MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER QUOTE SHEET
SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2004 - COLORADO RAPIDS 3, CHICAGO FIRE 0
COLORADO RAPIDS HEAD COACH TIM HANKINSON
On snapping a two-game losing streak:
"It's a miraculous win because we had three dynamic goals, and it was the first time that we attacked with numbers of players going forward. Our players played with confidence on the ball and because of that players ran freely off the ball and that created options in attack for us. We also had some outstanding defending, some great saves by Joe (Cannon), blocked shots, just some great individual and group efforts; so, to win 3-0 in Chicago is a great rarity for any team in the league and therefore is a special night for us."
On the play of Joe Cannon:
"Joe has been playing that way all year, he has kept us in every game until the end with some outstanding goalkeeping and this was just another example of it. But being able to come into halftime 0-0 was important because it gave us the opportunity to talk positively and about the potential of getting a result and how we would go about getting that."
COLORADO RAPIDS DEFENDER MATT CRAWFORD
On his first goal of the season:
"It felt good; it was just one of those balls that feel good when you strike it and you know that it is going to be a goal."
On the importance of this goal compared to his lone tally last year:
"This one felt a lot better. We were on the road, we were up 1-0 and it was a tight game and that gave us a bit of a cushion, so it was good for the team."
COLORADO RAPIDS MIDFIELDER MARK CHUNG
On his goal:
"It was important because it opened up our game a little bit. They were playing so tight in the middle defensively and once we scored, they had to start going forward and that opened more things up for us."
On the key to the game for Colorado:
"One thing that we did well today was keep possession. If this team possesses the ball then we are going to be a good team; if we play long ball then we're a bad team. So if we consistently get the guys on the field, knocking the ball and trying to play it, then things will work out for us."
CHICAGO FIRE HEAD COACH DAVE SARACHAN:
On the match:
"It's disappointing. If you read the scoreline, if you weren't at the game, you see 3-0. Chung hits a career shot, again, against us; Crawford hits a great goal. If you don't get the first goal, a night like this could happen. We're disappointed because we had a good opportunity to keep this string going."
On where the Fire heads from here:
"We go to [Los Angeles] next weekend."
On the goals by Matt Crawford and Mark Chung:
"To me, those were bombs. I'll have to check the positioning, but at first glance, those were two balls that were hit very, very well."
On the club's search for new additions to its roster:
"We're trying to be a little more aggressive and keep looking. Those things don't happen overnight, these things take times. We have an opportunity with some resources, so we're still in the looking stage."
CHICAGO FIRE DEFENDER JIM CURTIN
On the match:
"We just weren't good, all over the field. It's not just the defense, it's with the team. Right now we're just not good enough. I don't know whether we need new players, I don't know what it is. I feel like we're just not playing good as a team, everybody is struggling. Because we won one game I think everybody felt that everything was back on track, and that's definitely not the case. It's all of us combined."
On the difference in the match:
"They scored their chances, to their credit. The first two goals were two real good shots. They put their chances away and we had a couple in the first half that we didn't do well enough on. To their credit they did well in front of our goal; they scored and we didn't."
CHICAGO FIRE MIDFIELDER CHRIS ARMAS
On the match:
"We didn't play terribly. We had our chances and we didn't score them. They had their few and, in reality, scored two great goals. We lost our composure when they scored one. It's tough because we really took it to them in the first half, we probably should have been up 1-0. But give them credit, they come on the road and beat us 3-0."
On whether Colorado brought anything different to the match in the second half:
"Not really. We had a good run of play in the first half. We've just got to get something out of that. It always comes back to haunt you."
