QUOTESHEET 2009 U.S. OPEN CUP
TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2009 – D.C. UNITED 2, HARRISBURG CITY ISLANDERS 1
D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH TOM SOEHN
On team’s play late in the game
Yeah, I think it really came on the red card. I think we thought we had the game won and we forgot what it takes to do that, the work and the movement off the ball. We got very complacent.
On team’s play compared to last week
I though the way we started out the game we had a very aggressive mentality and we were moving the ball around pretty well. We created a lot of great opportunities, but again we created a lot more than we put away and if you keep a team around in this tournament, or any part of the world, if you keep a team around and they get one back, all of the sudden you’re scraping for it.
On directive to get an early goal
That’s a directive in any of these matchups where you’re playing against a lower-level team. They’re going to come out and give you everything they have. The way you take that away or the way you force them off the play is getting an early goal, and we did that. We didn’t finish the game off though.
On cleaning up defensive mistakes
I need to go back and look at [the mistake that led to Harrisburg’s goal], but there wasn’t just that mistake. We made a couple other key mistakes late. Playing some of those guys in these types of games you have to figure out now where they’re at and they have to improve. So these are good tests for all of us.
On Brandon Barklage’s injury
He’s hurt but we’ll evaluate tomorrow where he’s at. You’re going to hope for the best and pray it’s not the worst. I don’t like to talk about injuries because we’re only guessing, but let’s have the doctors assess him and we’ll see where he’s at.
On Fred playing 90 minutes
Yeah it was important. He had some good stretches and he got tired at the end but I knew he would. We wanted to push him through and make sure he was through the muscle injury but he’s got to get his fitness to where it needs to be. So it was important to push him through that.
On team’s directive over the break
Well we’ve got some key guys out, it’s important to get those guys back. We’re coming up on a stretch where we’ve got a lot of games in a short amount of time and we have to have as many guys available as possible so that we can make it through this stretch.
On whether there was concern over the team’s play in the second half
I don’t think it really came until we really went up a man, then we really got complacent. It’s a good lesson for us and we’ll address it tomorrow as we talk about it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER FRED
On his overall play
I don’t think I played that well since it’s been a while since I played 90 minutes. But in the first half, I played alright. The second half, not so much.
D.C. UNITED FORWARD BOYZZZ KHUMALO
On the team losing focus in the second half
I don’t know what it is. I just think we need to work on paying attention. We had a lot of chances but their keeper made a couple of good saves.
On the Harrisburg’s play following the red card
Those guys just kept coming. After they scored the second goal in the second half, after they took that guy out, that’s when they got hungrier to battle with us.
On his play
I feel good about my performance and I also feel good about the team’s performance. Every time I get on the field, I am ready to perform because I don’t play a lot. So every time I get in there, I make sure to take the opportunity to perform and show the coaches that I can do the job.
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER ANDREW JACOBSON
On the win
It felt good. We could have finished a little bit better, but in a game like that you just got to buckle down and hang on to that win.
On Harrisburg City’s play following the goal
Once they got that goal, they kind of just threw everything out – they could just go for it. They had nothing to lose. It’s difficult to play a team with nothing to lose.
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
