Portland Timbers quotes
Portland Timbers head coach Caleb Porter
Overall thoughts on the match…
“It was a great game. Two good teams, who want to play the right way. Both teams want to build out of the back. Both teams looking to press. Both teams looking to attack. I thought it was a great showcase for the league with the way that both teams played. Obviously, both teams had some top guys out. They did with (David) Villa. We did with (Liam Ridgewell) Ridgy and (Fanendo) Adi. So I think the depth was on show as well. But, real proud as far as my team with the way that we played. We came out to press. First goal was off the pressure. We had several other chances to score in the first half off our pressure. In the second half as well, if it wasn’t for Sean Johnson. I thought he was the man of the match today and anytime the home team has their goalkeeper as the man of the match that means your team played very well. I’m real pleased obviously with the result and the performance. I thought it was outstanding.
On what was the most impressive thing about his team’s performance…
“We try to build our team like the modern team and what I mean by that is that you have to do a little bit of everything. I thought when we needed to press, we did. When we needed to drop off and absorb, we did. When we needed to keep the ball, we did. I thought we were ruthless if it wasn’t for, like I said, a few saves, I thought it was 2 or 3-0 and it would’ve been less gray hairs for me at the end of the game. But, again, we didn’t get the second goal and yet we made a lot of key plays at the end of the game to close out the match and that’s what you need. I thought everybody across the board played extremely well and we dealt with a lot. We had (David) Guzman and (Darlington) Nagbe who traveled from Costa Rica and Honduras after playing on Tuesday and they dug deep. And we had to insert some guys off the bench because we had some injuries and I thought Jebo (Jeremy Ebobisse) and Lawrence Olum came into the match and did the business. So, again, that’s what you need and we file this one away. We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. We have five games left but we’re going to keep approaching every game like it’s the playoffs and cup final. I think you can see the hunger in our team because we’re smelling the postseason.”
On the team’s ability to close out the game…
“That’s been the difference. We’ve really played pretty well most of the games all year but prior to this run we were giving up late goals. In the last eight games, we’ve only given up a goal in the last 15 minutes in two of the eight and that’s been the key and the reason we’ve been able to close out three point games instead of one pointers or zero points. Again, we’re showing that we’re the road team we’ve always been. We’ve always been a good road team. We don’t change the way we play home or away. You didn’t see any of us sitting back and trying to absorb and give too much respect to New York. We went in playing as if we were going to be the dominant team. But, listen, this New York team is one of the best teams in the league and I have the utmost respect for Patrick Viera and the way his squad plays. On another day, if Jeff (Attinella) doesn’t make a save as well, it could’ve been a different result. Obviously David Villa was a big factor in the match, not being in for them.”
Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri
On scoring seven goals in seven straight games…
“I’m happy about that because it is helping the team to get points in this part of the season, which is the most important. I’m happy about our position in the table as well. It’s important for us because we want to be in the playoffs. That’s our goal. So, I’m happy about the individual performance but mainly about the collective performance.”
On the chemistry within the team…
“We are improving a lot in the middle, getting that part of the field stronger every day and we think that it is the way to manage games. We have five or six guys always there, trying to press and dominate with the ball, which is important for us. So, I’m happy to see the team everyday playing in the way that we want.”
On what has changed for him…
“I think it’s because we have a lot of players in the middle and obviously we’ve been missing (Fanendo) Adi for a few games now, so we need a guy in the box running from the middle and I think that role comes from me. I mean I can do it and the team is helping me to create chances and score goals.”
On what the team needs to do down the last stretch of the season…
“Now it’s time to rest well because it’s a long flight back home and it was an intense game. Then, we start to think about Real Salt Lake and begin preparing for the game. We have to live every game as if it’s the last one. That’s the mindset. Every game is the last one. Everybody wants to be in the playoffs and we have to manage that aspect of things.”
Portland Timbers defender Larrys Mabiala
On beating NYCFC on the road…
“We are very happy. We had the game we wanted to have today. We wanted to press them, get some balls high on the pitch, get them on the counters and that’s what we did. At the same time we didn’t give them any chances for them to score. We are happy to get the three points and to play the way we wanted to play.”
On the chemistry on defense…
“I think the key thing is the communication. We try to play for each other not to play selfish. We try to recover the mistakes of the strikers. That’s what we do so I hope we can keep going this way.”
On comfort level since joining team two months ago…
“I’m feeling very well. I came like two months ago. The guys they welcomed me very good. Since I been here, I’m feeling great. I can develop myself and give everything I have to know. That’s what I said when I came here when they were asking me what can I bring to this team”
Notes
- Since 2013, the Timbers have secured 89 points from road matches, which is just five points behind Sporting Kansas City for the most road points in that span.
- Portland has the most points (44), wins (12), and goals (49) among all MLS Western Conference teams this season.
- Portland is now 2-0-0 at Yankee Stadium, previously recording a 1-0 victory in the 2015 campaign.
- The Timbers have scored in 15 consecutive matches, which is the longest active streak in MLS.
- The shutout was the fourth this season by the Timbers and the second in their last four matches. NYCFC was held scoreless for the first time in their last 25 home matches.
- Diego Valeri scored for a seventh consecutive match, tying the MLS record for consecutive matches with a goal. Valeri joins Raul Diaz Arce (1997), Wolde Harris (2000), and Carlos Ruiz (2006) as the only players in league history to score a goal in seven straight games.
- Valeri's goal was his 17th of the season, setting a club record for MLS goals in a single season. Valeri is one goal shy of tying the club's all-era (since 1975) record for goals in a season. He is also just the fourth player in all eras of the club to score 17 or more league goals in a season (Fadi Afash, McKinley Tennyson and Alan Gordon).
- Valeri tied his own club record by attempting five shots on target in the match. He previously had five shots on target against the San Jose Earthquakes on Sept. 7, 2014.
- Darren Mattocks recorded his second assist of the season, both of which have occurred in the club's last three matches.
