Timbers head coach Caleb Porter
On the controversial calls late in the match…
“Yeah, I watched both. I watched the penalty kick and the goal that was scored by (Darren) Mattocks. For sure, Mattocks was onside. (Chris) Wingert held him on so we should’ve won the game. The penalty kick, I’ve seen it go either way. You have to give credit to (Yura) Movsisyan. He sold it. It’s a little bit tough to swallow. But, I don’t even need to complain about that call because the offside was a goal so we should’ve won the game. But, we still leave this game feeling good about the performance. I thought we deserved three points on the day. I thought we were excellent and we played to win. Up until the end, we were pushing to win the game and that says a lot about our team. That’s five games in all competitions unbeaten. We’re in a good rhythm right now, and we go back home and hopefully we can get three points against Houston. We leave this locker room feeling a little bit like we deserve better, but it’s still a good point. Real Salt Lake is a very good team, and I was pleased with the performance today.”
On the team’s reaction after Real Salt Lake’s quick start…
“I felt like we started the game very well. We got punished on one set-piece moment, but the guys didn’t hang their heads. They just kept working and fighting, and I felt like our play was very positive. I felt like they were up 1-0 against the run, and we have to do better with marking guys. But, overall I just really liked the energy of our team today. I like that we came here with a positive approach. We had a lot of the ball. We created chances. I thought that when we needed to drop off and defend deep, we did that too. So, for me we’re going to take the point and we’re going to look at it as a positive. But, the reality is we should have had three if wasn't for a wrong call."
On if the team had more confidence playing at a venue where they’ve had success…
“I think it’s more about the matchup. It’s one of the things I talked about, leading up to this game. There’s certain teams that we match up well against, and typically it’s the teams that play football, the Columbus Crews of the world. We’re a team that likes to play as well, but we’re organized defensively and we can keep the ball and we can do different things. I thought a real key today was making Real Salt Lake defend. They’re a team that wants to get on top of you and make you drop off and make you defend, and I thought the more you can make Real Salt Lake defend, make the front guys work, the less energy they have to attack and that was kind of the goal to do that and to put pressure on the back four. I’m real pleased with my group, and I’m pleased that they played the way they played today.”
On the team scoring in 19 straight games…
“I think it shows again that we play to win and we play an attack-minded approach. So, I think it’s great. We get goals from different guys. Similar to Real Salt Lake, we have a team concept and that’s how we survive in MLS. We have money, but we spread it out amongst the team and going into these competitions coming up, Open Cup and now Champions League, having to rotate and compartmentalize all three competitions, we’re going to need our depth. And, I’ve been saying it all week, the first 15 games have been tough because we’ve had 10, 11 different guys out at different times with injuries, and we’ve kept grinding. We’ve never thrown in the towel. We’ve kept working and we’ve played different guys. We’ve called different guys names and they’ve stepped up and gotten the job done, and I’m real pleased with that because some of the guys are new. They needed to learn what it’s about. We have a high level of investment from a lot of different guys now in the first 16 games, and that’s a real positive. We’re going to need that depth moving forward.”
Portland Timbers forward Fanendo Adi
On the games physicality…
“It was a big challenge, especially in the second half because we came out more prepared. But the first half we did well against them and the second half they came out and attacked us. It was a very good team; they have a very good game style. They played well and we played well, that’s why everything came out level.”
On the team’s 19-game scoring streak…
“We keep working and that’s just the chemistry. We try to get goals. If I can get goals and the other strikers can get goals, then that’ll be very important. The most important thing is to try and win games, and getting goals as a forward is important.”
Portland Timbers midfielder Ned Grabavoy
On not leaving with the full three points…
“I thought we were pretty good with the ball, especially in the first half. It seemed like there were some spaces for us to play little through-balls in behind their defense and give us some looks at goal. The response after giving up the corner kick goal was great. This is a difficult place to play with the altitude, the crowd and it’s obviously a good team. So to show that response right away in the first half was great. Tough two calls in the second half, I haven’t seen the replays but it changes the game a little bit. They’re a good side and I thought we played well for the most part.”
On the physicality of the game…
“I think it was physical in a different way. It seemed to me for the most part, everyone on the field was a step late on both teams. I’m not sure if that’s something to do with the break, the altitude obviously there’s technical players all over the field who were just a step late. I didn’t think there was anything dirty over the top it just seemed like guys were off in their challenges. But at the same time, both clubs are familiar with each other and have had a lot of big games against each other. So there’s more respect out there to not let a guy run by you because you know who the opponent is.”
