COLUMBUS CREW 2, REAL SALT LAKE 0
COLUMBUS CREW HEAD COACH SIGI SCHMID
On his team's perseverance through the rough times early in the season:
"Obviously, it feels good. ... To be on a roll is important and we've gone six [games] now without a loss. Really, the tribute goes to the guys because when we were going through the bad streak they didn't stop believing in what we're trying to do. They kept fighting, there was no disharmony in the camp, the guys stayed together off the field and now it feels good to turn it around."
On his team's focus during recent tough games:
"I think the last couple of games, especially at home, have been games where we've outplayed opponents but we've had to work to eventually get the goals and that requires you to be focused and concentrated and not get frustrated, and we were able to do that tonight."
On the play of goalkeeper Will Hesmer:
"He's undefeated right now, so that's a good thing, and both he and Andy [Gruenebaum] as well, when he played, are both very steady and you don't see them screaming at guys and panicking and stuff like that and that's good. I think it gives your defense confidence."
COLUMBUS CREW FORWARD EDDIE GAVEN
On his goal, which put Columbus up 2-0:
"Ally [Alejandro Moreno] did a great job. He made a strong run down the left-hand side, held off someone and played a perfect ball right at my foot and I just put it in."
COLUMBUS CREW FORWARD ALEJANDRO MORENO
On the effect that winning has on the team's morale:
"We finished up the week on a high note and we are really looking forward to next week. Obviously, when you're playing well, you just look forward to coming to training and look forward to hanging around the guys and getting better as a team."
On the team's confidence despite missing early opportunities:
"It's frustrating not to score goals when you are creating opportunities, but the idea is to continue to work and know and trust that everybody is on the field to do a job. As long as we know what our roles are and we continue to do the things on the field that we normally we do, we know that we are going to score goals. We're just very confident right now and just trying to ride this wave."
On his on-field relationship with Guillermo Barros Schelotto:
"Guillermo and I have a very nice understanding and he knows where I'm going to be in certain instances in the game and I know what his tendencies are and we really understand each other pretty well and we try to balance up with each other. Again, our jobs are to be dangerous, to be active, to create opportunities for the team and to finish those opportunities and we did that tonight."
COLUMBUS CREW FORWARD GUILLERMO BARROS SCHELOTTO
On converting the penalty kick:
"I was just focused on making sure I put the ball in the back of the net. We were dominating the game up to that point and we deserved to go up 1-0, so I just had to come up and do what I know how to do."
COLUMBUS CREW DEFENDER FRANKIE HEJDUK
On the team's confidence:
"We were playing like that earlier in the year, too, but we just weren't getting those goals and now they're coming along. When you get on these streaks, the ball is bouncing the right away. We knew and we felt that we were going to score a goal and that we were going to win this game at halftime, even though it was 0-0, just because we were outplaying them so much."
REAL SALT LAKE HEAD COACH JASON KREIS
On the game:
"Obviously, being away to a team like Columbus that's in a good run of games is going to be a difficult setup for us, but I thought for 70 minutes we were doing all right, and really in the early parts of the second half I thought we were getting a fair amount of the play. A quick restart catches us out and from where I'm sitting, a very questionable penalty kick call. Obviously, I'll have to go over it again, but a very questionable PK call, and I really felt the whole game was turned on that moment."
On what his team needs to improve:
"I feel that this team probably needs a preseason, to be honest. With some new players, who are playing in a different system, I would love to have some time to work with those two forwards; an extended period of time to work with those two forwards and explain to them exactly what I'm wanting from them and I think it's still going to take some time."
REAL SALT LAKE DEFENDER RITCHIE KOTSCHAU
On the call against him for the penalty kick:
"In my eyes, I still don't see it as a penalty. I did get the ball, if he's saying I didn't get the ball, I didn't get him either. It's just one of those things where you get in these situations, and yeah, it looks like a PK, and he's forced to make a decision and obviously he made the decision for the PK. So we were down 1-0 and we can't just dig ourselves a deeper hole. We're making silly mistakes. We're not giving it all, the rest of the game, and we've got to fight back and get that goal."
REAL SALT LAKE GOALKEEPER NICK RIMANDO
On the team's overall play on the night:
"It's not the goalkeeper's job to win the game, it's a team job. It's not just me being mad, the whole team's mad right now. We're losing games, when we lost it, I don't think they won the game. They had more opportunities than us, but we didn't come out and fight. We didn't come out and play. We didn't connect passes. We weren't dangerous going forward and when that happens, you get two goals scored on you. Again, we lost three points and we're getting deeper and deeper in the hole and it's going to get harder and harder to get out of it."
