New York Red Bulls Head Coach Jesse Marsch
On if the only negative from the game was giving up the penalty kick:
Yeah, I mean, with the first game of the season you know we're not going to be our sharpest, so we had certain moments where normally you'd see us either create better chances out of certain plays or finish plays off and we don't quite do it. I mean, I'm not discouraged by that. I knew that today wasn't going to be our sharpest day just because it's the start of the year.
But we also, you know, I guess the disappointing part from our end is we knew what this game was going to look like and we knew it was important to execute our game plan versus theirs and in the end they came in with a game plan and executed better than we did and they wind up winning.
So congratulations to Toronto, and you know, we just have to be a little bit sharper at moments and understand this is often what games look like when we play here.
On if it's frustrating to win the possession battle and not score:
Yeah, like I said, it's an easy talking point for the game because normally you feel like the chance that Brad [Wright-Phillips] has, the chance that Mike [Grella] has, the chance that Lloyd [Sam] has, those wind up going in. But they don't tonight, and that's going to happen occasionally. So I'm not overly concerned about that.
I still thought there were a lot of really good moments and I thought we had a lot of good moments where we managed the game well, and then you have two or three plays. Literally in the whole game, there are two or three plays that get away from us, and two of them lead to goals.
So this is going to happen sometimes. We need to, again, be better in those moments. But overall I thought there was a lot of good.
On if teams plan against the Red Bulls' style and a Plan B to counteract:
Yeah, I mean, it is like that. I mean, there's been plenty of games here that have looked like what today looked like. And listen, there were little adjustments being made within the game to see if we can find a way to create advantages. But you know, I mean, again, lot of good, okay. Lot of good out of today, lot of good performances. Not our sharpest, which is normal at this time of year. I think we have to expect these kinds of games at some times, this kind of approach, and we've just got to try to be better at making sure we don't let the game slip away.
On Gideon Baah:
I thought he was very good. Clearly on the ball he was fantastic. I think him and Ronald [Zubar] cut out a lot of plays and made it very hard on Giovinco. He didn't touch the ball much, but every time he does, it's dangerous. It's not an easy task on the day. It was good. I think he fit into the team seamlessly.
So, yeah, that was a big positive. Him and Ronald both were big positives on the day. I actually thought then the way that Dax [McCarty] and Felipe controlled the mid field for a lot, won a lot of balls, tried to set plays up ahead of them. Toronto made things tight and we weren't sharp enough at creating concrete advantages and finishing the ones we had off.
On if Toronto was pressing and trying to attack the back line:
I would actually go the other way. I would say they tried to stop the game and slow it down at almost every point including goal kicks, throw-ins, fouls, at any moment, and then when we have the ball and we're starting to initiate the way we play, there were very few times where they pressed us and it caused us trouble. Almost every time they pressed us, we were able to get by that and start to find possession in the midfield.
The major issue was going from the midfield into the final third and trying to create advantages there. But even then when we lose it, we go and try to counter press them right away and get the ball right back again.
So, you know, that's why I say, there's a lot of good today in terms of what we want to play like and just on another day and later in the season where we're sharper. I think it adds up more.
On tactical flexibility to switch things up and move players:
We switched from two strikers to three midway through the first half because we felt like they were really clogging the middle and it was hard to find space. It helped us create advantages and gain a grasp on the game. Later in the game we push back to two thinking that having Abang up there gives us one more presence in the box. They're back for the most part on a lot of their aerial challenges and little plays that he had to make defensively did pretty well, and we weren't quite good enough.
You know, I mean, when you're looking at the game, you're trying to figure out ways to help it. So I think the fact that we have the flexibility is good. But in the end, even with some of the little changes we tried to make, we just weren't sharp enough.
On if he expects more opponents to sit back and stay compact:
Well, I mean, listen, it's partly an approach other teams have, and it's partly a reality of what it's like to play against us. Okay? But that's we try to build in a lot of different things to make sure we don't, even when games look like today, we don't let them get away. But a lot of it requires us to score a goal and get a lead.
But even if we don't give the lead, the part that's frustrating is that the penalty, just literally it was like one play that we let slip away and it cost us. So, you know, we've seen this in the past, so it's not new.
On his confidence in scoring set pieces this year:
We were good on set pieces last year, and I expect us to be effective in set pieces again this year. Yeah, so I think we'll continue to be dangerous in some of those moments.
