Quotes courtesy of Philadelphia Union Communications
New York Red Bulls Head Coach Jesse Marsch
On the two different halves
Well I actually think the start of the first half was good and we actually have chances. We have a chance to make it three, and I think then the game is done. All four goals that have been scored on us here are the same thing. Same problematic thing, so, until we figure out how to deal with some of these moments, it’s going to feel like a long year. On the road, we just find ways to shoot ourselves in the foot. We’ve gotten leads, we’ve played well for major stretches, we’ve been the better team for major stretches, and we have walked away with very few result. So until we start to figure out how to handle games and moments better then it’s going to feel like we are starting at square one every time we start on the road. It’s going to be hard to build a momentum in the season. And all that being said, it’s hard being up 2-0 and then walk away with just a point. But a point is still a good result, this is a good team at home, but it doesn’t feel like that, it feel like a loss.
On if the rivalry fueled the game
It’s everything, it’s a fact that Philly is a good team this year, it’s the fact that they have knocked us out of the Open Cup this year, it’s a fact that they are a close rival, it’s the fact that now in every way they treat us like a big rival, so the game has a lot of energy to it. So it’s every detail about what the games are about. In the first half, because we have been in a lot of big games, we handle ourselves very well, and I’ll say the first 60 minutes we handle ourselves really well and then we get to the 60th minute in a big game up 2-0 and we give it away, it’s frustrating.
On the late subs
Yeah, ridiculously, I had to go to five in the back, when we were up a man and I didn’t feel like we could defend. So that was the only way to manage the game tactically so that we could somehow stop giving away big chances. And even with that being said, we almost gave it away still.
On Chris Pontius
Frankly, it’s not doing good on the back right side. Partly it’s Chris Pontius, but it’s also just that whoever plays right back for us. They don’t do their job, if they do their job then it doesn’t trouble us. But because they are late and they are asleep and they don’t see that Chris is running, then all of sudden Chris has tap-ins. It’s almost easy as can be for him. All he has to do is run down the field and tap a ball in the goal. Four times.
New York Red Bulls Goalkeeper Luis Robles
On giving up the lead
In that respect, regarding the lead, yeah, in both games there was the first half, and in the second half it was unfortunately a different result. But if there is any sort of silver lining, it’s that we got a point on the road against a very good team that has been very successful playing at their place. There are some points of concern that we will address during the week, but right now I’m just going to focus on the fact that we a got a point.
On the playing style after the red card
Maybe not anxiety, it was a lack of gamesmanship. Understanding the situation, taking a step back, assessing what exactly is going on right now, we are a man up, there is a point in hand. So the very worse we finish with a point but then there is still going to be this idea, how do we push the game? How do we maintain possession? How do we create chances? Whether it’s on the counter attack, whether it’s set pieces that we got. There lies a frustration because the fact that we were a man up, and we had to go to a five in the back because we couldn’t seem to get control of the game.
On the NYCFC game
I mean NYC is playing well. They got another result today, congrats to them. We know it’s going to be a tough match on the weekend. But before that happens, there is certain things that we need to evaluate, access and get better at. Hopefully this week we can use it, take advantage of the full training week. It feels like forever since we have had a full training week. It feels like the Copa America break was forever ago, but nonetheless that’s just the way the schedule is set up. We have to deal with it because it’s not necessarily going to get any easier. With that being said, let’s take a step back and say that we played against a very tough team, who is playing very well. We got a point, and let’s dwell on that.
New York Red Bulls Midfielder Sacha Kljestan
On the second half
We have to do better in the second half. We played like boys not men.
We made mistakes, we make the same mistakes we made in the past. Pontius scores a goal again the exact same way he scored against us last time. We aren’t learning from our mistakes. It’s going to be a long season if we don’t learn from our mistakes. How can they just play balls up the field and be on the run basically at our goal from the sides. It’s mistakes, we’re not men, we don’t manage the game well. We were up a man and we had to go 5 in the back because we aren’t getting the job done defensively, it’s ridiculous. It’s a big disappointing result.
On the NYCFC game
Do all the little things in training and get ourselves back. We know that it’s a rivalry game so it’s going to be a big one, so we know we lost to NYCFC last time and they are ahead of us in the standings. I don’t think we need any extra motivation; we just need to rebound, be up and be ready for that game.
On the two goals scored in first half
We did a very good job picking up the ball in there half on the very first goal. Bradley played me a perfect pass, I just had to take a touch and put it in the corner. The second one obviously is fortunate because it takes a deflection and Andre Blake is wrong footed. So it was a good time to score just before the half. I wish we had come out a little bit better.
