COLUMBUS CREW 4, CHICAGO FIRE 1
CHICAGO FIRE HEAD COACH DAVE SARACHAN
Overall thoughts on the match:
"Obviously this is not the way we want to finish the regular season at home. Columbus is a team that scares you because they're out of the playoffs, they're playing loose, and we were second on a lot of plays tonight, and it killed us. We didn't win a second ball all night. They ran at us, and we just didn't manage this game very well. Hopefully we use this as a wakeup call to get our minds right and get ourselves back in sync. I still have a lot of confidence in this group, but we've got to make plays and we've got to do a lot better in a lot of parts of the field if we're going to make any kinds of moves towards the next goal of winning the next cup."
On whether tonight's match will affect the goalkeeping situation:
"I've got to watch the tape and see where the breakdowns were, to be very honest. My first inclination is to say there were a number of plays tonight that Matt couldn't have made. The numbers coming at us were ridiculous and that's got to get cleaned up again before I make a comment on that."
On the sellout crowd:
"Great crowd. It is disappointing because the crowd is going to be a real important piece to our success and we always feel that they make the effort to come and watch us, we want to put forth the effort to put on a good performance. It is frustrating to know that we didn't give them the best look at what our product should look like. But knowing that the fans are behind us, we hope that in the playoff game they'll all show up and continue to give us the support that we feel we need."
On home-field advantage in the playoffs:
"We wanted second place, and now it's not out of reach, but it's certainly out of our hands a little bit and we have to get the result next week and so forth. We didn't have it [last year] and we did the business in the two-game series. You could argue it back and forth which is really the advantage and honestly I don't have the answer to that. I think it's always nice in the second game if you can get it at home if it goes to a mini-game now you're in your own building. But the odds of that happening are kind of slim so either way we'll be prepared."
What does a loss like this do to the team:
"I couldn't tell you. I think we have a strong-willed group, we have a very proud group, we have a lot of veterans that won't accept this result tonight. They will not accept it. You have a coach that won't accept it, you have a staff that won't accept it. There's a reason why we lifted one trophy already. We're a good team, but we've got to continue to get back to doing the little things right which we've gotten away from in the last couple of games, and this is a great wakeup call for us."
CHICAGO FIRE FORWARD CHRIS ROLFE
On his fourth-minute goal:
"It was a great individual effort by [Chris] Armas. I was just standing there and, actually, I thought the ball was out of bounds to be honest. I was a bit fortunate on the finish. I had the whole net and I think it went through the guy's legs and it was on the line, so it's kind of fortunate."
Overall thoughts on the match:
"I really don't know what happened. We got caught a couple of times on counterattacks and the goals were a little softer than we'd like to give up. They took advantage of their chances and we didn't. We missed our chances tonight."
CHICAGO FIRE MIDFIELDER CHRIS ARMAS
Thoughts on the match:
"Columbus kept coming and we got a little bit lax. They made us pay for some of those counters. Overall, we just weren't very good with the ball. It's hard to explain on a night where you have a lot to play for. The support was there with the crowd tonight. Very disappointing and embarrassing on our end. We should be much better at this point of the year. We've got a lot of work to do."
On the flow of the game:
"We missed a couple of good chances to score. Late in the game it got wide open and they made us play. In the first half it was kind of both ways. They really capitalized on their two chances. To give them credit, they came into our building and handed it to us."
On what needs to change:
"I'm not sure what the implications are yet. I still think we need to get our group a little more on the same page. I think the mentality has to stay the same - to sharpen things up and get the results. Maybe it takes a point or three on the road, and we'd still like to get second place. We need to get sharper and look better."
COLUMBUS CREW HEAD COACH SIGI SCHMID
On his team's offensive display:
"Obviously we're pleased. It sounded like a broken record, our mantra throughout the season is we've had so many injuries and we haven't had a chance for the guys to work together. And now what's happened over the last six or seven weeks is we've had pretty much a constant group out there, so Jason Garey and [Eddie] Gaven and [Joseph] Ngwenya and Ricardo [Virtuoso] have been able to start playing together. Now you see the cohesion and now it's starting to pay off.
On the Crew's missed opportunities in the playoff chase:
"We had a couple of unlucky results in the second half of the season - our game in New York we got robbed, New England we should have came away with a tie, our game at home against Chicago, we had five bad minutes. If those results would had gone our way we would be right where we want to be right now. It bodes well for the future, but I'm very pleased with what we're doing offensively right now."
On goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum's first career start:
"I thought Andy did well. You never know how he's going to react when they got that really early goal, that goal where we defended poorly against [Chris] Armas and let [Chris] Rolfe get open in the middle. But Andy held his composure, made a big save and did what he needed to do, coming out on a cross or two. He's got a good calm demeanor and I think that showed through tonight."
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER JOSEPH NGWENYA
Thoughts on the match:
"We know we are out of the playoffs but we want to end the season on a good note. We went a goal down, but we showed a little character coming back, scoring two goals before the end of the first half and another two in the second half. It was a great game for us."
On his team-best fifth goal of the season:
"Eddie Gaven made a near post run and he got a touch to the ball. The 'keeper made a good save and I was just right there to tap in the rebound."
COLUMUBUS CREW GOALKEEPER ANDY GRUENEBAUM
On his first career start:
"I was a little bit nervous when the game started, but once that whistle blew it was just a lot of fun. I went out and tried to have fun, and it was fun watching the guys in front of me working so hard. I expected to see some shots and I'm sure they knew it was my first start and I'm sure they wanted to pressure us a little bit but the guys in front of me worked so hard. I'm just proud to be a member of this team. We scored four goals tonight, so this is something to build on."
On his reaction after allowing a goal just four minutes in:
"I was thinking, wow this is loud. It was a great atmosphere to play in. When we went down 1-0, it was just an explosion. I knew the guys would keep fighting. We have nothing to play for as far as the playoffs go, but we're playing to build and that's what we did. They're a great team, I'm sure they'll do well."
