CHICAGO FIRE 5, NEW YORK RED BULLS 1
NEW YORK RED BULLS HEAD COACH JUAN CARLOS OSORIO:
On the team's start:
"I think we had a very bad start for 12 minutes. They had a goal and a chance to score. I take full responsibility for that. Giving credit to them, we played the best attacking team in the league at the moment. We conceded a very early goal and I think it was too much of a game for some of our players."
On what the Red Bulls didn't do today:
"If you are going to analyze the teams, it was a 4-2-3-1 against a 4-2-3-1, but I always say it comes down to the players and they performed better than us. We were a very easy team to play against today. I didn't recall any physical contact between us and Cuauhtemoc (Blanco), Chad (Barrett), Justin (Mapp), and Chris Rolfe. We were not ready and it seemed to me from the start we were not interested."
On not being on the sidelines and Chicago's experience:
"It was very frustrating to say the least. It is what it is and now we have to move on, review and analyze this game, try to build up and keep going. We have to keep building this team and if there's one thing I have to say about this team, it's that we are honest and this was almost the same Chicago team that went to the conference finals this year, so they were more experienced. Some of the guys are new to our team and although as hard as I was on the guys in the locker room, one or two of the guys showed that they are going to be good players. We have to move on and get ready for the next game."
On having enough attacking players:
"It was disappointing because if you analyze our lineup in addition to Juan (Pablo Angel), we have Danleigh (Borman), Dane (Richards), and Claudio (Reyna) who are attacking players so it's box-to-box, and I thought we had enough players going forward. We didn't look like a 4-2-3-1, we looked like a 4-4-1-1, and that's the disappointing thing."
On accepting a loss:
"We didn't have a proper beginning today. If we go and play to our potential and lose the game, I am OK, but I don't think that was the case today."
On Jozy Altidore not starting:
"He had an in-grown toenail and he was unable to train for two days during the week and I decided to go with somebody else."
NEW YORK RED BULLS DEFENDER HUNTER FREEMAN
On the lopsided score:
"It was pretty clear it was just a bad day. The first goal was my fault. They played a ball back, I was inside of the guy, the ball kind of chucked up, ricocheted off of me and went right into the guy's path. He's in on [Conway] and he has no chance. I can't even remember all the goals because there were so many. Second goal [after] halftime [we gave], we were behind the eight ball just after the beginning of the half. Not much you can say other than that it was ugly."
On how to rebound:
"Obviously, you have to look at the tape but I think more importantly, you have to put it behind you. It's not something you can really take anything out of it besides maybe some guys that fought hard. That's about all you can in a game like that is keep going. I thought we had some guys [that fought hard] and some guys that didn't."
On if anything was exposed today:
"I just think for whatever reason, we got behind the 8-ball in the first half, 1-0. In the second half, we're still in the game, 1-0. In the first 20 minutes, we didn't really do anything. I don't know if weren't ready, playing in the heat, I don't know. I'm not trying to make excuses but I've never seen us play like that, regardless for the whole 90 minutes. Like I said, I'm not going to make excuses."
On defending Cuauhtemoc Blanco:
"When you give him time and space, he can do anything and today, that's what we did; we gave him time and space. We weren't physical with him. He doesn't like the physical game. And you have to be smart. You can't be physical with him around the box because he can punish you around the box. At the same time, you have to pick your spots to be physical with him."
NEW YORK RED BULLS FORWARD JUAN PABLO ANGEL
On why attacking was so difficult:
"Attacking is hard to explain when we were playing solid and well for the last few games. It's not an excuse. We never got into the game. Every time they got into an attacking position, they scored a goal. You have to give them credit.
On Blanco's performance:
"We gave him time and space. Any player with talent and his ability, that's what he wants. That's what he loves to do."
On the frustration level:
"In general, we began to react. It wasn't just me, it was everyone. We couldn't do much about it. That was the hardest thing today."
CHICAGO FIRE HEAD COACH DENIS HAMLETT:
On the team's performance:
"I think all season; we've been playing very consistent on the road. We have a good mentality, we have a game plan when we go on the road and our guys stick to it. So far, it's shown to be working."
On whether they made a statement:
"We know what we're about and we take care of our own business and we train hard during the week and we get ready for the game. That sort of speaks for itself, that you guys' job to come up with those ideas as far as if we made a statement. But we know what we're about, we come out ready to play and compete and that's what we did today."
On the team's effort:
"Our guys are gutted. They emptied their tanks today. That's what we talked about before the game -- going out on the field and leaving it all on the field. They're excited because you go on the road and score five goals, that's pretty impressive."
On whether this game meant more:
"All week, it was business as usual. You're the guys who kept making this more than it was. We went about our business as far as training, preparing ourselves, watching videos and then coming in with a game plan and sticking to that game plan and that's what we did today."
On the overall team attack:
"I mean, the first home game was 4-0, so if you do the math, it's four goals, and we won by four goals today. In my 10 years, I would have to really think about scoring like this. It was just a good performance from the beginning. The mindset was good, guys competed, and it just an overall good performance."
On Chad Barrett:
"We pulled him out in the 75th minute. On hot days, he sweats so much that he's got this issue with cramps. He's been doing it all season, he's been holding balls, setting players up, and doing good things. He did score two goals tonight and good for him as he's been working hard the last two months."
On Cuauhtémoc Blanco:
"In big games, big players step up and he's been doing that all this season and last season. He knows what the stage is about and he's not afraid to step on it and our guys know that. You get him the ball and then move and he'll find you. Today, he had some plays with pinpoint passing and you salivate at that because he'll get you the ball."
On how the attack pressured the defense:
"It is a combination because when you have attack guys who can get the ball in tight spaces, now the defense is a little worried and they don't want to be as tight and with the speed we have up front we can keep them off balance by playing some long and playing some short as well."
On Gonzalo Segares and the defense:
"His job was predominantly to shut down (Dane) Richards and he did that part well. At the same time, I think our whole team mentality as far as guys like (Cuauhtémoc) Blanco chasing and working hard, and Chad (Barrett) and (Chris) Rolfe working hard and if they can do that, as a whole, we are so much better and if you do work that hard, good things happen as a whole."
CHICAGO FIRE FORWARD CHAD BARRETT:
On his first goal:
"The first goal, we had shown signs of getting behind them and I had taken a couple of shots. I was out on the left, (Cuauhtémoc) Blanco got the ball, did the first touch turn like he always does and of course he found me. I had a little joust with Hunter Freeman, touched off him, opened up and closed it up and lifted the ball over Jon Conway's body."
On his second goal:
"It got played into me with a low ball, got it to me, and I guess I had more time with it than I thought, and as a forward, you want to touch the ball, get it right on goal, and I headed it on goal and got lucky that it went underneath Conway."
On coming on the road and winning big:
"It's a great response to last week's game, as it's a disappointment to lose at home, against the defending champions though, they are a good team. Though you shouldn't lose games at home, and to come here and have an answer like this is making a statement that last week was just a little slip up and we are the same team. We showed that, and everyone was playing with each other and backing everyone up. It was just a great team effort."
