MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER QUOTE SHEET
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2004 - SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 1, NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION 0
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH DOMINIC KINNEAR
On the game:
"I thought we played really well. We were pressing and controlling the game, and then once we scored, they really started attacking and coming after us, but with a little bit of luck and some good defending, I think we were justified in getting the result tonight."
On the Quakes third straight shutout and fourth in five games:
"I think the guys were just all covering for each other. We did get a little lucky with the post and Jon [Conway] made some great saves at crucial times, but I give all the credit to our guys. That was a good team effort, it was about four or five guys defending the goal at any given time. That is the way we need to play down the stretch."
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES FORWARD CHRIS BROWN
On his game-winning goal:
"Ian Russell got the ball out on the wing and just played a great cross. It came right to me and I just tried to re-direct it to the far post, and it was able to go in."
On the game:
"It was a great feeling. After missing some chances earlier I was happy that I was able to come out in the second half and get a goal. It felt great to help the team get the win and to score against my former team. It is always good to steal three points like that on the road."
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES GOALKEEPER JON CONWAY
On the game:
"It was so important to get these three points with only eight games left. We needed to get the win, so to come in here missing some of our guys, it is a great result."
On the Quakes winning despite missing four national team players:
"We are prepared for this. This is what guys like me have been training for all year. We are ready. I think this proves that we have the deepest team in the league, because our guys know what they had to do, and tonight everybody stepped up."
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION HEAD COACH STEVE NICOL
On the defensive error that led to the goal:
"We basically got caught once in the game and we got punished for it. As I said, when you don't score goals, you don't win games."
On his team's difficulty in scoring goals:
"I think the one thing you can probably say is that because we're making chances and not taking any of them we're becoming a bit anxious in front of the goal. I think it will take a wee bit of composure somewhere down the line and we'll be off and running. But obviously it has to happen sooner rather than later."
On Taylor Twellman's struggles in front of goal:
"I've said it before and I'll say it again. He has to keep getting into position to score. Once that happens we're hoping it'll just open the floodgates."
On whether he thinks the Revs playoff hopes are fading:
"Absolutely not. If anyone thinks we'll lie down and die they don't know this team. This team wouldn't do that. This team will be putting in the same effort they put in tonight. I can have no complaints with the effort. People, to the end, were doing what they can to try and retrieve the situation so as far as effort's concerned we can have no complaints. Obviously, the main concern is putting the ball in the net. The only thing I can guarantee anybody who watches this team is that there won't be anyone on this team lying down or putting their head down."
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION FORWARD TAYLOR TWELLMAN
On his scoring struggles:
"I don't think anybody's timing's off. If you're getting shots, your timing's on. I don't think it has anything to do with timing. That's just the way the game goes sometimes."
On whether a few good breaks would open things up:
"It's almost like baseball where you're hitting line drives to outfielders and then all of a sudden one drops and you get on a roll. I think that's the way it is for us. We just need one or two of those to hit the inside of the post and go in and we'll all be sitting in here happy after a win."
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION MIDFIELDER SHALRIE JOSEPH
On the team's frustration level:
"Basically, we lost, so it's very frustrating. We were all over them. We had a lot of chances from Taylor [Twellman] and Clint [Dempsey] and [Brian] Kamler. We just have to convert the kind of chances we had today."
On the team's confidence:
"I think the confidence is always going to be there. It is frustrating that we can't finish in front of goal, that we can't convert our chances."
On being more able to join the attack with Steve Howey in a holding role:
"With Howey sitting there, me and Clint, we had a lot more freedom to get balls wide, to get balls in to Taylor and Pat [Noonan] and help create a lot of chances in the first and the second halves."
