Quotes: Portland Timbers at San Jose Earthquakes
Portland Timbers Quotes
Head coach John Spencer
On the result:
“I think the draw was a fair result. It was probably one of the most boring games of soccer I’ve seen in a long time. You can’t always score two, three, four goals a game.”
On missing a few key players:
“I think it’s unfair to comment on guys that aren’t here. They had a few guys missing, too. It obviously would have made them a better team and we feel the same. At the moment, I think the guys that played tonight worked hard. It’s the end of a tiring week for us. To come here against a team that was 90 minutes away from an MLS cup last year, Frank (Yallop) has done an excellent job here.”
On the second half:
“You’re going to expect that the home team is going to come out dominating at some stage. I think the mid-week game took a lot out of us. Tonight, I think we showed good resilience to stay in the game after the equalizer. After they got the goal they never really troubled us at all.”
Forward Kenny Cooper
On the goal:
“Great, great work by (Jorge) Perlaza. He did really well handling the ball. He did a lot of great work and put it in place for me.”
On the team’s performance:
“These guys have played a lot of minutes in a short amount of time. I think it might be three games in eight days or something. I give the boys a lot of credit, it was a great point. I thought the boys battled well.”
On the team’s first season:
“We want to make the playoffs. We had a great result. Again after the mid-week game against a top team, we showed great desire and determination in that game. But I thought we played well again and to get a point away from home. As long as it’s still possible, we’re going to keep battling and keep fighting, and the goal is to make the playoffs.”
Midfielder Lovel Palmer
On the result:
“I think we need better communication, but we were happy to get a point and four points in two games. I think we’re happy to get a point at an away game.”
On the team’s performance:
“After that performance against the Galaxy, a lot of people think it’s a fluke and we wanted to come out and show it wasn’t, but that’s just the game of soccer. We can also say that the San Jose team came out and played hard. Just like us, when we were on a losing streak we went out and gave everything that we’ve got. So you can just look at it as the San Jose team hasn’t won in a couple of games and they needed to come out and fight hard tonight. We got a point in their home and I’m happy and I’m sure the other guys are happy.”
San Jose Earthquakes Quotes
Head coach Frank Yallop
On the result:
“We played well. We had a good performance from the guys. We were not as dangerous near the goal as I would have likes. I thought Alan took his goal well and I thought team-wise it was a solid performance. We played a lot freer tonight. I think besides the finishing touches we played well. We had a little bad luck not to get the win tonight.”
On playoff run:
“We have to look forward to next weekend. We are still not out of it. We need to start picking up some wins. We can win at least enough to get into the playoffs.”
On the winless streak:
“We have tied a lot of games that we should have won. It may have been unlucky that we did not get those wins but the table doesn’t lie. We are sitting where we are sitting and it is all up to us. With us, we never give up without a fight.”
Forward Alan Gordon
On first goal since trade:
“I was just trying to get in the box and stay high. Steven (Beitashour) put it beautifully in the box. I was trying to get to the near post and get in front of the defender. I was able to put a head on it and flick it in. Sometimes it’s good to be a little lucky, too.”
Thoughts on game:
“I thought the guys were playing well. We gave them only one chance and unfortunately they capitalized and finished. It was just one of those games where their chance goes in and only one of ours went it. Sometimes the game just goes like that. When we were down, we didn’t give up. We went after them and we had our chances. It was a resilient effort from this club.”
Defender Bobby Burling
On team’s performance:
“Overall, the team performance was strong. We moved the ball and possessed it well. We locked down defensively at key moments. We created a few chances and I think on a different night those chances go in and we get three points.”
On upcoming schedule:
“Hopefully we can carry some of the good play tonight for next week. Wondo (Chris Wondolowski), (Scott) Sealy, and (Alan) Gordon held the ball up front. Bobby (Convey) and Joey (Gjersten) were getting services in all night. (Steven) Beitashour had the assist up front and everybody had a strong performance tonight. Colorado is a good team and they’ve been on a roll lately. It gets harder from here on out, but we are still in the playoff picture. If we can carry over the play from tonight, we would be putting ourselves in position for some points.”
Notes
- Saturday’s match against San Jose was the Timbers’ third in the last eight days. In that stretch, Portland has earned five points with a 1-0-2.
