Portland Timbers Quotes
Portland Timbers head coach Caleb Porter
On tonight's win:
“It's three points, putting us on 50 points and it puts us in a great spot going into the last game to hopefully maybe get a home game depending on how things go, that's the position we wanted to be in. A lot of people doubted us, no one in that locker room ever doubted, they never doubted themselves, they never doubted each other and you saw that in the performance. Even down a goal playing the best team in the league – I said it before the game I firmly believe that. We are down a goal and we are on the road against the best team in the league, and for these guys to claw back in it and put up five goals and make a statement like that I think is massive.”
On the play of Timbers midfield:
“The entire midfield three, those guys were outstanding. I thought we won the midfield. In the first half we played a little too direct and because of that I thought LA was able to get on the ball more than we wanted. We came into the game with a plan of keeping the ball and making them defend. A lot of teams come in and give LA so much respect that they let LA come at them and we didn't want to do that. We wanted to threaten them and make them defend and wanted to create that three versus two in the center of the park and I thought [Diego] Valeri, [Darlington] Nagbe, [Diego] Chara were outstanding in there.”
On closing in on a playoff spot:
“We always believed we would be in the playoffs, no doubt about it. We believed that we could win all three, but the goal was seven points, but now we have the chance to put up nine points in the last three games which depending on results we could have a high seed, we could even have a bye. We can't get ahead of ourselves, we have to take care of business in this last game but this sure feels good. If I know my team and I know the way they feel and look right now we will take care of business next week but we will enjoy this right now.”
Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chara (Translated from Spanish)
Thoughts on the game:
“I think it was a great game for us. I think we were effective with the opportunities on goal that we had.”
On fighting for a Playoff spot:
“It was important to get a good result. We were able to secure a win and three points and now we have to return home and look to secure a playoff spot.”
On expecting a win tonight:
“We expected to win. The score was the way it was simply because we were effective up top. We hoped to get the three points and thankfully we secured them.”
Portland Timbers defender Jorge Villafaña
On the team's performance:
“I think in the first half we had a few mistakes but in the second half we corrected them and we took advantage of the chances that we created and we are happy that we won the game and that it put us in a good place for a chance to earn a playoff spot.”
On defeating the Galaxy 5-2:
“It builds confidence because last time we came here we let in five goals and today we score five on them. Soccer lets you have second chances and we are happy to come out with the win.”
Portland Timbers forward Fanendo Adi
On tonight's game:
“I think it was a beautiful game, we enjoyed the game. In the first half we came out trying to play our game but they tried to disrupt us and they got a goal off a direct kick which we have to look into that as a team because those kinds of goals are very dangerous against a very good team and very good players. It was very clever movement from [Robbie] Keane to get the first goal. We stayed composed towards the end of the game we started getting our rhythm and of course we came back in the second half. It was a good showing from our side, we came back thinking we could get a goal and definitely got a second one. Once we got the first goal things opened up and it was now a 50/50 game and we were lucky enough to come out victorious and get a convincing win today.”
On closing in on a playoff spot:
“With this win it puts us in a very great place at the moment but we need to finish it up. The last game is very important, the same as this game if not even more important because we need the points so we are going to approach it the same way as this game.”
LA Galaxy Quotes
LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena
On the team's second half performance:
“Soundly beaten, if I could tell you exactly it wouldn’t have happened but let’s give Portland credit. They dominated us in the second half and deserved to win the game. If you look at individual battles, their eleven against our eleven; they just thoroughly dominated us in a physical nature I’d say. It wasn’t tactical, it wasn’t anything more than I thought their desire to win that game and fight and work was much greater than ours.”
On if this was a learning experience:
"Whatever. Learning experience. These are adults. They should learn this stuff by now."
On if he's angry about the loss:
"I'm very disappointed about the performance. Angry? I wouldn't say that. I'm certainly not shell-shocked either."
LA Galaxy forward Robbie Keane
On tonight’s match:
“Obviously disappointed, last home game of the season. There is not really much else to say, but to be honest with you we conceded the five goals as a group and we’re disappointed. There is nothing we can do about it now. Listen it’s at this stage of the season that we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. Disappointed now as I said, but it’s important to move on swiftly as possible. Big game now next week on Sunday, I think if we dwell too much on this, of course the players will be disappointed now and the next day or so, but I think after that it is very, very, important that we move on quick.”
LA Galaxy midfielder Steven Gerrard
On Portland winning the physical battles:
“[They won] all over the pitch. And that shouldn’t happen. They wanted it. I think it’s important we don’t be too hard on ourselves as we still have a huge game to play next week, but we have to take responsibility for that second half performance because it was nowhere near good enough."
Notes:
- Sunday’s match marked the second time Portland has scored five goals in an MLS match. The other was also at the StubHub Center, a 5-0 victory over Chivas USA on Oct. 26, 2013.
- For the first time in MLS play, Portland scored five goals in a half. The last time Portland scored five goals in a half in a league match was Sept. 8, 2005, against the Atlanta Silverbacks during the team’s USL era.
- Portland’s road win marked their first-ever victory against the LA Galaxy at the StubHub Center.
- The team’s 14 road wins since the start of the 2014 season are the most of any MLS club.
- The win marked Portland’s third straight on the road, tying the team’s MLS-club record streak.
- The Timbers have posted a 12-3-7 overall record during the months of September and October since 2013, including a record of 6-1-3 on the road.
- Forward Fanendo Adi notched a brace for the fifth time this season, which is second-most in MLS behind only Kei Kamara of Columbus Crew SC. It was Adi's ninth brace over the last two seasons, which is the most in MLS play.
- Adi has scored a Timbers MLS-club record 15 goals this season, which is tied with Ryan Pore for sixth place for the most goals scored in a single season across all eras.
- With 24 goals, Adi surpassed Diego Valeri (23) for the Timbers MLS-club career record in goals.
- Midfielder Diego Chara scored for the sixth time in his five-year MLS career, tying his MLS-career record with his second goal of the season. The goal marked the first time the 5-foot-8 midfielder has scored on a header.
- Sunday’s match marked Chara’s 145th career MLS appearance for Portland.
- Midfielder Darlington Nagbe moved into ninth place on the Timbers all-time scoring list with a goal on Sunday night. Nagbe has tallied 21 goals and 19 assists (61pts) since 2011.
- Nagbe made his 159th career MLS appearances for Portland on Sunday, moving just one game shy of tying NASL midfielder Willie Anderson for the most career appearances in club history across all eras.
- Midfielder Diego Valeri, who tallied an assist on Sunday, made his 80th career start for the Timbers since 2013.
- Defender Jorge Villafaña registered two assists in a match for the first time in his MLS career.
- Portland’s 18 shots tied for the third-most registered by a visiting team against the Galaxy since 2011, while the Timbers’ five goals was the most given up by Los Angeles at the StubHub Center since 2009.
- The loss for the Galaxy was just their fifth regular-season home loss since 2013.
- Portland moved into a tie on points (50) with Vancouver Whitecaps FC for third place in the Western Conference standings on Sunday. The Timbers are just one point shy of the Galaxy (51) in second place with one match remaining on the regular-season schedule.