Real Salt Lake head Coach Jeff Cassar
On being down 2-1 at half…
“Definitely the second half was another spirited half time talk. I think we started the game much better than Wilmington, which was positive. I think we put them on their back foot a lot and then after we scored fell away from it. Everything that we were doing that was making us successful we started to come narrow and turn the ball over in poor areas. They started to get in to a rhythm. I had a nice chat with the guys and we talked about the thing that we needed to do. I thought we did them in the second half and it was a great response. I think it was an entertaining game and on a different night we come away with three points. But at the end of the day a tie was the right score.”
On turnovers in the midfield…
“Listen you don’t want to start giving up the same goals over and over. We’d be foolish if we didn’t recognize those and started to address them. At the end of the day I think it’s really choices that are made. In the middle of the field you have to do high percentage passes, you can’t jam something in there that is risk or reward. From that pass there was no reward. Maybe a little bit of possession and 40 yards away from your goal. The risk is that if the ball turns over then they’re off to the races. With that being said I think that when we get into those positions it’s never just one problem it’s another problem. I think at that play our backline wasn’t prepared if it turned over. We were surprised and defenders can’t be surprised when things go wrong. You have to be proactive and be thinking of the worst things that could happen. But then our response was very good.”
On the first dropped points at home…
“You always want three points and that is our main objective every time we play. There are going to be times that with a draw there is no harm no foul. But…there wasn’t anyone out on the field that didn’t want those three points and I don’t think we were that way the other day against Wilmington. Tonight was not that case. I think we created a lot of chances and their keeper made some fine saves as well. I’m going to harp on the three points but I am going to make sure we play with urgency at home and trying to defend our house.”
Real Salt Lake midfielder Luke Mulholland
Overall thoughts on earning a draw…
“We’re not happy with it. I think we’ve set the bar so high for this year – we’re trying to achieve greatness this year – so as far we’re concerned, three points is what we want every game, so disappointing.”
On if being able to come back for the draw makes for any consolation…
“It definitely feels better in regards to being two-one up and conceding the second goal late on. That would have felt more disappointing than coming back from behind. It’s definitely good in the sense that we came back in the second half. At the same time, a point is a point whether you score first or you score last. But we can definitely take care in some positives about our response in the second half. We need to focus more on having a full performance as opposed to just one good half.”
Real Salt Lake midfielder Javier Morales
Overall Thoughts…
“I think we made a couple mistakes, especially with the ball in our half of the field. That is dangerous – we have to improve. When we attack with the ball from the back to the top, we have to be smart with the ball in the middle. They scored two goals – but they could have scored a couple more.”
On if the team was tired after Tuesday’s extra time Open Cup match:
“I don’t feel that way. I think the energy was good especially in the beginning when we take the lead. We were creating chances, basically, in the left side. Then, when you make a mistake it’s tough because we’re playing good and in order to score a goal we have to create and do special things. For them, we just lose the ball in the middle and then they score.”
Notes:
- Portland is unbeaten in its last four MLS matches at Rio Tinto Stadium. The Timbers are also undefeated in seven consecutive MLS matches against Real Salt Lake.
- Timbers forward Fanendo Adi recorded his sixth goal against Real Salt Lake since joining the club in 2014, marking the most goals scored by a Timbers player against a single MLS opponent.
- Adi has scored nine goals in 2016, which ranks second in MLS, trailing only New York City FC forward David Villa (11).
- Adi's 34 regular-season goals for Portland ranks one behind Dale Mitchell for fourth place for goals in club history across all eras (since 1975).
- Midfielder Lucas Melano is the 10th different player to score for the Timbers this season. Only three MLS teams (New York City FC, the Colorado Rapids and Philadelphia Union) have had more goal scorers this season.
- Defender Jermaine Taylor delivered his second assist of the season, marking a career high for the defender.
- Nine penalty kicks have been called in matches between Real Salt Lake and Portland, which is the most of any matchup in MLS since the beginning of the 2011 season.
- The Timbers have scored in 19 consecutive regular-season games dating back to the 2015 season, marking the longest current streak in MLS and the second-longest across all eras of the club (since 1975).
