FC DALLAS 2, KANSAS CITY WIZARDS 1
FC DALLAS HEAD COACH COLIN CLARKE
On his team's depth, especially this afternoon:
"We've talked all along that we have a lot of very good players here. [Pitchkolan] has been around for a year now and is a player that did very, very well for us last year and he comes on, is an honest kid, works hard and today he got an added bonus which is great."
On the swing from losing the lead to reclaiming it two minutes later in stoppage time:
"We were in control of the game and then the red card happened, which was always going to make it tough, but I thought that we defended well for 20 minutes or so and then to give one up two minutes into added time, especially on a set play which we were never able to get clear, is not good. But it's a funny game and it's never over 'til it's over and at the end of the day it's a great three points."
FC DALLAS MIDFIELDER AARON PITCHKOLAN
On his game-winning goal:
"I was just hoping to get the ball on target. You're not going to score if you don't get the ball on target so luckily it went in."
On going into the game with his side a man down:
"We had a 1-0 lead at the time so we wanted to keep it tight in the middle and hopefully pull out a 1-0 win. It didn't work out that way but in the end we still got the three points."
On the team's reaction after K.C. tied the game:
"We're always put in situations where depending on the score and depending on the time, you know what you need to do. At that point, with not a lot of time left on the clock, we had to get the ball forward and we were able to get the result and the three points. The ball fell real nice for me. I got it out in front and had it at my feet and just tried to put the ball on target. I didn't pick a particular spot, just wanted it on goal and good things happened."
FC DALLAS DEFENDER GREG VANNEY
On the team's defensive change following Chris Gbandi's red card:
"It didn't really change much for us defensively losing Chris. What it changed was our ability to keep possession of the ball. They're down a goal and now up a man. They're able to chase the ball and get pressure on it and we have one less man forward to play to, to try and keep possession on the other side of midfield.
On the team's depth:
"I think that's one of the real strengths of this team is that we have two full teams worth of guys that we can slip into the lineup and still feel comfortable out there, and that was shown out there today."
FC DALLAS DEFENDER DREW MOOR
On making his first start of the season:
"It was nice. I think that it was a solid performance by all of us. We weren't too happy to give up the goal in the last two minutes. We go over it all the time. Can we protect a one-goal lead, especially late? And although they scored late, on the whole I think we deserved the three points."
FC DALLAS MIDFIELDER MARK WATSON
On the the team's work ethic in the match:
"Front to back we had a great work ethic and a good shape and that contributed to us getting close to people. The back four were excellent. (Kansas City) has a lot of pace but we were able to deal with that so well today. We were able to get on top of them in midfield and up front we were working really hard to close them down all over the park and it went really well."
On Pitchkolan's goal:
"It's fantastic for him and I'm really pleased. He got caught on the ball but his first reaction was to go and win the ball straight back and that's great. He won the ball back, got a little bit of luck. It was a great finish for him and we're just so pleased to get the three points and the win."
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS HEAD COACH BOB GANSLER
On his team's performance:
"Today wasn't a matter of hanging in there. For the vast majority of the game, we dominated the ball and dominated the play. We all know that games aren't just won on artistry and on ball possession. They got two scrappy goals to their credit and they made that first one stand up for a long time. When we finally answered, they got another one. You congratulate them for their effort and grit. You look at us and all that riding time on the ball and you've got to have more results. I thought we had more opportunities today than they did. That's a positive. Games aren't always won by tactical and technical things, they are sometimes won by hard work. They got the better of us in that way."
On Eddie Johnson's play:
"Eddie did OK. One of the things we do in this league is that we put too much focus on many of our young players. He is immensely talented and he's going to make his way. We don't have to constantly put the headlights on him. He did better in the second half than he did in the first half. He'll be the first one to tell you that he wants more from himself. In the first half, he had one shot and got three opportunities for himself in the second half. He's a good technical player but the thing that sets him apart is his athleticism. Eddie is doing fine and will do even better."
On the play of his defense:
"I think in the first half, they got a goal three minutes in where we should've cleared a corner but didn't. It then became a scrum and the ball rolled to the back of the net. You give them credit for being opportunistic. It's not like our defense faltered, fell apart, down, or was nowhere to be seen. It was the same for the rest of the half. They had one more opportunity. In the second half, they didn't have that many opportunities. The one that they did have, we needed to clear. We didn't expect to win every game this year. We felt this was a game we could've won and certainly could have tied. We have a short week and that's probably the best thing for us."
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS FORWARD JOSH WOLFF
On the difference between the first half and second half:
"We were a little lackadaisical at the beginning. We gave up a goal that was one of those where it was a scramble in the front. That was disappointing. We never got into a good rhythm in the first half. I think the game typically opens up in the second half and that kind of favors us. We're still trying to get on the same page as far as playing the 4-3-3. I don't think we're quite set on how we attack. We got some decent chances but in the end, we didn't do enough to get one early enough to make it hold up."
On giving up a goal in stoppage time:
"It takes the breath out of you. The idea was to try to steal the three points after we got the first one. Eddie (Johnson) did good work chasing a guy down. It was one of those odd plays that it hit a guy in the right spot and just propels forward. We're very disappointed to go out of here without at least one point."
On their resiliency:
"I think we showed some resiliency. We went a man up and at times utilized that. We still have to find better ways to create chances with a man up and with the guys that we had on the field. I still think Eddie (Johnson) and I had some decent chances. We've got to do better at getting chances and also on finishing them in front of the goal."
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS FORWARD EDDIE JOHNSON
On his return to Dallas:
"I thought we played well on the road. We knew it would be a tough game. FC Dallas is a good team and they showed it today. Even though they were a man down, they fought for 90 minutes. We had our chances. We can't complain about that. We could have put the game away. At the end of the day, we're forwards and we get paid to score. We didn't do our job today in front of the goal. Hopefully, it's good for things like this to happen because we know we're not there yet. Sometimes you have to create your luck and they did that."
On their resiliency:
"We're a team that can create chances. We've got to score more goals. We had opportunities today and didn't take advantage of them. That's how it goes. Give credit to them. They worked hard with a man down for the last 25 minutes of the game. That's tough. We can take this, swallow it and learn from it."
