Post-match quotes: D.C. United 2 - Houston Dynamo 2

D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH BEN OLSEN

Overall thoughts on the match: 

Luckily, somehow, we were ahead in that game. Because from the way we were most of the second half we should have been losing. Somehow, we found a way to get another goal, but our ability with the lead is just not good enough. We have a long way to go.

In the first half it looked like we had some good chances, we should have probably been ahead – but [Houston] had some good chances too. We are still giving up a lot of opportunities.

At halftime we talked about the silly fouls, not giving away cheap ones so they can’t play to their strengths and whip balls into their big guys – we didn’t get that part. Then we come out and we come out flat. 

I just thought overall our energy wasn’t great tonight. We found a way to be up 2-1, so we should have three points; but we didn’t do enough to finish the game. 

On Charlie Davies’ performance:

[Charlie Davies] scores goals and he is in the right spot when we need him. Give him credit, he had a pretty good night overall and he probably could have had two or three [goals]. 

On Andy Najar’s performance: 

I thought Andy [Najar] pulled off a pretty good play for the goal. But overall, I thought too many of our guys didn’t get what the game needed at certain times.

On Josh Wolff taking the captain’s armband:

It’s not that big of a deal. While Dax [McCarty] was hurt, Josh [Wolff] kind of had it, and it was working. We talked to Dax and he understands that right now it’s probably more important for him to be dealing on getting back from the injury and doing his stuff on the field. He gave a pretty good effort tonight.

On Chris Pontius’ goal:

Heck of a goal. He is creating good chances each game and he is a handful – it’s nice to see him coming into his zone, and he was one of the guys tonight that for sure put it out there. 

D.C. UNITED FORWARD CHARLIE DAVIES

On the draw: 

It’s a game where I think we worked extremely hard. We outplayed them and we deserved all three points. We gave up a slack goal with four or five minutes left, so it’s extremely disappointed. At the same time, we have to be a little bit proud of ourselves for how we conducted ourselves throughout the game. We have to learn from these experiences at home, we have to kill of games and it’s something that we really need to harp on – especially when you’re up 2-1 at home. 

On his eighth goal of the season:

Andy [Najar] was fantastic on that whole play. It’s extremely special when a player can do that, he was able to basically get up to the goalkeeper and round him, and the ball bounced out to me. It was a basically a birthday present and I wasn’t going to miss that chance. Kudos to Andy who made that play happen.

D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER CHRIS PONTIUS

On his overall impressions of the game:

We worked very hard and unfortunately [Houston] scored late. We have to be tougher defensively – you have to know how to handle those situations and it’s unacceptable for us to give away the lead like that.

On scoring United’s first goal of the match:

I thought our pressure as a team was good tonight. We had pressure in the box and I was able to pick up the ball and hit it hard on frame, and it was good enough to beat [the goalkeeper].

HOUSTON DYNAMO HEAD COACH DOMINIC KINNEAR

Overall thoughts on the game:

[The game] was back-and-forth. We weren’t doing ourselves any favors by making some mistakes that led to goals, but I thought we created a lot of chances tonight – unlucky to not go up 2-1 when it was 1-1 for a while. [D.C.] United got a goal and the guys battled back hard to get into the game. [It was] good team spirit by the guys to go down 1-0, come back, and I think it was one of those ones where we left a couple chances out there.

On earning the draw after defeating D.C. United 4-1 two months prior: 

Yes, [I’m happy] because we were down 2-1 with minutes to go and no [I’m not happy] because like I said, I think we left some chances out on the field. Obviously that game was two months ago, so both teams are different. I don’t think you’re ever going to see a score replicated. I’m happy that we bounced back from 2-1, but a little bit disappointed because I thought at 1-1 we created some good chances and we left some out there.

On changes to push for the equalizer:

[We] just went to a more attacking formation and I think it was good that we kept swinging balls into the box. We got a little bit of luck on the goal, I’ll admit that. It came off a deflection, but I thought the pressure that we tried to put them under with balls in the box finally paid off.

 HOUSTON DYNAMO MIDFIELDER BRAD DAVIS

 On the game:

 I thought [the game] was entertaining. Obviously [I’m] a little happy that we came away with the point, but I thought we played good enough to win the game. I thought we created a lot of chances, got a lot of balls in the box in dangerous areas. We were just unable to capitalize. In the second half, [D.C. United] came down and really that was the first chance they had and they scored on it. So, that’s the way it’s been going for us this year, but we fought back and were able to get out of here with a point.

 On coming from behind to tie the score:

 [Coming from behind] has happened a lot this year if you look at our record, coming back and getting a point after going down. We’ve lost games, but we still feel like we definitely need to get on a roll and we need to figure out a way to start winning some games. All in all, when you are down a goal, all you can do is continue to fight until you get back in [the game] and that’s what the guys did tonight.

 HOUSTON DYNAMO FORWARD BRIAN CHING

 On his goal:

 At that point, it’s about getting the ball into the box and just trying to make a late run. I think I kind of made a late run, so a lot of times when you do that late in the game, [the defense] really doesn’t pick you up. Colin [Clark] played a good ball and [we were] a little bit fortunate to get a deflection that kind of crossed the keeper up, but I thought it was a deserved goal in that we had so many opportunities to tie the game.

 On his team’s perseverance:

 It’s not a position you want to be in down a goal, but I thought we showed some heart to battle back and not give up – we came back twice. It shows that the team is fighting, but we want to kind of limit having to come from behind. It was good from the guys to battle back the way we did.