On how the team bounces back from the loss:
For me, there's going to be very few talking points about last season. This is a new season. It's a new group. It's a new movement, right? Reality is that I'm not -- today's result doesn't change my opinion of anything. I feel like we have a good group. I feel like we have a good way of playing. I feel like we're on top of games a lot. I feel like there's more to our team now than ever before, and it's just a matter of having it continue to move forward in a really positive way. And we have a really strong group of men in that locker room who I know can handle any moment that's thrown at us. So it's a good reminder that it's never easy and we're going to have to earn everything.
On Bradley Wright-Phillips' yellow card:
Yeah, I didn't see -- someone had told me that Bradley got a yellow, but I don't know about that. Yeah, I mean, I just tried to communicate with the fourth official that, again, it's his job to sort of understand what's happening in the game and there's one team that's trying to slow the game down at all moments and there is another team that's trying to get it going.
That tactic for me, the slowing-down tactic, has to be mitigated by the referee by either handing out yellows or doing something to try to speed the game up. Not just to help us, but because the game is supposed to operate in a way that moves along. So [I] didn't feel like he did a great job of that, but that wasn't why we lost tonight.
New York Red Bulls Goalkeeper Luis Robles
On the penalty kick:
Well, I mean, Giovinco played a great ball. I believe he's the one that played it in with his left foot, made a streaking run. From that angle it's always tough for a defender. Kemar [Lawrence] did his best to get back and hustle.
As far as the way I saw it, it looked like a tough call. But when we watched the video maybe it's going to be a little more clear. Regardless of the situation, we have to be aware not only of what's going on behind us and the runs that are coming in from the weak side, but we got to see today why Giovinco was last year's MVP. Just like Jesse [Marsch] mentioned previously, whenever he got a touch, it looked like he was going to do something dangerous.
So in a game like today where we had possession and they were doing their best to break them down and we were playing the counter, I thought for the most part we'd eliminate their opportunities, but the few opportunities they had they were able to capitalize on a huge part because of the quality of Giovinco.
On if he sensed the game was a mental battle:
I think right from the beginning I felt that. Just the way they approached the game tactically. They did a good job of staying compact and making it very difficult for us, and we understand that at that point they were just going to spring Giovinco. So for us defensively, if we could not only detract him and see where he's at and not let him make plays, we're going to be in a good position.
Unfortunately in the second half we just lacked a little bit of that mental toughness that's required to shut a player of that quality down, and we paid for it. But it's not necessarily something that we don't have. It's something that's part of the process, and as we continue to find our groove, get more comfortable with the way teams are going to play against us, it's not a matter of if, but when that mental toughness prevails for us.
New York Red Bulls Midfielder Dax McCarty
On the game:
Yeah, it was a tough game. We weren't very sharp; they sat in and made it hard for us to break them down, and tried to hit us on the counter-attack and it was effective. We couldn't figure it out, and [made] a couple mistakes and it leads to goals.
On teams sitting back to counter-attack:
Yeah. I think we've seen that this is an effective tactic against us, and it's frustrating but we've got to be better. We just weren't really sharp on the day and we got punished for it.
On high points of the match:
Gideon Baah was fantastic. I thought him and Ronald [Zubar] did very well in trying to snuff out the only, you know, dangerous counter-attacks that they had. Other than that, not too many more positives to take.
On the sharpness of the team:
Yeah, I mean, we just weren't very sharp and we knew how they were going to play and we couldn't figure it out. And they got us on the break once, really poor defending, on the wrong side of the attacker and [we] don't block the cross and it leads to a chance and when you leave it in the hands of the referee you never know what's going to happen. He called a penalty and, you know, that's how they - story of the game, basically.
On the penalty:
I don't know. I haven't seen it. I really don't know.
New York Red Bulls Defender Kemar Lawrence
On the team's overall performance:
It was a tough game, we're just trying to go out there and do what we train to do every day. That's playing fast and trying to open up space on the field and get in some crosses, play balls through the and space if the opportunity presents itself...We were sitting back deep and it caused some problems for us.
On the penalty call:
For the penalty I do not know what to say; we were both going in and I think he was going down before it. I slid in and it went past a couple seconds and the referee blew the whistle trying to make up his mind about whether it was or was not a penalty. He gave a call and it was just a bit unfortunate. I haven't watched the replay yet to really say yes or no but I think it's just an unfortunate loss and it's in the past right now and all we can do is go back to training and figure out what we can do for the next game.
On opposing teams figuring out how to defend them:
No I think our team is good. If you look at the last Columbus game that we played, we got a goal we just needed a second one and we almost got it. As I said before, we're not sharp enough yet as a team and they came out with a plan, it worked today so we have to raise our caps to them. On any other day when we're a bit sharper I think that some of the half-chances that we got today would have been put away. So, I'm just looking forward to the next game and we're just looking to get a win next game.
