NOTES
- Whitecaps FC fall to 10W-10L-7D on the season with Saturday’s defeat
- After five matches in this year’s Cascadia Cup, Portland lead the three-club standings with a 2W-0L-1D record (four points), followed by Seattle Sounders FC with a 1W-1L-1D record (four points) and Vancouver at 0W-2L-2D (two points)
- Kenny Miller scored his first goal in MLS for Whitecaps FC
- Gershon Koffie served his one-match suspension and will be available for selection for next Saturday's match at LA Galaxy
- Darren Mattocks received a red card and will not be available for selection at LA Galaxy
Whitecaps FC – QUOTES
HEAD COACH MARTIN RENNIE
Thoughts on the match:
“It was a disappointing result for us and also a disappointing performance. I don’t think we played anywhere near our best today. Probably an even game except for the way they scored their [second] goal. That cost us today. We’re in a bad spell. We’re not playing to the standard that we were before, so it’s going to be a good test for our character to see how we bounce back. I think the biggest thing today is that we didn’t give our fans a win and that’s disappointing after they’ve traveled so far two weeks in a row. It’s one of those things where we have to dig really deep. We’re going to get criticism and understandably so. I think based on that performance that wasn’t anywhere near the standard we expect from anybody. We have to turn it around.”
Pinpointing what has gone wrong for the team:
“I think over the last couple games we’re not playing quite as well as we were before. In this game today, if we look at that in isolation, I think that first of all it’s a hard place to play; it’s a small field, the ball’s bouncing around a lot, but we didn’t connect our passes and we didn’t really threaten them too much in behind. Whenever we did, we looked dangerous, but we didn’t really do that enough and we didn’t make them defend enough. Any time we did make them defend we had a couple good chances. On another night the game could easily have been tied up with the chance that Camilo had cleared off the line. When you look at the overall performance and the overall game as I did, we didn’t do enough of the things that we wanted to do. We didn’t win enough second balls and duels, we didn’t manage to get the ball under control and get it wide, we didn’t get balls in the box as much as we’d like to, we didn’t stop enough crosses coming in from them. So, that’s a lot of things adding up, and if you don’t get those things right, then you’re going to be in a difficult spot.”
Thought’s on the red card to Darren Mattocks:
“I think the thing is that discipline has been a big topic and we’ve been addressing that. The thing that’s very frustrating is there’s a point players need to take accountability too because I think it’s only three players that have over 20 cards. An issue that we’ve talked to Darren [Mattocks] about, I don’t think he’s ever malicious, I don’t think there’s any intent, but if he’s challenging and his arm is up and he connects then that can happen. He’s a young player, but he does need to learn from that because that’s something that could hold him back from being a very good player and we can’t have that. Hopefully this can be a big enough wakeup call that he can learn from it. I think all the time with us that we’re developing our team and learning and improving, but that’s a sore lesson for us tonight and for him as well.”
JOE CANNON
On the Timbers’ second goal:
“It was kind of lucky. Obviously a mistake in goal; pretty straight forward. Honestly, it just kind of came and I’ll have to look at the handling again. I was probably a bit too casual on it. I don’t know if I took my eye off it, my grip wasn’t good, but it’s just part of being a goalie.”
Overall thoughts on the team:
“We possibly could just be in a little funk right now and mistakes are starting to get magnified with it coming to the end of the year. I think we’ll find it. I think this is one of those things where it’s time to find out who we are character-wise. It won’t define us, this game, we’ll build on it.”
JAY DEMERIT
Thoughts on the game:
“It’s a tough one. I think we came here with a game plan to start getting back to our original form and it didn’t happen tonight. There are a lot of disappointed people in there because of the way the game went. We had a chance to get back in it, which we did and I thought we’d come out a bit better in the second half. Sometimes things don’t go your way and we weren’t able to bounce back tonight.”
