Portland Timbers quotes
Portland Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese
On the group’s performance…
“I thought this was the type of game that you have to work very hard. That things weren’t going our way. We didn’t have the fluidity that we wanted. We created some chances. We had some good opportunities. But it looked like that type of game that you have to work hard and stay there and defend and then try to create something. A little scrappy and then credit to [LA Galaxy] as well. They found a goal and it just became a difficult match. It was very hot as well. The most important part is we were able to come back and get a point. The important part for us is not to lose and continue this way. Even though it wasn’t a fluid match, they were able to get into it and get an important point.”
On how the team did with their scoring chances and if they could have done better…
“Of course we could have done better, but it’s that type of game sometimes. Games like this that are very difficult and choppy. They are just tough. You have to put in that extra effort collectively to get a result. We were able to find the PK on a very good play and that’s important for us. These are points that are going to add up.”
On the conditions playing into the lack of fluidity in the game…
“I think the game in the first half was difficult for both teams. A little bit up and down. But I think the heat was mostly a distraction in the second half because you could tell the rhythm of the play went down for both teams and it became a difficult match.”
On the performance of Bill Tuiloma and Marco Farfan…
“This is important for us because that shows that they can have different roles and it’s not something set in stone. Bill can play on the right side. Farfan can come in as a midfielder a little bit higher to support Zarek [Valentin]. We will continue to look at how players can contribute at other positions as well. In this case, that’s what we felt the game needed and the guys came in to perform.”
On if he is satisfied with the quality and quantity of chances created today…
“I’m never satisfied when we don’t win. And then if we win we have to do it in a good way. So today we tie. But also we need to analyze and think that this tie was important for us to get point. We did create some opportunities. We had chances. We could have found that goal that would have given us that edge early, but I thought also it was an up and down game. We had moments where we were able to find space in the middle and we were playing just as well. I thought it was a difficult match all around and I cannot be satisfied in any match because I think always we have to be better.”
On if anything surprised him about the Galaxy’s formation or tactics…
“No, they didn’t surprise me. But I think the troubles that we found were more because we didn’t have the mobility today that we needed, more than anything else, and it became more predictable and credit to them that they were ready to step into those spaces, but the system was not a surprise.”
On the choices off the bench…
“Those were the 18 that showed best during the week and that’s why we decided to go with the 18 that were on the bench today.”
On managing minutes and injuries with multiple games on the schedule in the coming week…
“This is a good opportunity with the U.S. Open Cup game to be able to give minutes to players. The way I look at things is that now this great for the guys who want to step in and show what they can bring to the team and it’s perfect, this is what we want. Sometimes when team’s open up, now guys have an opportunity and they are able to step in and perform. So we have to see now who can contribute more and more. They have been doing a fantastic job during practice and we just have to keep on going in the same direction.”
Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chara
On his historic 215th appearance with the Timbers…
“It’s a great feeling. To be part of history is a great feeling and I want to continue my role by working hard to be prepared for the next game.”
On walking away with a draw…
“It was hard because we created so many opportunities in the first half. In the second half we found the goal and I think it was a great point for us.”
On missed opportunities during the match…
“Today, we were unlucky. In the games before, we were effective. Now we want to continue working to be better with those opportunities.”
On his first-half opportunity at goal…
“I decided to keep the ball at that angle [on my left foot]. The ’keeper was good enough to save it.”
Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri
On his thoughts during the penalty kick…
“I was very secure of where I wanted to kick it. I saw the goalkeeper up until the last moment and just tried to put the ball through the net.”
On the heat playing a big part in the contest…
“The weather is not bad, it’s probably the time of the game that was bad. You can probably play a little bit later in the day and it would affect the game better. We have to adapt, we are professionals. It’s obvious that it changed a lot of the game and the energy.”
On how the team could have been better with its opportunities at goal…
“Today we were not precise enough. We created a lot of chances but missed a lot. The good thing is that we created [chances] and it was that kind of day when the ball didn’t want to go in. We have to be more clinical in those situations. That’s probably what changed the game, at least in the first half.”
On taking positives from creating so many great shooting chances…
“We talked it about during halftime, but you have to be calm and keep pushing in the game. It’s a good point since we were consistent in the game.”
