MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER QUOTE SHEET
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2005 - CHICAGO FIRE 0, D.C. UNITED 0
CHICAGO FIRE HEAD COACH DAVE SARACHAN
Overall thoughts on the match:
"I was very pleased with the concentration. I thought we limited D.C. United to very few chances. As the home team, the onus is to try to win the game and I thought we tried to do that tonight. We had some chances; I'm still a little puzzled by the ending there. But it was a tight game and our guys put a lot into it. In the end, we didn't lose the game. We'll go to D.C. looking to win the series there."
On referee Brian Hall's explanation for the disallowed goal:
"He just said there were four or five guys pushing. That's what he said."
On the Fire's defensive effort:
"We tried to make sure we were around their key guys. Jaime [Moreno] didn't get loose too much, [Christian] Gomez didn't get loose too much. I thought we did a good job keeping the key guys away from our goal. We didn't do as good a job as I would have liked utilizing our three attacking players. We did have a few opportunities we didn't convert on, but they were tight on us as well. There weren't a lot of chances tonight."
CHICAGO FIRE MIDFIELDER JESSE MARSCH
On Brian Hall's decision to disallow the Fire's potential goal:
"It gives me a very sick feeling in my stomach. I asked him if the foul was on me, and he said no. He said four or five guys were pushing. It was spineless. There were so many little battles within the game where he either called it for the wrong team or could have let things go. Again, I'll say that it gives me a sick feeling in my stomach. You look at the games he did this year and it makes you sick."
CHICAGO FIRE FORWARD CHAD BARRETT
On his goal that was disallowed:
"Chris [Armas] had a good ball to the near post. I made my near post run and beat my guy and I headed it. I still don't know what the call was. I asked the referee and he didn't say anything to me. He came to the locker room and said that there were four of five guys pushing in the box. If it was going both ways, then I don't know how he could call that. There wasn't any interference with the goalkeeper; he was on the near post. I'm really baffled right now because it feels like we just got cheated out of a win."
On the Fire's mentality heading into the second leg:
"We've just got to stay hungry. We came out here with a lot of confidence after a great week of practice and we just have to continue that. We've got eight days to get ready for this. We'll take a couple of days off and be ready to get right back to work on Tuesday."
CHICAGO FIRE MIDFIELDER CHRIS ARMAS
Overall thoughts on the match:
"I think we've got to be a little better going forward. The defensive concentration was good. We really didn't give up much defensively. It seemed like we broke through at the end, but it got called back. But our energy was good. We played hard and I think they knew that they were in a game, but they clearly have the edge right now because they're going home."
On the Fire's attacking struggles:
"Going forward, we kind of ran into brick walls. We didn't get to make passes in the final third and create chances. That's the way to break this team down."
CHICAGO FIRE DEFENDER JIM CURTIN
On the match:
"It was a typical playoff game, especially against a team like D.C. The first 30 minutes were scrappy as hell. There was no real rhythm to the game. We were just kind of beating each other up. Once things settled down both teams created a couple of chances, but there really weren't too many clear-cut ones until that one at the end. Chad Barrett got on the end of it and we thought we had a goal and they disallowed it. I'm not really sure what the call was, but a lot of the guys were frustrated about it."
On shutting down the D.C. United attack:
"We did a good job on them. Chris Armas did a good job tracking [Christian] Gomez and everybody else was helping out. C.J. [Brown] and Gonzalo [Segares] did a good job and I just kind of cleaned up in the back. We limited their chances, for sure, but it's still frustrating not getting a result. We needed to come out at least a goal or two ahead out of this leg, so we made it a little harder on ourselves."
On how much he's looking forward to the next game at RFK Stadium:
"I enjoy it because I get a lot of family that comes out to those games since I'm from the East Coast, so I actually enjoy playing in that stadium. In a playoff game it's going to be real tough to go there and get a result, but it's something we're all capable of, for sure."
D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH PETER NOWAK
On whether he is satisfied with a road draw:
"I am satisfied from a tactical standpoint and the way we prepared the game plan. I think the players did everything that we asked them to. We lost a couple of balls at the end and made a couple of unnecessary mistakes. Chicago didn't do much today. I want to make sure that next time we are very tight and we're going to look to score goals. We didn't do it today, but defensively we were good."
On the late scratch of midfielder Ben Olsen from the starting lineup:
"Ben always wants to play. We held him back a little bit in last couple of days and he tried today. We miss him, but everyone needs to play in this game. John [Wilson] did very well today. We changed our whole system a little bit and I think the players adjusted well."
On his feelings on the suspension of Freddy Adu:
"I think it's very clear. The club issued a statement. The case is closed."
D.C. UNITED FORWARD SANTINO QUARANTA
On whether he's satisfied with a draw:
"Absolutely, especially here. We have the offensive capability to break any game open. We knew it was going to be tough tonight because they obviously wanted to win here. It was a moral victory for us, keeping it a tie and going to RFK because it is tough to play at RFK. It'll be a great atmosphere and we'll be ready."
On whether he was pleased with D.C.'s play:
"I don't think we were our normal selves. It was a fight. It wasn't a pretty game. It wasn't our type of game that we always play. That's what happens in the playoffs on the road. You don't expect it to be pretty, ever."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER BRIAN NAMOFF
On D.C.'s position heading into the second leg:
"I think we have the advantage because we'll have the home crowd behind us. It's going to be a great game. We'll be really looking forward to it."
On his reaction to the disallowed goal:
"I didn't see it, actually. I was focused on marking my man. That was my only concern. The referee made up his mind even before the play was over. I think it was some type of deflection or some type of play on our goalkeeper. I don't know if it's obstruction, but I'm glad it didn't count."
