The Red Bulls edged nemesis Real Salt Lake 4-3 in a thriller last night. They blew a two-goal lead before getting a late winner from midfielder Dax McCarty. Here is postgame reaction from the Red Bulls after beating a team that had dominated them in recent years.
NEW YORK RED BULLS HEAD COACH MIKE PETKE
On the match:
Great game to watch…I thought we were very good in the first half, thought we did exactly what we wanted to come in here, we knew how they were going to play, defensively they pressure you to one side and they do a phenomenal job and if you don’t switch that ball quick enough they’re at you. I thought we did well there, we were able to get behind them and create. Some phenomenal stuff from Thierry (Henry), Eric (Alexander), (Fabian) Espindola all working together, combinations getting forward and defensively in the first half we were sound. Second half, didn’t start the way we wanted to. We let them dictate the pace and the pressure a bit, but when we snapped out of it we had some moments as well. I didn’t see the stats yet but I’m not sure how many shots on goal they had, but I think when they scored the third goal they couldn’t have had more than three, four, maybe five unless I’m completely wrong so that’s frustrating a bit but they’re a lethal team, they’re a very good team.
On if he played in any back and forth games like this as a player:
Yeah, absolutely, many games like that, where it’s thrilling one second and it’s agony the next second and then you’re trying to find a way. We looked out against a team like Salt Lake with not long too go, you start figuring out what you’re going to do, what approach you’re going to take, whether we’re going to put another forward on and chase the game. We were set to pull a defender off and put Marius Obekop on and then once when we got the goal we decided to put him up a little higher. It’s a great game, I’m sorry, I’m a little lightheaded from all the screaming and what happened out there, so it was a great game.
On his thoughts after Alvaro Saborio scored his two second half goals:
I was very unhappy, extremely unhappy allowing him to get those two goals. I think where we excel at times phenomenally is guys like Olave and Holgersson getting a tackle and really stepping up, but then you see the result of what happens when you give a guy like Saborio room out there: he’ll make you pay. Listen, my job is ecstasy and agony and there’s no in between. This week I’ll be happy, for that moment after they scored I was miserable, the moment we scored to tie it up I was happier, the moment we scored to win it I was very happy, so five days to Kansas City, that’s my life. But right now I’m very proud of these guys for coming back like that and for the effort they put in.
On his substitution strategy:
Fabian already had a goal, Thierry is our captain, you know at any moment he can bring out the brilliance and we needed to get more attacking players on obviously, to bring on a Peguy (Luyindula). Jonny Steele I thought worked very hard, he had some very good moments, my thought process was to get three forwards on there, play three at top and we decided to go there, and put him on the left, right before that Tim (Cahill) in the first half got a knock, a very bad knock and he fought through it and it’s one of those things that we’re fighting with each other. He’s telling me I better not take him off and giving me that look that I remember as a player I would do because he wants to be involved, but then to see the work that he puts in, and him grimacing you have to get him off. Having Eric (Alexander) and bringing Lloyd (Sam) on, I thought Lloyd did some very good stuff down the wing. And then Obekop we saw last week when he came on in Toronto, how dangerous he can be, and we’re hoping that he can sit behind the three forwards and be a bit of a spark. He didn’t get much minutes but I went offensive; even when we tied the game I didn’t want to settle for a tie at home. Without sacrificing losing, I wanted to be offensive minded.
On how Dax McCarty is progressing from his previous injury:
I think Dax is still coming back. I think we had a couple of conversations over the last couple of weeks. He’s not satisfied exactly where he’s at, neither am I because I expect so much from him. Having said that, he’s not playing terrible. I think once Dax embraces exactly what I want from him and can put that in week in, week out, that’s when you might see him getting to the next level because we have high hopes for Dax, that’s why we signed him to a new contract. He’s a big player for this club and he’s a very accountable player so he knows he’s not where he wants to be but he’s playing OK for us and that goal hopefully boosts his confidence.
On his message to the team regarding the physical nature of the game:
Be smart. The last thing you want is somebody to get ejected. I think there was a lot of fouls called today. I think there were some risks, I think there were some moments but overall, I don’t know what the foul stats was, if any team was overly more fouled or not or if it was kind of even but the whistle blew a lot tonight. And you have to adapt to the type of that game, you have to expect he’s going to start throwing cards out and I think there was a bunch of cards tonight. I like a physical game, it worked in our favortonight.
NEW YORK RED BULLS FORWARD THIERRY HENRY
On the team’s attitude when the game was tied:
Well you know they came up with five minutes, so you know you have time to kind of win it. Dax won it for us so, the place went mental. It was the first time I beat Salt Lake and the team that was on top at the moment. Like I said to you, amazing effort, great effort. We came back into it. Three points. Happy.
On what this win says about the team:
I don’t have any doubt of how we play at home, but away from home it’s not the same team. So we have to manage our game away from home, play better and at home we’re pretty good. But we have to play better away from home if we want to, if we make the playoffs, if we want to win this thing because you know the games away are pretty important. We know we can play well at home as we’ve just shown and even before that but we have to play better away from home. That’s the key right now if we want to be more consistent.
On the former RSL players performance:
Jonny (Steele) played the same way, running everywhere and fighting for everybody. Espy (Fabian Espindola) did the same thing. I saw him running everywhere, trying to make stuff happen for us and (Jamison) Olave was brilliant in the back again so I guess maybe if you ask them it must have been special for them. I’m happy for Espy, he scored a double, but also for Dax, Dax needed to score a goal especially, and that’s going to give him a lot of confidence. But yeah I guess it must have been more than special for them.
NEW YORK RED BULLS FORWARD FABIAN ESPINDOLA
On scoring two goals against his former team:
It’s always important to score you know, to help the team, and then it is special against those guys. I have a lot of care for those guys so that’s all I have to say. Like I said it was good because it was against them, just because I did my job. That’s all.
On Thierry Henry letting him take the first penalty kick:
Yeah I have to say thank you for that, he gave me that penalty. He said ‘Go ahead buddy,’ something like that, just good luck, that was good. I think he did that because it was my former team you know?
On RSL’s second half comeback:
It stinks. A few mistakes we had the game in control. And they have a great team you know, they have a great touch on the ball and I think we put ourselves in a position, I mean too many mistakes and then give up a goal. That was what happened
On what this comeback says about the team’s character:
Strong, I think that that was strong, at home especially because we have to get the three points here so it was good.
NEW YORK RED BULLS MIDFIELDER TIM CAHILL
On his knock:
Honestly I don’t even know how I got up, but you know, adrenaline rushes through your body. Such a big game, so much importance on it and it happens, you know? I think I took a nasty knock in the first half, one of their players takes a little bit of a knock in the second half and [Jamison] Olave gets a yellow card because the coach asked for a yellow card and he gets one. You know it happens in football, the thing is, after it’s disappointing you can’t shake hands and get on with it because, you know, in my experience in football, the intensities there and you play and that’s it so it needs so explanation.
On playing Real Salt Lake:
Yeah, I think for me it’s all about playing. I said I wanted to get as many minutes under my belt when I play in this league because you want to be fit and you always want to be competing against the best teams, the best teams, and they are one of the best, you know, I watched them yesterday for an hour after training and footballing wise they’re brilliant. They’re one of the most complete teams I’ve seen in the league. That’s my first opportunity to play against them. So, you know they’re a good football team, a very good football team so a lot of credit to them.