POST-MATCH QUOTES: Philadelphia Union vs. FC Dallas, 4.6.19
Philadelphia Union Head Coach Jim Curtin
Opening statement...
Obviously an exciting night, I thought the fans deserved a lot of credit pushing us on. I think it is a real sign of the group’s character. I think in past seasons if we have a letdown, we didn’t find a way to break them down. Obviously you’re starting to see pieces of the system and style that Ernst [Tanner] has instilled in the group. You see the depth, our ability to bring players off the bench. Overall, just the team effort, it had the feeling of a night where they score an early goal off a free kick and it’s going to be a difficult one to break them down. Credit to FC Dallas with a lot of young kids on the field they were very disciplined, hard to play through, and made it hard for us. Our guys continued to push. Our data crew just told me we had 47 penalty entries to about 13 for them, which was a tale of the game. I think we had control of it, but it took a while for us to push through and get the first goal, then obviously Ale [Bedoya] makes a great play to get the second. These are the kinds of wins that can build real character and strength within a group. I give every guy a ton of credit, all the starters, all the guys that came off the bench and impacted the game. It was a real team victory and it shows that we have a very improved group from last year.
On the importance of getting shots on net...
Like I mentioned, they were kind of comfortable in that they had a block of nine guys that were behind the ball. They were up a goal and looking to hit us on the counter so we had to be aggressive, but also smart in how we approach it. Obviously getting shots and entries into the penalty area was a real focus you have to make the goalkeeper make save. It was a little bit of a dipping ball that Jamiro [Monteiro] hit and he hits a very heavy ball that led to a scramble eventually and a penalty kick that turned the game. Credit to the guys for continuing to push, to create chances and to run hard in the box. Eventually after a long time, hard work paid off and we had the breakthrough.
On the tactical changes in the second half...
I think you should write about [Alejandro] Bedoya being the right back of the future for the national team [laughs]. Listen, it was desperate times so we made some adjustments to get our strongest group on the field. I think there was five or six discussions about what we’re the moves. You couldn’t take [Brenden] Aaronson off the way he was playing, so maybe it was created in a way to keep him on the left-hand side. We needed Jamiro’s ball-winning as the game started to get really stretched and open, as well as his quickness in the middle of the field. We needed a goal so we took Ray [Gaddis] off, who did a great job defensively, but obviously Ale and Ilsinho really impacted the game on the attack. That is what those two do best and we were able to dominate that right-hand side for the last 15 minutes of the game. We were aggressive in the shift; obviously Ernst has given us the freedom to shift and change and be aggressive in that way. We went for it in our home field and again I thought our fans pushed us on when we needed them. I think everybody goes home happy tonight about the way the Union played and about what the future of this club looks like.
On his decision to be more aggressive...
At that point when the team is sitting back like that, guys have to take risks and take the space they are given. The second [Michael] Barrios comes off the field for them was kind of our cue to say, “They’re going to try to see this off now”. The kid [John] Nelson is a left-back by nature and not a winger so we we’re aggressive and just countered their move.
On bringing on Cory Burke...
Yeah, Cory’s been sharp for us, he’s been away for the national team and he’s coming back to the team and trained hard, trained well. Really happy for him to get his goal, hopefully this starts him rolling again, because when he gets hot, you guys have seen how good he is at scoring goals. I think the physicality; every forward brings a different skillset. David [Accam] and Fafa [Picault] are more guys to run in behind and maybe not bang as much with the center backs whereas Cory [Burke] likes contact, so it was a change of pace. Again, all three of the subs that came in for us are three guys, I can tell you from experience, defenders don’t like to see coming in. No one wants to defend for 60 minutes then see Ilsinho come on to the field and run at them for the last 30. No one wants to see Cory Burke come in and bang with the center backs. No one wants to see Jamiro [Monteiro] come in because he can impact the game in so many different ways and you saw that tonight. So credit to our depth that we are in a team and we need all 30 guys on our roster to chip in.
On his celebration at the end of the match...
Yeah, I try to stay calm. I think it’s the best way on the sidelines and not be the one that’s screaming a lot at the refs or celebrating goals too much, but that one was a special one. It meant a lot for Ale [Bedoya] to get the goal, it meant a lot for just the guys and how much hard work they’ve put into the preseason till now. And I’ve said it in the pregame talk; we’ve improved in every game that we’ve played and that’s something that is powerful. Again, we weren’t perfect against Toronto [FC], we actually played really well in Kansas City, but now you’re starting to see us turn those results into points, which at the end of the day is most important, but we need that trajectory to keep going. It’s a long grind of 34 games, but we’re off to a very good start and I feel like having seen the rest of the league, I think we can play with any team. It’s a league where if you bring energy and effort and pressing and will fight and be together, you have a chance every weekend and that’s what our group does.
