MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER QUOTE SHEET
METROSTARS HEAD COACH BOB BRADLEY
On the game:
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2005 - D.C. UNITED 4, METROSTARS 1
"We really hurt ourselves when we came out in the second half and gave up an own goal. I thought we responded well to that, and they put a nice play together for their second goal. We pushed to see if we could get back into the game. I thought that we took a few chances and created a few chances and they hung in there an punished us in the end."
On the team's chances of making the playoffs:
"It all depends what happens with some other results. There's three more games and this team doesn't give up easily."
METROSTARS MIDFIELDER MARK LISI
On the team's play in the first and second halves:
"They came at us a little bit and we weathered the storm with all of their corner kicks and I thought we did OK. But there were times we could have played a little quicker and we took an extra touch here or there, which slowed things down a little bit. Second half we came out flat. After the second goal in the second half a lot of heads went down. We tried to keep going forward by pulling everyone up. The last two goals we got caught pushing forward and that's what happens when you get exposed."
METROSTARS GOALKEEPER TONY MEOLA
On the pressure D.C. United put on the MetroStars:
"It was difficult because we were defending pretty much the whole game. They put a lot of pressure on not just me, but all of our defenders. We were in a good position up 1-0 at the half, but they just kept coming at us and creating chances."
D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH PETER NOWAK
On what he told the team at halftime:
"I told them they played very good soccer. The whole team played really hard today, and we know what we were playing for so it was important to get the three points."
On the turning point of the game:
"It was still important to get that goal after halftime. We needed to get a goal early in the second half, so that was the turning point."
On qualifying for the playoffs:
"Well we still have two weeks. We have three games left, so we're going work hard next week."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER BEN OLSEN
On getting his first goals this season:
"It was good getting the first goal. It took me nine months to get it. It came at a pretty good time. Something about playing the MetroStars is great. Scoring against them is even better. The main thing we take out of this (game) is qualifying for the playoffs."
D.C. UNITED FORWARD JAMIL WALKER
On providing a spark as a sub:
"They wanted me to get in there and get that goal, and get us back on track. We weren't getting behind them enough. It was quite a spark to the team just when we needed it."
On thoughts for the playoffs:
"We have to get to our peak the last three games so that we're right on spot when we get to the playoffs. The last three games are very important. We can' take the time off because momentum is huge going in to the playoffs. We want to be as high as we can and we can still make first place."
