New England Revolution head coach Jay Heaps
Opening comments:
“Obviously, disappointed with the final result. We thought we had enough there and we did enough to get through but, you credit a good team. The keeper made some great saves and I thought we could’ve done a little bit better to get a goal before half and then there’s about ten minutes there we were not good enough to start the second half. But, after that I thought we reassumed control and had chances to win.”
On what was missing in the final minutes:
“The goal. I think we did everything but score. I mean we had a couple chances. I would’ve liked, I thought Lee (Nguyen) was in almost and Diego (Fagundez) had the header and (Andy) Dorman had a great chance. So those three chances stand out as what you create against a team that’s in a good block and it’s difficult. But at the same time I got to go back and look at the film to find out exactly what it was, but, those three chances stand out.”
On the team’s preparation after last Friday’s draw in Orlando:
“I thought we were better this week than last week in terms of an overall performance. I think last week was 45 minutes of not playing well, tonight was 10 minutes of not playing well. But, it still cost us the same amount of points so it’s still disheartening and disappointing because we hate leaving points on the table, especially at home. At the same time we have to look at the positives and that they’re a good team and they obviously spent a lot of money to be a good team and they got three DP’s and all of them were a big part of tonight. Unfortunately, Jozy (Altidore) goes down, but, other than that the other two were pretty good.”
On Jermaine Jones beginning in the midfield
“It’s a combination. I thought with Jose (Goncalves) he’s been training really well this week and we wanted to kind of give a different look in the midfield against what we thought was a pretty dynamic midfield in Toronto’s. Jermaine (Jones) had a little bit of a knock early this week and missed a little bit of training time and with so many games coming up we wanted to be smart. At the same time we thought Dorman and Kelyn (Rowe) when they came in were going to add freshness and they did. Sometimes you need to shake it up just too kind of get things going in the right direction and I thought we did that at the right time.”
On Jermaine Jones wearing the captain’s armband:
“We look at it like this, we have for me, we have a lot of good leaders on this team. For me, it’s really a team kind of concept of who wears it and when they wear it and tonight we thought it would be good for Jermaine (Jones) with his experience. At the same time I look at guys like Tierney and Dorman and Jermaine (Jones) and Jose (Goncalves) and guys that have been in there for a while that are all leaders.”
On defender London Woodberry’s performance:
“I think it helps us a lot. I don’t think we’ve seen the full effect yet and I’m hoping because tonight at halftime we were looking at where we were possessing and where we were playing. And we were right side dominant and usually we go in there and we’re left side completely dominant. I think now teams are going to have to limit the right side and give us fair balance and that will open up opportunities for Chris (Tierney). I thought in the second half we were a little bit more out of Chris (Tierney). At the same time I still think London (Woodberry) has that ability and we needed more from him in the second half. I think they overcommitted to stopping London (Woodberry) in the second half and we weren’t able to get enough. So, when we get the balance exactly right I think we’ll be more difficult to deal with.”
On the goal scored by Toronto midfielder Michael Bradley:
“I thought we had a couple chances. Listen, credit the goal, I mean he did a great touch, got it to go his way and the finish was really good. But, I think we had chances to eliminate his opportunity. But we didn’t and at the same time you credit footballers and he’s certainly a good one.”
On the quick turnaround before the team travels to Kansas City for a midweek game:
“Obviously recovery. We need to make sure we’re on the right track and make sure we take care of all/any little injuries. But, at the same time we have a deep team so we’re going to make sure we look at the best way to handle the next couple games. We have a thought process and once we know where the injuries stand and where the recovery stands, we’ll be ready to go. But, for us it’s disappointing always to leave points on the table at home. At the same time there are some positives in there and we move forward.”
New England Revolution defender Andrew Farrell
On the overall result of the game:
“I think we came out really well in the first half. I think it was similar to the Orlando game. We came out really strong, offense was clicking and kept a lot of the ball. I think that was huge for us east to west. Again those crosses in, London (Woodberry) has been great all season and Chris (Tierney) as well. And he got it off you know—Jaun (Agudelo)—a great finish. And then, well, the second half I think it was just that one play. I think they had some chances but that one play—(Michael) Bradley just broke us down and it’s tough you know? I think the boys worked really hard. And we had the chances too as well to capitalize and even though it’s a tie you know it feels like a loss. Back-to-back games we’ve had the lead and given up the lead. You know it’s tough to swallow two points in two games where I think we had the lead and could have gotten six; but move on. It’s a short week, Kansas City on Wednesday. Suck it up and keep going.”
