KANSAS CITY WIZARDS 4, COLORADO RAPIDS 1
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS HEAD COACH BRIAN BLISS
On the game and playing in front of the new owners:
"Obviously, [all the players and staff] know the news with the big jolt of the new ownership. It was our first opportunity to play in front of them as the new owners. Last week we played in L.A., but tonight was the first time we played in front of them at home. We got it off to a roaring start with a goal in the first minute, but I think we got a little dose of reality there eight to 10 minutes later, and maybe in a way it was a good thing. I don't know if you can say a goal against you is a good thing, but it kept us grounded a little bit. The guys came out in the second half and kept it going, generating a few more opportunities and this time we put them in to their credit. I'm happy for our guys, happy for the new ownership, happy for our fans, so it's a good night on all fronts."
On new ownership boosting the team:
"It very well could be. The guys have seen a little bit of love so to speak in the last 10 days, and they feel good about themselves because of the direction we're headed in. Maybe there was a little bit of extra fire in their bellies tonight. Maybe it was the new ownership bounce."
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS FORWARD DAVE VAN DEN BERGH
On his first MLS goal:
"It was a must-win situation and we were tied at the time. It was a huge, huge play. I was just happy that we could get a win. We needed that goal, and personally it was a good moment, but if somebody else would have gotten it, it would have been great too."
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS FORWARD DAVY ARNAUD
On how things are going right now:
"I think as a team we've kind of been a little bit unlucky, especially in L.A. I thought we played well and didn't really get what we deserved out of the game. Tonight we created a lot of chances again and when you get the bounces the other way it makes a big difference. So, it was a good win for us."
On playing in front of the new ownership:
"It's not something you talk about necessarily, but I know we talked about it after the game. It was a good first game. Playing here at home with the new ownership group, we had a good crowd, and they had the fireworks and everything. I think that maybe there was that added effort there. They're like playoff games for us now. Especially at home, we have to go out and get three points."
On the new fireworks after the Wizards score a goal:
"Actually I did notice them ... I thought it was something new."
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS DEFENDER JOSE BURCIAGA JR.
On the offense clicking on his crosses:
"I think that it's something that if we keep getting set pieces like this then we need to get a goal. It was what I've told Davy [Arnaud] many times. 'Drift wide to that far post, and I guarantee you if it doesn't hit anybody, it's going to find you.' Sure enough, I saw him running, and I was trying to play it back there. Luckily it went through and he got a good hit on it. It was a nice goal.
"The second one, as an offensive guy I know where to play the ball and give our forwards and our midfielders an opportunity to get it on goal. Luckily, now we're clicking. It's something when Davy, [Josh] Wolff, Eddie [Johnson] and [Scott] Sealy and I are finally clicking. I think that it's very important that we are finally starting to click as a team now. It's important that it's coming now when we need it, as opposed to at the beginning of the season, and let it die off. I think it's perfect, going into the break getting the three points at home. Not only that, I think it's going to motivate us to see what we can do as a team, with how many threats we have on the field. I think it's going to help us big. We just have to keep working hard. I know there's a lot of injuries now, and I think this is going to be an important week for us to heal up and get ready for the 23rd in New England."
COLORADO RAPIDS HEAD COACH FERNANDO CLAVIJO
On the game:
"In the first half, we started flat and they scored right away. We chased the score, and then we managed to get back even. We were playing well, but I think we were still giving up the ball way too easy. In the second half they picked it up pretty much where they started with two great finishes. You couldn't do much with the second and third goals. You open up to try to create chances and go forward to even up the score, and you end up being soft in the back. It was one of those games. We didn't create enough today. When we had the chances, we just didn't finish them."
On the result with two teams trying to get into the playoffs:
"I don't think it's an unexpected result. Everyone in the league is very, very close. You win one game and you can be in second place, you lose one game and you're in last. I think every team is pretty much like that. We have the same situation in our conference [as Kansas City does in the East]. You have to make the best of the situation, and today we didn't execute. They did, and they won. There isn't much that you could do."
On what the team did best:
"I think that we had five or six chances and we finished one of them. We created right away in the first half, and got one-on-one with the goalkeeper. We didn't finish, and every time they had an opportunity, they did. I think that was the difference today."
On the play of Kyle Beckerman:
"Beckerman has been outstanding for us every game. He's always stepping up. We don't expect him to score goals, but he's finding the net, and it's making a lot of things happen. We need everybody to step up in the next six games. It wasn't unexpected. It was expected that that two teams that are looking for results, losing 1-0, 2-1, losing 4-1 is all the same. We opened up, and we gave them opportunities to finish."
