D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH CURT ONALFO
On Dejan Jakovic up against Juan Pablo Angel:
"Angel is such a great force. If you just watch his runs off the ball, they're outstanding. It was all about dealing with him in the back, and our guys did a great job with that. It wasn't just Dejan (Jakovic), it was Julius (James), and also Jordan (Graye). Angel is smart enough to find areas on the field where he can be dangerous."
On Red Bull Arena:
"It's beautiful. It's a great stadium. We want to have those in every market. It's only going to make the product better and it's going to make our players better."
On the importance of continuing to earn points on the road and at home:
"At the end of the day we are not sitting here worrying about anybody else, we worry about ourselves. In our last 10 games, we've gotten results. We can't walk away from games without points. If you average more than a point on the road, and do well in home games, you're going to make progress. We're not content with where we are in the standings, but we're making good strides."
D.C. UNITED GOALKEEPER TROY PERKINS
On overall result of the game:
"It was a good result to get a point, but I mean we want three obviously. We worked hard and it was a good, full 90 minutes for us. Especially to get a zero on the road is fantastic. Defensively, it was a good game for us, and that's the way games go sometimes. We're happy to get the point, and overall I think we played well."
On Jakovic and James up against Angel, Salou, and Kandji:
"Not only those two guys, but also the guys on the flanks denying the service or making the service difficult. Angel wasn't getting any good service, and neither was Kandji, and Salou in the first half. In the first 15 minutes, they were getting frustrated the service was being denied, and when they did get it the guys were so tight on them they didn't have anywhere to go. The defenders and the midfielders did a fantastic job tonight."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER STEPHEN KING
On the result after a physical game:
"We were disappointed with how we performed in the first half; we were chasing the game a lot. But, to come in at half time 0-0 and still thinking we had a chance, up front in the second half we put together a more complete performance, possessed the ball a lot more and actually did create a couple chances. I think in the end we were a better team in the second half, they were a better team in the first half, so a pretty fair result."
On New York's tough midfield:
"We knew coming in it was going to be a battle especially because of the rivalry we have, and they have some talented players in the midfield as well. To come into this stadium, a brand new stadium, an exciting atmosphere, we knew it was going to be a tough game. We did a much better job in the second half, we were more organized."
On returning home this week:
"We know we need to get three points at home. We have to. We just played four road games in a row, and we did pretty well. We went .500 with a win and a loss and two ties. We know coming in that it's not going to be easy, but we need to get three points from these next two games. Seattle is going to be a battle; it's going to be tough. I know those guys very well. For me, it's just going to be another fun game just like when we played there. To play against friends and people who I played with for 15 months will be a lot of fun."
D.C. UNITED FORWARD/MIDFIELDER CHRIS PONTIUS
On overall impressions of the game:
"I thought both teams had limited opportunities and I felt that both teams' defenses did very well tonight. It was a tough game in this heat and humidity and it was going to come down to one opportunity and someone putting it away and that didn't happen tonight. A point in New York is not the end of the world, and we're back home on Thursday."
On overall impression on the game and looking forward:
"I thought I could have done a lot more. I was making sure defensively I was in the right spots and picking and choosing my times to look forward. Personally, I wish I could've done more and I'll be looking to do that on Thursday against Seattle."
NEW YORK RED BULLS HEAD COACH HANS BACKE
On the match:
"Two well organized teams defensively. They never really opened up the game and got any chances. For us, I think we too easily let them get their shape. Too many side passes, back balls. But they are a team who in the last three or four games, defensively, they've done very well. So we couldn't make a difference or break them down, so it was a rather boring nil-nil game."
On the play of the forwards:
"They're (Juan Pablo Angel and Salou Ibrahim) a bit the same. We don't have much pace up front. They're two strikers who like to come short, but they don't really threaten to get behind the back four. But one good thing is that we won the Atlantic Cup, our first title of the season. We're unbeaten in five, so I think its okay for the players that we have that consistency, and mentally, to pick up points all the time."
On the play of the midfield:
"Seth Stammler looked exhausted in the first half, no legs. Joel (Lindpere), in a way, just running around in the middle of the park, couldn't really get a hold of the ball and go for the final passes for Salou (Ibrahim) and (Juan Pablo) Angel. So we couldn't break them down, even 1 versus 1 in those opportunities."
On the return on Macoumba Kandji:
"He's only at about 15 minutes (of fitness) for him. He's done about five full sessions so far, and of course in this heat, it's only 15 or 20 minutes."
On if the draw felt disappointing given D.C.'s standing:
"They've played better and better in the past three or four games, they had a massive point against San Jose. I think we just have to take it step by step. It would be naïve to think we could dictate and control every game. We have to take it step by step."
On the coming designated player:
"I'm rather confident that we can bring in 2 DP players. Hopefully for the (Barclays New York) Challenge, when we start with Spurs on the 22nd."
NEW YORK RED BULLS GOALKEEPER BOUNA COUNDOUL
On Lebron James effects on DP and potential fans:
"Lebron James signing, that's his own life. I don't really care. I'm only focused on what is going to be happening with the Red Bulls. Right now we have a solid group and it's up to the coaches to see what's going to come or who's staying and stuff like that. Meanwhile we are just going to focus on what we have to do on the field. Whoever is going to come is just going to come and help the team win."
On his injury:
"Right now breathing is not the easiest thing. I cannot sneeze, cough or anything like that. The doctor says there are no broken ribs, but it's pretty painful right now."
On his thoughts of the draw:
"D.C. has improved a lot since we played them two months ago. They came and were trying to get a win. We were really looking forward to getting a win, but it's better than losing. That fact that we got one point and still in the race for a playoff spot makes it a deserved draw."
NEW YORK RED BULLS FORWARD MACOUMBA KANDJI
On coming back after foot surgery:
"It feels good to be back. A little tired but good. My foot feels great. Just little bumps in practice, here and there. But my foot feels great. I think it went very well. I got a couple of touches running around. I was kind of dead after that, but I know it will get there."
On future playing time:
"Right now, it's the coach's decision. I should be back in two or three weeks in full match fitness. But after that, it's the coach's decision to see if I am going to play a full game or not."
NEW YORK RED BULLS DEFENDER TIM REAM
On the match:
"We are two pretty well organized teams battling it out. Defensively, it was probably our best complete game all year. Against Colorado, we had a first half lapse, and in the second half we held it together. Tonight, we held it together for the full 90. Possession wise, we just never got in the flow of the game. We never could keep possession, never could keep the flow going and going forward. But that's just the way the game goes."
On not receiving three points tonight in the standings:
"It's hard to say right now. We go to Columbus next week and if we get a win there, you know, we are right back in it. We are still not out of it, though. We are still in second. Getting three points out of this game would have been really nice. But a point is still a point.
On next week's match-up against Columbus:
"We go into every game, even on the road looking to win. We don't go into the game looking for ties. We have to come out better than we did tonight possession wise and just take it to them and do what they did to us a couple weeks ago."
