D.C. United Head Coach Ben Olsen
On the result:
“We pissed that game away. There was a lot of good in regards to this group. A lot of good. Today, starting the game wasn’t good enough, set-pieces weren’t good enough for us, and the way we managed the game, once again, in the end was amateur. We take a game where we definitely should get a point, if not three, and turn it into a loss. Again, there’s a lot of character and a lot of positives with our group, but we cannot go on the road and have these cardinal sins.”
On the second-half performance:
“I thought in the second half, we realized that we’re good soccer players. We were confident in the way we pass the ball. I think, more than anything, that helped. I thought we were physical. I thought some of their key players were nullified and, again, just very disappointing to come out of here with nothing. Credit [Portland] to keep on pushing. It’s a great place to play. Again, I’m not taking anything away from Caleb [Porter] and this group and this atmosphere and the way this city has gotten behind this team because it’s a lot of fun to play here. But I do feel in the end, we lost points today.”
On the reversed penalty decision:
“I didn’t have a good view. I think when we look at it again, we’ll see it hit his face and not his hand, so credit the referees that they got it right. They didn’t get a few other ones right down the stretch, but I won’t get into that.”
D.C. United Midfielder Davy Arnaud
On the match:
“Disappointed right now because I think we were worth at least a point tonight. To give up a goal that late after you’ve battled back twice, in a tough place to play, against a good team, is not easy to swallow.”
On the reversed penalty decision:
“I hear it wasn’t a handball. [The referee] was pretty adamant it wasn’t a handball. In fairness to the referee, I was on the same angle as him and it looked like a stone-cold [penalty kick]. I think, talking to some guys, he got it right. I haven’t seen it, but if the linesman sees it and the right call is no [penalty], then it’s the right call.”
On his goal:
“[Portland] was dropped off a little bit. I think it was Perry [Kitchen] played one square and it was in my mind to shoot the whole time. I hit it well and, initially, I was a little disappointed that [Diego Chara] had got a touch on it, because I hit it pretty well. But it looped over him and worked out.”
On the second-half performance:
“We gave up a couple goals in the first half that were kind of unlike us. We did well to get back in the game at 1-1. We gave up the goal before half to go 2-1. We just said to keep going. We felt like our chances were going to come if we stayed solid defensively. We felt like we were going to get chances. We did well to get the goal. Like I said, I think the performance wasn’t a bad one. If we don’t concede there at the end, I think we’re pretty happy with the performance and the result. Unfortunately, we didn’t do that.”
D.C. United Defender Bobby Boswell
On the result:
“We’re a bit disappointed. We’re unhappy with the way we started and to go down a goal and then to come back and then two goals and then come back. We thought we played well enough to earn a point. We’re not able to see the game out. Credit to them for continuing to push. We have to learn from what we did tonight and make sure it doesn’t happen again. That’s what good teams do. They learn from their mistakes.”
On the second-half performance:
“I think [Portland] put a lot of effort into the first half and we weathered the storm somewhat. Obviously, they scored two so we didn’t weather it enough. We were pushing more than they were. [Portland] were absorbing, looking to counter. Then when we scored, it went the other way. We were trying to absorb and they were trying to score to win it. It’s a funny game of soccer. Like I said, the biggest thing we can do now is watch video and learn from the mistakes. It felt like we could have done more and gotten more out of this game. That’s what you want out of your group, but it still stings right now.”
On the approach to the match:
“We knew [Portland] were susceptible to goals late in the game, but obviously we don’t ever plan on giving up goals. We play to the final whistle. Unfortunately [Portland] did too tonight and they were rewarded and we weren’t.”
On the reversed penalty call:
“There were too many guys. I don’t know. I was trying to ask [the referee] but he was just pushing everyone away. I knew right away when he called it, I looked over and the assistant was already calling him over, so I had a feeling that he was calling it off. It is what it is.”
