Portland Timbers Quotes
Portland Timbers head coach Caleb Porter
On the red card to midfielder Diego Chara:
“Well, it’s why they won the game, the red card. At 1-1 we were the better team, we were the ones creating chances. Stefan Frei is the man of the match; he was tremendous. He saved them. But that call turned the game. It was one of the worst officiating performances I’ve seen since I’ve been around the game. And that call was definitely the difference in the game. We’re 1-1 and we have them on the ropes. The momentum had turned, we were absolutely the better team up until that call. Obviously it was a tight game up to that point like we expected. It was a battle, it was tight. But they had very few chances on the day, very few. I credit them on finding the first goal. I thought it was against the run of play. You see that in all the saves Frei had to make. But to our guys’ credit we responded after their goal, we then pull a goal back and the momentum completely turned in our favor and they looked to be fading in the game. We looked to be the aggressor, we looked to be the one pushing the game, the ones getting more chances. I thought we’d find a goal. At the very least I thought it would go to PKs. I never felt like they were going to score a goal; they weren’t getting chances and then the red card. And ultimately that was the difference on the day.”
On Darlington Nagbe’s goal:
“That was world class. That was one of the best individual goals I’ve seen recently, from start to finish. The way that he brought it down and turned the guy and played a little 1-2 and the finish, absolutely special. There are very few guys in this league that can pull of that play and it was a great little 1-2 by [Steve] Zakuani as well.”
Portland Timbers defender Jack Jewsbury
Overall thoughts on the match:
“Coming in we knew the confines here; it was going to be tight, it was going to be a battle. It wasn’t always going to be the prettiest soccer in the world but I thought we came in and matched and exceeded their intensity in terms of putting in the fight. Obviously disappointed to give up that first goal but again we had the fight and the wherewithal to come back and even the match late in the game. At that point we felt like we were really going at them and couldn’t get the win in overtime unfortunately. We all know the call that happened could have been avoided if a couple fouls before that had been called and then at the end of the day was it really a red? I personally don’t think so but it is what is and we kept battling even down a man in that part of the 15 and I felt like we were still creating some chances down a man. Obviously disappointed to be out of the competition especially the way it happened.”
On Nagbe’s goal:
“Yeah, he’s an amazing player. I think we’ve all said that from day one and he pulls off special plays and that was one of them tonight so for him to make that run, great ball by Steve Zakuani to get him right in stride and a great finish to keep us in the game there.
Seattle Sounders FC Quotes
Seattle Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid
On giving up the late goal:
"Obviously it is disappointing, we could have won it in regulation. You have to work extra, but I told the guys, 'So we got to do it the hard way, we will do it the hard way.' That's just the way it turned out tonight. We were happy. Having our crowd behind us and being able to come back [to Seattle] was a great thing."
On DeAndre Yedlin starting:
"He said he felt fine. He's still 21 one years old and we felt he is a guy who could play tonight and turnaround and play Sunday. He had cramps a little a bit, that's why we took him out-to be careful and make sure there's no injury."
On handling Diego Chara's red card:
"I didn't think we handled it really well right after the red card. Prior to the second overtime we talked about making sure we stepped up to people, keep people in the back, and not get beat off the dribble. I think that's what happened to us, even in the goal they got late, we were beat off the dribble. I said, 'Hold the ball and not to swing it in too early, opportunities will come."
Seattle Sounders FC forward Kenny Cooper
On his goal:
"Great ball by Pineda it hit me right on the head, he got so much quality on the ball and that's what he's capable of doing."
On playing extra time:
"The attitude and response by our team, I never saw any heads put down. When we got together Sigi instilled a lot of confidence in us I think and no one ever put their head down, we kept battling and came away with the win."
On scoring against his former club:
“All goals are just as exciting. I had a great time in Portland, they treated me really well, but that's in the past. I love being here and on this side of the rivalry."
On the importance of the victory:
"Hopefully it gives us momentum going into the weekend. They obviously have a lot of quality and you have to give them credit for fighting back the way that they did but hopefully we carry some confidence and momentum going into the weekend."
Notes:
· Wednesday’s match marked the second consecutive year the Timbers have played in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup.
· For the second time this season, Portland will play back-to-back matches against the same team in U.S. Open Cup and regular-season action, traveling to face Seattle on Sunday in a nationally televised regular-season game. The Timbers played host to Sporting Kansas City in league play on June 27, just three days after defeating Sporting Kansas City in the fifth round of the U.S. Open Cup on June 24.
· Midfielder/forward Darlington Nagbe tallied second career U.S. Open Cup goal.
· The loss snapped Portland’s four-match unbeaten streak against Seattle in all competitions.
· Wednesday’s quarterfinal match marked the second straight time Portland and Seattle have gone to extra time in a U.S. Open Cup game. The last Open Cup meeting between the two sides ended in a penalty-kick win for Seattle in 2010 when the Timbers were a second-division team.
· By playing all 120 minutes on Wednesday, defender Danny O’Rourke became the only Timbers player to appear in every minute in each of Portland’s three U.S. Open Cup matches in 2014.
· Midfielder Steve Zakuani made his first U.S. Open Cup appearance as a member of the Timbers on Wednesday night, playing 43 minutes and factoring in on Nagbe’s game-tying goal.
· Timbers assistant coach Cameron Knowles was ejected following the first half of extra time.
