REAL SALT LAKE 2, D.C. UNITED 1
REAL SALT LAKE HEAD COACH JASON KREIS
On the acquisition of forward Robbie Findley earlier in the week:
"He made me look good there. We were very concerned because after the trade had been signed off on we found out that he had a small injury. So we were very concerned that he wasn't going to be able to start tonight. He came into training yesterday and we communicated with him and he's exactly what I wanted. He said he wanted to start. At first he was unsure, but we went through a little bit of training and he said it felt good and he was going to go for it. And I was very glad for that because I said 'I brought you here to start and I'm glad to hear that you want to, so you're going to.' Obviously it was a good thing for him and a good thing for us."
On Findley's performance:
"Very, very good. I thought him and Alecko [Eskandarian] on the second goal was one of the best combinations I've seen in a long time. For two players to have that kind of understanding in their first game together bodes very well for us. Robbie obviously showed tonight that his pace is going to be very exciting for us. He'll be the type of player that can get in behind defenses, and we've been lacking that a bit. So I think with both of those goals he really showed his pace, and what he showed more importantly than that was just a very calm sense of finishing. He got into both of those spots and tucked them away very nicely, like a very seasoned pro."
Feelings on his first MLS win as a coach:
"It feels very good. It felt extremely good to go into halftime with a 1-0 result. That was a new feeling for me. Having a lead in the game was a new feeling for me. Thinking about making changes in a defensive manner, that was a new thing for me. A lot of new feelings for me tonight, but hopefully were going to have a lot more."
On what the difference was tonight:
"I said it really from the beginning, that it wasn't going to happen overnight. I would have liked to have come into this position and switch the light and say this is how we want to play and have it happen. You know it's not going to be that way; it's taken a long time. If you went back and looked at the games, I do feel that there's been a steady progression. Of course the results haven't been what we wanted them to be over that stretch, apart from some road draws that were very important for us, mentally. And then to put the game we put in last week and attack the way we did and score those goals, I felt like things were continuing to move in the right direction.
"And so tonight I think we saw a culmination of that, and it's something again that we're building on. It wasn't a perfect game, by no means it wasn't. And certainly the misplay at the end of the game is something, again, that we have got to clean up because let's face it, if we were only winning 1-0 at that point we would have been really snowed under. I would have been coming in here with my tail between my legs and feeling very bad for myself and the team. So we have got to clean stuff like that up."
REAL SALT LAKE FORWARD ROBBIE FINDLEY
On scoring two goals in his debut and helping RSL earn its first win:
"We all came out there and played with heart from the beginning. I know these guys have been working hard - last week when I was with L.A. it was a tough game. They deserve it. That's what it was, we came out there and worked hard."
How he feels he played in his debut:
"I played well, but it was a team effort. If it wasn't for those guys it wouldn't have happened. I was able to slot the balls and concentrate."
On his two goals:
"I just tried to make sure that I kept it low, hit the back of the net. I just concentrated on that. That was it."
On what he can bring to the team:
"That right there (pace), heart, and hard work. That's what I bring -- I don't ever give up."
REAL SALT LAKE MIDFIELDER CAREY TALLEY
On getting the first win of 2007:
"The monkey's off the back right now. I think that we know the next game is ahead of us and the performance we put out tonight, the hard work, the effort, that's going to be expected from us every game. I think we came out and played hard and I think we had the better of D.C. United the whole night."
On returning to the lineup following his injury in a new position:
"I felt fine. I think Jason [Kreis] knows that I feel comfortable anywhere on the field, and until my mobility comes completely back he felt more comfortable with me being in that (right midfield) area and helping to defend in the middle. I felt great and I was just happy to contribute and be a part of a win."
REAL SALT LAKE GOALKEEPER NICK RIMANDO
On getting his first win with Real Salt Lake:
"You know, there's been a lot of pressure on us the last 11 or 10 weeks, and we just wanted to get that monkey off our back. We kept on saying 'We keep on getting better and better each week.' Today I think that was the best performance that we have ever put out on that field. We deserve it; most importantly, I think Jason [Kreis] deserves it. He's turned this team around and he's believed in us. Just getting those three points, that made a difference. We went out today and we proved that we can play with the best teams and we can get results. We're going have to keep on doing that and get on a streak to stay in this league."
On the frustration of allowing the late goal:
"Absolutely it's frustrating because that's been the story of our year so far. Those late goals, miscues or mess-ups at the end of the game and the beginning of the game. Luckily we showed a lot of character out there and we got through it. We played through it this time and we got the win. We can't continue to do those things because good teams are going to put us away. We just have to concentrate a little more."
D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH TOM SOEHN
On his team's effort:
"We didn't come out with any intensity at all. We talked about it all week; that no matter what game it is, we say there's no lapses early. And if you don't come out and match the intensity, you're not going to win. Possession-wise, we're a possession team; if you don't match the intensity to win balls, you're not going to keep the ball.
On defending Real Salt Lake:
"We talked about their only threat being balls over the top, and we got caught flat on two goals. Their outlet offensively was the ball over the top and they did it twice to us."
On the parity in MLS:
"On any given day, anybody can win, and if you don't come out and do the little things that win ball games - the hustle and the 50-50 balls - you're going to be on the wrong side. If you do that your chances increase, and we didn't do that today."
On the play of goalkeeper Joy Nolly in his first start with United:
"He was stranded on one-on-ones. You hope he comes up with a save like that - sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. But we didn't need to put him in those kinds of situations."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER BEN OLSEN
On the disappointing result:
"It's not hard to figure out what happened. We came out soft and light and took them as if they were a last-place team, and they came out fighting for their lives. That's what you saw."
On why Findley gave the D.C. defense problems:
"He's fast. He's a fast forward. He's no different than the forwards in this league - he's fast."
D.C. UNITED DEFENDER JOSH GROS
On whether D.C. was prepared for the match:
"I think we prepared. I always look at it as there's one game a week so there's no excuse not to come out and play your hardest. For whatever reason we didn't do that, and it has nothing to do with the preparation from the week because everything was fine. We just didn't show up today."
D.C. UNITED GOALKEEPER JAY NOLLY
On D.C.'s defensive struggles tonight:
"I think we were trying to step up and we got through that first 15 minutes when they were trying to play high. We stopped pressing them, might have got caught stepping a little too high and underestimated how fast Findley was."
On whether he was prepared for the speed of Findley:
"I was as ready as I could be. I played against him when he was with the L.A. reserves, so I played against him before and knew he was a quick player. I tried to come out and cut the angle down as much as I could. I needed to help out my team and come up with one of those saves to keep us in the game. It's tough coming back and playing here and having that happen."
