COLORADO RAPIDS 3, KANSAS CITY WIZARDS 1
COLORADO RAPIDS HEAD COACH TIM HANKINSON
On the game:
"To have a couple of goals called back and then to fall behind, the penalties back and fort and for Joe (Cannon) to make the penalty save late in the game got the entire crowd on their feet."
On Kyle Beckerman's performance:
"To come into the game with that mentality and such a concentration and to be able to capitalize on his time on the field with such a goal was just a special moment for him. His play in those dying moments of the game helped the team both defensively and offensively in a very positive way."
COLORADO RAPIDS MIDFIELDER KYLE BECKERMAN
On his goal:
"It was great to be able to come in and help the team with a goal like that. I'm jut happy that an opportunity like that came across and I was able to take advantage of it. "
On the win and capturing first place:
"We saw that the possibility of getting into first place was there and we took the opportunity at home. It is definitely a statement of what this team can do."
COLORADO RAPIDS DEFENDER RICKY LEWIS
On his Colorado debut:
"It felt great. I feel good that coach had confidence in me in such a big game and I felt ready and good and just happy to be part of it."
COLORADO RAPIDS MIDFIELDER JORDAN CILA
On the winning goal and the performance of the team:
"It is nice to be able to score against a team other than the MetroStars. It is a great feeling to be in a team that is in first place and all around it is a great feeling for everyone from the first to the 24th member of our roster."
On the team's mentality:
"We had a very good first half and were just held back due to a couple of offside calls. We came out in the second half with a lot of intensity and same style to be able to finish the work. This is not the time to take a rest, every game from now on matters and we should try to taka advantage of every single opportunity. "
COLORADO RAPIDS GOALKEEPER JOE CANNON
On overall play of the team:
"I think the whole team played as synchronized as we have ever played. Every one of my teammates out there played their harts out, which led to a better possession and more control of the game."
On his penalty kick save on Josh Wolff save:
"I just felt that he was going to go to the same place that he went before and fortunately he did and I got the save."
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS HEAD COACH BOB GANSLER
On what makes the Colorado defense so strong:
"They play well collectively, that's for sure and you have to give the defenders credit, but Joe (Cannon) is having a career year. He's making all sorts of saves and when you're going good, good things happen and sometimes the ball hits you, like on the PK, but that's to his credit. There is no secret that they work hard, they work hard together and they have a goalkeeper who right now thinks he is invincible, and right now he is."
On his side's second penalty kick of the night:
"It would have tied it and they would have pushed forward even more so I think that we would have gotten some opportunities going the other way. We were making offensive substitutions and we came here for the three points, and had we walked out of here with one, so be it. But they attacked with a vengeance which we expected coming in here, and that leaves them vulnerable to our attacking. So I don't know if that save was the deciding factor in this game, but it was certainly key."
On the tight race in the West:
"It's sure exciting for the fans. Anyone can finish first and anyone can finish fifth, but we've been resilient before and I trust that we'll be resilient again. It's not what we can do in the next five, it's what we can do in the next one and then deal with the one after that."
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS DEFENDER JIMMY CONRAD
On the play of the Colorado defense:
"I think that they do a nice job of getting back and getting guys behind the ball. I think that it starts with Spencer and Peguero up front, they put good pressure on us in the back and that forces us to make passes that we'd rather not. So it starts with them and it just shuffles down, they have a lot of guys who are just good, hard workers and they're a lot harder to play against than the primadonnas. So you have 10 guys like that back behind the ball, it makes it tough, and finally you have Joe Cannon saving any good opportunities that they do give up, and that's the game."
On his thoughts on the rest of the season:
"We still control our own destiny, obviously Colorado is still in first with a game in hand, and that game in hand won't mean anything if we don't make anything out of it. But five games left against conference opponents, that's a lot of points going for you and against you, so it's an opportunity for us to establish good habits in big games going into the playoffs."
