Portland Timbers quotes
Portland Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese
Overall thoughts on the game…
“I thought we were disciplined, we were very good in close spaces at being very compact and being a team that’s able to interact with each other and create very good associations to make sure we didn’t leave them any spaces open. I thought we did a fantastic job, especially in the first half. In the second half, as I said, we were a little bit down in intensity on both parts because of the heat. Overall, I was very pleased with the performance of my players, and I thought in the first half, we created enough chances to at least be two goals up. They we’re a little bit more dominant in the second half, so I thought it was a good game.”
On stopping Carlos Vela…
“I think from our part, we did a good job to close the spaces that [Carlos] Vela tried to find and force the ball to where we want to be playing. We confronted them in close areas, so I felt we did very well with that job, and we made sure we put their players in more uncomfortable situations. We forced Vela wide, making sure that he stays wide and isn’t coming inside, and that was effective. From another standpoint, I think he did a good job, he found the ball a lot of times.”
On his team’s approach for Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup match against LAFC…
“Now, we’ll analyze what we did well today, what we need to improve, and we have an idea already for Wednesday. But we have to make sure that we revise the plan and be ready for what we’re going to bring for Wednesday.”
Portland Timbers goalkeeper Jeff Attinella
On playing LAFC twice in four days…
“I think that in [U.S. Open] Cup games you have to go for it. Both teams will take more chances. At the end of the day, we haven't even talked about Wednesday. It's anybody’s guess, but usually [U.S. Open] Cup games each team goes for it more."
On playing LAFC in a high-profile nationally televised game…
“Playing against LAFC, they were hot and really taking care of teams at home, and you know we are on a good run as well. You just know it is a big game when you look at the schedule and see that it is on national TV.”
Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chara
On facing LAFC again on Wednesday…
“I feel right now we’ll try to get a good recovery from this game and try to prepare and be ready for that game [on Wednesday] because it is very important to us.”
Overall thoughts on today’s match…
“It’s hard for both teams, today the temperature was high. But, I feel we did a good job today and I think, on defense, we did a very good job. We created some opportunities, but today, we weren’t effective.”
Los Angeles FC quotes
LAFC head coach Bob Bradley
On today’s game…
“Tight, hard game. They played with five in the back, and then obviously, three midfielders in-front, leaving [Diego] Valeri underneath [Samuel] Armenteros. Our ability to then break them down in the final moments, I thought some of our ideas we’re good, I saw that sharpness that maybe makes a play when things are really tight. Overall, I thought we did a lot of good things, they’re a team that’s dangerous in transition, and we did a solid job of handling that. Now we turn it around and we play them again under different circumstances on Wednesday obviously, in the Open Cup, and now a night game.”
On things missing from today’s effort…
“Now it’s just that pure ability to find the way to make a real chance. A couple times, for example, Latif’s [Blessing] on the left and he’s got a moment to try to on the move toward the goal, and with his timing and quality of the pass, so that doesn’t always come off as much as it should. With Latif and Diego [Rossi], our ability to get them, not just the ball at their feet, but the ball where they’re on the move, so that they’re not trying to dribble from a standstill, so that, at times, certainly could’ve been better. If there is some space just on the outside of the three midfielders, and now we’ve got a player who’s found that spot, our ability to get the ball to him faster has to be better. Sometimes we knew that whether it’s Lee [Nguyen] or Carlos [Vela], that they’ve waited patiently to be in that spot, but then if it takes two or three passes to get it there, those passes have to move a little bit quicker. We always look at the things that we need to do better, and our ability to create big chances and make a goal, that’s for sure something we weren’t quite good enough with on the day.”
On the red card response…
“We’ll look back on today and think through what might change on Wednesday, but when we went down a man, we had both Marco [Ureña] and [Adama] Diomande on the field, so we left them both as strikers. Carlos [Vela] and Latif [Blessing] tucked in closer to Mark-Anthony [Kaye], so defensively at times, it looked like a 4-3-2. In attack, we still wanted Carlos and Latif to be moving forward, and then we felt that we could still handle things with the other five. We were still looking for ways to create chances, and Carlos’ header came when we were down a man. [Carlos’] chance was a very good chance obviously, where you can win a game late with a great opportunity from some good build-up and a good play. I thought our ideas when we went down a man were fine.”
LAFC Goalkeeper Tyler Miller
On how the game was today in relation to Wednesday's game…
"We knew going into the game that they [Portland] were going to pull some guys out of the game. They are a counter attacking team and we knew that. We definitely generated some good chances, but it's a short turn around. We have to play them [Portland] in a big game on Wednesday, so we have to start preparing for that now."
On the moment after he saves a goal…
"Those are emotional plays that can really change a game. I wasn't happy with how much time Benny [Feilhaber] took on the ball. But I mean that’s part of the game and that's why I am there. I am just doing my job, honestly. I get paid to be back there and make saves when they are needed. And Benny thanked me for it, but it’s just part of it. They’re the guys that bailed me out this year and I'm always there to help bail them out when they need it. It's a team sport, it’s a team game, and we are going to have each other’s back no matter what.”
LAFC Forward Carlos Vela
On returning to the squad after the World Cup…
“I’m happy to be here and they are happy that I am here, so when everything’s like that, it’s easier to come into the group, start to play in the way they are playing, and I am happy because I left a couple of games and they did really well. They are in a good position, playing fantastic games. So, it’s nice, it’s nice to be here and trying to put the team on another level and trying to make a good competition inside the group because that’s the way to be a better group. I hope we can finish strong in the second half of the league and I hope we can be in the playoffs.”
On the upcoming U.S. Open Cup match on Wednesday…
“I think it’s a great opportunity because when you play for everything in one game, it’s more exciting, a stronger game, you have to focus and do a good job. I think the team is doing really well, I think we’re really close to being in the semifinals in the first season so I think the club is doing really well. Everything is going in a good direction, so now it’s time to finish the job, now it’s time to show we’re a good team. We want to make a hard impact in the first season so this is the moment to be a good team and I hope we can show it Wednesday.”
Notes:
- The Portland Timbers secured their fifth clean sheet of the MLS regular season and seventh clean sheet across all competitions in 2018.
- The Timbers are unbeaten in their last 12 regular-season matches with a record of 8-0-4, which is the longest streak in MLS this season.
- The Timbers are unbeaten in their last 14 matches across all competitions with a record of 10-0-4, which is tied for the second-longest streak in club history across all eras (since 1975).
- Portland’s 14- game unbeaten streak is the longest by an MLS club since the New York Red Bulls’ 16-game all-competition streak in 2016.
- The Timbers have conceded 22 goals this season, which is tied for second-fewest in MLS.
- LAFC was held scoreless at home for the first time in its first season in MLS.
- Jeff Attinella has posted a record of 7-0-4 this season, tallying five clean sheets. The five clean sheets in a single season are a career high for Attinella.
- Banc of California Stadium is the 105th different stadium the Timbers have played in during the 44-year history of the club.
