D.C. United Head Coach Ben Olsen
Thoughts on the match:
“Overall, it wasn’t a great performance from us. I think we had too many poor performances from individuals. I expect [it] a little bit - you’re putting some new guys out there and some youth, and they’re going to have their growing pains. I thought we saw that a little bit tonight.”
On tonight’s loss:
“We’ll pick ourselves up. It’s a tough loss but we’ll move forward. We got another game next weekend. We’ll be fine. We’ll recover. We’ll get some guys back from national team duty and injuries.”
D.C. United Midfielder Luis Silva
Thoughts on the match:
“I think we started off well, spreading the field and creating some opportunities to score and then we just felt like we dropped off. They took over the game. They had a little bit more precision and they took their chances.”
On tonight’s loss:
“We just have to put it away and put our heads up and look forward to the next game. It’s a long season and we just have to keep on going. We can’t look back right now and put ourselves down. We just have to stay positive.”
On facing former high school teammate Carlos Alvarez:
“Growing up in high school with somebody, playing with him and being able to both be out here and play each other is a great blessing. Overall, he’s a great player and I just wish him the best in the future and maybe in the future we will be able to play together sometime.”
D.C. United Midfielder Chris Pontius
Thoughts on the match:
“It’s not the result we wanted. It seems like we keep on repeating our mistakes and it’s something we need to change. We’re going to keep on losing games if we keep on making the same mistakes.”
On his injury:
“I felt good in terms of the injury. Coming in as a sub, you just have to catch up with the pace of the game. I thought I did okay with that. I just have to keep on working on my fitness and hopefully next week I can put in more minutes.”
Chivas USA Head Coach Jose Luis Real
Thoughts on the game:
“In my opinion, Chivas is getting better game-by-game, but in this game, in the first 20 minutes, we had big problems; our team was not good. I had to make a change on the pitch. [Julio] Morales had to go out because we had two strikers. Morales and [Eric “Cubo” Torres] in those 25 minutes, were not good. And [Carlos] Alvarez comes inside the position and the team [improved]. I liked the second half very much; [Torres] scored again. Our team played very well on many occasions in the second half. D.C. was a very good team up to the last play of the game. With Chivas, it’s never easy. All the games for Chivas are never easy. But I’m happy because the second half was good and we won.”
On Oswaldo Minda’s performance:
“For me, [Oswaldo] Minda is one of the best players in Chivas USA. But he was injured a long time ago. And now, in the last three games, Minda has had very good games, very good plays and he’s an international player, very important for Chivas USA.”
On subbing forward Julio Morales out in the 28th minute:
“I had to make a change. Morales did well the 20-25 minutes he had on the pitch, but we needed another player at midfield and Morales is not a midfielder. I’m happy with Morales but it’s a tactical decision only.”
On Erick “Cubo” Torres’ scoring streak:
“’Cubo’ is another one of the most important players for Chivas USA. He scores goals but he always works for the team. His personality and mentality is strong. He’s a very important player for Chivas.”
Chivas USA Forward Erick Torres
On his scoring streak:
“I’m happy and grateful with my teammates; happy because I had the opportunity to score again and even happier that the team was able to come away with three points.”
On his performance in the last nine matches:
"I feel really good. I still think there are some things I need to improve to reach my maximum. I’m working to reach that maximum and I think the team has helped me a lot to tally the goals that I have.”
On the formation adjustments:
“We stopped playing with two forwards and switched to three forwards. We changed the midfield and [Real] did it that way so we could go back to creating turnovers at midfield and to attack better.”
On his role when making formation adjustments:
“It’s a different function where I play a little more by myself up top against the two center backs. And on the defensive end I have to put out a little more effort, but I think the formation and adjustments that [Real] implemented helped the team and we were able swing the match’s momentum.”
Chivas USA Midfielder Eric Avila
On being subbed in:
“I think it was that we were trying to find our way in the first couple of minutes. Coming in, I was just trying to help the team out as much as I can and going forward. I think any player would have came in and tried to help out as well.”
On team’s adjustments to the formation:
“I think we had a formation going with two forwards. We slightly changed it up a little in the first half. We’re use to playing differently and switching around. I was more of an outlet, coming and playing wide to try to feed [Erick “Cubo” Torres] as much as possible.”
Winning points at home:
“It feels good. It feels good in the locker room – it feels good on the field and coming to practice every day. We still have a couple of games, and honestly were just looking at the next game that comes forward.”
On not taking United lightly:
“Of course, but we didn’t try to look at it that way. Every team is different. We just have to play whatever team that comes into our home.”
