COLUMBUS CREW SC SPORTING DIRECTOR AND HEAD COACH GREGG BERHALTER
On Red Bull strategy and/or lack of something from Crew SC
I think it is a combination. First, let’s give a lot of credit to Red Bull because they talked it before the game and they did it in the game. I think that’s the difference right there. We talked it but we didn’t back it up. They talked about pressing us and we knew that they were going to press us and it was still effective.
On the missing players
I’m not going to make an excuse for this group. We talk about the depth we have, we believe in the guys that were on the field today and we didn’t play well, we didn’t compete well, we didn’t pass the ball well. In the end, the result is exactly what it should be.
On what was missing in the Crew SC play
I would look at more what was there in the play. That’s how much was missing. We talk about our movements off the ball, we talk about positioning, none of that was there. We had opportunities and we just didn’t move the ball quick enough and we didn’t get in the right spots.
On Higuain’s off-ball fouls
I’m not a big fan of getting a yellow that way, but what I would say is it was clearly frustration from a foul that in my eyes was fifty-fifty. That’s a hard one to call. He’s emotional and in my eyes it was maybe light dissent, but I think to give a guy a second yellow for that is harsh.
On what has not “clicked” and what is different from last year
I think the first two games a lot has clicked; in this game, nothing clicked. We always have this battle, you like to group, I don’t like to group. I’m looking at this one game and I am saying it was a bad performance and I’ll stand by that, but the first two games were good performances.
On anything that may have been missed with the off week
Not really. I think, looking at the first half, we’re relatively pleased with the first half. Things could have been a little bit cleaner, a little bit quicker in our movements but we were relatively pleased. The second half, we give up that goal, off a terrible turn over, we give up the goal off a penalty kick, we get the goal back and then after that it was lights out. We didn’t do anything in terms of what we teach and what we’re supposed to be doing. That’s a problem.
On the second half difference
We stopped moving. Our game is about movement and when you stand still and don’t move, we’re never going to be good. It’s just not going to happen.
COLUMBUS CREW SC GOALKEEPER STEVE CLARK
On Crew SC’s performance
Give New York credit, they came in with a good game plan but I think we should be better on the ball and continue with our style. We have to be better as a whole.
On what he attributes their mental errors to
That’s a good question. Everyone is different, there probably isn’t one root cause for everything but overall we just need to be back to our game plan. We want to be a team that plays through pressure, credit to New York, but we’re looking forward to the next time we play them.
On moving on from tonight’s game
I think more than anything, it’s a time where we need to be like, “alright, let’s go.” It’s time to realize that teams are coming with really good game plans but we can play through that. We need to stick to our plans and continue working. We’re three games in and we need to develop.
COLUMBUS CREW SC DEFENDER CHRIS KLUTE
On how he felt his performance was overall
It was good, I was happy with it. It was my first real MLS game with the team. I was excited and it is unfortunate that we lost. It is early in the season, we just need to keep our heads up and move forward.
On how he felt his personal style fit in with the team
It was fine, I have been working for the last two months on everything and this was the first time that I actually got to put it in an MLS game. It was fine and I obviously have time to perfect everything that Gregg [Berhalter] asks of me, but I thought today was a good start.
On how comfortable he felt on the field
It’s soccer and I’ve been playing all of my life. It doesn’t matter where I’m at, it’s all the same.