On the error that led to the Timbers’ second goal:
“It’s hard to put blame on that because sometimes that happens. Unfortunately tonight it did happen and it happened at the wrong time. I thought at that time we were starting to get into the game, keep the ball a little bit more and then all of a sudden it goes in. But, that’s the game we play, sometimes individual errors can cost you. We live and die as a team, and lose as a team, and win as a team for that matter. There’s many games where Joe [Cannon] has kept us clean and made some good saves to keep us in games. Unfortunately it didn’t go his way, but we all have to take that hit and not just blame it on him. We had other chances to tie the game and subsequently go on and win the game. There’s a lot of things you can put excuses on, but ultimately it comes down to us making sure we have the character to bounce back and that’s the only thing that matters right now.”
Portland Timbers – QUOTES
GENERAL MANAGER/INTERIM HEAD COACH GAVIN WILKINSON
On the feeling in the locker room afterward:
“It’s a lot better than losing. It’s a lot better than tying. I think the boys did well. I think they worked hard, I think they put in a solid effort. I think the first half we should have came in 1-0 up. It was a mystery decision and a mystery call that led to a goal, and those are the things we’ve been dealing with all year, but it’s a lot easier to talk about that when you win. I think the group effort tonight, you can see the camaraderie within the group. You can see what it meant to them to win this game. And I think it’s good for the organization, and it repays the fans for some of the pain that they’ve gone through.”
On the team able to hold on to the lead after giving it up right before halftime:
“I think we have been maturing as a group. I think you start to look at some of the road performances, I think you look at that Toronto game, we’re unlucky not to get a PK and maybe come away with three points. The New York game, we created a lot of chances, we should have put that game away at the start of the second half. I think as a group, we’re starting to mature. We’re starting to take responsibility for what we’re doing, and I think that’s a positive. I think the guys have responded very, very well. I think when you start to look at the way which we’re playing, trying to keep the ball, trying to move it, trying to create chances and dominate games. I think getting a win like tonight solidifies what we’ve been trying to do, and it’s been a lot of work to get to this stage.”
On being in a good position in the Cascadia Cup race:
“Winning the Cascadia Cup is something that we’ve got to focus on, to be honest, and every game in the league is very important. But I think the Cascadia Cup is extremely important to our fan base, it’s extremely important to the organization, and the players understand that. They get the rivalries. There’s a lot of games left, and for us to be in this position, I think we’re going to take each game as it comes, but it’s something that’s very important to us, and it’s something that we’ve all put a lot of effort in to.
GOALKEEPER DONOVAN RICKETTS
On playing in front of the Timbers Army and the home fans for the first time:
“It’s a good experience. When you play this game, you hope to play in front of support like that. It was good. My first experience.”
On the feeling in the locker room after the win:
“It’s always good to win, and especially at home in front of the supporters. It’s the final stretch of the season, and you hope to put wins together to move on to get a playoff spot. It’s a good win at a good time.”
MIDFIELDER FRANCK SONGO’O
Feelings after the win:
“I mean, we are happy, because it’s been a long, long time without a win … In the beginning, we were trying and trying and working hard, and finally today we got the three points, so we’re happy for everyone. I think personally everyone had a good performance, and did a great job, and we have to win the Cascadia Cup, too.”
On whether he was surprised his free kick went in goal:
“No, I just said I had to take it over the wall and to the target, and if I score, it’s fine.
On lifting his first log slice:
“It feels nice, because I’ve been jealous of the guys sometimes when I see the log with them in the locker room. Yeah, it’s nice, but like I said, it’s about the team, about the win. So hopefully we can keep doing that.”
MIDFIELDER DARLINGTON NAGBE
On what’s been working lately:
“I just feel like everyone is playing better, not just me, and luckily I’m the one getting the end of things.”
On what the win means with the Cascadia Cup and overall:
“Cascadia Cup, it means a lot. I think we’re ahead in the race for that, so that’s good. And in the league, hopefully we keep it going, and next week come in and get a win again.”
On how the lineup has helped him:
“Yeah, definitely. Those guys have a lot of speed, so extra attention to them from the outside backs. And also with Dike up there, he’s powerful and has a lot of speed, also. They’re dropping the defense, so it’s opening space up for me, Jack, and Diego and Eric, just to move the ball around and get chances.”
