D.C. United Head Coach Ben Olsen
On the game:
“A typical early game in the Open Cup, right? A lot of the ball, a dry field and heavy legs. You try to break down a team that’s pretty organized and committed and playing with a lot of heart. It’s never easy. Credit to the guys who were digging in. There are a lot of heavy legs with two days of rest –120 minutes. I was looking forward to not have that because of the leg situation for the weekend, but this tournament means a lot to us, especially with the situation we’re in, in the League.”
On Joe Willis vs. Andrew Dykstra in PKs:
“We had a little chuckle about that. [Andrew] Dykstra knows our guys a little bit better than we knew theirs. We have a lot of faith in Joe [Willis] in those situations. There really wasn’t much of a doubt. He’s as good as anyone I’ve seen.”
On the affiliation between D.C. United and the Richmond Kickers:
“I think this game was a testament to this relationship. I really like this relationship. It shows that we can bring guys back and forth and let guys like Michael Seaton develop, and give [Andrew] Dykstra real games like this. I think it’s a good partnership. And Leigh [Cowlishaw] has bent over backwards to make sure it’s working, and I think you saw tonight it’s beneficial for both teams.”
RELATED: Recap - D.C. United 0 Richmond Kickers 0 (4-2 PKs)
D.C. United goalkeeper Joe Willis
On how he read the penalty shots:
“[Assistant Coach] Preston [Burpo] told me where they were going. Once again, have to credit the coach. He told me where Joe [Ngwenya] was going. He went back—for #23 [Sascha Gorres]—he went back like seven years to the last time he shot a penalty shot. He told me Joe [Ngwenya] likes to do a stutter step then go to the keeper’s left. It’s lucky that Preston was able to do that scouting for me.”
On getting the win tonight:
“It’s important. Whether it’s the League or this tournament, we want to win every game. We want to compete at the highest level. Honestly, we haven’t had a win in a long time, so it does feel nice. This feeling of winning will come back to us and motivate us for the future.”
On talking to Andrew Dykstra after:
“I told him [Andrew Dykstra] he played a good game, which he did. It’s an unfortunate way to lose no matter what position you play. I just told him to keep his head up and it was fine. “
