Postgame Quote Sheet
LA Galaxy 2, FC Dallas 1
Saturday, Sept. 20 – 7:30 p.m. PT
MLS Regular Season
StubHub Center – Carson, Calif.
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH BRUCE ARENA
On Alan Gordon’s performance:
“He’s a good target player. He’s good in the penalty area. If the service is right, he’s quite capable of finishing off plays, which he’s shown. He knows his job. He’s an experienced player. Understands tactically what needs to be done at the end of the game, and has just done an outstanding job.”
On Stefan Ishizaki’s performance:
“He played very well. It’s the best that [Ishizaki] has played for us in a while. He performed quite well. He’s passing was excellent. He did a good job defensively helping Dan Gargan. Just played very well. Let’s face it Ishizaki and Gordon did a great job coming in off the bench. I think they made a difference and helped us win the game.”
On Robbie Rogers’ performance at left back:
“He played well. I think the second half in particularly he played very well. The cross for the winning goal was outstanding. It was good to see him get back into form. It’s taken him a little bit coming back from his injury, but I think he’s starting to play well. He looks like a left back.”
On the difference between Ishizaki and Baggio Husidic:
“Husidic is a little more of a two-way player, a box-to-box player. Ishizaki is a little more, certainly a more creative player, probably you can argue maybe a better player in the final third. Not that Husidic isn’t a good player in the final third—he’s just a little bit different. I think it’s a nice combination.”
On the first half:
“They defended well and we weren’t good enough on the ball. We didn’t take advantage of the advantages we created. We just ended to be a little bit sharper. I think that Dallas defended well in the first half.”
On whether the Seattle/Red Bulls result gave the team a sense of urgency:
“We were aware of the result. All along we’ve been aware of where we’ve been positioned in a conference race. We were well aware of the result and obviously it was good opportunity for us to make up the points because I think we are even now. It was an opportune time for sure.”
On clinching a playoff:
“Well, I think we anticipated being in the playoffs, but it’s nice to get that out of the away. Now we need to jockey for a favorable position. Certainly use the next five games to do that. I think that just gives us a little confidence and a little bit of relief that we don’t need consider ourselves with that anymore.”
LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER LANDON DONOVAN:
On the team’s performance:
“It was a hard game, and Dallas made it hard and I think they played their game plan out perfectly. They waited for their one chance and Blas [Perez] scored a one out of a hundred goal. So it’s disappointing but the reaction was excellent. We put pressure on them, we made it difficult on them towards the end of the game and then somebody had to make plays. Robbie [Keane] made two great plays and [Alan] Gordon made his play and in games like this, that makes a difference.”
On Alan Gordon’s performance:
“He has been fantastic, and this was a game that I think cried out for him to be in. I think that we had to be a little more direct in the way we played because they did a good job pressing us, so I give them a lot of credit. When games are like that, sometimes you have to put the ball up the field and battle for it so having him on the field helped. He gets himself in great spots, Robbie [Keane] hit a fantastic ball and it was a really really important goal for us that might be the difference between getting where we want to be.”
On Alan Gordon’s ability to come off the bench and make a difference:
“He puts himself in good spots. He works hard, he does the right things and when you do that, good things happen. He has learned over the years how to play as a substitute. It’s not easy, a lot of guys come into games and they are not ready, and that says a lot about his professionalism, his mentality when he is seating on the bench for 60 minutes and he is ready to come in right away and it makes a big difference.”
On Stefan Ishizaki’s performance:
“[Stefan Ishizaki] and Baggio [Husidic] have done a great job all year. Over the last, probably, 10, 12, 15 games it’s generally one of them that ends up making plays in games that make a difference. I know they are very good friends off the field and it’s nice to spot one for the other. Baggio was again tonight, the game probably called for something different so Stefan came in and made a good impact.”
On Robbie Rogers’ play:
“He was excellent, he made my job really easy and I can’t remember a game when I had that many opportunities to run forward because he did such a good job behind me. He picked up a lot of passes, he defended well, he got the ball to me in really good spots and I think that it made a difference. As the game wore on, I think we just wore them down on that side and he was terrific.”
On the team clinching a Playoff spot:
“Our first goal was to get in the Playoffs. We definitely want to finish second or third and I think we are close to that now, specially beating Dallas. And now if we keep going, we can take aim at Seattle. They have the tough game in Dallas Wednesday, so we’ll see what happens there but we know our destiny is still on our hands. We have to keep putting points on the board.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD ROBBIE KEANE
On the team’s character: “We showed a lot of character being able to come back. They played okay without being a big threat to us. [Blas Perez’ goal] was certainly a fantastic goal; you can’t take anything away from that goal. It was a great header and no one’s going to stop that, so after that they were putting the pressure on us as much as they could, but we had put pressure on them for most of the game. But football isn’t 60 minutes, it’s 90 minutes.”
