D.C. United Head Coach Ben Olsen:
On overall impressions of the game:
It’s pretty simple, we went in to the game trying to limit [Sebastian] Giovinco’s influence and that didn’t go so well. But, he’s a special player. We are going to come up against very good players in this League and he’s certainly at the top of that list. On any given day he can do what he did today. He’s a difference maker.
On the team’s mentality going in to the second half and at the end of the game:
We played the full second half, and I thought our start in the first 10-15 minutes was pretty good. We got away from some things midway through the first half, and they were the better team then right on through to the end of the first half. In the second half it was a good performance from us, but some of the final stuff was off. I think some heavy legs and lack of concentration started to sink in, and again it was just one of those games. Credit them and certainly credit [Sebastian] Giovinco for having a good night.
On scoring the early goal tonight and giving up the lead:
I don’t put too much stock in when we give up a goal. There’s going to be a whole bunch of games where we score first and games where they score first. I’m concerned with the entirety of games at this point and how we can put together full focus with quality, energy and with a little chip on our shoulder. That’s what we need to continue to try to build towards. Some times it’s a little tough. I didn’t think the energy was the greatest tonight and they had a special player make some special plays.
On the status of injured players:
I will have a lot of tough choices next weekend.
D.C. United Defender Kofi Opare:
On the outcome of the game:
Obviously it didn’t plan out the way we wanted it to. We would have liked to walk away with three points or at least a point but it wasn’t to be. The guys are obviously disappointed by the result. I think the guys gave everything they got but we still fell short.
On matching up against Sebastian Giovinco:
He’s a tricky guy. He’s obviously smaller, by that I mean a lower center of gravity. He’s really quick and definitely tested us today. I’d say he’s a world-class player. He’s not easy. He’s tricky and able to turn so quickly but he has a soccer brain so he’s able to utilize his space and know where to turn with the ball and when to pass it. Like I said, he’s a world-class player.
D.C. United Defender Steven Birnbaum:
On how the team played as a whole:
It’s not good enough of us to be honest. We were pretty careless with the ball I thought today. We should’ve been a little better and we didn’t have as much possession as we thought we would. We just had to really execute the possession part of it, but you know it happens and that’s it.
On Sebastian Giovinco:
He had two goals tonight. Our goal was to keep him off the score sheet and we thought we had a chance, but obviously that game plan didn’t go so well. He’s a good player. One of the best in the league so we have to do better on that the next time we play him.
On getting his first goal in the League:
It’s definitely bittersweet. It’s good to kind of get that one on the way, I feel like it’s been coming for a while. I’ve missed a lot of chances lately so it feels good to get one and then hopefully it’ll just keep rolling.
Toronto FC Head Coach Greg Vanney:
On if he looks at the standings and what he takes away from this game:
I would be lying if I said that I don’t look at the table. I think we all do, and we know the importance of every win. We know how many games in hand we are, but I think in this league it’s dangerous if you count the game in hand as points. You have to look at where you are and say we’re still behind, and we still have some work to do, and points to pick up and some results to get. Any other league, any other table, you’re planning on the same number of games. For us it’s one game at a time, get results and if we keep doing what we’re doing we’ll climb the ladder and hopefully we’ll be there in the end.
On how Jonathan Osorio filled in for Michael Bradley and what they will do if they both leave for Gold Cup?
I thought he was excellent. I thought he was how he always is, he looks for the ball, he gets on the ball, his awareness of his surroundings is very good so he can wiggle out of pressure. He’s a guy that doesn’t shy away from the ball and creating a passing lane for somebody. So for us that’s part of what helped us in possession. He was able to do that for us and that’s something that Michael normally does for us. I was happy with his performance. I was happy to get Collin back, I thought he was excellent in the first half. We couldn’t push him any longer but I thought he gave us some real stability in the first half. What do I do when or if they’re both gone in the Gold Cup? I don’t know. I’ll have to look down my team a little bit and figure out the right solution.
Toronto FC Midfielder Jonathan Osorio:
So you had the responsibility of filling in for Michael Bradley, how do you think you did?
I think I did pretty well. I think I helped the team a lot in possession, keeping the ball and trying to maintain it while they were pressing a lot. I thought I did a good job at holding it up and creating chances for the team.
On if they proved their depth tonight?
I think we’re proving it every game. Every game somebody is out but we have someone who steps in and does a good job. We have a lot of depth in this team. I think we showed a lot of character today. We found out a lot about ourselves today and I think we’re really happy and want to keep this momentum going in to the bye week and hopefully the next game.
