SPORTING DIRECTOR AND HEAD COACH GREGG BERHALTER
On the challenges of maintaining momentum against the Chicago Fire:
I think there were a number of challenges. The first thing is that it was the third game in nine days, so there was obviously fatigue. Both teams had fatigue but I think that led, overall, to the quality of the match. But the second thing is they had to reorganize and they had to figure out a way to stop us, and we wanted to be the proactive team, and it’s always harder to build than it is to destroy, and I’ve said that a lot. So it was challenging, and then battling the weather as well with it being pretty warm, I think it led to a number of factors.
On earning Crew SC’s first penalty kick of the season within 12 seconds:
It was good. Obviously, that’s a play that we’ve talked about so it’s good to see when it works. A huge space opened up, Ethan [Finlay] was able to go one-on-one with the goalie and we knew that Kei [Kamara] would be able to take advantage of that matchup on the wing, and a good ball from Wil [Trapp], great header from Kei, great run by Ethan, and a penalty. And then, obviously, a good penalty by Federico [Higuain].
On winning consecutive matches:
What I’d say is that this game I think the players did extremely well mentally to get over the hump and get a result. It wasn’t easy. You see today clearly was not our best game of soccer, and you can lose games like that, you can tie games like that. I give the guys a lot of credit for hanging in there and finding a way to get it done because like I said, it wasn’t easy. Chicago made it tough on us.
On if part of the successful mentality is coming out of the locker room the way the team wants:
I don’t know what it is and you know I like to focus on it game-by-game and I think the guys, in particular this game, wanted to finish the week well and wanted to keep climbing and keep our position in the table. That was important.
On the team adapting to being a man up after Jason Johnson’s red card:
I think for us again, that was a mental task for us: to spread out and move the ball around, make them chase the ball, make the simple pass, control the ball and pass it to the next guy. In that phase after the red card, I saw too many direct balls and too many balls trying to make the killer pass right away instead of waiting for the absolute right moment to execute our moves.
On the team continuing to press and getting that third goal:
It was good and it was important. Especially, like I said that on a night when you feel you weren’t at your best, if you keep [the score] 2-1, anything could happen towards the end. I think the 3-1 [goal] certainly deflated them.
On the defense not giving up a goal from the run of play:
Chicago has some tough guys. If you look at their attacking group and the guys they bring on, like a [Designated Player] (Kennedy Igboananike), an experienced player in the Premiership (Guly do Prado), it’s not easy. They have Accam on the wing, Nyarko was back and Harry Shipp, it’s a good group of attacking players. I think we did well defending as a group.
On if Crew SC did anything specific to tighten things up defensively:
I would say we focus on a little more talking, communication and then our shape, our overall shape.
On the midfield depth since the return of Wil Trapp:
Mo [Saeid] played against Toronto in [a more advanced] position, and Mo has the qualities to play both [midfield] roles. I think that is a plus for him and that is going to help get him on the field. It is good that the staff has options when guys want to be on the field and guys can perform at that level.
On performance-based chance:
We talked about Chris Klute being a matchup-based selection, we thought he would matchup well with David Accam, [Klute] is one of the fastest players on our team, he is a good one-v-one defender, we thought that would certainly be a plus. I think Chad normally did enough to start the game again, but we went for the matchup. The entire group, the entire defensive group, the entire team knows that they are in a position where they have to perform, because we have other options. The guys who are out right now, they want to get in the game. They want to play. They have been training hard and working hard and they deserve a chance.
On Kei Kamara’s performance:
I have said that Kei fits our system perfectly and he is the ideal striker to have in our system. The confidence level in the group on their crossing is purely because of Kei Kamara. They know they can hang a ball up there and he has the athleticism and the timing to get on the end of it. He has been a fabulous addition to our team. His goals and his play has certainly been leading the cause, so we are proud of him, we are proud that he has been able to make such an impact and all the credit goes to him for putting himself in those positions.
On Ethan Finlay’s performance:
Ethan is a guy that, even though he didn’t have his best night tonight, he never stopped working and in the end he got a goal. He caused the first penalty, so this is a guy that is producing right now. It is great for us when we have such production out of a player with assists and goals.
On Tony Tchani being subbed out:
He is fine. You have to take a look at the minutes he has played this year, he has logged the most minutes of any field player, so he has been going hard. We knew it was hot, we knew it was warm, and we wanted to give him a little bit of a break. We have confidence in Mohammed that he can come in and do the job.
DEFENDER TYSON WAHL
On the key to having success against a team that Crew SC played less than a week ago:
It shows a lot of great character and grittiness. I think over the past two years we have shown that we can be a great team, but then we haven’t always been consistent. I think this shows with two sound wins in a row that we are on our way to becoming more of a consistent team and I think that’s the next step in our development.
On having a penalty kick in the first 12 seconds of the game:
Obviously it’s uplifting and you get an immediate advantage. I think after that call though, the ref was kind of a little bit more sensitive to a lot of other plays, so it made the game a little bit stop and go. But after you score an early one, you just have to get back focused and make sure you’re not letting up the gas pedal and thinking that the game is over already.
On the key to keeping Chicago off balance and getting the results [Crew SC] has gotten against Chicago defensively:
The defenders, we met as a group and had an individual meeting with the defensive group and after the past couple of weeks we knew we could play better. We met and we talked about some things and I think we really emphasized communication and getting back to being organized while we are attacking, because we attack with so many players, so I think that paid dividends for us.
FORWARD KEI KAMARA
On Columbus Crew SC’s key to success tonight:
Definitely it wasn’t our best. At some point I even forgot we were a man up. I felt like Chicago was controlling the game a lot. But, again, it’s really good for us to come out of there with three points and multiple goals. Being at home, always, we have to take three points from those games. Doing it twice against Chicago back-to-back is definitely good for us.
On scoring a header:
It’s good. It means I am just connecting with my teammates. Eye contact, that’s what it’s all about. I know when they look up I make eye contact with them. It means the same thing in basketball, I guess. You make eye contact, you throw the ball up and then you go for it. Like I said, great ball from Waylon [Francis], and I’m just trying to do my job and just put the ball in the back of the net.
His reaction to being announced as part of the MLS All-Star team:
It’s an honor to be on this. I’ve been in this League for how many years now, and I’ve never played in the All-Star Game. I’m really looking forward to it and I’m really blessed to say that I’m an All-Star. Hopefully I get to stay healthy, play a couple more games here and go join the guys in Colorado. So for me, it’s a great honor to be out there, to represent the club, my teammates. Without them really it wouldn’t have happened. That’s the only way I’m scoring so many goals. Ethan Finlay, he’s definitely another All-Star to me. He’s been unlucky not to be on there. For me it’s just going to be a moment for me to just enjoy myself and just represent me, my family, the team, the fans as well.
