New York Red Bulls Head Coach Jesse Marsch
On beating one of the top sides in Mexico:
First of all, that's a really good team. I know that they're early in their preseason, but regardless, there [were] a lot of really good players on the field, and their coach went out of his way to keep the good players on the field and to continue to put more good players on in the second half. So they went after it, and they wanted to get a result. They didn't want to lose the game today. So, you know, really proud of our guys, really proud to be part of this club. It's always been a dream, I think, for any footballer or any coach to be a part of something that's special and that's bigger than any one person. And I think that, you know, we've been able to achieve that here as a group. No one guy can take credit for that. And I think it's really started from Marc de Grandpre to Ali Curtis all the way down, that everyone truly cares about this, works together, and tries to build something that is uniform and complete and about unity and togetherness. So sometimes I get to use Marc de Grandpre's slogan, which is "One Team, One Voice," and certainly tonight we see the performance of different guys and it didn't matter what name was on the jersey, they played like we wanted them to play and it looked like us. So, really proud of our club tonight.
On getting first team players minutes:
Yeah, we wanted to limit Shaun Wright-Phillips' minutes a little bit, just to make sure we were gradually going through that the right way. Obviously a very good goal he scored. Damien Perrinelle - I thought having him on the field was just great to see. It was great to see him on the field again for us. And, you know, he's still shaking off a little bit of rust but getting 75 minutes under his belt I think was really good. He said the knee felt great, so that's all good. Yeah, and then in general, I think we used this game in the absolute right way and it'll bolster some confidence and I think also help guys with sharpness and fitness for the stretch coming up.
On Kyle Reynish's performance:
Yeah, I've told our three [goalkeepers] that I think we have the best goalkeeping core in the league. All three are very competent first [team] keepers in this league. To have three guys like that, we're really spoiled. Kyle has just been reliable and professional from day one that he's been here. He's been great in training every day, he puts everything he has into it, and he supports Luis [Robles] at the highest level. It's not always easy to be the backup goalkeeper. His approach and his mentality has meant that he's a big plus around here every day, in the locker room, on the field in training, and then when he gets his chance he always does well, whether it's with the USL team [or] friendlies, he's performed well every time he's been called on.
On the result tonight impacting preparations for CONCACAF Champions League:
Yeah, I don't want to overplay it because Club America is definitely still in the beginning stages of their preseason. You see a little bit of the style, certainly some of the shiftiness and talents that a lot of Latin American players have on the ball. I think it was a good exercise in that sense but the game will be on the line in a totally different manner once we get to the CONCACAF games. We'll be prepared for a different mentality and approach.
On Derrick Etienne's performance:
I think, more than anything, Derrick's looked really good with the USL team and [has] gotten better and better and clearer and clearer on the tactics. He's been very dangerous with that group. That was what was nice about the exercise tonight is we got to see Derrick play a little more with some of the guys in the first team. We got [Anatole] Abang going. Using Shaun Wright-Phillips in that spot that Sacha [Kljestan] usually plays was really good to see. Overall, I think Derrick's gotten better over the last six months. It's always hard for a young guy when he's putting so much into it and he has to earn his right every day and doesn't always get rewarded with playing time. We've tried to encourage him to keep the right mentality every day and that sometimes when you're young it's a grind. For him to step onto the field tonight and show some really special moments with some of the talents he has and to understand how he fits into the game, I thought it was really good.
New York Red Bulls midfielder Shaun Wright-Phillips
On getting the win:
For me it was just a professional performance all around from the boys, obviously there was a lot of changes and we knew what was happening but for me I got thirty minutes under my belt and got threw it fine and that was the main thing.
On facing a top team from Mexico:
I think that they are a great team, they have fantastic players but we had a tactical way that we was going to play them. We tried to stick to it as best we can, and it worked.
On his goal:
Well I can't really remember much from it. I kind of knew what I was going to do because Gideon, I saw Gideon in position and I knew the keeper couldn't get through me to get there and I just decided that was the best option and the best way I can keep it below the cross bar and it came off perfectly.
New York Red Bulls Goalkeeper Kyle Reynish
On the push Club America made in the second half:
Yeah, I mean you just knew that it was so hot that they were possessing a lot and they were going to be able to get some chances and stuff, but you knew if we were kind of able to keep them from getting those times, once they get one, they seem to kind of start pouring in and stuff so it was really important for us to just keep the clean sheet and the guys did well, they were alert on corner kicks and all the plays, and really made it difficult for them.
On how this match prepared the team for CONCACAF Champions League:
Yeah, I mean I think it gives us an idea. I think the Mexican teams are a little bit different than the Central American ones in the way they play and stuff, but yeah I think it starts to get us a major idea of the way that these teams possess and technically and tactically some of the ways they play and stuff so I think it's a great idea for us to kind of start to learn and even just having all their fans here tonight gives us an idea, kind of the atmosphere that we could be playing in other places and yeah, just some of the hectic moments with the noise and everything else. So I think it's a great training for everyone.
On being in the "zone" and the job the team did as a group:
No, I mean, I think I was but I think a lot of our back line. I mean, you like at all the plays Damien and all the guys on the back line, a bunch of guys made a bunch of huge plays that, I had to make a few but there's 10 or 15 that never got to me that were just as important so I think all of us were up for it, a lot of our guys had stuff to prove today and when we got our chances we all want to do well and I think Damien and a lot of the defenders and everyone else really put in the time and work and helped get the result.
