FRISCO - See what head coach Luchi Gonzalez and the guys had to say after FC Dallas' 2-1 win over the Portland Timbers.
HEAD COACH LUCHI GONZALEZ
Overall thoughts on the game…
I thought our first half was very positive in terms of creating chances, in terms of pressure, in terms of transitions. The second half it was inconsistent. We were moments of good pressure, moments of good counters and attacks, moments of good possession but then moments of the opposite with casualness, with not being together in a present situation. So as the game progressed, we absorbed. My tactic at the end was, obviously, to absorb and get the result.
I have to be happy that we found a way and we have to be happy with the weather and the wind. We’re going to learn. What we fell short of last week, in terms of closing the game, we were able to improve that this game.
On closing the game…
We had a challenge last game to close. We decided to put in a center back to create a line of five. Credit to the boys, they found a way, with some controversy at the end, but they found a way.
On Reggie Cannon, Jesus Ferreira and Paxton Pomykal’s progression…
It’s the same feeling as I had a few years ago when I had the pleasure of coaching them in the Academy. Just seeing them take their next step, take it one game, one training at a time, trying to develop fundamental things in their game as players, as people. The fact that I’m involved in that, that next step for them, it’s the same feeling I had a few years ago when they’re competing in the Academy.
JESUS FERREIRA
On tonight’s goal...
As the game goes on, they always tell me to act like the ball is going to you. I believed that if I kept thinking like that and just kept running instead of looking where the ball was going, and it came to my feet [and] I just finished it.
Bouncing back at home from Philadelphia and road games…
Our home is our home and we have to defend it with everything. When teams come here, they have to be scared to play us here at home.
On team connection and chemistry…
During training we have to get to know each other, get to know where our movements are and where we need help or don’t need it. So I think it all comes from the training ground.
RETO ZIEGLER
On needing to close games…
I think if you analyze the first half, we had many good chances. I think we need to close the games. We create a lot of goal action that’s really positive, but we have to score two-three goals to break them out mentally. If it doesn’t happen, we have to keep the ball and not just wait and keeping the score. They overloaded us at the end and that’s why we played with five in the back to avoid the crosses.
We just adapt to the game. It was not the most beautiful game but we’re really happy with the three points.
On having five defenders in the backline at the end…
I think it was a good moment to play with five because we were winning and needed these three points. Sometimes you have to adapt and it’s not the most beautiful soccer we play but we need to keep the score and I think it was really smart.
On bouncing back…
It feels great.
We have to continue to play the way we did in the first half, confident on the ball and make many passes. We showed a better side today [than against Philadelphia] and we’re going to continue to play with the ball and with confidence in the future. Today at the end it was only fighting but sometimes we need to do that to get the points.
On Bressan coming in and making his debut…
Bressan is a guy who is always ready. He has a lot of experience and is training well so I’m really happy that he could play today, even though it was just a couple of minutes, and he deserved it.
PAXTON POMYKAL
On the game and conditions…
Conditions were a little bit wet as you guys could see but at the end of the day that doesn’t matter, we still have to play the way that we do. I thought that the first half was very, very positive from us, I thought we implemented yourselves really well.
Second half needs to be better from the whole entire team. I felt like we dropped off a little bit and didn’t really play our game and we have to look at the film and figure things out and go from there.
Overall the game was good. Three points is three points, so we have to be happy about that.
