D.C. UNITED 2, COLUMBUS CREW 0
COLUMBUS CREW HEAD COACH SIGI SCHMID
On the team's performance:
"The bottom line is I thought the first half was OK and I thought the end of the first half, we started to dominate a little bit. But the first 10-15 minutes of the second half was not good enough. ... Overall, I thought we got into the habit of possessing the ball at the end of the first half and in the last 25 minutes of the second half, as well. ... It's a growing process for us. To be a good team, you've got to be consistent. You've got to be able to do it over 90 minutes. ... We've been pretty consistent over the last 10-11 games and we need to just find that consistency and to tonight was not a shining moment for us, but there will be better moments ahead."
On Ned Grabavoy:
"I thought a guy like Ned had some very good moments in the game today. He is still a young player. If you look at the number of the games he has started and his years of experienced compared to a guy like Christian Gomez and Brian Carroll, they've played more games at this stage, per se, and started more games."
COLUMBUS CREW GOALKEEPER WILL HESMER
On tonight's game:
"Obviously it is disappointing. It felt like the first half was a good half for us. The second, we came out and I thought that we were a little bit of a different team. We gave them a lot of space. Give credit to them, they made the changes and adjustments they needed to, but we gave them too much space to play."
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER NED GRABAVOY
On the game and the team:
"If you look at the first half, I think that we played well. At some point, it is either we are going to make the playoffs or are we not going to make the playoffs. If you look at our lineup, we have good players, we have capable players. We have players who have played on national teams. I think that we are going to make it. I believe in the team and I believe that we are going to make the playoffs. We have had a lot of adversity throughout the season so far. At certain parts of the season, we have stepped up and got some wins. In this league, honestly, if you don't show up to play every game, you are going to get beat. There is too much parity in the league."
D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH TOM SOEHN
On tonight's game:
"First half, we weren't very good with the ball and they came out with a lot of life. We have to get through stretches like that and contain the pressure, but we weren't good off of the ball at the start. At halftime, we made some tactical adjustments, and I think it opened a lot of space for us. Along with that, we were much better with the ball and created, obviously, more room on the flanks."
On the team's defense:
"I always say that defending starts with your forwards. And when they do a good job of making them play predictable, it is easy for everyone else behind. I think that our performance defensively as a unit has been much better. Any time your throwing shut outs, that is important."
D.C. UNITED GOALKEEPER TROY PERKINS
On tonight's game:
"Any ball that is hung up there for me to get, I'm going [after]. The defenders did their job. They had themselves in good spots and they sorted everything out."
D.C. UNITED DEFENDER DEVON McTAVISH
On playing with defenders Greg Vanney and Bryan Namoff:
"With Greg (Vanney) and (Bryan) Namoff back there, right next to me, they talk to me all the time. They tell me where to be, where to go. It's an overall performance."
On the season:
"We're just trying to get some results here toward the end of the season. We still have a long way to go, a lot of games. But we are trying to progress as the season goes on."
