SUNDAY, AUGUST 29, 2004 - COLUMBUS CREW 1, METROSTARS 1
METROSTARS HEAD COACH BOB BRADLEY
On the game:
"There are moments in the game when we still have to have more killer instinct to see the chance to finish the game. We allowed them to get back into it after we took the lead. Then there was a stretch in the second half when they came at us a little more and we got ourselves going again and during those stretches we still didn't sustain it and ensure that there will be a play that will win the game. That part of it is a little bit frustrating."
On Amado Guevara receiving a second yellow card:
"Amado is a competitive player. He's going to show his emotions on the field. I think that the very best referees know how to handle situations so it never comes to endings like that. Amado has made a lot of progress this year. He has worked very hard to take more of a leadership role and handle the frustrations on the field better."
On losing Joselito Vaca during the game and having to shift some players:
"There were stretches where we didn't move the ball well enough. If we are not passing well it will seem as though players will disappear a little bit. Then they both came back into it. Certainly there was a period in the second half, as we started to put some plays together, Mike [Magee] was very involved in that and Eddie [Gaven] was starting to get himself going a little bit more and finding some space. Jose [Vaca] has played well for us. He has raised his level. It is very disappointing to lose him. We are concerned that he will be out for a fairly good stretch."
METROSTARS DEFENDER EDDIE POPE
On the physical play:
"It's part of the game. I think tonight was a little more intense because of the implications."
On tying:
"This one was a little disappointing because of the way that they got their goal. Momentum was on our side at that point and that one corner completely changed the game. We turned it around in the second half and created a lot of opportunities, but unfortunately, we got unlucky with some of them. We would have liked to have gotten three points tonight, but we managed to still get one and maintain our lead in the conference."
On missed opportunities:
"We had a lot of chances in the box, and so did they. It goes both ways. But we had some that we should have capitalized on. If we had, we could have come away with three points, but like I said, coming away with a tie is good, but a winning would have been better."
On the officiating of the physicality:
"We're conference rivals, and so it's going to be a more intense game. The officials know that that is how it is going to be. The next game will be just as chippy, and they (the officials) will be looking out for this. We just have to keep on playing our game."
METROSTARS FORWARD JOHN WOLYNIEC
On his goal:
"We were able to get a free kick. Amado [Guevara] made a great shot that took a great hit off of [Jon] Busch and hit the crossbar. I followed it up and just happened to be in the right place at the right time."
On losing the lead:
"It was a bit frustrating. We scored a goal and sort of let up which let them come at us for a while. When you do that, you give them opportunities. We were still able to tie our division rivals and we have two more meetings with them this season which should become even more intense."
On losing Amado Guevara for next game:
"It's going to be tough, but we have had to deal with situations like this all year. We have missed Amado before. It's not a situation that we would like to be in, but we have been able to deal with it in the past, so we will be alright."
METROSTARS MIDFIELDER MIKE MAGEE
On the game's intensity:
"It was rough out there tonight. We both definitely came out to play. In a game with so much on the line, you have to expect that. Today was obviously an important game, and sometimes it's hard to harness that energy. Depending on how the next couple of games go before we play them again, we should still expect to see this intensity escalate in our next two meetings."
COLUMBUS CREW HEAD COACH GREG ANDRULIS
On today's tie:
"Everything is status quo in the league. We didn't gain any points and we didn't lose any points. It is an empty feeling. There were moments where we were very good today. We need to be a little bit sharper. Defensively we did a good job again and absorbed some pressure."
On the substitutions during the game:
"[David] Testo, [Jeff] Cunningham, [Danny] Szetela, [Devin] Barclay, they are all training very well and deserve to play. We have to find time for them and get them minutes. We have good depth and the young guys are really pushing the veterans."
On Amado Guevara's play:
"He is a great player, the best player in the league. We did a good job neutralizing him tonight except for the set piece. It was an emotional game for both teams."
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER KYLE MARTINO
On his continued play as a forward and creating another penalty kick:
"I'm getting the ball in dangerous positions. Once I turn, the defense is only the back four, and I don't have to get through the midfield. It is easier to be dangerous in the final third than the middle third."
On today's tie:
"Not giving them three points at home and letting them stretch their lead is a positive. To be going after them throughout the game is also a positive."
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER DANNY SZETELA
On working his way onto the field:
"I am working hard to win my spot. I am learning more each day and I am learning a lot from the veterans. It is good having those guys around, guys with World Cup experience and who have been in the league for a while. They have been very helpful to me."
On playing in front of his friends and family for the first time:
"It felt good. It was the first time playing in front of my whole family and they have been very supportive."
On getting a point on the road:
"It was a very intense game. A tie away is a good result and keeps us within striking distance of first and right on their heels."
On his nervousness by playing in his hometown:
"I wasn't nervous. The level of nervousness has gone down. The first game I played I was nervous but I have gotten a lot of practices under my belt and today was another game."
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER DUNCAN OUGHTON
On missing the potential game-winning goal in stoppage time:
"The ball from Jeff [Cunningham] was moving fast and I couldn't move my feet fast enough to redirect it. I couldn't get my feet out in front of me. I have thought about it (the miss) already and put it behind me. It would have been nice to redirect it in."
On the team's record 10-game unbeaten streak:
"It would be nice to get a few more W's in there. We're grinding out results."
On the goal:
"It was another great run by Kyle [Martino] to earn the penalty kick, and Ross [Paule] stepped up again and buried the penalty kick."
COLUMBUS CREW DEFENDER CHAD MARSHALL
On the tie:
"We are playing well but the little things are stopping us from getting three points. Defensively we've done well to go unbeaten for 10 games and getting a point on the road is good, but we need to back it up with three point wins at home."
On two more head ball attempts that hit the post and/or were cleared off the line by a defender Sunday:
"Unfortunately they aren't going in. The same thing happened to me early in my college career and then I got two in the final four. Getting two in the final would be good."
