NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION HEAD COACH JAY HEAPS
On New England’s performance:
It wasn’t our best stuff. I give credit to the Columbus Crew for a great game.

On Federico Higuain’s free-kick:


We talked about giving one up this morning and we did that.

On what was lacking in performance:

I thought (Steve) Clark made a couple good saves. It very easily could have been a draw.

On decision to put in Jermaine Jones:

I put him in to change the game up. He obviously took a pretty nasty knock last week. We wanted to get him on the field but at the same time he wasn’t full speed at training all week. I thought he went in and sure enough he gets kicked the time in. It’s a little bit disheartening.


NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION DEFENDER JOSÉ GONÇALVES
On tonight’s result:
I think you can see that everyone is frustrated. It’s normal, we lost a game, but we had the chances to win the game. They picked up three points at the end and we have to accept that and move on because we are still in a good spot. We absolutely need to turn this around next weekend to get a win.
On why the team was unable to break through:
I think every position maybe needed to do a little bit more, of course it didn’t go the way we wanted. Columbus at home is a tough team to beat. We made some mistakes, so now we have to move on and take those mistakes and try to avoid them in the next game.
On Federico Higuain’s free kick goal:
I mean it is just one guy. We cannot put mistakes on one guy. He scored on a free kick and we had a chance after to come back in the game, but we didn’t. Like I said, we have some important games coming up. We must forget this one, and tomorrow is a new day.
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION FORWARD CHARLIE DAVIES
On tonight’s result:
It’s obviously disappointing, we wanted to come here and get a result. Columbus played like they wanted it more, they had more energy than us. We didn’t have the best of first halves, but we were able to keep it even and go into half even. I thought that we played better in the second half, we just gave them good chances. If you give (Federico) Higuain some free kicks, he is going to put it in.
On his near goal in the second half:
Yeah, I would have bet anything on it that it was going to hit the back of the net. Kudos to Steve Clark to make such a great save when his team needed him. It is just unfortunate, because the team needed to put that one away and I got to put that in the back of the net.
On why the team was unable to break through:
There are a number of things. We just got to watch this game over, see where we made the mistakes and get ready for Kansas City, because in reality, that is the big one for us. We got to put this one behind us and move on and really step it up for Kansas City. If we can get a result there, then all is forgotten and we can move forward as a team.
COLUMBUS CREW SPORTING DIRECTOR AND HEAD COACH GREGG BERHALTER


On his thoughts on the win:

It’s a fantastic win on fantastic night and the whole team, myself and the whole coaching staff are extremely proud of Frankie (Hejduk). He means a ton to this organization I think it’s a fitting way to honor him with the Circle of Honor.
On the shutout against the New England Revolution:

We played well, we played solid with the first half, which was really good. The movement, opening them up, creating chances and I think it’s difficult for the other team to make chances when they don’t have the ball or they have the ball in their half, it becomes hard. I think we did a good job in the first half, after we scored they came out with everything they had and I think we could have been a little bit sharper on the counter attack but nonetheless we earned a penalty kick and an opportunity. So overall I’m proud of the group, it was a good performance.
On the importance of the game:

They’re all important, every single one of them, every single point is important.
On the game and using substitutions later in the match:

I think if you look at a guy like Justin (Meram) who was taken out last game and the way he performed today was good, he was very secure on the ball, his movement was good and I think he had a very good performance and Eric (Gehrig) also, he had a great chance in the first half, he was active getting up and down the line. I think we were content with the way we were playing and there’s no need to change anything when you’re happy with how things are going.
On finishing the game:

One to nothing is always a tough lead to hold. It was a matter of defending against a couple set pieces that we gave up, it was a matter of dealing with them throwing numbers forward and keeping the ball. I think two of those three things we did really well and I think we could have kept the ball a bit better but it’s tough. When the defensive pressure steps up and they become desperate to get something out of the match it is difficult and that’s why we keep working every day and keep training to be able to handle the ball under pressure like that.

On Jermaine Jones’ introduction to the game:

He pulls off to the left side in build up so it becomes interesting how you solve it. I think that if you don’t cut off the angle to the left back then it can create an overload and if Ethan (Finlay) to Jermaine (Jones) when he’s in that position it can get tricky so we know he’s good and as he comes inside he can pass with his right foot extremely well and we know his the qualities he possesses, he’s physical, he’s fast, good on the ball, he can shoot from distance. It was a bit of a concern but the guys handled it well.


COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER WIL TRAPP


On tonight:


I thought it was a pretty gritty performance from us against a good team. We made up some ground in the Eastern Conference which is huge. I am really proud with how we stuck together as a team. Some guys made mistakes, and that is why we have teammates. We stepped up for each other, and that is why we won the game.
On the Wil Trapp and Tony Tchani midfield pairing:
We kept them off the ball. We tried to close passing lanes as soon as possible. Lee Nguyen is a crafty midfielder when he gets the ball. It is a difficult day for us, but I thought we did a good job of denying him the ball as well as getting pressure on their center backs and making them have trouble playing the ball out of the back.
On if this is Tony Tchani’s best performance of the season up to this time:
Yeah. He has had a number of fantastic games, but this one he just took over. It was fun to play next to him, and fun to watch.
On Steve Clark saving Charlie Davies’ late second-half shot:
I do not know if you saw my reaction, but I think I lost my mind because I could not believe that he saved it. Like I said, teammates bale out teammates, and that is why we won the game.
COLUMBUS CREW GOALKEEPER STEVE CLARK

On the impact of this win moving forward into the season:
Obviously when you win a tight game, it feels good. Especially at this point in the year. Everyone showed up and played great. It was an important win.
On the team’s toughness during tonight’s game:
From minute number one to the 94th minute, I thought we did compete. We looked great. I thought it was a total ninety minute performance for everybody.
On closing the Crew defense closing New England’s space:

I though they looked average tonight. That is a credit to our two centerbacks, the defending and the midfielders. They are a good team, but I thought they looked as bad as I have seen them. So credit to the defenders.
On his diving save in the second half:
I was looking for the ball we had just given away. I had to get back in the spot, and then make the save. I think in a game like that where you do not have that much to do; you are pushing for that save every second of the game. And you are back there a lot of the time waiting, and waiting, but really pushing for that save. When you make it [the save] it feels really good, and I am going to enjoy that.
