COLUMBUS CREW HEAD COACH ROBERT WARZYCHA
On the Crew’s quick start this evening:
"I think that was the best 10 minutes we have had all season. Especially playing here in Salt Lake against a good team, it was very encouraging."
On the play of midfielder Robbie Rogers:
"I think he caught Robbie Russell by surprise a bit in the first 10 minutes. We always talk about the final pass and today the final pass was there."
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER EDDIE GAVEN
On getting a result at Rio Tinto Stadium:
"It feels good to come in here and play really, really well tonight. It feels nice to get the win."
On the team's first 10 minutes:
"It was great. It took a little bit of pressure off our defense. We scored two really good goals early, but after that we really didn't play great."
On notching back-to-back wins to jump into first in the East:
"There's still a lot of soccer to be played, obviously, but we definitely feel good about the win. The way this team is going right now, being able to come here and get a win and getting the win last week at home, the team is playing well, so we just got to keep on going."
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER ROBBIE ROGERS
On the team's performance:
"I'm just really happy with the win, happy we're still first place in the East, and being able to get our first win here at Rio Tinto is an accomplishment for this team. It's about time we gel and make a push towards the end of the season."
On gaining the lead in the first 10 minutes:
"Well [Real Salt Lake is] really good defensively; they have a great defensive record. We talked about really getting after them and testing them. In my mind, I really wanted to test them and get after their defenders and cause some trouble for them."
On holding the 2-0 lead into the second half:
"We're a pretty good defensive team. The communication and work-rate defensively we put forth together in the second half was amazing."
REAL SALT LAKE HEAD COACH JASON KREIS
Overall thoughts on the game:
“To
me it just came down to mental lapses. You’re down two goals to a team
that’s very good defensively and works hard together and, I think, was
going to come in to this game and try and put a lot of numbers behind
the ball. It’s difficult to break them down.”
On the play of forward Fabian Espíndola:
“We know that Fabian [Espíndola] is a very emotional player. I
thought he was trying to make a difference for us every time he got the
ball tonight. He was going at players, trying to get behind them and
trying to make the final pass or make the goal, but it wasn’t coming off
for him, as it wasn’t for the other players.”
On RSL’s second half:
“We
got a bit frantic and certainly a bit frustrated. In the second half I
was pleased with the effort, I was pleased with the fight. I don’t
think any of [the guys] out there quit, I think that they tried to put
everything they could into that game to get back into it. I think that
we just came up a bit short in the quality department today.”
On the decision to not substitute players at halftime down 2-0:
“When
you get into halftime and you’re down two-nil you have to consider
whether there needs to be a couple of changes. I think the easy thing
to say is, ‘I’m going to make these changes, because it needs to change
now.’ For me, I was a little more interested to see what that group
could do, how they would respond to that difficult circumstance, so I
didn’t want to make [any substitutions] at halftime. But I did make them
fairly early.”
REAL SALT LAKE MIDFIELDER ANDY WILLIAMS
On whether Real Salt Lake was unprepared for the game:
“We
were prepared, but I just think [Columbus] came out with a game plan
and kind of caught us napping a couple of times, and in that 20-minute
span they were able to take over the game by creating chance after
chance. After that things kind of adjusted, but we just couldn’t get
that first goal.”
REAL SALT LAKE FORWARD JEAN ALEXANDRE
On Columbus successfully putting away their early opportunities:
“I
wouldn’t say they dominated the game, but they definitely put their
chances away early in the first 15 to 20 minutes. Putting away your
chances changes the game, and it did [tonight].”
On being prepared as a late addition to the starting lineup:
“I
didn’t feel unprepared [to start] at all. I was focused throughout the
week. The coaching staff was helping me ahead of time and there was the
possibility that I would be playing the game.”
REAL SALT LAKE MIDFIELDER ARTURO ALVAREZ
On the deciding factor in the game:
“You’ve
got to give a little bit of credit to Columbus. I think they came in
and played a very well-defended game and we weren’t keeping the ball at
all. The simple passes weren’t there tonight.”