COLORADO RAPIDS 2, FC DALLAS 1
COLORADO RAPIDS HEAD COACH FERNANDO CLAVIJO
On attitude:
"The attitude was great today. The passes were great. We played longer balls then we have before today, but we had someone to play to today, Conor Casey. The attitude and disposition of the players was key for us. We played a very good team in Dallas. We allowed a crucial goal right before halftime but we recovered well from it."
On the play of Conor Casey and Tom McManus:
"Conor and Tom were outstanding together. You could see however at the later part of the first half Conor was struggling, but he brings something that we did not have before. Conor is a guy that plays very well with his back to the goal, he is very good for his size, has a great touch, and he is someone that you need to worry about in the box. Once he is fit to play 90 minutes again he will be a definite plus for the team. Tom works extremely hard for 90 minutes chasing people, creating, passing, and taking shots. The more we have Tom and Conor on the field together the more they will understand each other, and the more the team will benefit from them."
On playing at Los Angeles next week
"We just played there and the only two players missing were Landon (Donovan) and (David) Beckham. They played the best team that they could and it was a shame they did not come up with a win. We know we can beat them there. They are a good team and have a lot of good players. They are team that has gone through some bad moments and right now they have recovered."
COLORADO RAPIDS FORWARD TOM McMANUS
On offside calls:
"I was called offside a number of times, when I did not think I was. The ball was just not going for me, but I stuck with it. The second half I played much better. I am just excited for the team to get three points.
On playing at Los Angeles next week:
"We have beaten them twice. Once here and once there. So they will definitely be out for us. It is going to be a difficult game. We just have to go out and work hard like we did today and we should get a win."
On the play of Conor Casey:
"Conor has come back from a long injury and he is just finding his feet. There were a few things that were not in sync but he is a good player and he has played at a high level and scored a great goal."
COLORADO RAPIDS FORWARD CONOR CASEY
On playing sore:
"I played on Tuesday and had a couple of tight muscles. I was happy with the first half, to get some minutes. I am glad that we finished the game off."
On playing at Los Angeles next week:
"Next week we have to go out there a focus on our game. Away games are always tough. I am sure that they are going to be up for it after the last two losses."
On starting a winning streak:
"Each time we win, it's a new chance to start a streak. We just have to focus and start doing that."
COLORADO RAPIDS GOALKEEPER PRESTON BURPO
On playing time:
"I got in (to Colorado) 10 days ago and played in the reserves game against Chivas. I went down to LA, we got a couple of good bounces in that first half and that helped me settle in. The first eight or nine days have helped me mix in with the guys and get a sense of what they are doing in front of me. Everybody on the field in front of me today was great. They put a lot of effort into the game, they were organized."
On Dallas' goal:
"Obviously the goal was bit of a scramble. The ball kind of pops out to Oduro, and he hit a little bit funny and it squirted passed me and trickled into the back post. It was disappointing to give that up before the half. We came out and found Christian [Gomez] which was big help for us. Last week we struggled to do that. To get a win at home after being sluggish last week means a lot to this locker room."
FC DALLAS HEAD COACH MARCO FERRUZZI
On FC Dallas goal late in the first half:
"I felt like we were in good position to come into the second half very strong, and walk away with a good result. We were definitely looking for three points out of this match. We got back in the first half, so the talk at halftime was to stay positive and keep doing what we were doing -- possess the ball, take advantage of good areas on the field and keep pressure on their box.
On goal by Tom McManus:
"We let one slip away; it was a quick transition that got over our back line, and we paid for it tonight. McManus just slipped one through, it was a very good finish at the end of the play. He was able to slip around our defender, and just tucked it away in the near post. It was a good finish for him."
On play of goalkeeper Ray Burse:
"He made some spectacular saves. He came from Montreal two days ago, flew out of Rochester, and had a game Friday night. So, you have to give him a lot of respect, he came up big today a couple times."
On overall play of team:
"Playing three games in a matter of 10 days, and these guys have been putting a lot of effort into it. We're playing at altitude, but I thought we gave a great effort, and this is just one that got away."
On looking forward after the loss:
"We just have to stay positive, continue doing what we're doing, and we'll be fine."
FC DALLAS FORWARD DOMINIC ODURO
On his goal before halftime:
"I thought it came at the right time, and we were hoping it would give us momentum going in to the second half. We were hoping to come out and control the run of play. It was unfortunate, though, that things didn't go our way."