On the comeback...
The mental side of the game is huge. To come from behind is something we haven’t done well in the past. We’ve been a team that if we get our goal early, teams chasing us, it’s very difficult for them, but when teams get a goal and sit back and counter us, we can kind of lose our way a little bit in the past. I think the discipline even from the center backs, in Kai [Wagner] and Ray [Gaddis] and making big plays to keep it at 1-0, little plays that if the second goal goes in, are big plays. I think it showed a lot of heart, it showed a lot of character and it showed a step forward for the team, and it’s a win I think guys will rally around. We have no easy task now. We have to go on a plane and go out to LA and deal with Zlatan [Ibrahimovic]. It’s going to be a challenge for us, there’s no easy games in this league and tonight was an example of that. They were shorthanded, they had a lot of young kids on the field, but they played a great game as well and we’re fortunate to get the win at the end.
On Alejandro Bedoya’s contribution...
It’s a bad night to use the “he does the all the things that don’t show up on the stat sheet” because it showed up tonight with the goal, but he’s our captain, he’s a leader for us, he does whatever is asked of him. He played a couple different spots for us tonight and did it selflessly and will do whatever the team needs to do to win and did a really good job of feeding Ilsinho early and letting him do his thing, and getting out of the way. Ilsinho caused havoc on that side, but overall, great for Ale [Bedoya] to get that goal and show the persistence of the entire group for night.
Forward Cory Burke
On scoring the goal...
Well I earned the [penalty kick]. I waited for my teammate to take the PK and I was on the line ready for a rebound, it came, and I finished it.
On timing the run of the penalty kick...
I just wanted to make sure as soon as I saw Marco [Fabian] approach the ball and his foot touched the ball, I was ready for anything.
On momentum after scoring the first goal...
Yeah, we've been in a good enough form. To get one goal back, we know we had to push forward and score another one before the end of the game.
On the impact of the substitutes coming off the bench...
Jim [Curtin] always talks about it. To come on the field you have to be ready and impact the game. I think all of us went on to the pitch and brought energy to the game.
On the come-from-behind win...
To start on the bench, I knew I was going to go out there and give it my all. Try to bring my team back into the game. It's a good feeling to know that I won the PK and after Marco took the shot, I was there to finish off the rebound.
On what Jim Curtin told him before he entered the game...
He told me like he tells everyone, when we have the chance to play we just have to go out there with energy. He repeated that message to me. I knew that I had a job to do with the chance to go on the pitch, and I did just that.
On the frustration of FC Dallas sitting back defensively...
We knew they were going to come and try that. We tried to play deep inside their half and keep it away from our end. Continue to push further up and then we earned the PK.
On earning the penalty kick...
I thought about just trying to do anything good.
Midfielder Alejandro Bedoya
Opening Statement...
Ilsinho got the ball and when he came in, obviously, he is such a difference maker, he can take any guy one v. one or two v. two, so I knew he was going to do something, I knew he was capable of chipping that ball. I was trying to find where to move in between the defender there when he had the ball because I thought he was going to play a “one two”, then he chipped it and I was able to get a touch passed [Reto] Ziegler who came, then another guy came, I cut and then I finally got one of those goals that all these strikers always get where you just shoot it and it goes between the defender’s legs. So something about that and it’s a huge three points, I mean a game we deserve to get three points the way we controlled it.
On what it feels like to grind out a win like tonight...
It feels great, I’m dead right now, but like I said it was a very much needed win, got a good effort from the guys, when did they score the goal the fifth minute something like that? The 10th minute? I mean trailing the whole game pretty much, but I knew coming out of halftime right there, just to be patient and be sharper in our final third and we would get our chances so I’m glad we were able to grind it out and it shows the character of the team.
On his game-winning goal...
Yeah, I’m taking this. I think I did see in the corner of my eye there was a back post maybe I could have passed it over there or anything but no after I cut my guy, I mean I’m in the box right there, I’m going for it. So, all I thought was just shooting it and I’m glad I was able to keep it low on the ground and the defender stretched his leg, like I said normally you always see those goals happen to the best strikers in the world and for me I don’t think I really scored a goal like that before so I’m happy it finally fell to me. But you know, it was an important team win. The guys who came off the bench made a difference and that’s what you need, you need a whole new group in, concentrated and focus and determined.