On Alan Gordon:
“He’s a big threat… He’s been fantastic since he has come. He’s been a massive threat when he comes on the field and obviously has a lot of aerial power as you’ve seen today. His technique is brilliant, so we know if we can get him the ball and get him into good areas that he can be on the end of it.”
On Stefan Ishizaki’s impact:
“Stefan [Ishizaki] is a very, very clever player. We’re lucky that we have quality players that, whether they start of come off the bench, they can make a difference to the team. And we certainly have players who can make a difference.”
On what being tied with Seattle for Supporters’ Shield race means:
“It would be great to win the Supporters’ Shield, there’s no question about it… Obviously the main one is to win the [MLS Cup], but I think it gives you momentum going into that. We want to win it certainly at this moment in time.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD ALAN GORDON:
On his performance tonight:
“There wasn’t much for me to do. That was a pretty good ball. I just got my head on it, trying to be in the right places is the most important thing because I know that there’s a lot of guys that can deliver those balls on the field and I think that has been the biggest difference.”
On his goal celebration:
“I mean, I am a little bit on the edge when I’m doing my celebrations. Everybody watch out, that’s all I have to say.”
On winning back the fans:
“I don’t know, I can’t speak for them, but I know they are happy tonight.”
On enjoying his time with the Galaxy:
“I mean we are winning games, anytime you’re winning games everybody is happy so I’m lucky to be here. I’m thankful and enjoying every minute.”
On the team’s character:
“It’s the sign of a good team, I’ll tell you that much. Being with San Jose in 2012, that’s what we were able to do to capture the Supporters’ Shield. This team has every bit of that character, if not more. Good things happen when you can respond, deal with adversity, and come out on top.”
On scoring goals coming off the bench:
“Of course, that’s my job and I’m getting ready. That’s all I’m focused on. Anytime I watch a game, I’m watching the forwards’ and defenders’ tendencies, if there are any holes being open, you just try and observe the game and see little things that you can take advantage of.”
On clinching a Playoff spot:
“That’s huge, it’s great. But there is a lot to play for, a lot of games left, and we have to take it one game at a time; nothing has been won yet. It’s a good result, but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t get three points. So we have to focus on ourselves and get three points. That was not an easy task tonight. Dallas was a team that came here to play and to fight. It was a tough task, but we came through in the end.”
FC DALLAS HEAD COACH OSCAR PAREJA
On tonight’s match:
“I think we did great. I thought it was one of the most intense, energetic, and compassionate games that we’ve had. The boys put everything on the field and they were leading the game until we made two silly mistakes. But the effort and the energy and the willingness to come and fight for those three points today was fantastic, and I have to be patient with some things. Those are mistakes that make us grow as a team because we are young.”
On playing Seattle at home:
“We’re fighting for points. We’re trying to get ourselves into the Playoff spot, and we have the tools and the heart to do it. All of our minds right now are on the Wednesday’s game. We have to turn this page quick and be focused on Seattle Wednesday. That’s where we are. We have all the tools, our boys are doing an incredible job and I am proud of them. I back them up, the way they ran today and pushed, it was good.”
On Je-Vaughn Watson:
“Sometimes we just talk about one specific player in this case its Je-Vaughn. But I count with this group of players, and as I said Je-Vaughn is a good example. They’re good soccer players and they have heart for this club, for this team, and if they need to play as a right back, as a center back, they have the tools to do it. I trust him, and he trusts me. We give each other confidence, and we work together for that and then things come along. So I’m very proud of his job today, I thought it was great to see someone who can help us there with the pace, the rhythm, the physicality of this league. It’s not great news for this club.”
On Blas Perez’s goal:
“Fantastic goal, great finish by Blas [Perez]. Heading the ball and putting it in the corner hard. Great cross as well; I thought it was one of the best moments in the game for us. We finalized it with a good goal. It was exciting to see.”
FC DALLAS MIDFIELDER RYAN HOLLINGSHEAD
On tonight’s match:
“I feel like we started putting things together a little bit more in the second half. Beginning of the second half we were pressing them higher, the header was just amazing. Great placement got up over [A.J.] DeLaGarza I think, and just powered it home. Good early cross. And I think at that point we need to be a little bit more composed to control the game. We had the lead, no need to give up some goals, but amazing [FC Dallas] goal.”
On the team’s chemistry:
“I think we are finally feeling like we are getting in the top four. Even with injuries, guys not being able to play, it feels like whoever is stepping into either spot is connecting well. Feels like the chemistry is well, there is not really a weak link on the team. So I feel like games like this when we’re up a goal, don’t need to give away anything, and really the power, the control is in our hands and we kind of gave it to them. With a little bit more tactics, better movement, better spacing, better kind of organization, we don’t give up those goals and go away with a win.”
On match against Seattle:
“It’s huge, especially coming off this loss now. We were looking on getting three points here, going against Seattle and taking three points as well, hopefully push for the Supporter’s Shield, and now it’s a must win game for us. We have got to take Seattle down. We have got to fight to get closer to Salt Lake now; they just got a win as well. So the game is huge, we need to recover fast and get ready for that game.”
