D.C. United Head Coach Ben Olsen
On how game the unraveled...
"We weren’t good enough in possession and out of possession we didn’t work hard enough. Our pulse was wrong from the get-go in the biggest game of the year to date and that part is concerning."
On adjusting for Tuesday...
"I told everyone last week that things were going our way. We had the same team every weekend and now we have an injury (Joseph Mora) and a suspension (Wayne Rooney). It’s a MLS season, so buckle up. Everybody needs to work and other guys are going to have to play into this. It’s always a challenging part of the gig, but also a rewarding one when guys can come in and help the team win. Collectively we become more of group if we can be successful in that."
Los Angeles FC Head Coach Bob Bradley
On Carlos Vela exploiting the right side...
"I think we’re a team that plays both sides of the field. So, we’re lucky that we’ve got Carlos, who comes really well in from the right, Diego who comes in from the left. We still try to create good movement, so I think that part was good."
On overall satisfaction with the game...
"It’s great to win 4-0 away from home. We scored some really good goals. Today is a choppy game, so it’s not exactly a game where there’s all sorts of fluidity and everything else. The field is a bit choppy and slow, so I thought we handled it well. It’s hardly a day where we feel like we’ve arrived. We’ve got a long ways to go."
On what statement this makes to the league...
"I think we did a lot of good things. When we were able to connect passes, in the center of the field they tried to keep things tight in the first half. When we were able to play out of the pressure, we had good opportunities going forward, we took advantage. And sometimes you have a day where you’re sharp and make the other team pay. And look, to be fair to them, it was just not there best day. And then they go down to ten. So, it’s a game that we feel good about because it’s never easy to come across the country and play a match. We feel like we handled it well, but I think that any other talk doesn’t really fit."
On how players stayed motivated in the second half...
"The motivation is to play good football. The motivation is to play 90 minutes. The motivation is to keep making the right decisions. I think if you went around and asked everyone on the team how they felt in the second half, I think they would say it wasn’t our best. But, you know, you don’t want to take away from a really good team effort."
Los Angeles FC Forward Carlos Vela
On his performance...
"I missed the penalty. I’m not happy for that. But yeah, we are doing really well. We are enjoying it. And when you are on the field and you see your teammate enjoying it, you are enjoying it. Everything is in the right direction. So, we have to continue in that direction, we have to keep working. Because the season is really long, so we have to play the best football we can in this moment and then in the bad moments, show that we are a good team."
On how he felt after missing the penalty...
"When I missed the penalty, in my head there was only one target: to score a goal. I have to recover that mistake and I did it quick. So, it was good for our confidence and after that, everything was really good and we had a good game, a complete game. We maybe didn’t play the second half our best football, but we were still scoring goals and doing a good job."
On continuing to get better...Of course. We are trying. It is always difficult to keep the level… We have to be ambitious, we have to work hard. This is the only way to get better.
On him and Diego Rossi being considered contenders for MLS MVP...
"It’s good. I think we work every day to show how good we are. If you have a couple of players on that list, it’s because we are doing well. We have to keep it there, we have to show every game how good we are. I hope, in the end, we can be winning that MVP."
On potential Mexican national team call-up...
"I don’t think about that. I’m just focused on every game on my football here at LAFC, and with the rest, you never know."
On potential to win the MLS Cup...
"We feel we are really contenders to win the league. So, we have to keep working…We are happy with the level we are showing."
Los Angeles FC Midfielder Diego Rossi
On his connection with Carlos Vela...
"We have a good connection with all the teammates, but we know that Carlos has something special for us. He’s a good player and he’s important, but we have a connection with all the teammates."
On learning from Carlos Vela...
"I try to learn about Carlos, his movements. He also tries to give us some tips or something like that. We know that he is a great player and we want to learn."
Los Angeles FC Defender Mohamed El-Munir
On making his debut for LA...
"It’s always nice to have your first debut with the team, especially in a game like this today. We planned a lot for this game because this was the test for us… Pretty much, we get it in the right way and we get the win… It was good. There was not a lot of pressure. There were ten men playing against us. It was nice. I got to have the feeling that I’m playing with the team and hopefully it’s the start for me."
On playing for a winning team…
"It’s always good when you’re playing on a team that has good players and is winning games. Last year, I had a good time… I’m trying always to focus on what’s coming next with my future and now I’m with LA. I’m feeling happy and I think it’s going very well."