On how Andrew Farrell felt the New England Revolution bounced back after Toronto FC equalized:
“I thought we did well, tried to limit them offensively. (Sebastian) Giovinco’s a really tough player to defend and I think the back line whether it was Jose (Goncalves), me, London (Woodberry) or Chris (Tierney), even help from (Scott Caldwell) and (Andrew Dorman) when he came in there, we limited them their chances and then we kept it. We were kind of keeping it in front of the 18 there for a while; again Lee (Nguyen) on the ball, Kelyn (Rowe), Teal (Bunbury). Like I said, we had chances to put ‘em away. It’s unfortunate. It happens in soccer but we move on. It’s a tough result but we keep on this undefeated streak and focus on Kansas City.”
On Jose Goncalves transitioning back into playing:
“Yeah, it was good. He’s a good player, you know. He’s very vocal and that facilitates him coming, playing back in there. And I think like I said we did well. One play we broke down and it happens in soccer and after that, you know, we switch back on; short memory and get back after it.”
On going up against players such as Jozy Altidore, Sebastian Giovinco, and Michael Bradley:
“As a defender, that’s fun. You like to play against those guys. It’s tough for Jozy (Altidore). Hopefully he gets well, but it’s fun. Giovinco’s a class player. He turns you. He’s fast. He’s quick. He has a great left foot, great right, and so it’s fun to play against those guys and like I said, I think tonight we got one shot and Bobby (Shuttleworth) got some huge saves for us and we kept them to one goal. That offense has some really good talent.”
New England Revolution defender London Woodberry
On the play leading up to the first goal:
“I mean Charlie (Davies) and Juan (Agudelo) both made good runs, it was just the type of play where I had a lot of space, got to pick my head up and got to serve in a good ball with a lot of time on my hands so kudos to Juan for getting his head on the end of it and notch another assist.”
On opposing defenses focusing on him:
“No, I don’t think so, not tonight. I kind of noticed it against Orlando. I wasn’t able to get that many crosses off, but I’m not sure what the other teams are doing, I’m just trying to do my job.”
On preparing to face players like Giovinco:
“We get a lot of time to prepare during the week, and our staff does a great job of doing film and stuff like that, so whether it’s on film or trying to emulate those guys on the pitch, I think we do the proper job of getting prepared for them.”
On Michael Bradley’s goal:
“Good finish, good strong run, I think it could have been prevented, but he put the ball in the back of the net, and that’s what counts.”
On bouncing back after the equalizing goal:
“Yeah, I mean I thought even before they scored the goal we had a couple good chances and it was just bad timing to give up a goal, but I felt like we did respond well once we gave up the first goal.”
On recovering from the end of game mishap:
“You have to have a short memory and just put it behind you real quickly. Soccer is a game of mistakes, so everybody’s going to make them and once you make one, if it doesn’t hurt you too bad, then move on with it.”
Toronto FC head coach Greg Vanney:
On the result:
“In the end yes, in the end we grind it out, the last fifteen minutes or so and maybe fortunate in a couple of plays that were in front of our box but for playing three matches in six days, traveling on the last one to the team that was in the finals last year and is running on an eight game unbeaten streak, or hasn’t lost in eight games, whatever that is, it was a gritty performance from the guys. I’m very proud of them because I could look at and see some tired faces on the field for sure and they still managed to do what they needed to do. I thought there were stretches in this game where quite frankly we could have put more goals in and we could have really given them a hard time. I thought they really struggled with us in certain parts of the game in certain areas of the field but once again just we gave away a goal that we shouldn’t have. We’ve got to get out and get to the crosses and stuff, crosses and maybe do a little bit better picking guys up in the box but I think it again starts to us getting to the cross but what a gritty performance from the guys, I’m very proud of them, it’s been a tough week.”
On goalkeeper Chris Konopka’s performance:
“Chris (Konopka) was massive and he’s got a bit of a growing issue which we see when he tries to kick the ball but he got himself around the box, he got the things, he grinded it out like a man and he made some big saves for us, he was big, he was an important factor tonight.”
On Michael Bradley’s goal:
“When I see Michael (Bradley) get on these runs that I’m not sure how he’s going to get to the ball and it’s just that power that he has as he gets moving forward and sometimes you’re not sure where it’s going to end up but he kept going and to be able to actually get that shot on goal and into a corner after that run is incredibly impressive, but we needed something to break through and he was able to. Sebastian (Giovinco) had some good looks throughout the course of the night as well and we just couldn’t get that one but Michael (Bradley) willed that thing into the goal and it was an important goal for us.”
On Jozy Altidore’s injury:
“I haven’t, I just saw Jozy (Altidore), I don’t have a real indication of what exactly, or how bad, or potentially how long but when I just saw him he was in good spirits for the guys because the guys grinded it out, and we’ll figure out the details later tonight, tomorrow for him.”
