SEATTLE -- LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena spoke to reporters following the Galaxy's 1-1 draw with Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday.
The result helped the Galaxy finish the month of July with an undefeated 5-0-1 record.
Arena's comments are below:
On if this was a good draw:
“Yeah, I think those conditions today were brutal for both teams. The field was difficult to play and it was probably 100 degrees on the field. That was a rough day for us to sneak out of here with a point ... we’re out of town real quick and we’re not looking back.”
On what Nicolas Lodeiro changed about Seattle’s look:
ARENA: “They have another player in the mix who is obviously comfortable on the ball. He’s a good passer, he can keep it … they added another good player.”
On the quick free kick that led to Jelle Van Damme’s yellow card:
ARENA: “The referee can’t allow them to block the ball into play. You can’t say we shouldn’t take the kick. He has to call a foul there.”
On the explanation from the fourth official:
ARENA: “No, we weren’t given any explanation. The referee has to blow his whistle, put the ball back in play and possibly give a yellow card.”
On the second-half plan to get back into the match:
ARENA: “I think you saw it. Get (Sebastian) Lletget and (Mike) Magee into the game. Sometimes those things work and sometimes it doesn’t. I’d like to say it’s all planned and choreographed, but it’s not. Certainly having a fresh player in helps. I thought (Lletget) did a good job there. We were dangerous and they were certainly dangerous. There were shots saved off the line. I think we saved two and they saved one. It was just difficult. At the end of the game … a lot of players were exhausted. It got real hot out there in the second half. It was difficult. We shouldn’t be playing games at this time of the day at this time of the year on artificial fields. It’s really difficult on the players and takes away from the quality of the game.”
On playing in Seattle without Sigi Schmid on the opposing bench:
ARENA: “Yeah, you know somebody is going to tell me to take a hike one day as well. (Schmid) has given so much in this country at every level – collegiately, professionally, internationally – and is so well-respected by all of us. It’s sad when you see that, but at the same time, we know what we sign up for. No one ever tells us we have a job for life so we understand that. My respect certainly goes to Sigi. I also understand that it’s a business and the Sounders do what they think is in the best interest of their team, and fair enough. But we’ve temporarily lost one of the great people in the game in this country. We were around in the days when nothing was happening, we didn’t have a professional league and we stuck in there and built our collegiate programs. I played my last collegiate game against Sigi in the NCAA semifinals so we have a history going back a long time. It’s certainly sad when you see something like that for a person who has done so much for this game, so much for Seattle and for this organization here. This team has been among the best in the league for the eight years he was here. I wish him the best and I know he’s going to be back in the game in some capacity.”
