MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER QUOTE SHEET
SATURDAY, JULY 10, 2004 - METROSTARS 2, SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 0
METROSTARS HEAD COACH BOB BRADLEY
On the importance of getting a clean sheet considering the past couple of games:
"I think it's important for us all year because we haven't had enough of them. It's something that we talk about. I thought we had made a little bit of a turn in the right direction a few games ago. We let it slip a little bit, so I think it's a good day for Jonny (Walker). I'm pleased for him to come back. He's a good professional. He put a bad mistake behind him. He handled it like a pro. He took responsibility and had himself ready to go today."
On the team's aggressiveness:
"We have a lot of games where we still feel like the general way we play is pretty good. But the expression I use with the team is that that is only a starting point. Then from there you have to try to do more. You have to push each guy to give a little bit more for the team and come away with more plays in their part of the field and step up a little more. I think that a bunch of guys did that today. That's a good sign."
On if passing is a problem for the team:
"It's a weird thing because I would also say that we're probably one of the best passing teams. We're a team that tries to put plays together, that looks for the next guy, that keeps the ball moving. There are many teams in the league that don't play that way. You may not be as aware if their passing is any good or not because the ball in more cases gets put up the field. I think what we still see in every game are moments when there are some very good connections and plays and there are other moments where it's not there.
"That's just part of how we try to train every day. I don't address that specifically by setting up a different kind of practice. That's what we try to build our team around. It is something that we have to keep trying to improve upon. That's how you become better. The process of becoming a good team is still hard work. To become a good team and play skillful soccer is even harder. We are still trying. It's not always there. I drive the players crazy because I'm the first one to see all the little things. Even on a day when you get your points. My brain is always working in a way that I see all the things that still need to be better. I want them to enjoy a good effort, then we go back to work. That's what we do every week."
METROSTARS FORWARD JOHN WOLYNIEC
On his goal:
"(Craig) Ziadie made a great step up, made a great intercept on the ball and came in and made a great touch. (He) made eye contact, made a little run behind the defenders and played a great ball, and I just cut back to the far post behind (Pat) Onstad."
On his confidence:
"Scoring the goal today definitely boosts my confidence. It's been a while since I scored a goal and for the team to win. For both things to happen today it's a great feeling and we have to move on from here."
METROSTARS GOALKEEPER JONNY WALKER
On rebounding from his play last week:
"As a goalkeeper it is said that the older you are, the more experience you have. It comes with the territory of the job. With the position as a goalkeeper, you make a mistake, you cost your team. Any other position on the field, pretty much you make a mistake and you can kind of get away with it. It's really not a big deal. You just have to assume your responsibilities and when you make a mistake like I did last week, you always have to rebound. You always have a chance to come back out and prove yourself again. The team stood up well today and we got a humongous goal."
On the shutout:
"It's really not important to me as much as the win, but it's still big. We lost three chances in a row, we were lucky to defend the conference lead with other teams losing games. We knew this weekend it was not going to happen ... somebody's going to come away with the points, so we knew we would have to climb back into first place. I think it's a different locker room this week. It's a very nice locker room and it wasn't like this at all last week."
METROSTARS DEFENDER CRAIG ZIADIE
On last week's benching:
"The one team I want to play against is D.C. because they traded me, but it was good and I think it was a head check."
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES DOMINIC KINNEAR
On the team:
"Where we are in the standings is staring us right in the face. I'm not happy about it, and no one on this team is happy with the way we are playing. I think we all know how we can play as a team, and this is not it."
On the game:
"I don't think New York created a lot of chances against us. It is just one of those things, where they were able to score on a slight breakdown. That is just the way things are going for us right now. The good thing is, we can control our own destiny, we still have a lot of games left and we can control how we play against the other teams in the West."
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES DEFENDER CRAIG WAIBEL
On the game:
"I thought in the first half we played well. We were in control and played the way we wanted to play, given the circumstances. We are not a team that just plays to get a result on the road, but with so many players missing, I think we would have taken that today. When they got that first goal, it opened up the game and we had our chances to tie things up."
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES MIDFIELDER RICHARD MULROONEY
On the mood of the team:
"It is a pretty frustrating feeling right now. I think on every shot, everyone is looking at it and hoping that is the one that goes in and doesn't hit the post. We are not having things go our way right now, but we are not getting down. Almost every year we have gone through a tough stretch like this. This year we are getting it before the All-Star break, and what that means is we still have 15 games to turn things around."
