SPORTING DIRECTOR AND HEAD COACH GREGG BERHALTER
On Ethan Finlay’s performance:
"I think this was a case of, from the outside, the perception might have been that he’s not at the top of his game and Ethan has been working so hard. Internally, we have been happy with how he has been playing and we knew that he had it in him. We talked to you guys that he is ready for a breakout because he has been training really well and having impacts in the game."
On if he felt Finlay had a weight lifted off his shoulders after his goal:
"Anytime someone scores after not scoring for a little bit, it’s a relief, no matter what the circumstances are. I think that [Finlay] has been playing well and for him, we couldn’t be happier because of the work he has put in assisting teammates and now for him to get on the scoreboard, that’s great."
On the regularity of the schedule this week:
"I am most happy with the collective effort of the group and I have been telling people that our style of play needs the guys working together and that is our whole training. Everything is about passing it to each other, then moving together and the collective effort tonight was outstanding. If you look at the scoresheet, our three attacking players get on the board and Pipa (Federico Higuain) probably had, in my eyes, one of his best games of the season without getting on the scoring line. That’s what its all about and that’s what this group has been working for, they have been training hard to get to this point. It was a good performance tonight."
On what was said at halftime:
"Naturally, you say what all coaches probably say, ‘keep going, don’t take your foot off the gas, stay focused.’ It’s the standard lines that you put out, but the important thing is that they go out and do it. There was a little bit of a period in the second half where we got a little sloppy, but we maintained control and we took control midway through the second half and didn’t let up."
On breaking the Philadelphia Union press:
"It was good execution by us and I am telling you that when I talk about collective effort, you need everyone. You need everyone to be brave and have everyone want to get the ball and come on the ball. Look at Steve Clark’s distribution in the first half, it was amazing and that was about as good as it gets for a goalkeeper in MLS. That was good and we need that. So, it was a combination of us executing and them maybe not pressing like they would want to."
On how getting the first goal of the night changed the game:
[Philadelphia] is in a tough situation. They haven’t been playing bad, I feel for (Head Coach) Jim Curtin because even when you look at how his boys rallied in the second half, he did a good job of getting them to keep playing and keep competing. You see when they got to 3-1; they never gave up in that game. It wasn’t easy, I think they came out with energy and we just had to maintain, keep playing and keep moving the ball. We eventually can tire teams out and break teams down."
On Mohammed Saeid’s performance:
"I talk about [Mohammed Saeid] a lot also; he is a guy that is fearless. He goes out there and is never afraid to get the ball, no matter what spot it’s in. He has evolved, and how he plays that position is getting better and better every week and that’s because he is learning it more. He has done a good job."
On being back on the road next week and keeping the momentum:
"We are going to have to find out next week, but as far as we are concerned, this game (tonight) is done. We move forward, we look to the next game and we have that mentality, one game at a time."
On the black tape being put on Emanuel Pogatetz:
"[It was on] his hamstring, it was a little tight and we didn’t want to risk anything. Being up 3-0 in that game, we felt that [leaving him in] wasn’t worth the risk."
On set pieces:
I wasn’t particularly happy with [Columbus’] set pieces. I don’t think it was the service, I think it was the runs and the commitment to try and get your head on the ball. Pipa (Higuain) takes the set pieces on one side and Mohammad [Saeid] takes them from the other side. There is no real secret behind that and we are going to continue that, but we are going to keep practicing and trying to get better in that area."
On Higuain’s play:
"You guys saw it, the control of the game. Finding his teammates, dictating the pace of the game. He was very, very good tonight. I think when you look at it, it would have been nice for him to get a goal, but it doesn’t matter when you play that strong."
On if tonight’s performance was the standard for Federico Higuain:
"He finds different ways to be effective … I think people take for granted how hard his position is in our system and what we ask him to do. He has probably the most responsibility in our system to make it work and he is doing a great job."
On how close tonight’s match was to a peak performance:
"I don’t really look at it like that. I think it was a very good performance. The goal of the season is to navigate your way through the season. You want to be consistent, you want to keep performing and hopefully at the end of the season, the Playoffs are there and you’re peaking at the right time to be able to win a championship."
On how good Crew SC can be:
"I think we are a good team, I have said that from the beginning. There are a lot of good teams in MLS. Every game in MLS is difficult. I’ll sit up here right now and tell you that we can probably beat any team and we can probably lose to any team in MLS."
On Kei Kamara’s performance:
"He has been fantastic. Besides the assist and the goal that he had, he was dominating out there tonight. Every ball in the air he was winning, bringing his teammates into the game. That’s what we imagined when we signed him. We are very pleased with him so far."
CAPTAIN AND DEFENDER MICHAEL PARKHURST
On the team’s overall performance:
"It was a great 90-minute performance from us. The guys up front played really well tonight. We moved the ball very well, connected passes, got everybody involved like we wanted to before the game started and scored some great goals."
On the team’s potential:
"It’s tough to tell. We move the ball really well and we’ve got a lot of options up top. Different guys scoring – it’s great that Ethan [Finlay]’s now on the scoring sheet for the year – and between him, Justin [Meram], Kei [Kamara], and [Federico Higuain] specifically, those four, they’re a handful. So, we’re going to score some goals this year."
On how the schedule has affected the level of play:
"We wanted to pick up points. We didn’t pick up as many points as we wanted to those first five games or so. Coming into two home games against Eastern Conference teams, we wanted to pick up six points and we achieved that. Now we go on the road for a game, but it’s good that were in a rhythm now. We’re playing every weekend and we’ve got the same schedule and I think that’s maybe why it’s helping us out a little bit."
On Ethan Finlay’s performance:
"It’s a big help. It’s not like he’s been playing poorly for us, he’s got a bunch of assists and added to that tonight. But, of course, he’s pushing, he wants to get on the score sheet, he got the new contract. He’s super important for us. He stretches the defense so much for us, so it was great that he got not only one but the two so hopefully he can keep rolling now."
MIDFIELDER ETHAN FINLAY
On his performance:
"It felt great. Some might call it a relief, but I knew [the goals were] coming and it just feels good to get them, getting the first one and the second one out of the way. What’s better is kind of how we scored those goals tonight. The movement was fantastic and the movement through the midfield, through the backline and then the end product. We were spot on tonight. We probably could have had a couple more, so we are extremely happy with that."
On his first goal:
"We moved the ball nicely actually through the back. I think it went from Mike [Parkhurst] over to Waylon [Francis], released it from one side to the other, had space. Waylon took the line and Kei [Kamara] made a great run and drew two guys, I just stuck right in front of Fabinho and slotted it home. It was a great ball. Waylon’s done a fantastic job at being able to whip those balls in."
On the Crew SC offense clicking:
"I think we’re one of the best offenses in the league. I think we’re a team that no one wants to play when we’re all clicking. The other part of that is, when one guy’s not having a great game, you can have three other guys that can really make a huge impact and a huge difference. So when you have that, that’s extremely dangerous throughout the season. We’ll need it. We’ll need it from all types of guys."
