Quote Sheet - CD Chivas USA at Columbus Crew, May 12, 2007
CREW HEAD COACH SIGI SCHMID:
On the performance:
"It's a good stating point. We would prefer to win, especially being at home, but it bodes well for the future."
On Guillermo Barros Schelotto:
"The leadership he gave us on the field was really important. Even with the language barrier ... he's just an experienced player who knows where people ought to be."
"Today he showed what he's all about."
On newcomers Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Alejandro Moreno:
"Overall, I think Alejandro and Guillermo made a difference to our team. They certainly made a difference to our attack. Alejandro makes a big difference to us because his ability to hold the ball allows the midfielders to link in. Guillermo certainly showed that he's a great player. His combining with Alejandro was already very good, just missing on the one where Alejandro put Guillermo in on the back-heel and he played Alejandro in a couple of times."
CREW FORWARD GUILLERMO BARROS SCHELOTTO:
On being a leader on the field:
"I don't really worry about who will take leadership over the team. I just want to go out there and do what I can to win games. That is the most important thing, regardless of who takes leadership of the team."
On his experience in Columbus so far:
"I've been very welcomed here and even saw a couple of people out there wearing Boca jerseys, so I feel at home."
CREW GOALKEEPER ANDY GRUENEBAUM:
On the Schelotto-Moreno tandem:
"They combined well together. Moreno holds the ball really well and Schelotto is a real tricky player with a lot of experience and it shows out there. I think it will definitely be a good combination."
On Chivas' first minute goal:
"When the ball came through, it was right on top of me and in the upper 90, so it was a good strike. He hit it with some pace. Obviously, when you give up a goal, you always want it back, but you just have to move on and take it from there."
CREW FORWARD ALEJANDRO MORENO:
On his first action with Columbus:
"Obviously it's an exciting opportunity for me. It's a new chance to play and be reunited with Sigi. I'm happy to be here and happy to be here with this group of guys and hopefully we can get some positive results from here on out."
On being reunited with Coach Sigi Schmid:
"We go way back and I think he understands what I bring to the team and he knows the skills that I offer to the team. I'm happy to get an opportunity to play and contribute to a team and to a group of guys that really want to have good things happen this year."
On his chemistry with Schelotto:
"I thought it went pretty well for the first game today. I managed to get along pretty well with Guillermo. I thought we did some good things, we combined a couple times and we managed to create some dangerous opportunities."
CHIVAS HEAD COACH PREKI:
"We scored a good goal right away, after that I thought it would just be a matter of time before we scored the second one. Obviously, we made one crucial, major mistake and they punished us for it. It was frustrating not to get a second goal, but I thought the second half things kind of evened up. Basically, it was a fight in the middle of the field and both teams didn't give up too many things and we ended up with a draw."
"It was a fast-paced game, but at no point did I think it was a fluid game. There were a lot of turnovers in the middle of the field and that happens when both teams are putting a lot of pressure on the other team. A lot of times you turn the ball over in your own part of the field and I think that happened too many times tonight to both teams."
CHIVAS DEFENDER SHAVAR THOMAS:
"It was a good game. We didn't get the result we needed, but it's good coming out of here with a point. They obviously were able to tie the game because of the mistake we made, but we're going to go back to the drawing board and come back next week, we have a tough match-up."
CHIVAS FORWARD ANTE RAZOV:
"We got off to a good start, getting the goal early, but the same things continue to plague us. We make mistakes, gave the goal away, almost gave another one away and turned the game back. Maybe we should get the second goal a little easier, but then they're back in the game and it's just a dogfight then."
"We need to get some more creativity, playmaking and stuff like that. We're a little bit lacking on that. You could have great finishers, whatever, on the team but if the ball's not coming and whatnot, you tend to start going back further and we got kind of caught up in that. Our game's a little bit disoriented right now, to be honest."
