NEW YORK RED BULLS 0, D.C. UNITED 0
NEW YORK RED BULLS HEAD COACH BRUCE ARENA
On if the game was a good tie or bad tie:
"I think it's a good one, because I think our guys played a pretty good game. [They had] good concentration, good movement as a team, created some chances, maybe a little unlucky not to get that one call for a handball, but it was a pretty good effort on our part. I was pleased with the guys."
On the handball non-call:
"Well, I had all the plays right from the bench tonight. I could analyze every play that a player did wrong as well as a referee, so it's pretty easy from where I'm standing or sitting. It sure looked like a handball; the referee probably needed a little help from the linesman, but that's soccer. Those things happen.
"It looked (like a handball), but again, as always the coaches have all the right answers, and understand all the bad calls, all the bad plays and everything else. It's all part of the game. It's not an easy play for a referee up the field at that angle, and he probably needs help from his linesman."
On his team's possession:
"They played well tonight. They played with confidence. I think Dema (Kovalenko) was a great addition. I thought a bunch of guys played well. I think (Mike) Magee was playing well, all of the guys. It was a good performance on their part. No one questions that that's the best team in the league [D.C United], so it was a good effort."
On the team playing with a 'tough edge' tonight:
"They competed. I thought that's important, and they brought a good attitude to the field. I thought they brought a good attitude to the field on Saturday, too, against Barcelona. We wanted to make it a good exhibition for the people in the stands, and we did that in all honesty. It was a good game and certainly I think there's a home-field advantage - obviously on the surface for us that helps slow down a team of that quality."
On what he learned from the game:
"This is the first game I've had to really analyze players ... you need to analyze your team against other teams in the league, because that's who we compete against, and it told me that the guys play together, you put them in the right spots, they have the concentration, understand tactically what they need to do, they can compete in the league. We're not one of the premier teams in the league, we know that, but we're going to get better with this group."
On his return to MLS:
"I've just been coaching since January, it's been non-stop, so it seems like it's just another game. As special as coming back and coaching this is, it was just another game. I've been part of this year. But it's fun to work with a group like this that I haven't been around, basically know only a couple of players on the team here. It's enjoyable to work with them and watch them be receptive to our coaching staff."
On Dema Kovalenko:
"Dema I thought had a great game. Real alert player, and he and Amado played well together I thought. His passing was pretty good at times, and certainly his confidence on the ball, his ability to get around the ball, win balls, is all part of his game. I think he had a very, very good game for the 90 minutes."
NEW YORK RED BULLS FORWARD YOURI DJORKAEFF
On the game:
"It was a good game. We wait for the penalty, but the referee didn't give us it. They are a good team. We played very well. We looked like a team, like a group, and that's important. I'm happy to be back and to play with the team. I hope next time we win."
On Bruce Arena:
"He's doing a good job. He's an experienced coach with the national team and we can watch the difference at training. It's been very good and I enjoy training with him."
NEW YORK RED BULLS MIDFIELDER AMADO GUEVARA
On his impressions of the game:
"Today our team showed a lot of attitude and we played well. We looked like the team that is ahead, in first place (in MLS). Unfortunatel,y we were not able to get two more points for reasons that I cannot tell."
On the play of Dema Kovalenko:
"We knew Dema from before and we know he's a great player, not only going forward but when he gets the ball, he knows what to do with it. We're very fortunate to have him in our team right now. It's great that we were able to connect right away from the beginning, that's very important. We have to keep on working to make sure that we do it better and keep improving as a team."
On Bruce Arena:
"You can see the hand of the coach in this game. We looked like the better team from the beginning to the end of the game. He put into our head that we are strong and we are good players so I think the more information he gives us, the better we are going to get. The biggest change between the last coaches and Bruce is the tactical order we had during the game. We are more steady and organized on the field and we didn't give up too much to D.C. United. They had maybe two chances at our goal, and that's it."
NEW YORK RED BULLS MIDFIELDER DEMA KOVALENKO
On the team's attitude:
"Guys have to believe they can play with this team (D.C. United) like we did today. We played better, we had more chances, but it just didn't go our way. It's not bad; we just have to go to Columbus and try to get three points there."
