Quotes: Portland Timbers at Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Portland Timbers Quotes
Timbers head coach Caleb Porter
Overall thoughts on the match:
“Rivalry game. That’s what it was. We knew it would be that type of game and I don’t think we disappointed, either team, for the fans. It was an exciting game. Obviously, four goals in the match. And back and forth. We had most of the flow and most of the possession, but they finished their chances well. They’re a good side. We’re happy to get a point. Especially considering we went down a man and down a goal and for us to pull that point out is a real positive.”
On his team’s play:
“This team continues to do things that impress me. We’ve gone ten games without a loss and throughout those ten games we’ve faced adversity and in some games have had to come from behind one or two goals, and this is just another example of what this team is made of.”
On how his team came back from behind:
“This team just seems to have that ‘never quit, refuse to lose’ [attitude] and you hope you can kind of harness it in a team and some teams just never have it, but this team has it. We’ve seen that and it’s not just the first game we’ve shown that, but in several games our backs are against the wall and we somehow find a way to get a result. This is a good result. It’s a point on the road, especially considering how the game played out. For us to get a point, I think is positive, but we also leave the game a little bit grounded, and remain hungry because we didn’t get three points.”
Midfielder Will Johnson
On playing a Cascadian rival:
“They’re always fun. In these Western Conference games there’s so much on the line and every game matters. There’s just so much when you’re battling for playoff positions, so I’ll take a road result anywhere. Obviously, coming up to Vancouver it’s always nice to get a result up here.”
On conceding a goal straight after the first equalizer:
“That hurt. After you score a goal that’s usually when you’re most vulnerable. We have to be ready and we scored a goal, we’ve got to make sure we don’t give it back right away and unfortunately we did. Looking back you have to give them credit, those are two really good goals.”
On battling for a point late in the match:
“We didn’t feel like we played particularly well and even when you’re a man down, you’re a goal down and you’re on the road there’s still ten minutes to go, you don’t like your chances but you don’t give up. You fight and you try because we’ve got a thousand fans that sit up in the stands who expect nothing less. We recognize we’ve got to fight even if it doesn’t look like there’s any chance and the task looks impossible we don’t give up and we fight.”
Defender Jack Jewsbury
On Portland’s performance:
“We wanted to go after them right off the opening whistle and it didn’t really happen the way we’d planned so that was more disappointing than the way we didn’t keep the ball as we would like.”
On getting a point out of the match:
“At the end of the day, down a goal and down a man to get out of here with a point feels pretty good.”
On Portland’s away form:
“The reality is it’s tough to go on the road in this league and get a result so it’s a good feeling but we know we’ve got another tough test the next couple of weeks so we’ve got three in a row on the road now and next up is DC and we look to go there and pick up three points.”
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Quotes
Whitecaps FC head coach Martin Rennie
Thoughts on the match:
“It was a really exciting game obviously; a derby game with a lot of passion, fantastic support from the crowd, and it was a great atmosphere. First half I thought that Portland played quite well, Camilo scored a fantastic goal to put us in a great position and he did well all night. In the second half I was a bit disappointed with the decision for a penalty because Andy’s hand was at his side and there wasn’t a lot that he could do. The same happened in the first half on Futty Danso and no foul or infringement was given. Our response was excellent and I thought their red card was a bit harsh. That moment was a big turning point and we should have seen the game out. Most of the things regarding today were positive, our players have put in a hard shift for a long number of days. There was no sign of letting down or tiredness and it’s exciting for me to see the heart and character of this team and what we can become.”
Thoughts on Camilo Sanvezzo:
“He was fresh from the week and scored quite a few goals recently. I thought he could hold the ball up a little bit better for us and to be honest I thought he did really really well. That was one of the best performances I’ve seen by him. I think a lot of times people see him as a wide left player but he plays inside and there were a lot of times to find him with his low centre of gravity. Obviously he’s a goal threat and he also got an assist tonight. He is the top scorer in this club’s history and he showed why tonight.”
Goalkeeper Brad Knighton
Thoughts on two points lost:
“Yeah, obviously we thought that was two points lost for us. We needed to win that game, we were a man up. One long ball right down the middle of the field beats us. We can’t let the referee make the decisions for us. We need to take care of business. It’s unfortunate because I thought we played really well today. We created some chances, and we put our chances away, just one lack of concentration cost us two points.”
On Portland’s second goal, whether it’s a hand ball:
“Yeah, I thought I was the only person in the box that’s allowed to use my hands. It’s frustrating and obviously you can see it on the replay as well, but when it comes down to it, we’ve got to be able to make that play rather than have the referee make the decision.”
Forward Camilo Sanvezzo
On playing central striker rather than wider:
“It’s a long time I didn’t play there. I think that today, I did my best to play good, holding the ball, shoot, and I think we had a good game.”
On two points lost at home:
“Yes ...But the MLS is long, and now we have to go away and take points, because they came here and took points, now we have to go away and take points too.”
Notes:
-
With the draw, the Timbers extend their MLS-club record unbeaten streak to 10 matches, becoming the 26th club in MLS history to record an unbeaten streak of at least 10 games.
-
Portland becomes the fifth team in MLS to assemble a double-digit unbeaten streak since the 2010 season – FC Dallas set the record in 2010 with a 19-game streak; Sporting KC and the LA Galaxy each had a 14-game streak in 2011; Sporting KC had a 12-game unbeaten run in 2012. FC Dallas currently has a nine-game unbeaten streak and plays Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday night.
-
The Timbers remain in second place in the Western Conference with the draw, which is the highest the club has placed in the conference through 12 matches of a season.
-
The Timbers’ record of 4-1-7 (19pts) is the club’s best start to an MLS season through 12 matches.
-
Portland remains undefeated (4-0-2) in the all-time MLS series between the two clubs; including a 2-0-1 record at BC Place.
-
The Timbers extended their MLS-club record road unbeaten streak to seven matches and remain the lone MLS team yet to lose on the road.
-
The Timbers scored two or more goals in a match for the sixth time this season, and with 20 overall on the campaign the club takes the lead for the most goals scored in the Western Conference.
-
Whitecaps FC have yet to hold the Timbers scoreless in their MLS series.
-
Newly acquired defender Pa Modou Kah was on the bench for his first match as a member of the Timbers.
-
With second-half goals from Will Johnson and Jose Valencia, the Timbers lead MLS with 16 goals scored in the second half.
-
Portland’s 10 road goals ranks second in MLS this season and equals the team’s road scoring totals from the 2011 and 2012 seasons (10 goals in 17 road games each season).
-
Johnson becomes the first Timbers player, and seventh overall, to record a goal in consecutive games. The captain is the fourth Timbers player to earn a goal and an assist in a match this season.
-
Johnson’s fifth goal of the season moves him into first place on the team’s scoring chart.
-
Defender Michael Harrington made his 140th career MLS regular-season start.
-
Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts made his 115th career MLS regular-season start.
- Vancouver goalkeeper Brad Knighton made his first start, and appearance, of the 2013 season.
