Veljko Paunovic, Chicago Fire Head Coach
Thoughts on the match
“Losing these two points for me is tougher than any other defeat we have had this year. It is very difficult for us after a great response from the team and Matt obviously with the goal. When we tied the game and then took the lead of the game was a great response. We have to get better; it is still the same issue with conceding goals in the last minutes of the game. I think that maturity and mentality comes in play and I think that we did most of the things very well but we have to learn how to win games. Positive side is that we came back from the early goal against New York. That is the positive side but we have to learn how to manage the game and keep that result or even increase the lead so we move forward.”
On what was discussed with the players after the match
“We still didn’t talk. What I am going to say is we gave our best. Today we played tough which is a part of our identity. After having to react to a negative result in the first half we have to learn to either score the third goal which is something that we were looking for in the second half. Starting the second half that was our goal but then you don’t concede, you have to go and keep the score especially in the last five or ten minutes you have to.”
On conceding a late goal
“Yeah, that is why it is so tough.” On the injury to Joao Meira “We have to see it. It looks like a muscle strain, a hamstring strain so we will see it tomorrow, we don’t know yet. Hopefully he is going to be ready for the next game but we don’t know now.”
Matt Polster, Chicago Fire Midfielder
On allowing a late goal
"I think it's obviously disappointing. Going down a goal, giving up an own goal by myself is unfortunate, but I thought we did well to battle back and go up 2-1. Obviously, to give up a late goal is not ideal. To have three points right there in front of you, and to lose them is disappointing."
On the own goal
"Sean and I talked at halftime. It looked like Sean was going to have it, but then I looked and it kind of hung up there, so then last second I went for it and just a little miscommunication. I didn't hear anything, but I also should have just cleared it myself. I think sometimes you just have to take it into your own hands and just do it. I second-guessed myself and that's on me."
On the team's answer to an own goal
"Right when I gave up the own goal, the whole team kind of told me, 'it's fine, we're going to get it back, and we're going to win this game still.' To have that feeling and have those teammates and the support around you, to tell me that we’re going to be alright, we're going to win, gave me a little bit of energy to just try and bring it back around and help the team out. For the goal, David made a big switch and I realized everybody kind of shifted over, so I just went back post. Goossens played a great ball in, and I headed it home."
Johan Kappelhof, Chicago Fire Defender
On the late goal
"We had a couple of corners against us, and on the last one, we didn't clear well. They gave it directly in and we were two men down. It's a disappointing game, we wanted to win this one. It's very disappointing that we drew."
On the mentality of a close match
"First of all, we have to be focused 90 minutes long. Second, if you score and it’s 3-1, it would have been much easier for us, because when it's 2-1, they will come, they think that they can draw the game. It's difficult to defend the pressure all game long, so if we score to make it 3-1, it would be easier. We have to finish our chances. I think in the second half, we had two 100% chances, and those have to be goals."
On changes from first to second half
"First half, we kept the ball better than the second half, and that's why they got faith to score the second goal. I think second half, we need to be smart and keep the ball and save our energy, but we were defending all second half. That was not so good."
