MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER QUOTE SHEET
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH DOMINIC KINNEAR
On the game:
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2005 - SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 1, FC DALLAS 1
"Obviously we are pleased to clinch home field for the playoffs. This wasn't one of our better games and the guys understand that, but it is a happy locker room, and I think looking at the achievements of the past months, it should be. Looking at tonight, we realize that we could have played better but I give them full credit for trying to get back into the game. I need to give full credit to Dallas too. They came in with a lot of energy and gave us some problems, but to be where we are now, after some people picked us not to make the playoffs, just makes me so happy for the guys. I just want to make sure that we continue playing well now."
On the Quakes' attitude at halftime:
"The guys were a little mad because we weren't playing well. We can't play well every Saturday, but you can try and I give them credit for their effort. We just had a number of players that maybe had an off night, but we came in with the score 0-0 and said let's get going. The penalty turned things around a little bit, but the way the guys came back and fought was great."
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES DEFENDER WADE BARRETT
On playing at Spartan Stadium:
"It has been fantastic to play in front of this home crowd. The support they've shown has been absolutely fantastic. It's so much fun to come to the stadium when there is this kind of crowd here to support us. I feel like its been a fantastic season for this team, and that includes the players, the front office and the fans."
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES FORWARD BRIAN CHING
On his goal:
"It kind of deflected off his fingertips. It surprised me a little bit because I was expecting the ball to go somewhere else, but I found myself on the ground and the ball was there so I just swiped at it and it went in."
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES GOALKEEPER PAT ONSTAD
On the penalty kick:
"Yeah, it was definitely a penalty, there was no doubt about it. It was the right call. I think I was just disappointed about Dwayne [De Rosario] not getting a call a few minutes earlier, but the referee was right there in the right spot and it was a good call."
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES MIDFIELDER DWAYNE DE ROSARIO
On clinching first place:
"We knew a win or a tie would clinch the conference, but we still went out there looking to win the game. It just shows the character we have - when things aren't going your way you need to find a way to pull it out and we did that tonight. It is huge for us to have home-field advantage in the playoffs."
FC DALLAS HEAD COACH COLIN CLARKE
On the game:
"This is a positive, and I think we were a little unlucky to not get the win tonight. We had two great chances early on off set pieces, and then the one-on-one with Abe [Thompson], so we had our chances that we didn't take. I was pleased at halftime with the way we performed. We worked and battled very well, and we put them under a lot of pressure."
On the FC Dallas starting lineup:
"The guys on the field tonight, I was fully confident that they could get a result. Every one of them has played a lot of games this season. It shows the depth of what we have got here. I was very pleased and it was a great performance, one of the best performances we have had this year."
On the intensity of game:
"The red card probably helped them more. It got their emotions going and for the next five minutes after that we just couldn't get a hold of the ball and get up the field. They got the ball and were on an emotional high and the fans were getting into it. I thought after that we did very well to come out with a result."
On his team:
"We are on a good run. We are unbeaten in four games now. We had a tough run in the middle of the season that was well documented, but we've turned it around, and the boys are getting very excited about the games we've got ahead."
FC DALLAS MIDFIELDER RAMON NUNEZ
On his penalty kick goal:
"I just wanted to take it, I felt confident and I just wanted to keep performing for the team. Thank God it went it."
On the game:
"It is definitely a good performance, a great team effort. We haven't had a performance like this in a long time, coming into a place like this. It is a great result for us and definitely a confidence booster, it was a playoff atmosphere with the fans going crazy, it is just an unbelievable atmosphere here."
FC DALLAS DEFENDER CHRIS GBANDI
On the game:
"It was a good performance to get out of here with a point, I think we are looking forward to the playoffs, and it was a playoff-type atmosphere here tonight. We were fortunate to get a point, but I think we deserved it and I think we outplayed them for most of the stretches of the game."
On the importance of scoring the first goal:
"Getting the first goal makes it a lot easier, it brings them out and they have to come out and play. I think if we could have held them a little longer we could have got them on a counter, but we were able to get a point out of here and that is good for us."
FC DALLAS MIDFIELDER ARTURO ALVAREZ
On the game:
"It was a great result coming here into San Jose and getting a point out of this. It is tough coming here playing against them at home. We had chances to win the game, unfortunately it didn't happen. We got a good point out of this and have a tough week ahead. We just have to prepare ourselves and keep going forward."