On his club’s busy schedule:
“Yeah, for me it’s been a wild start, you know we get home for one game, throw in the middle of that the Canadian Championship, the Canadian Cup which is two more games, one away, one at home, and a short week of matches and then we’re on the road again against one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference and not an easy start as whole but this is I think this shows kind of the determination of this group and that we’re continuing to grow as a group and we’re learning how to get results on the road as we have now pretty much three matches in a row in MLS and I think Wednesday night was also important for us at home. We didn’t get through the Canadian Cup but I thought we played some very good soccer throughout the course of that match and some of that continued tonight, that’s us moving forward as a team.”
On returning home:
“Big, we’re looking forward to it. The first thing we want to do is recover from this past week, figure out, lick our wounds, figure out exactly where we are. But I think we’ve grown as a team and now we get to go home and for me the real importance of last Wednesday was our home form and feeling like we can play again because we spent two games before that really defending and working on closing things up defending and to play that last Wednesday game and get a rhythm going from the attacking side was really important that we feel really good and comfortable going home and playing in front of our home fans and putting on the type of performance that we believe everyone can be proud of.”
On the personnel in his midfield:
“I think so and I actually thought when we moved to the diamond early in the year we would probably evolve into something that looked like this, but it took a few steps to get there. But I thought Benoit (Cheyrou) was excellent tonight, I thought Michael (Bradley) was excellent tonight. I thought the work of Collen (Warner) and Oso (Osorio) to help us in possession but also to get out and help us to defend was excellent so all in all I think we’re very close to really understanding who we are and what our personnel is and where our personnel is best used. We haven’t played many matches as a group, we’re still an immature group in terms of games played, I mean the team we played tonight has been together for a solid year, has had a great playoff run last year, has a lot to build from. We’re a group that’s still finding all of our pieces and how they all fit together, I think tonight was another step forward for us.”
On midfielder Michael Bradley’s goal:
“I don’t expect them necessarily every game but he does. He’s shown that ability with the National Team, he showed it with this team one on an occasion last year I think he had a goal pretty similar to that where he gets on a powerful run like that and he gets an angle at the goal and he finds himself with a good shot. He actually gets himself into positions to get a fair amount of opportunities on goal, the great part of this one was that he actually got it between the pipes and it didn’t deflect off of somebody, he has a lot of shots that get deflected. But he has this ability once he builds momentum moving forward to be very dangerous, moving in the attack whether it’s with the ball or playing off of people, and that’s a little bit of what we saw in that scenario.”
On goalkeeper Chris Konopka’s performance:
“I think he’s been excellent. He’s come up with big saves, he’s not a hundred percent but he’s managing to still do his job, and perform and come up with the saves he needs to, sometimes he’s hitting the ball out left footed, he’s doing everything in his power to be there for the team and he’s been excellent. It would be really hard, we could nitpick him, but he’s been amazing and really stepping up and taking this opportunity by the scruff of the neck.”
Toronto FC midfielder Benoit Cheyrou
On his team’s aggressive start:
“Yes. Tonight, I think everybody saw a team. It’s good to know we can do that. Also, the next game, it’s important to play as a team and to fight for our teammates together and to be smart. That’s what we did tonight.”
On the performance of goalkeeper Chris Konopka:
“Yes. He did a great job. We tried to avoid him to work tonight, as every game, and tonight he did a very good job. He was very courageous.”
On losing forward Jose Altidore to injury in the first half:
“It’s always tough to say that. But Luke Moore did a good job too, when he entered into the game, on the pitch. It’s good to know that we can trust him and he can play on this team.”
Toronto FC goalkeeper Chris Konopka
On Lee Nguyen’s chance late in the game:
“I kind of saw it late, he came through a crowd, so I just tried to get whatever I could on it to be honest. The guys in front of me played fantastic as well, we did whatever to grind out to get the result. It was great.”
On his personal development game-by-game:
“I think hopefully the boys in front of me have a trust in me now. I think the first game they don’t know what they were thinking with myself in but they seem to have more trust in me every single game. Going forward that’s a good thing.”
On being satisfied with his recent performances:
“So far so good, I think I am getting better every game, which is great, and I’m getting more and more confident every game. That’s all I could ask for.”
On goalkeeper Joe Bendik’s role in his development:
“Me and Joe talk all the time to be honest, he’s around the training ground every single day with us when we are out there training and at the home matches as well. The two of us, like I said, we have a great rapport. Everything is great between us.”
On having to wait a long time for a first-team opportunity:
“It’s been great. I think it’s actually funny the games I’ve gotten to play are at places where I have ties to. The first game in Philadelphia, that was my old club and my hometown pretty much. Up here in New England, I went to school 20 minutes down the road in Providence College, so I’ve been around both of those clubs in two of the three MLS games I’ve played in. Maybe there’s a little bit more, I don’t want to say a chip on my shoulder, but a little more like a motivation to do well with those clubs, in front of me.”
