FC DALLAS 2, D.C. UNITED 0
D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH PETER NOWAK
On the team's performance:
"We are too predictable. When we have a chance to go forwards we need ... seven, eight touches to play the ball forward. We played too slow and too predictable. It was easy to cover all of our [players]. At this level we need to play one, two touches. We have to play faster and today we did a bad job with that."
D.C. UNITED GOALKEEPER NICK RIMANDO
On Ruiz's bicycle kick:
"The thing is he had tons of space and he could have actually brought that [ball] down and had a good look at goal. Ruiz takes those chances and he finishes them."
On the defensive failures:
"It is something we have to work on; he [Ruiz] cannot be that open. We lost our marking too much this game and it cost us and hopefully we will get better at it."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER DEMA KOVALENKO
On his attempt to put a shot on goal:
"It was OK, I play right-footed but I played it left footed. Timing-wise it is OK, I've got to work on finishing on every chance that we get."
D.C. UNITED DEFENDER BRYAN NAMOFF
On the team's inability to push forward:
"They were pretty compact and we were trying to find the seams. We were getting a little frustrated at times; we could not find them and were forcing balls. It was 0-0 at half and we had more opportunities -- we should have put one away before half."
On the game's scoring chances:
"In the second half they put their opportunities away. We created as many as they did but we did not seize them."
FC DALLAS HEAD COACH COLIN CLARKE
On the team's defense:
"Our defense was superb tonight. Early in the first half I thought not only our back four, but also our team as a whole played great defense. We maintained great shape and balance and just frustrated them. In the second half we came out and found the back of the net and managed to hold on even though they threw a lot at us towards the end."
On the play of Garlick:
"Great. A clean sheet -- whenever you get that performance from a 'keeper you cannot complain. He came up with some big saves near the end and really secured this important match for us.
FC DALLAS GOALKEEPER SCOTT GARLICK
On the match:
"I think it's one of the best games we have played all year -- maybe the best in terms of how well we played as a group. We made it hard for them to play the ball wide. When we had chances in the second half we capitalized. You have to give credit to the guys in the back. They worked hard and made it difficult for them to break us down. I am excited about the rest of the season because tonight we beat a very, very good team."
On playing without Eddie Johnson:
"We played a lot in the preseason without him. Every guy that has come in has stepped up his game to the point where I do not think we lost anything. That's important -- a sign that we have a great team. We lost not only Eddie but, Richard Mulrooney and or [Greg] Vanney, too. The guys that have come in have done an excellent job and kept our level of play the same."
