FC DALLAS 2, LOS ANGELES GALAXY 1
FC DALLAS HEAD COACH COLIN CLARKE
On the game:
"Particularly the first half I thought that we were very good. In the second half they were throwing numerous extra bodies forward, but I thought they were superb. The boys have worked hard all year and thoroughly deserve it."
On clinching first place in the Western Conference:
"Apart from the Open Cup (in 1997), this team had not won anything so it kind of grinds on the team so it's a monkey off the back so to speak. We've had a bit of success this year with the Rio Grande Plate and now the Western Conference, which is important, particularly as it gives you home field advantage in the conference final."
On the play of Richard Mulrooney:
"I thought that he was outstanding. He worked hard and tracked back and anytime Landon (Donovan) was on it, he was usually the one that was chasing back and putting him under pressure. He was very, very good tonight."
On the play of Carlos Ruiz:
"He was on a good streak earlier this year then he went (11 games) without scoring, but he was playing well and contributing which is important and now he's got his confidence up again and he's getting on the end of things. If you're going to win the whole thing you're going to need somebody to be hot and to be scoring goals and we've got him and Kenny and a few others making things happen as well so we go in feeling full of confidence."
On the second goal early after the intermission:
"We talked at halftime about not sitting back and that we needed to not sit back and continue to attack them and take the game to them. We knew that they were going to start throwing bodies forward and we got a great goal. There were four or five one touch passes and the ball was moved around the field and it was a great finish. It was as good a goal as you'll see anywhere as far as ball movement and movement off the ball."
FC DALLAS DEFENDER GREG VANNEY
On absorbing heavy pressure from the Galaxy:
"We knew that they were a desperate team and there were times that they were throwing five forwards at our four backs. I wish we hadn't given up the one goal, but I thought that for the most part we defended the game out pretty well."
On clinching first place and eliminating the Galaxy:
"It gives us peace of mind, but I hope that we don't relax because between these last two home games, against Salt Lake and tonight, I think that we've got a good way about us right now and if you let down mentally in the last game before the playoffs than you're doing yourself a disservice. We just need to go in there and play our game and get ourselves ready for the weeks ahead of us because that is what matters and that is how we are going to measure ourselves as a team.
FC DALLAS FORWARD CARLOS RUIZ
On his goal:
"It was just like my goal against Real Salt Lake. I made a run to the (back) post and it was a perfect cross from Richard Mulrooney and I was able to find the goal."
LOS ANGELES GALAXY HEAD COACH FRANK YALLOP
On the result:
"We're obviously disappointed since we're not in the playoffs. In the overall season, we weren't good enough to make it because we didn't get enough points. We're disappointed. The effort was there but our defensive play was poor again. We had a few chances to score. Overall, it felt like a reflection of our season. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good enough."
LOS ANGELES GALAXY DEFENDER ANTE JAZIC
On the game:
"We knew we had 45 minutes left to salvage our season and keep our (playoff) hopes alive. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get it done. Dallas played well and scored goals in crucial moments in the game and we weren't able to respond."
LOS ANGELES GALAXY FORWARD LANDON DONOVAN
On the game:
"It's disappointing. We didn't start the game well. We needed to play better, to want it more. We didn't start the game good and we didn't start the second half good either. So, two goals on two errors and that was the difference."
