind out a result, and that’s what we did.”
San Jose Earthquakes Quotes
San Jose Earthquakes assistant coach Steve Ralston
General thoughts on the match…
“Disappointed. I thought we didn’t play particularly well in the first half. Thought we gave the ball away very cheaply throughout the whole first half. Defensively, I thought we were okay. We gave up a free kick in a bad place and a guy jumps up pretty well and scores a good goal. We talked about being tight on our marks. Guy out jumps us, down 1-0 and that’s the game. Second half, obviously that changes with the red card and thought we could have done a better job in the second half moving the ball, getting more balls in the box. Kind of got wide and got stuck. Couldn’t get service in the box, lost the ball and little bit naive in the second half in trying to get forward and push for the goal.”
On if missing players on international duty the team…
“Not at all. They’re missing a couple players. We’re missing guys, but whatever team we put on the field, we put out there we feel can win a game.”
On head coach Dominic Kinnear…
“He’s okay. He had a tough week. Had a couple things happen to him. He was planning to come up and wasn’t able to come up so we took over for him just for this game. He’ll be okay. He’ll be back next game.”
On if Kinnear’s absence affected the San Jose players…
“No, I don’t think so. I don’t think that’s the reason. Shouldn’t be the reason. As a player, you come out and you’re ready to play. Doesn’t matter. Dominic was there yesterday and in preparation for how we were going to play. Tonight we just didn’t execute. I know he wanted to be here and on the sideline getting these guys going.”
San Jose Earthquakes forward Quincy Amarikwa
General thoughts on the match…
“Yea, I think it was a tough battle, but I don’t think we fought as hard as we have in the past. I think we know we could’ve given a bit more in that game. I think a lot of guys realize it and the good news is we get to come back here in about a week and a half and kind of make up for the performance tonight.”
On how the red card just before halftime affected the Earthquakes…
“We knew it was going to favor us from a possession side, but we wanted to be able to take advantage of that possession. I think Portland did well to sit in and absorb the pressure and frustrated us getting down the lines and getting crosses. Unfortunately, we couldn’t adapt quickly enough and we weren’t able to get a goal. We created a couple of decent chances that were saved off the line there, but maybe another day.”
On his battle with the Timbers defensive center backs Liam Ridgewell and Nat Borchers…
“They’re both physical center backs that are known for getting stuck in. I’m prepared for that. I think they’re equally annoyed with me and my style of play. I know it’s always going to be a battle here and my job is to fight for every ball and create chances for my teammates around me and again, unfortunately it didn’t result in any goals tonight.”
San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Fatai Alashe
General thoughts on the match…
“I thought it was a pretty tough game for us. I thought we didn’t play particularly the way we wanted to play. Obviously we were a little less in the first half. We were giving some balls away a little too much. I thought we were better at keeping the ball in the second half, but just didn’t really create enough opportunities to score. Obviously gave away a bad one in the first half. We can’t really concede goals on set plays. It’s a tough game but one we’ll have to bounce back from.”
On how the red card just before halftime affected the Earthquakes…
“It was positive for us obviously, whenever the other team goes down to 10 men. That was something to definitely be positive about coming into halftime. We were looking to exploit that a little bit. Obviously we were going to have a little bit more possession in the second half because of it. We were going to try and push more guys forward and see if we can attack a little bit. We made a sub and brought in Tommy [Thompson] to create more attack. It was something we tried and obviously we were pushing for a goal but just didn’t get one.”
On his midfield battle with Diego Chara and Ben Zemanski…
“They’re good players, but there are a lot of good players in the league. Every game is pretty tough. This is a big one, especially away, but some of those things are a good learning lesson. We’ve played these guys three times this year so it’s something we’re used to. We have a good group of guys on our team that are up for the challenge any game.”
Referee Chris Penso
Which official had the view of the play on which Dairon Asprilla was issued a red card and recommended issuing a red card?
“The fourth official.”
What did the fourth official say that convinced you that a red card should be issued?
“He stated that [Dairon] Asprilla struck an opponent in the head with his elbow.”
Notes:
- Sunday’s game marked the 93rd consecutive regular-season sellout for the Timbers at Providence Park.
- Defender Liam Ridgewell scored his first goal of the season, marking his first regular-season goal since scoring against the San Jose Earthquakes on Sept. 7, 2014.
- With the finish, Ridgewell is the ninth different player to score for the Timbers this season. Only three MLS teams have had more than nine different players score in 2016. Additionally, Ridgewell’s finish marked the first goal from a header for Portland this season.
- Midfielder Diego Valeri recorded his fourth assist of the season. Valeri, who has recorded a goal or an assist in three straight matches, leads the Timbers in assists this season, one ahead of midfielders Darlington Nagbe and Lucas Melano.
- Valeri recorded his 100th regular-season appearance for Portland, becoming the fifth Timbers player to hit the century mark during their MLS era. Only midfielders Darlington Nagbe, Jack Jewsbury and Rodney Wallace have played more games for the Timbers.
- The shutout against San Jose marked Portland’s first clean sheet of the season. Additionally, goalkeeper Jake Gleeson recorded his first regular-season shutout with the Timbers.
- The victory marked the Timbers fourth win in their last five home matches.
- The win against San Jose marked the third time Portland has won a match after receiving a red card during its MLS era, previously defeating San Jose on April 16, 2016, and Seattle Sounders FC on June 24, 2012, after having a player sent off.
- Midfielder Amobi Okugo made his debut for the Timbers, entering the match during stoppage time in the second half.
- Defender Taylor Peay recorded his first MLS start of the season.
