Locker Room Reaction

Be sure to read the postgame notes pack below, and to check back later for video highlights of tonight's 1-1 draw with Seattle Sounders FC.

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER QUOTE SHEET
SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2009 – LA GALAXY 1, SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC 1

LOS ANGELES GALAXY QUOTES
Head Coach Bruce Arena
On the aggressive style of play between both teams
“I don’t know. We are a tired team and this is the third game in about 8 days, two on the road. We are differently a little fatigued today.”

On the team starting to find their identity
“Yeah, we are playing better and we haven’t lost since the second game this season. It is tough playing here on this surface, nobody likes it. Haven said that this kind of surface is a good surface. It is a big home field advantage and obviously great home field support. Today we were a little fatigued for sure. We get a point.”

On attributing anything to the physical nature of play
“I don’t think it was particularly physical. You can’t strike an opponent in the head with your hands. The red card was warranted. I think when you play on this type of field there will be more fouls. The way ball spinning and people a little uncertain on plays versus on a grass field and I think some of these things will happen.”

On his overall thoughts on his team play today
“Just okay. We knew fatigue would be an issue. In the second we were a little tired and we tried to make some changes to bring us a little energy but it didn’t have enough of it to get us the game winner.”

On settling on a starting rotation
“I think today we had to make changes with the number of games we have played in the short period of time. These changes were made mostly on guys being a little fatigued. With a game on Wednesday at Salt Lake, Saturday at home and this game today. It is natural the number of games and travel, throw in some altitude in the middle of the week, it test the players physically.”

On playing with a man up
“We didn’t do a good enough job in the last ten minutes of the game to put us in position to win the game. That would be my criticism of the game. We didn’t tactically do the things to do the things at the end of the game with an extra player to create a chance to maybe get your self the three points.”

FORWARD ALAN GORDON
On the physical nature of the game today
“As a forward it is always physical. When you have two big strong center backs like Tyrone [Marshall] and Jhon [Kennedy Hurtado] it will be a battle and that is all it is.”

On being happy to scrap out a tie on the road
“I think it is bitter sweet. It is good to get a point on the road especially, but the situation like this we need to get three points. When we go up a man the advantage goes to us and we have to start getting wins. With that being said I think we played well and we got a point. They are a good team. We are not happy but we are satisfied.”

On scoring on Kasey Keller
“It makes me feel pretty good. I’m just happy to get a goal.”

On the team being a little fatigued
“We were able to get some fresh legs in today and I think we have a pretty solid bench. If one guy sits out and the next guy can come in a do the job. I think we have a solid squad here.”

On the competitive nature of the game
“Just two competitive teams. It is good we are battling. We are hungry and they are hungry as well, and they are a good team and we had to fight to get a point.

FORWARD LANDON DONOVAN
On the physical nature of play during the game
“It was a good game, a fun game to be a part of. That is the way the game should be, it was hard and it was fun. The game was mostly fair and it was an intense game. We enjoy in playing in games like this.”

On the atmosphere here in Seattle
“It was awesome, just great. I have heard from almost every team that has played here and have had awesome things about this place. I have played here with the National Team a few times and it has been great both times and today didn’t disappoint.”

On offensive performance in the second half
“I think we got tired. It was little unfortunate because we worked hard for 70 minutes, and I think we got tired and little lazy. I wish we could have played them when we didn’t play a mid week game. All things considered I thought it was a good game.


SOUNDERS HEAD COACH SIGI SCHMID
General Comments:
“I’m very proud of our team from the standpoint of playing a man down and still trying to go for the win. Whereas, the opponent was a man up and they were very content to tie the game take it to 90 minutes. I’m very disappointed in the ejection and I’m disappointed in the refereeing.”

On James Riley ejection
“I need to see it on replay. It was our free kick and Gregg Berhalter picked up ball. I guess he thought it was his free kick. I don’t know. Maybe he was momentarily confused or dazed and the referee was confused and dazed. There ended up being a melee and a scrum. That’s about all I can say right now. I’ve known the referee for a long time. When I was coaching in college we were allowed to list a couple of referees who would not be put on your games. He hasn’t refereed many games that I’ve coached. The assistant referee told the referee that in his estimation it was a red or violent conduct. The other ref told him something but he chose to ignore that piece of advice. I’ll let you draw judgments on the refereeing.”

On the referee decision
“There seemed to be a lot of inequalities in the game. Early on there was an injury to Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and it seemed like it took them forever to get him back on the field. There was an injured Galaxy player and he was able to come on immediately.”

On Los Angeles Galaxy playing style
“Their whole playing style all season has been to keep themselves close and in games and snag a goal here and there. They got a good cross and a good finish on a ball that we lost coming off the back that we probably shouldn’t lost him where we did.”

On Sounders offense
“In the first half it was tough for us because they held their line so deep that we had to be patient and knock the ball around. I thought we had a good goal and I thought we had a penalty as well that didn’t get called. When you’re playing a team like that that’s what you’re going to get. You’re going to get some shots here and there, but if you get denied those opportunities it’s going to be a long afternoon.”

On no-call in penalty box
“That one I did see on replay and certainly did look like it could have been, should have been, maybe.”

On Sebastien Le Toux
“He gave us what I thought he’d give us, which is a lot of energy and running around. Because they play a 4-5-1, we had Seba float inside so that we could bring (Brad) Evans inside a little more. Seba gave us what I expected with his energy and his work rate and he put pressure on the opponent’s defense.”

