D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH PETER NOWAK
On the game:
"(Our players gave) everything they had to win the game and the game was stolen from them. The game was stolen from us. Simple question, simple answer."
"We're trying to make things better: the league better, the teams better and the players better; it should be the same with the referees."
On the penalty call:
"If it's fair, then it's fair, but you cannot have these kinds of calls."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER EARNIE STEWART
On the team's performance:
"I don't think today was a matter of finishing chances, because we didn't create the quality chances we have been. The problem was more in settling the game down. Toward the end, we just weren't able to keep the ball out of dangerous situations."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER BEN OLSEN
On the team's performance:
"It's frustrating because of the way we played and the way [Columbus] played. That's what the fans were here to see. We played good team defense for 90 minutes and I'm heartbroken to leave with 1-1 tie."
"I think today was a great 90 minutes. Not the most creative soccer, but we played our first 90 minutes of real solid team defense."
On the goal:
"I knew that there would be runners on the back post. I was fortunate to serve up a good ball and Dema [Kovalenko] did the rest."
D.C. UNITED DEFENDER BRANDON PRIDEAUX
On the foul that led to the equalizing penalty kick: "I don't think it was a foul. There was contact, but I saw on the film his legs just come out from under him. I was very surprised with the call, but you could obviously see that from my reaction."
On the result:
"There are a lot of positives. It's tough to outplay a team, to dominate and create good chances, and only come away with a point. Unfortunately though, that's soccer, and that's the way it happened today."
COLUMBUS CREW HEAD COACH GREG ANDRULIS
On the penalty kick:
"To me, there was no question it was a penalty. The defender had his hands around him and pulled him down backwards."
On the team's performance:
"Well, we just changed our system ten days ago, so it takes some getting used to the new system. It was an ugly game for us, but we were fortunate enough to earn the tie. We are still finding our rhythm and we need to continue to focus on the positives."
COLUMBUS CREW GOALKEEPER JON BUSCH
On the team's performance:
"We came out and didn't play well the whole first half and gave them a quality chance a few minutes in and they took advantage. We have to do better to put a body on that. But we kept battling and kept them to one to fight our way for the tie."
COLUMBUS CREW DEFENDER FRANKIE HEJDUK
On the team's result:
"We are away from home and we know we have to scrap for points and that's exactly what we did. We showed character by battling the whole game and scrapping out the tie."
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER ROSS PAULE
On the game-tying penalty kick in injury time:
"There was a lot of pressure taking the kick, but I had a lot of confidence that I was going to make it and fortunately I did."
REFEREE TERRY VAUGHN
On the reason for the penalty kick:
"The D.C. United player fouled the Columbus attacker inside the penalty area."
On his delay in making the call:
"(I) was looking to see if an advantage would materialize and subsequently confirmed with the assistant referee that a foul had, in fact, occurred."