LA Galaxy quotes
LA Galaxy head coach Sigi Schmid
On the determining factor to play Chris Pontius and Emmanuel Boateng up top…
“It was decision that we felt we had to make, with Ibra’s knee history we didn’t want him to play a lot of minutes on it so basically that’s the way we went. We went with the 3-5-2, more or less today and we wanted to play those two upfront”
On David Bingham’s performance…
“David had a good game, he saved what he should have saved. He came up with a couple of big saves, but you know he held on to everything else that he should have. So I thought he was solid today. He deserved the shutout, but he was solid.”
On how the game unfolded…
“Yeah the PK, obviously that was sort of, I don’t know, I haven’t seen the replay so I cannot say. I was happy with how we played, you know, obviously we got shots, we go to do a better job of putting our shots on target. There are a couple of our front players that are not in a good rhythm right now, just not in good form, but I thought overall the team did a good job defensively. I felt like we did a good job in the first half of keeping (Diego) Valeri and (Sebastián) Blanco where they weren’t too dangerous on us. Those guys are good players so eventually they want to find the game, but I was very pleased with how we did.”
On balancing the team with so many FIFA World Cup absences…
“It’s been our challenge all year. I look at Portland’s line up over the past four or five games and with the exception of (Fanendo) Adi or (Samuel) Armenteros, it’s really been the same group every time they step out and our situation is one where every time it’s a different group and so it makes it tough. So we get the situation where Giovanni dos Santos as an example was playing well and then he gets injured and then he’s gone for the World Cup. Then we have a situation where Jonathan dos Santos and Perry Kitchen were starting a good relationship and now Jonathan is gone. It’s been difficult and bringing Ibra in and trying to establish the right system to play for him is also something we need to complete and do.”
On gaining momentum going into a busy schedule next week…
“It was good. I mean obviously we would have wanted to win the game, but once they equalized on the penalty, then it was important for us to walk away with at least a point from there, so I was pleased that we were able to do that. We already came in here last year and played too wide. I wanted them inside more, but sometimes it’s like passing information down the line, when it gets to end sometimes he understands it differently.”
LA Galaxy defender Ashley Cole
On the performance of David Bingham…
“He’s been great all season. Kept us in games and then today made some big saves for us when we needed him. That’s his job though. He’s paid to do that. I think he’s done really well since he’s been here and today he kept us in the game.”
On the feeling about the result…
“You have to take the positive. I think they haven’t lost in 10 games. They’ve got a good record, certainly here. They’ve got a good team. The weather was hot. The pitch was difficult. So we come away from this with our heads held high and deserved point.”
On the team’s chemistry with the lineup changes and players missing for international duty…
“Big players that we are missing, but this is why we have a big squad, an experienced squad, so players should be ready to step in and do their jobs. Servando [Carrasco] came in today and played a good game. We have a big squad for that reason. We a are going to miss these guys, but it comes down to us to not worry about that too much and we will concentrate on where we go from here.”
LA Galaxy goalkeeper David Bingham
On the team’s overall performance…
“We knew coming up here was going to be hard game. They were on a good little streak and they have players of quality, so we would be under the gun for a little bit, and we were for a little more than we’d like, but we had to dig deep and get a point going home.”
On the momentum the team gained from this game…
“No, it doesn’t give us any momentum. We still have to do better. We were up 1-0, and as a team we weren’t good enough in certain aspects tonight and we’re fortunate to get away with one point tonight.”
Notes:
- Saturday’s game marked the 130th consecutive sellout for the Timbers at Providence Park.
- The Timbers are unbeaten in their last seven matches, marking the club's longest streak since a nine-game unbeaten run from May 22-July 17, 2016.
- The 1-1 draw against the Galaxy ended Portland's six-game winning streak (club record in MLS play) and 10-game home winning streak (second-longest for any club in MLS history).
- Portland finished with a season-high 10 shots on target against the Galaxy, which also ranks tied for the fourth-most shots on goal by the Timbers in MLS play.
- Midfielder Diego Chara played in his 215th league match for the Timbers, setting a new club record for the most matches played by a Timbers player since 1975.
- Diego Valeri recorded his sixth goal in 2018, marking the fifth time Valeri has scored at least six goals in a season. Valeri is one of four MLS players with six or more goals in five of the last six seasons along with Bradley Wright-Phillips, Chris Wondolowski and Dom Dwyer.
- Portland’s goal also marked Valeri's 12th penalty-kick finish since the beginning of the 2016 season, which is tied for the most in MLS with David Villa over the last three seasons.
