New England Revolution assistant coach Tom Soehn
The game didn’t start out with a whole lot of pizzazz, but I felt like as the game built we started to feel it, started to create some opportunities, but we didn’t finish on the opportunities. Part of the talk at halftime was we just needed to have that killer instinct. This team continues to create opportunities, and I think today helps getting us over that hump to get those couple goals because we’ve done a good job, we’ve been organized, compact, and some of the results haven’t gone our way. It was refreshing to get the results today.
The second goal is always important because they’re throwing everything at us. They made some offensive moves. They switched to a 3-5-2, and then were really throwing everything at us, so getting that second goal obviously takes the wind out of them a little bit.
It was nice. I really felt like our subs really impacted the game. We talked about that before. Not only the starting eleven making such an impact, but when you come in, you change the game, and I thought our subs did a great job and helped us sure up the game.
Well you know what, we talked at halftime, and they left a lot of space for Kevin (Alston) to attack, and I think Kevin (Alston) just needs the confidence to really take those spaces. So we talked about it, and I was real happy for him that it (the goal) came because he’s got a lot of tools. The guy is fast. Just the confidence to beat guys and him scoring is going to help that confidence.
It’s never easy losing your captain and your leader on the field. I thought when we put Andrew (Farrell) back there he stepped up and did a fantastic job. Him and A.J. (Soares) have played there in spring training before, so we have the confidence to put them in, and Darrius (Barnes) did a great job coming in on the right side. The back four even as we made the change did a great job tonight.
We keep creating chances, and we’re working on our finishing all the time. We almost said maybe we shouldn’t work on finishing and ease the pressure, but we said we’re going to stick to what we’re doing and eventually those chances will start turning into goals. Thankfully tonight they did.
Jerry (Bengtson) opened up the game. We were looking to expose them for pace a little bit, and we knew that they were going to press, so there’s going to be opportunities in behind. He did a good job when he came in, and obviously that second goal really helped, and took the wind out of their sail, and made us be able to relax a little bit.
Well, we’re obviously at home, and we always try to treat this as our palace, and no one’s going to beat us at our home ground. So that obviously weighs in, and we’re a different team than we were there. We were missing some guys. We had a little more time to gel together, and today I felt like in a lot of aspects of the game we deserved to win today.
New England Revolutiondefender Kevin Alston
Tommy (Soehn) was just pushing me all game, just telling me that space was there, just get into the attack, get wide and just try to help out. I think that pushing really helped me to just be in a good spot, to start.
Amazing, finally break the seal you know its six years later and I’m just glad it’s finally here. I can say I scored at least one in my career.
It’s special being at home. This is my first game starting (at home) since March 31 last year. It’s a special game for me. Just to be back in front of the home fans and to be able to get my first goal here.
I think we have a lot of good that we can take from this game and apply it to our next couple games. I think we just have to keep fighting, you know there’re no easy games and we need the points and I think we can carry confidence from here moving forward.
Yeah a little bit. I think they’re a different team. They switched a little bit without Brad Davis, changes their dynamic. They usually come out flying and I think they did that still, (Giles) Barnes and (Will) Bruin up top battling and they always pressure. I think that was just how their formation was set up.
It was just one of those things where, like you said, it didn’t happen but I just tried to stay in a good spot and stay onside and stay in the play. Fortunate to just get that bounce that came right to me and let me take the shot.
(The new turf is) unbelievable. It’s way better, it’s fresh. More cushion and the ball rolls a lot smoother. It doesn’t bounce as much. Anytime you replace turf with new turf it’s going to feel a lot better and it definitely showed.
We battled. I think we came out with a game plan and knew they were going to battle before the game we said we have to match their intensity and as a back four and not just as a back four as a team. We need to come out and fight and when you stay connected that was our goal and it feels good they didn’t get a shot on goal.
New England Revolution Forward Jerry Bengtson (as translated by staff assistant Jasir Charris)
I knew that (Houston) was losing and they were pushing up their lines. When I looked, I knew that was the opportunity and I looked over the shoulder, just took the space and scored.
(The goal) gives me a lot of confidence – for me, as well as the team. Hopefully it’s just the first one. Yes, lots of confidence. Hopefully I can do more for the club.
Fortunately, with the (Honduras) national team, my performance has been a lot different. I don’t want it that way. Sometimes it just happens. You can’t stop, you’ve just got to keep working hard and keep putting the effort into it.
It’s a lot of work to still put in (before the World Cup). I just have to wait for (Honduras national team) coach (Luis) Suarez to give out the final roster. I know my teammates, playing the same position, forward, are doing a really good job, as well. You just have to keep working hard.
Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear
On differences between first meeting
No two games are the same, they’re always going to be different no matter what.
On changes in the back line
No not really. I thought the guys that came in and did alright.
Not a lot to be honest with you. Just didn’t play very well today.
We were chasing the game. We were losing so you just kind of send more players forward that’s the reason why you do that.
Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall
I think in the first half and for the first couple minutes of the second half, I think our mindset was played out on the field. We didn’t want to give them a lot of space. You can’t let New England have rhythm and you can’t let them get in the groove because they’ll punish you if you do. I think we let ourselves down, and at the same time I think later – most of the second half – they found their groove and we were punished for it.
We were a bit out of sorts (when Jerry Bengtson scored) pushing for an equalizer and a through ball comes and checks up, so it’s kind of like, after three steps I’m running out knowing I’m probably not going to get the ball, but I’ve already made a poor decision, and you just kind of hope you get lucky. I felt like I kind of let the team down, took away our chance to get an equalizer and get a point.
I think they matched us in intensity and we struggled kind of controlling the game going forward.
Houston Dynamo midfielder Ricardo Clark
I think we are a strong team, but that’s the way the game goes sometimes. The first goal we were just sloppy getting the ball out of the 18 and they took advantage of it. The second goal we were just pushing and we couldn’t help it. It was just one of those things where we were trying to get a goal and they just countered on us. You know, Tally’s (Hall) out by himself and they dribbled through so there is only so much we can do on that one. I think on the road we have to do a little bit better to finish out the game. I think 0-0 at half isn’t too bad of a result. We just have to keep the 90 minutes more consistent. We could be better.
Like I said, being away, sometimes it’s tough to get scoring chances, especially in an environment like this. It’s not an excuse, but I think defensively, especially going in at 0-0, we need to be sharper going into the second half. From the forwards, through the whole team, all the way to the back, we need to act more as a unit and not let those kinds of goals happen. I think both of them were preventable.