On containing Jaime Moreno:
"Jaime's a great player. He uses his body real well and you just have to try to contain him. If you get too close, he'll just turn on you. Bruce was saying that there should always be another guy there to help, and I think we did a good job. There was just the one chance at the end, but I thought we played well."
On his own performance:
"It was OK. In my position today, the job was easy. Amado did well, and as he goes, that's how the team goes. He makes things happen. I tried to find Amado and follow the ball and help make things happen. Everybody did well today, and that's the main thing. If we do this every game, it will be tough to beat us."
NEW YORK RED BULLS GOALKEEPER TONY MEOLA
On being named the starter:
"I don't put the names on the board. But I come in every day and I work, and if the coach has confidence in you, he's going to call your name. It's Bruce's call, and even when he told me I wasn't playing a few weeks ago ... he doesn't ask you to agree with all his decisions, but he does ask you to respect everything he says. I always do, I always have. I came and I worked, and I still have to monitor this problem I have and make sure it doesn't flare up again. For now, I feel good, I feel like I'm playing well."
On the outcome of the game:
"You can look at it two ways. You're tying D.C. United, the best team in the league, but it's at home and we had a lot of chances to win the game. I think, rightly so, the guys in the locker room were not happy with a tie. We thought we were the better team tonight, we had more chances. Having said that, they kept battling right to the end, and Carlos Mendes makes a play to save the game for us. For the most part, we should be content with our attitude and the way we approached it, but on the other hand, we always want to win."
On Dema Kovalenko:
"He was outstanding. He filled in for Danny (O'Rourke) and I'm not sure he trained in that spot more than 20 minutes all week. I think ultimately he'll play outside but he did what he had to do tonight. He's great at winning balls, he's always been a pretty tenacious guy, and he's always under control in terms of his passes, so he's a huge addition for our team."
D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH PETER NOWAK
On the game:
"I think the game was a typical fight for the points. For New York, they made a very tight game and we didn't create much. I think we need to be better when we have space and go forward. There are games when things like that will happen. Right now there are going to be close games until the playoffs start."
On the upcoming week:
"We have a couple of days off, and we have a tough schedule in the last couple of weeks. I just want to keep the players fresh but get match fitness and be ready for Saturday against Colorado."
On the beginning of the game:
"Neither team wants to be in a position where they have to chase the game. There were not too many chances from both sides because one goal changes everything. We should be better passing and going forward but it was a tough, competitive match and we expected that."
On lessons for next Wednesday's rematch in the U.S. Open Cup:
"It's so different. U.S. Open Cup has different rules and you just want to advance to the semifinals. We just need to find our rhythm again and I think keeping the guys over 80 minutes helps keep their rhythm for Saturday and then Wednesday."
D.C. UNITED DEFENDER BRYAN NAMOFF
On the game:
"We haven't played on turf in a while. New York has changed a lot of things around with their coaching and they have nothing to lose and you have to give them credit. They pressured the ball and closed out spaces as good as I've seen them this year. Give credit to them, they played a very good game and we're lucky to come away with a tie."
On the disputed handball:
"It was a deflection so it could go either way. It wasn't deliberate and the ref made the decision in that way."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER BEN OLSEN
On how United played:
"What you saw today was us on an off day. We weren't sharp, our passing wasn't good and we didn't seem to have our legs. They did a great job of pressuring the ball. They went after us and we have to get used to that because every team is going to do that against us at this point. On a positive note, we had an off day but we still got out of here with a tie."
On former teammate and current Red Bulls midfielder Dema Kovalenko:
"We all love Dema, we have a lot of respect for him. He got Namoff pretty good early but after that the bulldog seemed to cool out a little bit."
On playing against Bruce Arena:
"It is what it is. You seem to forget about that stuff once the game starts. He certainly has them heading in a good direction; I thought they worked hard tonight. We have to get ready for some more battles like that in the upcoming game."
