D.C. UNITED 3, COLUMBUS CREW 1
D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH PETER NOWAK
On getting injured players back:
"I look at players during practice and I know who wants to play -- not play, everyone wants to play, but win. We brought back Dema [Kovalenko] today, got Bryan Namoff back in there. The situation on the field led me to believe Brian Carroll was the right player to bring in. Whichever players show me they are capable of winning are the ones who are going to see the most time. It means a lot to get Bryan and Dema back in there. I wish I could have made more substitutions and get everyone some minutes because they train very well and very hard every week. Everyone deserves to start but I cannot make that happen. It means a lot to them. It helps them believe in their selves again, believe they can come back from these injuries."
D.C. UNITED DEFENDER MIKE PETKE
On the game:
"It was a good game. We needed to get a win at home. We came out and really went at them and it showed. Last time we did that against New England and we let up. This time we did not. This time we just kept going and that was important. Against New England we were the better team in the beginning, but look what happened in the end. We knew we were the better team tonight and we did what we had to."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER JOSH GROS
On Freddy Adu's second assist:
"It was a great ball by Freddy over to Ben [Olsen]. Ben hit a nice cross and I just got my head on the end of it. Freddy played great out there. He hustled on defense - something not everyone noticed with his big night offensively."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER STEVE GUPPY
On the differences in the Columbus rematch:
"We looked much better in the offensive third today. In all honesty we played like that the last time we saw this team but we could not put one in the back of the net. Today we put the goals in the net. That was the main difference. The best team won."
D.C. UNITED GOALKEEPER NICK RIMANDO
On the game:
"The team played well. Columbus had their chances and luckily they did not put them away. I tried to stop as many shots as I could and today I got enough of them to get us a win; that is what is important to me. Tonight the defense was organized and our guys did their job up top."
On the differences in the Columbus rematch:
"We put the pressure on them this time. We came out and got two quick goals, finished off our chances. Last time we had our chances, but Jon Busch had a remarkable game and kept us out of their net."
COLUMBUS CREW HEAD COACH GREG ANDRULIS
On D.C. United's quick start:
"It's tough to give up two goals that quickly, that early in the game. I think the team showed a lot of character and we clawed our way back."
On United's last goal of the game:
"[To] give away that third goal so soon after we had regained our momentum and had things going in our way - it was a back-breaker. We clearly have to do better defensively."
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER DOMENIC MEDIATE
On the team's mindset at the start of the game:
"We got out there and knew they would apply pressure the first 15 minutes and that is exactly what they did. Next thing we know we are two down. It's a tough situation to put yourself in, a tough situation to come back on."
On his second half goal:
"The ball was coming in, I saw Ben [Olsen] in position, as I was running onto it. Usually that gives you the better hand, if you are moving to the ball. I was able to slip around him before he saw me and get my foot there before his. I got a good shot off and it went in the back on the net. Luckily we were able to get that one in."
On D.C. United's third goal of the night:
"I thought that [my goal] would turn things around right then, but then they got that third one. It was kind of a dagger to the heart."
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER DANNY SZETELA
On the Crew's lackluster first half:
"The first 15 minutes we did not play too well, after that we picked up our game and just did not finish our opportunities. In the second half I thought we dominated and we had four or five opportunities there; we just did not finish. At the end of the game it comes to who scores the goals and we could not finish our opportunities."
