MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER QUOTE SHEET
D.C. UNITED 5, HARBOUR VIEW FC 0
TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2008
D.C. United Head Coach Tom Soehn
On the result:
I'm obviously much more pleased than I was in Jamaica. Being gone so long and playing in Jamaica and not coming home, it was exciting for everybody - you could see the excitement from the guys the minute we got back.
On the team's play:
[I was] much more pleased with our organization -with our shape in the back, finishing off chances. You can create them, but you still have to finish them.
On the approach to the game:
We always talked about sticking to our game plan no matter what happens.
On the new players:
We brought in a lot of guys with experience, and I think experience goes a long way. Anybody we inject, we always want to make sure they're bringing the right type of energy and the right enthusiasm - and make sure that they can change a game. In a lot of respects, guys coming in have an advantage, because they're able to sit back and watch. I always tell our guys to watch like they're going in and create situations that are beneficial to us. When a group of experienced players come together, anything can happen.
More on the new players:
This organization is about winning. This year, we brought in guys who complimented what we had, but also understood what the organization was about and strive for the same things that we're looking for. We still have a lot to work on, and the next series starts 0-0.
On the next round of the tournament:
Every series is different. The next one we're on the road first - wherever it will be, it'll be a challenge. The exciting part is we get to come back home and play in front of the best fans in the League, in a stadium that's pretty hard to play in.
D.C. United forward Luciano Emilio
On the match:
[Harbour View] players have a lot of experience and obviously we haven't played with each other too much, but we're all professionals and there's an understanding between us, so it's easy for me to adjust to their style. Tommy [Soehn] told us to play on the wings, especially with [Marcelo] Gallardo, to open up spaces on top and I think that helped to send service into the box to help us score goals.
D.C. United midfielder Fred
On the game:
When we were able to score the second goal, they really felt that, and it was easier for us to put more pressure on them and we just knew the game was over after that.
D.C. United goalkeeper Zach Wells
On the game:
We were still a bit tentative in the first half, but you can see we're possessing the ball most of the time. I didn't have much to do, so for me it was a relatively easy win. It was a pleasure being out there with the guys - watching them score five goals was a good thing for everyone.
On the team's mindset coming into the game:
I think we had a point to prove after last week, and we wanted to make sure that we got 90 minutes of complete team defens - and the result was a shutout.
D.C. United defender Bryan Namoff
On the game:
I thought on both offense and defensive we were in a great groove. We were very organized in the back and we had an attacking style of soccer in the second half. We were a little shaky in the first half but when we had that second goal I think the game opened up for us.
On his expectations going into the game:
I didn't expect to have that many goals but it was nice to see that we were playing very direct. We had a couple of nice plays that opened up the width and we we're able to exploit them down the line.
On the defense's chemistry:
Little by little, we're getting more organized. It's good to see. One of our main goals was to get a shutout and we did so tonight. We've made good strides from the beginning of preseason so it's really good to see.
D.C. United midfielder Devon McTavish
On the first goal:
I didn't expect the ball to come through. Marcelo [Gallardo] put a dangerous ball in and it just happened to slide through and I made that back-post run and it was fortunate that the ball got all the way through to me. I was a little surprised but you always have to prepare yourself just in case the ball slips through.
On the game opening up in the second half:
I think [Harbour View] started sending numbers forward a little bit more. They kept a high line and we exposed that in the second half. It opened up the flood gates.
Harbour View FC Head Coach Lenworth Hyde
On the game:
They outclassed us today.
On the second half:
There is a big gap between our soccer and the MLS. United was more professional than us. We need to work harder and take a page out of their book. We need to go back home and work hard.
On the first half:
We were coming up and giving [D.C. United] the freedom to try to counter. We didn't create enough chances.
