MLS 2010 QUOTESHEET
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2010 – D.C. UNITED 2, TORONTO FC 3
D.C. UNITED INTERIM HEAD COACH BEN OLSEN
On how the game had the makings of a storybook kind of night:
Yeah it did. It felt like it. A lot of ways, unfortunately, it kind of sums of the season. You know, the last game, and we’re not good enough and saying that, it’s important to put that aside tonight and appreciate Jaime. And once again, he saved a little bit of magic for the last night. Several times, he really looked like, you know, the Jaime that we all know and love and has treated us to so many good memories. You know, classy stuff, hitting it in their PK, hitting it into a hand. A lot of people think, lucky duck. Not with him. You know, he does that stuff. He’s been doing that stuff for years. Once again it’s a beautiful ending for him, and I just wish we could have put it together. Overall though, I will say this about the team, look we’re not good enough. But, I love that crew in there. Every one of those guys would die for me. I feel it, and I want to thank them for all they’ve given me. A lot of those guys could have quit this year. It was a lot of tough times, but, you know, they could have buckled, but they hung in there and you see them. They’re fighting game in, game out. And the reality is, we’re not good enough. But again, their commitment has been excellent. They’re gutted because they wanted to send Jaime off with a win. The goal helps, but certainly they wanted to send Jaime out.
On Moreno’s penalty kick:
Yeah, again, Jaime’s [penalty]… nobody’s surprised he does that stuff anymore. It’s beautiful to watch.
On Moreno’s ability to continue playing:
Well you saw what he did tonight. He was in an MLS club. So, leave it at that.
D.C. UNITED FORWARD AND CAPTAIN JAIME MORENO
On the emotions surrounding his final D.C. United match:
I never thought it was going to be like this, it was incredible. I can’t imagine what it is after this, cause you know this already feels pretty devastating, I wasn’t prepared for this. I did it for respect, it’s heart breaking.
On his penalty kick and final goal for the club:
It was a clear penalty, I looked for power. Milos was asking me where I was going to kick it. I said you have to guess.
On his contributions to MLS:
I’m happy to have contributed to this league, to have done something important in my career, I’m proud, but you always will think you still could’ve done more, but tonight tells I’ve done things well.
On his relationship with the fans:
I thank everyone who supported me in the name of my family and myself, for all the love, the care, it’s incredible the affection I received, I don’t know how to thank them. I was able to do that by playing on the field, but now I can’t, but they know I left everything on the field, and I always tried to make them have a good time.
On leaving the field for the final time:
When I left the field and I saw my kids crying, that’s when it hit me, I realized it’s now over and I also realize how much they care and suffer in every game, I broke down when I saw that.
On his legacy:
I want to be remembered as a clown (laughs). No, that’s a joke. I want people to remember me however they want to remember me, I hope I get remembered for what I have been and for what I am.
On the future:
My retirement is not concrete, there is nothing concrete. I have to meet with Kevin [Payne], now on Tuesday I’m going to Bolivia, to see my parents, and rest up a little - I need it. Then I’m going to come back and decide on the future.
On potentially coaching:
Yes, I would like to be a coach, but I need to prepare first.
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER SANTINO QUARANTA
On his impressions of the evening:
It was emotional, you know? Just from before the game, and then to score in the first minute, emotionally it was tough. Jaime has been my friend for a long time. You know, it’s just a game when you look at it, but when you look a bit deeper he’s a friend – in fact he’s one of my best friends. That camaraderie is not going to go on, at least not on a daily basis, and that is the most upsetting part. This is a celebration of what he’s done, and I keep forgetting it’s not a funeral. I just need to remember that I have had a front row seat for ten years to watch one of the best players play this game.
On his early goal:
It was good, you just want to win games, but we just lack that little bit of something extra. Little things seem to hurt us. You look at tonight, we had a great situation to get three points in my opinion, but we let it slip.
On moving forward into the offseason:
Yeah, we have a good core group of players. Some guys are injured, but they will be okay. Listen, Kevin [Payne] and Dave [Kasper] are the best at what they do, I’ve been here a long time and have seen a lot of different people, and I know they will right this ship. I fully trust that they will make the right decisions.
TORONTO FC INTERIM HEAD COACH NICK DASOVIC
On allowing an early goal:
It just happened. We came out flat. Obviously, a big Jaime Moreno night. The place got a really big buzz off of [the pre-game ceremonies]. I think with Moreno and what he’s given to the football club, what he’s given to the city of D.C., what he’s given to MLS, it’s a big moment and D.C. had a different extra spark that we didn’t. But you know what, the boys bounced back.
On Dwayne De Rosario’s goal scoring abilities:
That’s what it is, you know. You’ve got to find a way as a coach to fit him in any kind of system you play, how he can play in it, and he’ll have to understand how he plays in it. He takes some moments off because he works so hard going the other way, and that’s where you need to have a group of guys that understand who’s going to bring you the goals and who’s going to run.
TORONTO FC FORWARD DWAYNE DE ROSARIO
On being a part of Jaime Moreno’s final game:
It was special. He’s a guy I admire and a guy who has had a great career. He’s done a lot for the league, obviously done well for himself in terms of championships and goals, and the contributions he’s made to D.C. and the city. It’s nice to be on the same field as him for his last game. It’s bittersweet, I know, for him. The guy plays with a lot of passion, with a lot of heart, and he leaves everything on the pitch. Seeing him leave off the field, you could see the emotion in him. You could see it in his family, [who] I know - great people, great guy. He’s going to be greatly missed in this league, but I know he’ll definitely still be involved in the development of this sport in this country.
On getting a win in the season finale:
To end the season on a winning note is a great feeling, away from home against a team that beat us at home, and [to] kind of repay them back and get the win is a good feeling to give our fans to end the season on a positive note.
