New York Red Bulls head coach Mike Petke
On Henry's performance in the game
I would love to get Thierry out in the 60th minute of many games to rest him with games coming up, but shows having him on the field, he's always a threat. I mean his performance tonight, purely on scoring opportunities and assists, is world class and that's why he is on the field game in and game out.
On Bradley Wright-Phillips' 15 goals and if he can be the clubs' first player reach 20 regular season goals
It would be great because he's earned it, and it would help us as a team. I told Bradley before the game, I was honest, do what you do best and score goals, and he did. He could have had more, you talk about strikers being streaky and his streak is just continuing. He got hot, whenever that was, when he scored his first goal this year, and he just wouldn't let up. He's a true striker because he has that nose for goal and I'm very glad that we have him.
On the difference between the first and second half
The second half we were much more organized. Our balance was better, we talk so much in the week leading up and even in my pregame tonight, that balance and spacing were key for tonight. Middle to the end of the first half we were all over the place, it looked like two separate teams, again. We were getting dragged everywhere and we had guys going forward and not necessarily getting back in the timely fashion I would preferred. But in the second half we were getting behind the ball a little bit because they were looking for the tie, and they needed two goals, but we were very organized. Bringing Dax and Sekagya on late in the game helped us out a lot. Dax is a true central holding midfielder and he did well with that tonight, and Ibra did very well.
On if he has rethought his trust in the younger players after tonight's game
(Matt Miazga) is 18 years old, Chris Duvall is either 20 or 21 and Oyongo is around 19-20, whatever his age is, I mean there is going to be mistakes. But the important thing for me is, I pulled Matt out afterwards and said 'How many games have you played in MLS,' he said 'Five.' I said I played 300-something games and I had a hell of a lot of mistakes in this league. It's all about how you bounce back, and I think in the second half he responded, he showed it didn't get to him and that's all you can hope for from him. Many young kids would have folded, and they didn't. There are going to be mistakes, there is going to be a learning curve. By putting them in, as I have the last five-or-six games, I am showing that I know that I am going to stick with him. That's not to say that he won't come out once and awhile, come out here-and-there. But I believe in these young kids, I believe that this is the way for the future of this club.
On having Dax McCarty back after his long absence
To be honest with you, I was hoping to get Dax out tonight and it became clear that we really needed to clog up that midfield up. Higuain was all over the place, seeing a lot of the ball and I thought to keep asking Tim to come way back deep wasn't the best thing to do. So we get Dax on, and then to bring Ibra on late in the game, to have almost both of them sitting, with one getting forward and having that one sit. I told Dax last year and this year that if he were to embrace that roll as a true traditional holding midfielder, it's a dying art, it really is. You look around this league at who is holding true midfielder; Kyle Beckerman. You look back in the day; there was a number of them that I played with. And that is, to me, what will elevate him to the next game. To do those selfless acts of just working things up and starting that attacks, and I thought he did really well when he came on.
On if Wright-Phillips is exceeding his expectations
That's a tough question answer. He's sitting on 15 goals and we have 17 games left. Perhaps he has exceeded some expectations. We knew where he came from, we knew a bit about him and we were hoping we could get goals from him and he's really on a great tear. He's playing better, as well, and I don't think he gets enough credit for it. He is playing the position a lot better. I said there's a price to pay when playing with Thierry Henry up front, he likes to go all over the place and we want him too. Fabian last year, the lone striker up there, and Cooper before. It's not easy, and they have developed such a great relationship, those two, there's trust there. I think to say that Bradley scored 15 goals without giving a lot of credit to Thierry, as his partner. But this is the guy we hoped we'd get and I'm glad he's on this streak now.
New York Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips
On current run of form
I don’t know if you can expect to be on this kind of a run. I’m just getting very fortunate at the moment, I’m enjoying it though.
On playing up front with Henry
You see today the assist he put on a plate for me. He did it for two other plays today I think. It makes it so much easier playing with a guy of his class.
On feelings going into game
I just go out there and do what the manager, what Mike tells me to do about defending and so on. I just think if I get a chance, try and hit the target. If it goes in you guys talk to me, if it don’t I get showered, dried and go home.
On other seasons he’s had like this in his career
There were two seasons I had where I got 20-odd goals. I had a few streaks like this, I don’t know if it was as long but I’ve had a few seasons where I’ve scored some goals.
On potential of becoming the first player in club history to reach 20-goal mark
I don’t know, if it happens it happens, there’s a first time for everything. I hope it can be me. If it’s not there’ll be another time.
New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles
On what Henry said to team after conceding in the first half
I love it when he reminds us who he is. At halftime he was fuming. Just the way we were playing, we went up one-zero, we just gave up a bad goal. Then we got the lead again, even when we got the lead we were giving up big chances. So we came in at halftime and he was just irate. In a way it was good because we took it out on the team in the second half. Obviously that was vintage Thierry. When he plays like that there’s not a defense in the league that’s going to be able to stop him. To everyone else’s credit they were where he wanted them to be so he could make those passes. Of course we got some good finishes. Eric put it away, Lloyd got unlucky, he could’ve had two, he hit the post and of course Bradley is on fire. You guys know as well as anyone when our offense is on it’s really tough to compete with us.
On Henry’s muted goal celebration
He was not happy. You know, we needed that. Because you need to shake it up. We’re on a bit of a run, but even on this run we’ve gotten lucky. It’s up to us to decide games and we’re not deciding games. In the second half we decided that game. So we need our captain, we need our leader to be emotional like that. The guys just fed off it. That’s why in the second half it was compact, defense played great, we didn’t give up those chances and we got three points.
On Henry's distributing role this season
Obviously (Henry) is on a level that few players ever get. When he decides that he wants to be there distributing passes, we got to see that today and through most of the season when he wants to do that he’s going to do that. He’s set up Bradley for so many goals, I don’t even know how many second assists he’s had. The tough thing about playing against (Henry) is he’s inside, he’s outside, he comes against the ball deep so it’s tough to mark him. When he plays like that, when he’s moving there’s just not too many guys, defensive midfielders in the league that are going to be able to track that.
