CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUOTESHEET
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2009 – D.C. UNITED 1, CD TOLUCA 3
D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH TOM SOEHN
On the game
[It was] disappointing on all fronts. I thought we were manhandled in the first half – the energy we brought, we were unorganized. We talked about how we were going to defend and we didn’t do a good job of the way we tried to clog the middle. Towards the end we adjusted and had the three guys contained a little bit more and their possession was a lot deeper but we wanted to win a lot of balls high and we had to play through pressure all the time in the first half. Second half I thought Santino [Quaranta] added some life and some energy, we got the goal. It gave us a little spark but it wasn’t enough, on the day, on its entirety, it wasn’t enough.
On having lost the first 2 Champions League games
Obviously it’s not a good place to be. You have to take care of your home games and we sure didn’t take care of business tonight.
On playing different lineups
This balancing thing of trying to get some young guys in there or some fresh guys, we’re going to have to really rethink and really make sure however we move forward we have to commit [to that]. Like I said I thought Santino [Quaranta] really added some life, some energy but in all, whoever’s on the field – the amount of work we do and the amount of effort we put through has to be standard. And the soccer might not be the best but the amount of work we do and the amount of effort we put forward has to be better. And collectively as a team I think we’re having often three guys, and its different guys, [putting in the effort] and we have to do that collectively as a team otherwise you’re going to continue going down the stretch with the same results.
D.C. UNITED FORWARD SANTINO QUARANTA
On the team’s confidence
Anytime you lose it’s not a great feeling in the locker room. I think we have enough guys here to bounce back, to understand what a big game it is on Saturday [against Chicago]. We have to look at ourselves and understand what it takes to win games, including myself and the rest of the guys. That’s what we’ll do.
On United’s busy schedule
In the end, everywhere around the world [when you’re] playing Saturday and Wednesday – we’re professionals, we have to deal with it. Look at the [UEFA] Champions League and all the other places around the world, they do it every week. We have to do it. Everybody has to be ready on any given day and we weren’t tonight.
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER ANDREW JACOBSON
On Toluca
They got some breaks; they’re a quality team. They had nice goals and we were lacking a little bit towards the end. I don’t think we really played very smart at the end. I give them credit; it’s a quality team. They really played collectively. I think it was just mistakes on us.
On frustration playing in the Champions League
They’re just such a different game. In the MLS people come out to battle and it’s a lot higher pace game, both teams high pressure. You kind of know what’s coming whereas when you play these CONCACAF games, they just play a completely different game. And I think it might be good for them to play against teams like us. If we don’t high pressure as a team together, they start to break us down. I think a few times when they were doing that though we should have held back.
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER DEVON MCTAVISH
On losing at home
You can’t lose at home in the League and in this tournament. So it’s tough, we have to figure it out.
On comparing the Champions League run this year to last year
Yeah it’s tough, we’re in the exact same position. We lost points at home, we lost a tough battle down in Honduras this year and we’re not sitting well, either in CONCACAF or the League. So it’s going to become decision time where we got to step up and get points or we’re going to look back on the season and it’s going to be the exact same as 2008.
On the game
That early goal was tough for us and they keep possession so well it made us unorganized, they took us out of our game. Consequently, we got a little tight because we were chasing the ball so much and that opened us up a little bit. The second half was better, we came out and got an early goal, started getting things rolling again but as soon as they got one in it was a different ballgame.
Broadcasting and P.A. Request: When speaking of the organization, please refer to the team as either “D.C. United” or “United,” but not “the D.C. United” or “the United.” We appreciate your cooperation.
Doug Hicks,
dhicks@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5448,
Boris Flores,
bflores@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5452,
Kyle Sheldon,
ksheldon@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5450 or
Cristina Cruz,
ccruz@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5440
