D.C. United head coach Ben Olsen
On how the team started the game, but built momentum over time…
“In the first half our pressing wasn't very cohesive. However, when we did drop, we were very disciplined, and we kept them from having great opportunities. I was happy with that, but we had to be a little bit better with the ball. A lot of little plays weren’t sharp, and it added up to them on the front foot and us defending quite a bit. In the second half, I thought we did much better picking our spots, when we could press, and stay higher up the field. We were more brave with the ball in the second half. We had a few guys start to understand that we had to pass our way out of this game, and I think you saw that in the second half. Then the subs came in and did a very good job.”
On the importance of Lloyd Sam’s goal-scoring threat…
“It was a great goal tonight. He put a lot of work in defensively, dealing with the overlaps, and when they were in possession. Those guys are asked to do a lot of work, Patrick [Nyarko] and Lloyd [Sam], and they had to do that more than we wanted in the first half. But they did it, and second half, I’m glad he [Sam] got a reward out of it.”
On Lamar Neagle…
“He continues to be a very good sub. His ability to exploit teams that are pressing…his running off the ball…his composure and final product…are all very strong and he has helped us.”
D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid
On the importance of team’s momentum…
“I think the momentum is good right now. We got a good performance against Orlando, that’s a good showing at home, and we just wanted to piggyback off of that and continue the form. It’s a completely different team, completely different animal. Columbus, they throw numbers at you from every angle. We had to figure out how to deal with all of those numbers and all of that possession they want to have, but you could see our momentum carried through in the second half. We figured it out and we punished them.”
On Nick DeLeon filling in for Sean Franklin at right back…
“DeLeon’s been spot on. I think he’s actually played [there] for us in the past. He’s been fantastic. It’s hard for guys to get behind him because he knows the position well, which is surprising because it’s not something that he’s played all year, but he’s filled in and done a fantastic job. The whole backline, they work well with him. He takes information extremely well. Hats off to [Nick], he’s done really well.”
D.C. United midifelder Lamar Neagle
On his goal…
“I was obviously doing what I can. I think tonight they were a little bit tired, so tonight when I came on, I had the advantage obviously of being fresh. Obviously they went three at the back, so I was going to be wide open. I was really surprised as to how wide-open I was. Julian played me a ball and kind of repaid me for last week…I got him one, so he got me one."
On how crucial this result is in the playoff race…
“I think it was huge. I think we all needed it with all the implications of the night. Winning 3-0 is great as well, so getting some momentum with back-to-back wins kind of leading into playoffs…it’s huge. Obviously we still want to kind of climb the table and get a little bit safer because right now it’s still up in the air.”
On if this is an example of what they’re capable of…
“I think so. We added some pretty crucial pieces…guys who are obviously scoring goals. Pat Mullins is scoring a ton of goals, Lloyd is coming in and doing the same thing. I think we’ve obviously found our kind of rhythm. Lucho is a big part of it. He’s obviously developed in this league. It’s different from where he came from, so I think he understands that now, and he’s playing really well. It’s helping us out.”
D.C. United midfielder Lloyd Sam:
On his goal…
“I had a feeling…I saw that I needed to try and make something happen…I thought, Lucho’s got the ball. He’s the guy that can find me…let me make a run and see if he finds me. The rest is history.”
On their momentum…
“Everyone’s firing right now, which is good to see. The first half was a hard half for us. We had to weather that storm. We figured out some things before we came back in there. It was a little different in the second half. And this is the right time to get it, right? Like the old Houston teams from the past that get a head full of steam right before playoffs, and we’ll see what happens.”
D.C. United defender Taylor Kemp
On the result...
“We have a lot of momentum, and we’re feeling good. We’re playing well. These are do-or-die games for us. To be on the winning end of that is huge. It’s huge for our confidence, it’s huge for our chances of the postseason. So we want to just keep that going.”
On the game plan against Columbus…
“We know what Columbus is about. They’re a great passing team. They’re a good possession team, and they can kind of pin you in your own half. But in doing that, they leave themselves a little vulnerable defensively, and so we knew that we would get our breaks. They can’t really keep it up the entire 90 minutes, especially coming off a game on Sunday. So, we knew they’d fade a little bit, and then when we got our chances, we did really well to finish them. It was only 1-0 in 80-something minutes, so I thought we did really well to ice the game, because that’s tough defending a 1-0 lead. A lot of credit to the guys up there who got us those goals.”
On getting chances to score…
“We were grinding it out defending so much that we had a hard time getting out of our own half. But in the second half, I thought we caught a second wind and did better on the break. So, you kind of just wait and see what the game gives you.”
Columbus Crew SC head coach Gregg Berhalter
On the encouraging start and how he saw the game unfolding…
“I think it wasn’t a bad start. I don’t think it was great. I think it’s tough to get that top speed, to get that top intensity after playing Sunday night. Really quick turn around, so that made it difficult. You can see where, a little bit, missing that, although we had good actions the quality wasn’t there to finish the action off.”
On how difficult this result is going forward looking at the math…
“It’s tough. This was a big, big loss for us. I told the guys that I think we were in striking distance and we needed something and unfortunately we didn’t get it. Give D.C. credit. They had a good game plan, absorb, absorb, absorb, and then score, and I think they executed it perfectly. So give them a lot of credit and we have to pick up the pieces and perform on Saturday night.”
On the mentality going into the two games against Chicago…
“Well we can’t give up. That’s one thing. We can’t give up. I said we are going to keep fighting until we are mathematically out of it. Fatigue is part of the game, mental toughness is part of the game and this is something we have to deal with. We’re going to ask the guys to deal with it. And we’re going to see who can and who can’t.”
On how he though Wil Trapp looked…
“It was his first game in a while, so I think all things considered he did well.”
Columbus Crew SC midfielder Dilly Duka
On the result…
“I thought we had a good first half. We started the second half well, or decently well. But once they got the goal we pushed forward and we left a couple defenders stranded behind and that’s the way they punished us more.”
On how tough this result is based on the Eastern Conference race to the playoffs…
“Very tough. We still have somewhat control. I guess we have four more games left. Obviously if you’re worn out you have a really good chance of losing. We are still going to keep going. And it’s not over until it’s over, right?”
On the overall mentality of going into back to back games against Chicago…
“First, we just have to take it one game at a time. The first one is at home so we really have to bring the energy and go for the three points.”
On knowing that Saturday’s game is the last home game, how important is that game…
“Extremely. Before this one, we won our last road game. We just have to take it one day at a time and when those road games come we just have to bring a lot of energy and try to get results.”
Columbus Crew SC forward Ola Kamara
On the game…
“I think we played well in the first half. But we didn’t get the final production. We needed to win this game; we needed to score in the first half. And then they had a really big one of course and when they scored in the second half I think they got a lot of energy. In the end that was enough for them. And then they started counter attacking and scoring.”
On how tough the loss is to swallow…
“It’s very tough. It was very important. We wanted to win but it was very important not to loose and when you loose it’s very hard.”
On how to shift the mentality for the upcoming games…
“It’s a quick turnaround. We have Chicago in three days so we just have to get home, recover and try to win against Chicago and then we will see. But it will be very hard now.”
On how difficult it is to do such a quick turnaround…
“I think for the body it’s always hard. And it’s just three days. Four days is always better. You can see that in the world cup of soccer as well. Everybody is always complaining if a team has three days and not the four, so I mean it’s hard but for this, this was a kind of do-or-die game. We had to find that energy and it wasn’t enough, and D.C. was better, and we have to congratulate them for their game today.”
