Post-match quotes: D.C. United 0 - Columbus Crew 1

MLS 2010 QUOTESHEET

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2010 – D.C. UNITED 0, COLUMBUS CREW 1

D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH BEN OLSEN

On possession

Early there was some good attacking. I thought in the first half we had some good series and whether it was the final brawl or, maybe an extra runner in the box, a little extra commitment. Look, I mean, it’s a bit of a broken record at this point right, I mean you can sit here and ask me questions. It’s, unfortunately, we’re not making big plays. You’ve heard this before. This is who we are right now. We’re always again proud of the effort. I think there’s part of us that’s growing and there’s part of ust hat’s staying the same, and the part that’s staying the same is costing us games. You know, I don’t know what else to tell you.

On Bill Hamid’s allowed goal

Goalies always have those every now and then. Unfortunately I don’t think it was a great ball back to him, you know, keep that in mind too. He’s a young goalkeeper. He’s going to have those instances and he’ll learn from that just fine.

D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER CLYDE SIMMS

On United's inability to produce a shot on goal

Yeah, we definitely created chances - a couple of close ones cost us where we just missed the ball, but we were just a little late getting there. Overall I felt like we did a lot of controlling the game, especially in the first half, aside from the goal. The field was in bad shape and maybe it wasn't smart to play [the ball] back to the goalkeeper on that play, but other than I felt like we did well and Bill [Hamid] didn't have to do too much in the goal, which is a positive. It's just frustrating.

On Columbus' goal

The field was in bad condition. The first ball hopped up on Steve [King] and he had to play a ball that hopped to me, and by the time I got it down there was pressure so I had to go back to Bill [Hamid]. There was a bad spot in front of him, but that's soccer and you have to play to the conditions. Maybe it would have been smarter just to play it forward and change our game plan a little.

D.C. UNITED GOALKEEPER BILL HAMID

On his mistake that led to Columbus’ only goal

The field’s not in good shape. Wednesday, we played, it was a tough match, we played an overtime game. You know, the field’s looking kind of poor, but at the same time, there’s no excuse for that mistake on my part. It shouldn’t have been a goal, shouldn’t have been a mistake. You know, maybe I could have one-timed it out, who knows, but I apologize to my teammates, the coaches, the staff, the fans for the mistake.

On his first touch

I didn’t feel the first touch was heavy, but a little bit of wind might have caught the ball on my swing, right before I swung, but once again, that’s just excuses. When it comes down to it, I shouldn’t make that mistake.

On his shoulder

The shoulder feels fine. I’m playing well, making saves, diving to my right side, throwing the ball out with my right arm – it’s fine right now. I’ve had a shoulder problem for a while, but we’ve kept up with the rehab and it feels good.

D.C. UNITED FORWARD DANNY ALLSOPP

On United's lack of offense

I guess I came close a few times in the first half, but it was just a tough night.

On playing Columbus for the second time in four days

I'm not sure, I will have to have a think about that I guess, but they played the same day so I don't think that's really an excuse.

On playing the top team in the Eastern Conference closely over two matches

In the last match we were winning 1-0 and we had to play most of the match a man-down for quite some time, then tonight we conceeded an unforunate goal - [Columbus] had no reason to attack after that. It's good that we played well in stretches, but ultimately we have to win games.

COLUMBUS CREW HEAD COACH ROBERT WARZYCHA

Thoughts on the game

D.C. is a good team and Wednesday’s game was different, but we did what we had to win the game, that’s what’s important, we were always chasing the ball, we pressured, and we got lucky ball.

Thoughts on the end of the season and playoffs

We have a tough and packed schedule before the playoffs for us to think about that.  We have, I think 14 games between now and then and we have to travel outside the country too, so the biggest challenge will be to stay fit.  With a lot of games coming up we have to try to stay fit, that will be our challenge.

On Barros Schelotto’s goal

[Are we] happy after a lucky goal? Absolutely, but we also didn’t play bad, D.C. United also played well but we kept them far from goal, so we had to win.

COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER GUILLERMO BARROS SCHELOTTO

On the game

It was a game, in which we controlled the game, we pressured, we found that goal, and controlled the game.  We were able to score and then we just created some chances but mostly controlled the game.

On the goal scored

That whole time the ball was in play we were pressuring, we were all pressuring.  The defender plays it to the goalie, unfortunately the goalie makes a mistake, and then it was my ball, and I scored. The team was pressuring far up, I pressured too, and luckily I pressured to the point where I was able to take it away from the goalie and scored, after that we controlled the game, and we never lost it.

On the playoffs and what’s coming for Columbus, what things need to improved

We have to play more like the first half of today where we pressured constantly, try to work on creating chances down the flanks, recover the players that are injured, but I think we’re on the right track.

COLUMBUS CREW DEFENDER CHAD MARSHALL

On the clean sheet

Yeah, we were able to play good defense, the whole team. The midfielders pressured, the defense held, and forwards scored, we played well.  It was a good, ugly victory.

On playing in DC again after Wednesday’s Open Cup match

We had some tired legs, we made some changes, and the field was pretty bad, you can’t really play that good of soccer on it. But today we were able to play well.