On red cards this season
“Kasey’s red there’s nothing much you can say or do about that. Montero’s arm was up and the referee decided to make a harsh decision. Today, it’s tough for me because it happened so quickly. Maybe James (Riley) deserves a red card, but I can’t believe that there’s not another red card in that melee. That’s the kind of confrontational melee that to single one side out one side against the other made it a little unfair.”

On fouls
“I don’t think there was a lot of embellishment on fouls. In that fracas there was probably some extra theatrics there, but I don’t think there was a lot of embellishment on fouls today. If people got kicked they got kicked. Some people got kicked from behind on both sides. That happens.”

On team’s character
“I thought we showed a lot of character and what we showed more than anything is that we want to win games if we’re in games. We’re at home and we felt we owe it to our fans to try to get forward. That’s why we made a substitution and brought in (Sanna) Nyassi for (Steve) Zakuani. I’m proud of that mentality. I’m proud of that attitude. That’s what I want our team to be. We want to play soccer. We want to win games. We don’t want to hope to keep it close and hope that we can sneak one in. That’s not our philosophy. I’m very proud of our team playing a man down and playing in a very difficult situation where the rub of the green certainly wasn’t going in our direction, but to maintain ourselves and still be dangerous on set pieces and crosses is good.”

On Galaxy pushing for the win
“It became less likely as they kept taking forwards off the field and replaced them with midfielders. Any time you have Landon (Donovan) on the field there’s danger though.”

On ties
“Sometimes ties feel good and sometimes ties feel bad. It’s an emotion. I was in this league when they did a shootout and I certainly don’t want a shootout. To work this hard like we did today and bring the game to the other team while playing a man down and then to go to some shootout or something and walk off the field as a loser been unjust to our team.”

DEFENDER JAMES RILEY
On the red card penalty
“It really did happen so fast. Intent for me to strike any player in the game with my hands. I was trying to grab him. He pulled his head away. That’s why the referee has a whistle. He pulls a yellow. Tells me to back off. I do. And it just changes (to red). You just suck it up and take it on the chin.”

On if the red card was surprising
“I was surprised. That’s how it goes. We’ll let the coaching staff handle that. Again I was disappointed.”

On if the red card was for a punch
“It’s definitely not a punch. I was just trying to grab him because I thought he was wasting time. So again, I take full responsibility. By no means do I ever intend to strike any player in the face or anywhere… I definitely want to make that clear.”

It was a shocking feeling. A gutting feeling to have that happen at home, and then try to get three points.

MIDFIELDER FREDDIE LJUNGBERG
On controlling possession
“I think we did that in the first half. And I think we had them all over the place and maybe we should have scored some more goals, as well as the penalty, it would have been a total different game. Of course after the red card, you’re one man down, it’s a hard game. I think we still made it even. Fortunately it’s a draw, though we would’ve liked to have won the game.”

On what is more upsetting the red card of the no penalty decision in the box
“It’s really hard to say what upsets you the most. I think it’s the whole thing. Everybody knows how important the goals are. One goal would’ve changed the game. We had such good pressure on L.A. It was Nate, that penalty of course upsets you. The only thing they could really get us is when they had free kicks or did small things that weren’t small kicks and then could get out of the pressure. We really played well in the first half. I’ll leave it like that. It could’ve been a lot of goals after that. But of course it changed the rest of the game.”

On playing up front in the second half
“I liked to play up there. But like I said they played man-man against me. When they play man-man and if it went deep then their player will go all the way up to me and make a big space in front of the back-four. And we tried to play into that. We didn’t get as many chances as we wanted and he wanted me to be more in the game, so that’s when I pulled higher up and play more offense. I like to play closer to their goal. But at the same time, it’s a team effort and when they man-mark you, you have to move their player so you can open up the game without getting the ball. We did two different things. It worked well, but then he was sent off… Then we had to play a normal midfield and I had to defend quite a lot. When you get a sending off, normally you get pinned back a lot, but today I think we played quite well even with one man down and maybe could’ve likely scored. Some of the set pieces were very close. The ball was like a pin-ball bouncing off players.”

GK KASEY KELLER
On red cards being pulled
“If we were a dirty team running around kicking people that’s one thing. I mean guys are getting sent off for silly things, where guys are getting booted in the game and not even getting yellow cards for it. So I think there are some strange, I don’t know, where something is coming from the league, or coming from the referee association, where I just think you have to realize that look ‘try to keep guys on the field’. If a guy does something nasty and punches somebody or repeatedly is kicking people and trying to hurt people, okay send them off. But little handballs and little ticky-tacky things that’s not what the game is about.”

FORWARD NATE JAQUA
On the red card
“I couldn’t really see it. I didn’t see what happened much. A bunch of pushes is what I saw, it’s a tough call.”

On if yellow cards changes the way the team plays
“A little bit. This one was a bit strange this second half. I’m not quite sure a few of the stuff what was going on. You have to be careful about what you get into and go into”

On playing a man down and staying aggressive
“We kept trying to go at them a bit. It’s tough being down a man and still trying to go at them because they were countering on us a bit more, and they had a bit more of possession once they had that extra man. But we were still getting some decent attacks, which was good. It’s tough playing down a man. We don’t want to keep doing that. Hopefully that’s the last one for a while.”

On the goal
“I made a run outside, and kind of went wide on the right. It opened up for me. Steve (Zakuani) played a great ball in. Saw (Donovan) Ricketts coming out, and saw Seba (Le Toux) to my left, so just knocked it over to him and then he had an easy finish… I’m sure he liked that.”