Portland Timbers quotes
Portland Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese
On the result…
“In the three games that we played, we tried to do certain things that didn’t work out. But, as I said, we learned a lot this week for us to make sure that we’re prepared better. Again, I assume responsibility for this defeat. I thought we were in the game. I thought that we created some chances and then at the end I think that it was tough to have to run without the ball for so long. Once they got ahead in the game it became very difficult for us.”
On adjustments made in the second half…
“Yes, we moved more in their half of the field, trying to be more ambitious. But, we didn’t have the right ideas to be able to break them down. We did create but then once we became tired, it became a very difficult match and it could’ve been more than three.”
On the team’s current form…
“This happens. This is soccer and that’s it. This was a difficult week – three matches in eight days. We explored something. We tried to see if we can work with players playing matches back to back and we learned that we have to change some things. So, it was a good learning experience.”
Portland Timbers goalkeeper Jeff Attinella
On the result…
“It didn’t go our way tonight. But, I think if you give a dangerous team that many chances, they have good players, they’re going to score and they’re going to capitalize. It’s a week that we can take and learn from. But, obviously, it didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but we have a massive game on Sunday. We have to put this whole week behind us and look forward to the one on the weekend.”
On the team’s recent form…
“You learn from losses like you do from 15-game unbeaten runs. So, the streak is well behind us and we’re currently on a streak that we don’t want to be on, so at the end of the day we all have to look in the mirror and figure out what it’s going to take to win on Sunday. It’s a massive game.”
On the upcoming game against Seattle…
“They’ve obviously figured it out a bit. But, this rivalry kind of always finds a way to have extra storylines. So, it’s just another extra storyline. They’re going to come in feeling pretty good about themselves and we’re going to come in fully focused on the task at hand. I’m expecting a good one and like always turning up at Providence Park is going to be fun, and we’re going to need everyone’s support.”
Portland Timbers defender Lawrence Olum
On the team’s upcoming match against Seattle Sounders FC…
“It’s going to be battle for us. In the last three games we had, we didn’t get the results that we wanted. So it’s a chance for us as a team to show that we can turn this around and get the three points.”
Sporting Kansas City quotes
Sporting Kansas City head coach Peter Vermes
Thoughts on the match…
“I think from the very beginning of the game, we were actually very good with the ball. We never really gave the ball in critical areas of the field. I thought we had a great aggressiveness in and around the box. When we got our chances, we finished. Everybody we brought into the game had a lot of energy which really helped the team a lot.”
On the team’s performance…
“It was a very good game for us tonight. I think we played very well. We moved the ball and we made the ball do the work. The ball never gets tired. We moved the ball and the other team had to run quite a bit. I thought we did a really good job of exposing them in certain areas of the field where they were late because they just couldn’t’ run anymore.”
On the two goals from Diego Rubio…
“It’s been great. He’s played very well in the last two games. Tonight, he was on fire. He got really good balls in and around the box. That’s where his area of operation is – around the goal. Tonight, he had good movement and he was clinical on his finishing.”
Sporting Kansas City forward Diego Rubio
On his first goal…
“Some guys told me you need to start to shoot every ball. Strikers are like this. I like to pass the ball a lot. I saw the chance and shot to the goal. That simple.”
On his second goal…
“That was perfect, almost like a counter attack. I saw Daniel and I thought I need to be in the box. I saw the space. All four of the defenders of Portland went to the line to cover so I saw that space and I made a very good touch and then scored.We’re running like a team. Everybody’s running. Everybody’s marking. Everybody’s covering his zone. That’s very important. We know that they have very good players on the attack. I think that our defenders and midfielders did a very good job today.”
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia
Thoughts on the match…
“I thought the way we moved the ball east to west was phenomenal. I think this was one of our best possession games. We were calm all over the field. We slowly went back and forth, back and forth and got into the front half of the field. We created a ton of opportunities and got the goals we needed.”
On the team’s three straight clean sheets…
“Obviously, very important for us. We always want to build from the back and have a good defensive mindset. We’ve done that in the last three games but we need to continue it in these latter points of the season.”
Notes:
- Defender Marco Farfan made his first start since June 9, which was also against Sporting KC.
- Defender Larrys Mabiala saw his consecutive minutes played streak come to an end at 2,655 minutes, dating back to last season.
- Goalkeeper Steve Clark was named to the 18-man roster for the first time after being acquired by the Timbers on Thursday.