New York Red Bulls Defender Gideon Baah
On his MLS debut:
I think it's a good start, especially for me. I loved everything about my debut today. It's just unfortunate that we lost. Congratulations to Toronto FC. I think they did a good job and it's just unfortunate that we lost.
On any surprises about the MLS style of play:
Yeah, everything is different. It's just up to me to adjust to the game, to the speed and the physicality but, yeah, I think everything is different for me.
On getting more comfortable playing out of the back as the game wore on:
That was the game plan because they were sitting very deep. They were waiting for us to get to them. So it was necessary for me to just be very comfortable and start the attack from wherever I was.
On his partnership with Ronald Zubar:
I think he's my teacher on the field. I have to listen to Jesse [Marsch] but when the crowd gets so loud, there's nothing you can hear from the coaches and the technical [staff] so he's the one I listen to. [He has] a lot of experience and I think today we did a good job. We tried to keep a clean sheet but unfortunately we didn't. I think this season it's going to be a good partnership between us.
On the difficulty of marking Toronto FC forward Sebastian Giovinco:
It wasn't easy at all. Of course we [have] the ball all the time and he is just sneaking behind us and making those runs. You have to follow the game and follow him. It wasn't easy at all. I think he got the better of us in the latter stages when we trying to get the equalizer. He's a great player and it was very, very tough marking him.
Toronto FC Head Coach Greg Vanney
On the match:
Gritty, um, I think we dug deep. Not everything was perfect nor is it on day one, but the guys competed. They competed for 90 minutes. They covered each other. They scrapped things out and made plays when they needed to make plays defensively. We've started eight games on the road and we talked about giving ourselves a chance to win games. And a lot of that for today was good, strong, hard defensive work, and we did that.
In the end we gave ourselves a chance to win, and we did. I'm very proud of them. It's a first game of the season, so building blocks are in place, but it's about a culture of winning. For us, we came on the road and won in a very difficult place. First time we've ever won in New York. So in terms of developing confidence for this group, and we have seven more on the road, so one at a time. However we get results, we get results, that's all that matters.
On the team's depth:
We try to build depth into our roster. That's the only thing we can do. Create over this preseason and early [in the] season and develop a system where we can kind of plug guys in and it makes sense for the vast majority of our guys. When we miss guys, we plug young guys in or other guys who are hungry and looking for minutes and looking to make a case for themselves and [make] a career.
We all do the same thing in this league because we don't have the largest of rosters, and when you have international guys on your team in this league, unfortunately you pay the price by losing them for some games. So it was just an opportunity for other guys to step up and make a case for themselves when they get opportunities.
On keeping a clean sheet and the newcomers' performances:
First, very rewarding to get a clean sheet because even through the preseason we kept making one mistake, the silly play or whatever that was costing us a goal. Today there wasn't any of that, or if there was a slight error, they make due for the guy that makes mistakes. In terms of the guys we added, I thought they were great. I thought they were excellent. I thought Drew [Moor] was great. I thought Steven [Beitashour] was great, I thought Will's [Johnson] work in midfield was great. So I think they were resilient. Again, it's not a group that's played a lot of minutes together.
This is Steven Beitashour's first 90 minutes really through the preseason and he grinded it out and made big plays. Having Clint [Irwin] behind us is a stabilizer because he's a very even-keel guy through all circumstances. He's a good communicator, and he was there to make a couple plays when he needed to.
So very pleased with the effort of the overall group and the new guys are a great addition. We knew what we were getting when we went inside the league to try to add pieces this year, and we saw that on day one.
On Marco Delgado's influence on the game:
Yeah, first for Marky [Delgado], he's relentless in terms of his work rate and his engine and ability to get up and down the field. And the game was one where we needed defensive work and we needed to be able to get out of defensive shape into getting support to Sebastian [Giovinco]. I mean, a lot of the game he was on his own, and we needed to get some guys out there who could really get back up the field and help him as plays transitioned and we tried to play forward, and obviously Marky did that.
To be fair, Marky is just a guy who missed the last part of preseason or we probably would have seen him out there at the beginning of the game. But that's what it is. He had a great year last year and he's ready to help us this year. I was more than excited for him to pick up the goal there in the end, because I know he tallies his goals over the course of the year, so at least he has one to start with now at the beginning of the year.
On pressing the Red Bulls:
Yeah, that was an objective. I thought we were better at it early in the game. I thought we had a stretch there in the latter part of the first half where we weren't getting our assignments right and they were able to find a lot of possession in midfield and we were scrambling a little bit. As a result, we were winning balls deep in our half of the field and defending with so many numbers deep that Sebastian as a release player is not always the greatest, because while he's great when you confine him to his feet, it's difficult when you're having to play balls over distance.
