Quotes: Portland Timbers vs. FC Dallas
Portland Timbers Quotes
Timbers head coach Caleb Porter
Thoughts on difference in second half…
“It was a bit of a mentality change. We were a little bit reactive in that first half and flat. Whether it was the heat or us being on our sixth game in 18 days… I don’t know what it was. Certainly we weren’t at our best in that first half and yet we knew we were capable of coming back as long as we had a mentality change, we changed our urgency and our spirit. We’ve come back before, so we knew we could do it.”
On the team’s mentality in the second half…
“Everybody believed and we made a tactical tweak as well. We flipped the triangle in the middle, played with Will Johnson, pushed him up with Darlington Nagbe, played [Diego] Chara behind them and, obviously, guys we put in the game. [Frederic] Piquionne and [Ben] Zemanski, Futty [Danso] at the end, they really helped us as well to get the result. It was a total team effort. I can’t be any more proud of the guys. They continued to show me they have big hearts and brass balls, because they know how to get it done when the game is on the line. That’s the mark of a good team. When your backs are against the wall, you dig deep and you find a way. This team just continues to find ways to win games. We’re excited; we’re two games from winning a Cup.”
On the team’s stretch of six games in 18 days…
“For us, it’s a great time to recharge the batteries. We’ve got the bye week and these guys need it. They’ve gone through this stretch – six games in 18 days. Not many teams could have pushed in that second half with as many minutes as these guys have managed. For us to really find those goals and take it to another level in the heat against a good team with a lot of minutes on their legs, it just shows how hungry this team is and how bad they want to win trophies here with this club.”
Timbers forward Darlington Nagbe
On their overall unbeaten streak…
“It just shows the team is working hard as a group. We’re defending well. We’re attacking well. We’re a balanced team, doing the best that we can.”
On FC Dallas…
“They’ve been one of the better teams this season so we’re always up for them. Maybe that’s why we play so well against them. The heat was awful. We knew the team that had the ball was going to make it a game. In the first half, they had the ball, but in the second half we had the ball. It feels good beating a good team on their field. It just shows the character on this team and how determined our guys are.”
Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri
On his goal that gave Portland a 2-1 lead…
“It was just Darlington at the control. He worked the ball to me to get around the defense and into space.”
On the conditions…
“We knew this was a hard field. The weather was really hot and we knew that with our play and our control and chances we had in the first half, we would get chances and score goals in the first five minutes of the second half. We are happy and enjoying this moment. We are very confident in our work. We’re just enjoying it.”
Timbers midfielder Will Johnson
General thoughts on the match…
“About 15 minutes before halftime we started to press a little bit and started to be a little more aggressive. We started a little slow but once we got out of that and loosened up a little bit and started pressing and putting Dallas under pressure, they started giving us the ball back. Then they got a little tired and we started to create a few waves of attacks. Pressure led to chances.”
On the upcoming break…
“We just played six in 18 days. We need to recharge. Obviously, you worry about what you can control. You can’t control the schedule. You play the games and teams that are put in front of you and you just be professional in that manner. It’s good to have a little break mentally and physically. We’ll get back on the horse July 7 in Columbus. That’ll be another big game for us.”
On the possibility of winning the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup…
“It’s big. It’s our goal. We want to try to win things and compete for trophies and we’re doing that. We haven’t had much luck with the coin tosses so we’re doing it on the road. That speaks volumes. I also think the experience, for this young group to get games in places like Dallas… It’s a positive thing down the stretch. Some older teams might not want those extra games but at this point we do. We want to keep competing for trophies and getting better and keep improving.”
Notes:
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The Timbers join three other MLS sides – Chicago Fire, D.C. United and Real Salt Lake – in the semifinal of the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The semifinal is the furthest the Timbers have ever reached in the U.S. Open Cup.
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With the win, the Timbers handed FC Dallas their first home loss in 2013 across all competitions. FC Dallas entered the contest with a 7-0-2 mark at FC Dallas Stadium in MLS play and won each of their first two U.S. Open Cup matches at home.
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With three goals against FC Dallas, the Timbers have registered 10 goals in their three U.S. Open Cup fixtures, outscoring opponents 10-3 in the tournament.
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Forward Darlington Nagbe tallied his first-career U.S. Open Cup goal in the match against FC Dallas. His goal was his third this season against FC Dallas across all competitions and the fourth of his career.
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Forward Frederic Piquionne has registered a goal or an assist in each of the Timbers first three 2013 U.S. Open Cup fixtures. He scored his fifth goal of the competition in the 72nd minute against FC Dallas, and is the leading goal-scorer in the tournament.
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With five goals, Piquionne is the Timbers all-time leading scorer in U.S. Open Cup play, surpassing forward Bright Dike’s four goals.
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In total, Piquionne has recorded six goals and five assists over his last eight matches across all competitions, including a four-goal performance in a 5-1 win over the Wilmington Hammerheads (USL PRO) in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup on May 29.
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Midfielder Diego Valeri scored his first U.S. Open Cup goal; it was his fifth of the season across all competitions.
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In their history, the Timbers are 6-2-0 all-time in U.S. Open Cup road matches. Portland has won four straight away games in tournament play since June 9, 2009.
- The goal by FC Dallas’ Je-Vaughn Watson in the 15th minute was the earliest goal allowed by the Timbers in all competitions since April 27 against Sporting Kansas City.
