D.C. United HeadCoach Ben Olsen
Overall thoughts onthe match:
"We started off poorly; they started off bright. Once werealized we were on a playoff race, about twenty minutes in, we picked it up.We were still a bit unorganized in the back. Credit them [Union], they did somegood things. But in the second half I thought the adjustments and the way wewent about them was very good – and we did enough to win that game. I thoughtit was an inspiring second half from our guys and I was proud of them for that.We just have to understand that we have to play inspired the entire time."
On Dejan Jakovic'sperformance:
"He did okay. It's a different fitness level to be out thereand getting up and back, to do what we are asking him to do. I think he got alittle tired in particular after the ninety [minutes] with Canada. But we gothim out and we are going to need him for Wednesday."
On Branko Boskovic'simpact in the second half:
"He did [have a big impact], and that's when he's been athis best for us this year. He comes in and really helps and changes the game.We have to be a little bit smarter about how we keep our heads down thestretch. He is not a young guy so he doesn't have an excuse. But that's whathappens when the referees don't control games and don't have a good pulse of what'sgoing on out there. It starts to boil over.
On the PhiladelphiaUnion:
"I have a lot of respect for [John] Hackworth and for histheir staff. I really enjoyed my team there with the All-Star Team and I thinkhe's done a great job with that crew."
On delayedsubstituting:
"If you do that over and over eventually it's going to boilup. And that's what I'm talking about: the events in the game, the players seethat and it's frustrating – it's helpless. I don't think the game wasnecessarily [the referee's] fault. I'll take the blame. We didn't start thegame properly and they snuck the goal on a set piece. I'll take responsibilityfor it. But it just wasn't a good day.
On Lionard Pajoy'sperformance:
"I thought he was good. It's always tough. You throw himinto a new team and the ball comes to him and he doesn't know if DeRo'stendency is to go left or right. So there was a little bit of miscommunicationat times. But I thought he did well. He runs well and his ability to get behindis going to help us. We just have to do a better job of finding him. Hisrelationship with Chris [Pontius] or Dwayne [De Rosario] or whoever it is willget better."
On Danny Cruz:
"I thought Danny had a good day too, which is nice to see."
On the quickturnaround:
"We got to bitch and moan tonight, smash some lockers andall that stuff and then tomorrow forget about it and get ready for a very goodChicago team on Wednesday, who's moving up the charts and I think has made somegood additions. They've told me we have a game two days after that in Montreal,and then four days after that and then two days after that. It's a pretty goodstretch here.”
On the impact a gamelike this can have on the rivalry:
"I think it heats it up. That's good – I like this stuff. Ilike Philly-DC, I like DC-New York and I like the move the League made to makean Eastern Conference and Western Conference and play these I-95 teams a littlebit more. I like them. I've always enjoyed them as a player and I've enjoyedthem as a coach. It was a pretty eventful game [tonight]. I think people gottheir money's worth – I suppose – today.”
On starting De Rosarioin midfield and bringing in Boskovic:
"He's been pretty good there. He's leading the League inassists and most of his assists came from when he was in that position. I thinkwe needed a little more possession; I wanted to get the ball more. I thinkBranko [Boskovic] has been very good for us coming off the bench. That's whenhe's been at his best for the group. He changes the game, gives us a little bitof savvy as the game is a little bit slower and not as hectic. I thought itworked pretty well overall. Branko did his job and we should've won that game."
D.C. Unitedmidfielder-forward Dwayne De Rosario
On the red cards:
“When you start to lose the game like that, the refereeshould pull aside the two captains and say, ‘control your men.' It wasfrustrating.
On United's goal thatgot taken away:
"It seemed like one of those crazy games and once again, theofficiating needs to be better."
D.C. United ForwardHamdi Salihi
On the referee'sperformance:
"He was confused in many decisions, for us and forPhiladelphia as well. It was not good because this was a really important gamefor us and you should not make these mistakes. ”
On the disallowed goal:
"It was an absolutely legitimate goal. Even the defenderfrom Philadelphia told me after that it hadn't been anything, because it wasthe defender who kicked the ball away from the keeper. Now the game is over andwe can talk a lot, but I hope we do better in the next games."
D.C. United ForwardLionard Pajoy
On his move to United:
"Well, I have become used to moving. It's part of the game.Now I am in D.C., I am happy, and focused on achieving what the coach wantsfrom me. I think the team played well today. Unfortunately we did not get thewin, but we must focus on performing well in the future.”
On whether there weremixed feelings playing against his former team:
"Throughout the years I have had to play against my formerteams. Today I went through that experience again, and unfortunately I couldnot score. However, I am happy about my debut and moving forward to keepimproving."
D.C. UnitedMidfielder Branko Boskovic
On the ref's decisionto eject Dudar:
"Well, it was definitely a foul, but not one for a red card,especially for a game like this. It was a very disputed match and fighting isnormal. It should have been a yellow card."
On his red card:
"He tried to hold on to the ball to waste time, and when Iwent for the ball he didn't want to give it to me, so I shoved him.Unfortunately, the ref only saw what I did. If it what was a red for me, itshould have been a red for Torres."
Philadelphia UnionManager John Hackworth
On the final momentsof the match:
"I just thought it was a little bit of a crazy game. Ithought it was the kind of soccer we wanted the game to be about."
On the rivalry:
"I think this was a classic derby in that regard becausewhat you saw is what these games unfortunately fall into. Obviously, both teamsare fighting very hard clawing their way, literally, to try to get a result. Atthe same time, our expectation is to do this a certain way. We thought we couldhave played better soccer in the second half and got a result. We have to fixthat going forward, but a point in a very difficult place. D.C. United is theposition in the league because they are so successful at home this year, andfor us to come in and get a point was very important for us."
Philadelphia Unionmidfielder Danny Cruz
On his return to RFK:
"It was definitely interesting. I've loved these fans sinceI've been here. It was different to experience it on the other side. I'm justhappy we were able to come out with a point."
On the scuffle withPajoy:
"I think it was a bad tackle [by Pajoy]. This is my teamnow. I think most of these guys would have wanted to be in there, and if it wasPajoy or anybody else, I would have still been in there. Again, I just think itwasn't a good tackle."
On the final momentsof the match:
"It was a tough game to beat up the ref. He did as good of ajob as he could have. It certainly wasn't easy, but I give him credit. I thinkhe did a good job. There is always controversy in games, at the end of the daythere was a fair result."
Philadelphia UnionMidfielder Freddy Adu
On his thoughts comingback into R.F.K:
"Every time I have been here, playing for the U.S. team, thesupport was always for us and today the support wasn't for us. They werecheering their team on. I didn't expect to get love from the crowd. I enjoyedmy time here, but it was a hostile crowd. We did what we had to do to win. Wecame in here and we fought. We were a little bit unfortunate. We missed acouple chances for the day, but at the end of the day we came here and got atie. It is better than a loss. I wanted to leave here with three points. That'swhy we play the game, and today we didn't get that one. A tie is better than aloss."
On the rivalry:
"Every time we play there is a battle out there. That's howit should be. It is a rivalry. At the end of the day you have to represent,represent your team and also protect yourself. If somebody comes at you, youhave to protect yourself any way you can. You know, help out your teammates aswell. It is heating up and I love being apart of it."