So a big part of that was we weren't able to organize to Marky quickly enough to win the ball or oppose them higher up the field or win balls higher so we'd have people closer to sub out. So I thought we did a better job of that in the second half through stretches, and we were able to keep them at bay. They're a team that's difficult to play through, no question. So sometimes you just have to relieve pressure and flip the script a little bit and try to turn them over in deep areas for them and try to get goals there.
But we got them in transitions. We knew that was going to be a big part of the game.
On Tsubasa Endoh:
I thought he was great. I thought Tsubasa [Endoh] has an enormous engine, and he'll work, and he'll run, and he'll track, and he's got a good education for the game in terms of his decision making and his tactical understanding of where to be and when. I thought he was solid in that way and he has a nice ability to wiggle out of pressure or some many compose your to help the team play out of some things that helped relieve some of the pressure that we were under at times.
So for him, this is his starting point in his first game, I was pleased with what he did. Again, part of that engine was his ability to get up the field in that transition when Sebastian hit the cross where he gets taken down from the PK. That's just the amount of ground he covers in the game is impressive, and we knew that was going to be one of these games, because you've got to go from defending to getting out quickly. And he did a great job on that.
On winning in Red Bull Arena:
I can't say I'm surprised with the results. I think we had a plan and a mission when we came in. I think the big part of being able to go to a city like New York or club like New York and winning is belief and confidence in what you're doing. Because a lot of times [you] come into the big cities and big clubs with big reputations and maybe the group at the sign of some difficulty kind of folds a little bit, and I thought our group didn't. There were definitely sometimes when we were having difficulty in terms of getting pressure, and the game wasn't in our favor. But the group didn't fold. We stayed together and stuck with the plan and the intent and we did that for the long haul and we did what we said we'd do, [which] is give ourselves a chance by defending well and give ourselves a chance throughout the course of the game to get the chance to win the game, whether through transition or whatever the case may be. We did that, and I thought we did that with great resiliency.
I think it's a product of we have some real veterans across the back line and in the midfield and coming into New York was something they've done many times in the past and to be able to get a result is telling of sort of the grittiness of this group and it's a building block as we move through these next eight games, as I've said.
Toronto FC Midfielder Michael Bradley
On importance of the win:
It's a great way to start a season. Great three points against, for me, one of the best teams in the league. And so when you talk about being a good team and knowing what it's going to take on certain days to win big games, I thought we came through in a big way today and I think we should all be proud of that.
On the keys to defeating the Red Bulls:
To understand what the game's going to be like. They want to play the game at a high speed, they want things constantly in motion, they're not worried about necessarily putting together a million passes deep in their end, they want to play forward, they want to move their lines, they want to press and they want to continue to do that over and over for 90 minutes. And so it's going to be that type of game. Not every play's going to be perfect, as they come after you there's going to be plays that break down and then at that point it's about reactions, it's about being able to put fires out and deal with things and still put balls forward and move your lines and know how to play in areas that aren't going to hurt you. So it's a big task.
On how much it means to earn a shutout:
It's important; one of the things we've talked a lot about is [how] defensively we have to be better. We have to be able to win games not giving away any goals so I think for week one to get a big win on the road against a good team and to not give away any goals, it's a good step for us, but again, it's one week, it's one game, it's a long road ahead and we'll be committed to making sure that we improve and get better as the year goes on.
Toronto FC Defender Drew Moor
On how Michael Bradley dropping deep helped the defense:
Michael coming back - he's such a positive influence in there, he's a calming effect. You just feel good when he's around you and he gets in great spots, he listens to me and Damien [Perquis], you know sometimes it's hard to get midfielders in front of you to listen to you and he's always got his ears open and does exactly what you say right when you say it so to have him, not to just get into good spots defensively, but he's a guy that's pretty good on the ball and when you get it to him he's going to find the outlets, he's going to find the right pass and then we're not just completely absorbing too much pressure, but he's one of those players in this league for a reason.
On grinding out the result:
I think exactly what you saw today, again, you know it wasn't pretty. We absorbed a lot of pressure, New York Red Bulls had the possession, probably close to two-thirds I would guess, but staying organized, making it look ugly at times and again looking to take advantage of your opportunities when you get them.
On winning at Red Bull Arena:
I don't think I have [won at Red Bull Arena] to be honest. This might be my first one and not a lot of teams come in here and get any points and I found out about five minutes ago it's been a while that Toronto's won in New York. We'll take this one today.
