COLUMBUS CREW SC SPORTING DIRECTOR AND HEAD COACH GREGG BERHALTER
On if the match feels like a missed opportunity…
Absolutely. I told the guys, the first words out of my mouth were, ‘We let ourselves down.’ [Philadelphia] is a good team. It was going to be a difficult game, and these are the games that you need to win.
On Ola Kamara’s substitution…
I thought that bringing Adam [Jahn] in would give us a physical presence that I felt we needed. I didn’t think that we had that enough in the first half. There were a number of crosses that I thought we could have done better on, and with Adam in the game it was better.
On Cedrick Mabwati not in the matchday 18…
It was just a selection.
On mental lapses in the team’s play…
I think that it was going to be a more difficult game to break them down. And I think that we needed to embrace that challenge instead of getting frustrated by it. There were times when it was good, the movement was good, and we were able to play through them. But it wasn’t going to be every time, and that was the key. Understanding that and being patient and moving the ball into the right positions and then going for the attack. And I saw too much frustration. The second goal that they scored is a tough one to swallow. I think when you get the momentum there and you’re in the position you’re in and you score a goal, to me the next step is we’re going for the second one, we’re getting after this thing. And the mentality and the ferociousness need to be there. And they dribble through our entire team and score a goal. That’s a tough one.
On how he responds to the Union’s second goal…
We need to be accountable. We need to be accountable for that goal, especially since we had the momentum and we lost it instantly. And we have to look at the play, analyze the play, and hold people accountable.
On how to hold someone accountable…
As you’re analyzing it, you’re getting the guys to understand what each play means, and what the execution looks like to win games and what the execution looks like when you lose games. Guys need to step up, you need to step up and make plays, that’s what this League is about. It’s guys making plays at the right time. And when they can dribble through the whole team, it’s a number of guys not making a play.
On how the club moves forward…
Well we move forward with the intention to win a game, win a home game. Obviously, two losses at home and the number of ties we have aren’t good enough. So we have to pick ourselves up. There’s no alternative. And, at least in my mind, I’m looking forward to [Saturday’s game vs. San Jose]. When you have an experience like this you want to get it out of the way as quickly as possible. So we’ll get ready to play.
On the lack of opportunities on goal…
I think [chances] were hard to come by. I think there were a number of close calls, a number where I think if we make a more appropriate pass then it will lead to a goal opportunity. I was surprised at some of the execution. They were tough to break down, when we had the moment where we’re in space, the final execution wasn’t there. That’s a little bit surprising.
On substitutions…
You make a change; you try to spark the team and bring guys in that can help with some production. Listen, this happens all the time, our guys get substituted out. To me, it was a question of we needed a little bit more, we needed to create more chances and we made those decisions.
On if Crew SC’s playoff hopes are over without a win on Saturday…
That’s hard to tell. I don’t know what the other teams are going to do. I don’t know what the point differential will be. I know that we have 10 games left. There’s a possibility of 30 points, so I can’t say that right now.
COLUMBUS CREW SC FORWARD ADAM JAHN
On his goal tonight…
It was a little scramble in the box, hit off the post, and I got something on it. Enough to go in the goal.
On how he feels about scoring a goal…
Good. I’m glad to help the team, come in and add some energy and physicality. The referee called it a goal, so it’s a goal.
On how the club moves forward…
Yeah, I’m really excited to play against my old team and beat them. It’s a must win. It’s as easy as that. I think everyone understands that, and we’ll be ready.
On his play…
I’ve always judged myself on the effort I give. That’s the only thing you can control. That’s what I do every day. I’ve been here, in my fourth week now. I think every single week, I’ve gotten more and more comfortable around the guys. Just getting to know them better, getting to know the coaches better. They make me feel really at home and I’m happy with the transition so far.
COLUMBUS CREW SC DEFENDER NICOLAI NAESS
On positives to take away from this game . . .
I think we just have to forget this game as quickly as possible and look forward to the next game. It’s tight so we have to turn our heads around and just keep fighting. It’s going to be a six-point game on Saturday.
On what happened onPhiladelphia Union’s second goal . . .
We came back in a strong way after being down 1-0 there, and we fought back and it was 1-1. We let up a silly goal after a kickoff. That’s not supposed to happen, so that’s not good enough.
On the mentality before Philadelphia Union’s second goal . . .
We should be on our toes, always. We can’t let ourselves down after just scoring a goal; we have to fight to win the game. It’s 1-1 at that point, so we just need to fight. We can’t be happy with just scoring a goal and that’s not good enough.