- For the second time in 2011, the Timbers had a two-game week of MLS matches and for the second time this season finished that week unbeaten. This week, the Timbers defeated the LA Galaxy 3-0 (Aug. 3) before tonight’s draw with San Jose. Earlier in the season, Portland logged two wins in their first two MLS home games, defeating Chicago (April 14) and FC Dallas (April 17) in a four-day span. Portland plays a total of three, two-game weeks in the month of August.
- With midfielder and captain Jack Jewsbury out for a second straight match with a hamstring injury, goalkeeper Troy Perkins wore the captain’s armband for a second straight match.
- After starting his first three games with the Timbers at right back, Lovel Palmer started the match against San Jose in the midfield, pairing with James Marcelin in the center of the park.
- The Timbers were also without midfielder Diego Chara, who missed the match against San Jose due to a one-game, league-imposed suspension for caution accumulation.
- Almost six months to the day from rupturing his Achilles during the Timbers’ first pre-season match back in February, forward Bright Dike made his MLS Timbers debut Saturday against San Jose; he entered the match as a sub for Jorge Perlaza in the 80th minute.
- Defender Jeremy Hall started at right back for the Timbers on Saturday, featuring in his just his second match since June 25. With his ejection, Hall will miss the Timbers match at Houston with a one-game, league-imposed suspension.
- Cooper’s goal marked the third straight match in which the Timbers have taken a lead over their opponent. Portland jumped out to a lead against Toronto FC, the LA Galaxy and the Earthquakes during their three-match unbeaten streak.
- Cooper’s goal also marked just the second time this season in which the Timbers have held the lead on the road; the first was the 1-0 road win over Chicago on July 16. Portland remains unbeaten in road matches in which they take the lead with a 1-0-1 record. Overall, the Timbers are 7-1-2 this season in games in which they score first.
- The Timbers improve to 1-6-3 on the road in 2011 and have earned points from two of their last three away tilts, with a 1-1-1 record in those three games.
- San Jose forward Alan Gordon started his professional career with the second-division Timbers in 2004 and was named the United Soccer Leagues’ First Division Rookie of the Year that season.
•Saturday’s match against San Jose was the Timbers’ third in the last eight days. In that stretch, Portland has earned five points with a 1-0-2.
•For the second time in 2011, the Timbers had a two-game week of MLS matches and for the second time this season finished that week unbeaten. This week, the Timbers defeated the LA Galaxy 3-0 (Aug. 3) before tonight’s draw with San Jose. Earlier in the season, Portland logged two wins in their first two MLS home games, defeating Chicago (April 14) and FC Dallas (April 17) in a four-day span. Portland plays a total of three, two-game weeks in the month of August.
•With midfielder and captain Jack Jewsbury out for a second straight match with a hamstring injury, goalkeeper Troy Perkins wore the captain’s armband for a second straight match.
•After starting his first three games with the Timbers at right back, Lovel Palmer started the match against San Jose in the midfield, pairing with James Marcelin in the center of the park.
•The Timbers were also without midfielder Diego Chara, who missed the match against San Jose due to a one-game, league-imposed suspension for caution accumulation.
•Almost six months to the day from rupturing his Achilles during the Timbers’ first pre-season match back in February, forward Bright Dike made his MLS Timbers debut Saturday against San Jose; he entered the match as a sub for Jorge Perlaza in the 80th minute.
•Defender Jeremy Hall started at right back for the Timbers on Saturday, featuring in his just his second match since June 25. With his ejection, Hall will miss the Timbers match at Houston with a one-game, league-imposed suspension.
•Cooper’s goal marked the third straight match in which the Timbers have taken a lead over their opponent. Portland jumped out to a lead against Toronto FC, the LA Galaxy and the Earthquakes during their three-match unbeaten streak.
•Cooper’s goal also marked just the second time this season in which the Timbers have held the lead on the road; the first was the 1-0 road win over Chicago on July 16. Portland remains unbeaten in road matches in which they take the lead with a 1-0-1 record. Overall, the Timbers are 7-1-2 this season in games in which they score first.
•The Timbers improve to 1-6-3 on the road in 2011 and have earned points from two of their last three away tilts, with a 1-1-1 record in those three games.
•San Jose forward Alan Gordon started his professional career with the second-division Timbers in 2004 and was named the United Soccer Leagues’ First Division Rookie of the Year that season.
