METROSTARS 2, D.C. UNITED 1
D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH PETER NOWAK
On the game:
"The result is a translation of what is going on the field -- I can't mention a player who had a good day today. If we want to think about the playoffs coming up, right now we have to stop and make sure the same thing will never happen again. It was a tough week behind us and the results we have put us in the spot and we have to fight for the first place. A game like that [tonight] shouldn't happen to us and it is a good cold shower for all of us if we think that it is going to be easy. With cute soccer you cannot win games."
On the decision to bring on John Wilson for Freddy Adu:
"I think Johnny brings [a lot], especially going forward. Freddy was sometimes too deep, sometimes too far away. As I said, it is our decision to make and we decided to go this way."
On the team's finishing:
"It's the same old story. We had the chance to put ourselves ahead to make it easier for us and it was a difficult thing, and as you said we have a couple options right now. We have to see going into the last game against Columbus that everything is in place but we are in a different place and different scoring opportunity and we have to finish."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER DEMA KOVALENKO
On the team and the result:
"I am feeling confident. This is not going to set us back; we have to collect our team, work on some things and play at home with more urgency. We have to come out and we are a better team, they know that but they wanted it more than us today. We can't let it happen, especially in the playoffs -- the season is over. It is disappointing, but we will go back on Tuesday and correct things and things are going to get better."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER FREDDY ADU
On the result:
"I mean, we are going to the playoffs. I mean we just want our own place. The first half wasn't that bad and I was getting into it and we were creating a lot of chances. It is just one of those things where you can't really do anything about it. When the coach takes you out of the game you feel so helpless. Beyond helping your teammate out, obviously."
On the difference between playing Real Salt Lake:
"Maybe the red shirts have something to do with it - I don't know what it is. Certain games you finish well [and] certain games you don't. This was just one of those games but we'll be fine we'll get past it."
D.C. UNITED FORWARD JAIME MORENO
On the team's mindset coming out of halftime:
"As a team we try to clear the ball, play wise, you know try to raise the defense and the defense was closing too much in the middle which was a mistake but, as a team we didn't play well today and I don't think we deserved to win but still, at least we should have taken one point. Also, they deserve the credit because they scored two goals and that is what is important."
On the importance of home field in the playoffs:
"It is important, but I think to be a champion you have to win no matter what. If they were to win home and away, if we want to be a champions we have to show as well as we play home we have to play away. At the end of the day, if we want to win that trophy we have to go away to play -- if we go to Dallas, so, whoever plays there it's going to count as an away game."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER JOSH GROS
On the game:
"I think they only had a couple shots and they scored on us and that was the difference. We needed the points to be in first place, but I do think the team came out a little flatter than usual. We had a long week, two [previous] games and this game - a lot of traveling. We weren't ourselves tonight."
On the field conditions:
"The field conditions were a challenge to us as they were to them. There was no advantage either way."
METROSTARS INTERIM HEAD COACH MO JOHNSTON
On the game:
"It was very important to come here and play at RFK and get three points. The guys worked tremendously hard, especially the back line; they were tremendous and we scored two very good goals. [Sergio] Galvan Rey's was a very tough goal and Youri Djorkaeff's finish at the end was magnificent."
On D.C.'s goal just before halftime:
"I was worried because what happened was we were playing very well, we were trying to keep the ball, trying to exploit their back line like we did in Chicago. And all of a sudden we gave the ball away too easily in the midfield and they capitalized. Jaime Moreno had a screamer on the top corner and for me, our backs were against the wall. But when I came in here, I wasn't letting up because I believe in these players and I believe the system we played and I believe in getting three points here."
On the team's formation and system:
"The system was very important to play against them and the way we competed on their sides, the way we competed in midfield, and obviously coming underneath and drawing their defenders away from the other two at the backline was important to get Sergio [Galvan Rey] out on goal."
On the amount of stoppage time given:
"The one in Chicago was five minutes, today it was four minutes and you're always worried. But the way the players hung in there, the way they tried hard for me. The three points was the most important part. Whenever you are looking at four minutes of stoppage time, it is tough but the guys worked hard for it."
On the play of goalkeeper Tony Meola:
"Tony came up very big, especially in the first half. He had magnificent saves, when he put it over the bar. And how he handles it in the second half, when he was getting things away from the goal, getting things over the goal. That is what you expect from a big-time goalkeeper, you expect the big-time players to step up and he certainly has done that tonight."
On players who haven't seen much time on the field recently:
"At the moment we were hurting for certain guys. Seth [Stammler] competes and competes hard, and you saw the one he cleared off the line. For me, Jason [Hernandez] has been my best player in the reserves this season and he deserved his chance and he has taken it with flying colors."
On the possibility of making the playoffs:
"I have always said I have got two or three games in, got four points; I want seven points. I believe seven points can take us into the playoffs. Hopefully, we can go to Chivas -- I am looking at the score right now and it is 2-2 in Kansas City [versus New England]. That is an important result to us. Hopefully we will go to Chivas and win convincingly. It is all about what we do from now on."
METROSTARS DEFENDER SETH STAMMLER
On his assist and the game:
"I saw it [the ball] coming 22 yards out and figured if I got it to him, he'd be able to do the rest. The toughest part was dealing with the turf out there -- in the infield it is kind of rough. I hit the first one, it got blocked the second one, I spotted him out, and tried to get there and it worked."
On what the coach told him about playing time:
"He had been telling me for the last couple days to be ready -- I might be going in at either left or right mid. To try to get up and down as much as I can and then once we have the lead, it was more about trying to hang on to that. Trying to keep our guy from being injured."
On making adjustments following two late goals in Chicago on Wednesday:
"I think you could see that we didn't want to do that again so we pulled together a little bit more than we did on wednesday night. But, I do think everyone gave a good effort on Wednesday night, so I don't want to discredit those guys. I think we knew what it took out there you have to give 110 percent, especially in the last couple minutes."
METROSTARS GOALKEEPER TONY MEOLA
On Christian Gomez's first half shot and which was the toughest of the night:
"I think that one was. It was right in the middle of the goal, but Gomez cut across in front of the goal and I was frozen. He let it go and I actually punched it, that's not really a spot to punch the ball, but I was just in survival mode at the time."
On whether or not it was his best performance of the year:
"I don't know, I think probably better on the leadership side more than anything. That is what Mo [Johnston] was really looking for -- just keep guys fired up and that was missing a little bit maybe at the end of the game here tonight. We needed to keep that, and that's what you gotta do."
On the last games of the season:
"They [the Wizards] got to go to Dallas, we have to go to Chivas. We have known our mission all along: try to win. At least we can say to ourselves, 'If we can win here, we can win anywhere.' The other night, we thought we could have gotten one there, but now we can go to Chivas and win - that is our mission."
