Portland Timbers Quotes
Portland Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese
General thoughts on the match...
"It was a great performance; we needed a performance like that at home - our first win in the new stadium. I thought that the guys did a great job to be a threat going forward, scoring in the right moments and then keeping the ball in the moments that we needed to keep it. So overall, well played and I think at the end we could've been a little bit better. We were a little sloppy at the end, so I think there were a few moments that we could've closed the game in a better way. I think we can continue to improve, but overall a good performance. It was good as well to keep [a clean sheet] in this match. So very good, very content that we are able to go through. And we want to compete, as I say, in every competition that we participate."
On starting a full-strength lineup with the compacted schedule ahead...
"They were enjoying playing, they wanted to continue to contribute to the match. They were smart in the way they were playing and we only have three substitutions, so definitely if it was a friendly match, we could've taken more guys out. But we felt that these were the substitutions that we needed to make and we need to just think now about the next match. So we will analyze this one, look at the things that we need to improve and then plan for the next match."
On if he thinks the players will have enough time to rest before Saturday's match...
"Yes."
On Claude Dielna's performance and progression through the season...
"Definitely, a great question; I think Dielna has a great match today. I think he showed the reason why we brought him in and he was very solid. He helped us to make sure that we kept zero and not get scored against, and a very good performance. He's been always a professional and this was his opportunity to come in, enjoy, play the 90 minutes and he played very well."
On Tomás Conechny's performance...
"He's been developing. He's been growing. This was his chance to be able to step on the field and play. We've seen moments or minutes here or there, but we decided to give him the opportunity to start today and he played very well. He had a lot of good moments. He moved the ball, he did many good things and unfortunately, I think he had that opportunity that would've been great for him to have finished, because I think he deserved it for the work that he put into the match."
On the chemistry between Sebastián Blanco and Brian Fernandez...
"Oh definitely when good players get together, they're capable of matching up very quickly and well. And when the two continue to work, when the two continue to progress…when good players find each other, then they can be dangerous."
On how the result jumpstarts the team and if he believes the season starts now...
"No, the season started the first day that we played – the first match – because we learn a lot from those games that we win, from those games that we should've been better. It's a learning exercise from the beginning and we know we can get better. We still think that we can get better. Today was a very good performance. I thought that the guys, in some moments, are getting closer and closer to where we want to be and we need to continue to work. So there's still a lot to play during the season and we need to make sure that we keep in a line going forward and becoming better every single match."
Portland Timbers midfielder Sebastián Blanco
On tonight’s performance…
"We needed a performance like today because we had very good games before this one, but we couldn’t complete a perfect game like today because we finished with a clean sheet and it’s important for us. We felt very confident today, we kept the ball and we created many opportunities, so it’s amazing for us because this cup is very important.”
On the difference between U.S. Open Cup play and league play…
"For us it’s very important because it is a trophy and for us it’s important – for the team, for the club, for everybody. We play like in MLS, we don’t feel the difference, so now on Saturday we need to play like a final, like today and next week, too, because we have so many games in a few days, so we need the complete team.”
On the challenge of playing four games in such short period of time…
"We have a big team, so we need everybody because on Wednesday, [it] is a very far travel to Montreal, but we also have Houston and Dallas at home. This is important because both teams are competition for the playoffs, for the conference, so we need everybody.”
Portland Timbers defender Claude Dielna
On moving onto the next round of the U.S. Open Cup and getting the clean sheet…
“I’m happy for the team. We played well tonight. We deserved this win. Now, we can come back for the next league game and be focused.”
On getting the win in front of the home support…
“It was an amazing support tonight from the fans. The fans were crazy, as they are all the time. We needed them and tonight they were there for us.”
On the team’s performance against the LA Galaxy tonight…
“We were all concentrated and focused. We did what the coaching staff wanted from us. That’s what we did and we got the win.”
LA Galaxy Quotes
LA Galaxy head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto
On how his team performed in the first half…
“I think the first half of the game, very good trying to fight with Portland. But I think the game changed after the set pieces where [Portland] found the first goal. We got disorganized for a few minutes and they scored again. I think after that the game was very difficult for us because they played well, they have good players, they have good football. But I think after the third goal in the [37th minute] the game was over.”
On any changes he tried to make at halftime…
“We tried to get organized and then we tried to score. You know this is soccer sometimes. But we gave a lot of advantage in this part of the game where Portland scored three times. We lost the mark in the set pieces. We couldn’t kick out an easy ball on the second goal. The fourth goal is again, we gave a lot of opportunity to the right back to beat us today.”
On looking forward to MLS action against FC Cincinnati on Saturday…
“I expect to win that because we saved a lot of players for that game with Cincinnati. But we are talking about the game today and I am a little angry because we need to fight more. We need to have a better attitude. When you are playing for the Galaxy you have to feel the honor to be here.”
Notes:
- The Timbers advanced to the quarterfinals for a second consecutive season and the fourth time in club history (2013, 2014, 2018, 2019).
- Since 2013, Portland has nine wins over MLS teams in U.S. Open Cup play, which is tied for the second-most wins during that span.
- Portland’s win was the largest shutout victory the club has ever had in the competition.
- Brian Fernandez scored his seventh goal in all competitions for Portland. Fernandez has scored in all five matches he has played in for the Timbers.
- Fernandez is the first Timbers player across all eras to score in each of his first five matches for the club.
- Fernandez is the second player to score in consecutive matches for Portland in U.S. Open Cup play.
- Sebastián Blanco tallied his third goal of the season across all competitions. Blanco has now scored 25 goals across all competitions in his three seasons with the club.
- Blanco has scored two U.S. Open Cup goals in his career. Both of those goals have been against the LA Galaxy.
- Jorge Moreira scored his second goal with the Timbers and his first goal in the U.S. Open Cup.
- Marco Farfan made his 2019 Timbers debut in the match.
- Tomás Conechny earned his first start of the 2019 season.
