On the result with Houston
I think that it was a battle of a game, we dominated a lot of the first half. But again, I think we’ve got to be better and comfortable in our chances when we get into dangerous areas. To give [Houston] credit, they did well, they dropped a lot of men behind the ball and they made it difficult for us. But it's just a shame that we weren't able to create a bit more of a dangerous chance throughout the game, and then to lose it later on and it was just a shame that it went that way.
On any changes made in halftime and his personal takeaways from the match
There wasn't really a change in game plan, the gaffer said to kind of stick to what we're doing, and that the chances will come and they'll open up a little bit more, and they'll get a bit more stretched towards the end of the game. I think for me, personally, Houston made it difficult with dropping a lot of men in behind, dropping a lot of men deep. So getting in behind them was difficult. But I was able to get in behind them a few times. Again, as I said, we just weren't able to convert those chances.
On the differences between the Rapids' and LAFC's past matchups and approach to the upcoming game
I don't think it changes anything, if anything it gives more hunger, and more desire for us this week heading into the game. And we're not scared of the opposition. We know that at home we are going to make it a tough game for them, and if we just stick to what we're doing, we know the goals will come.
On the young culture within the team this season
I think when you're a younger player, you have enthusiasm, excitement, and you have to build your confidence and seeing Kimani [Stewart-Baynes] get into the game the other night was good to see and he deserved that opportunity. And I'm just hopefully you can continue working hard and get more chances in the future.
On the result against Houston
Well, we are excited for another match, we're excited for another match at home and another test. We look at these games as they just test to see where we're at. And when you play a team like LAFC, they'll tell you exactly where you're at. A top team, full of a bunch of quality winners, the culture they have, they have so much going on over there. A team that can play in transition, they can hurt you in a lot of ways. But this is what it is, this is why we're in this business, to play against the best. We have so much respect for the way they play, the way they're coached from top of the organization on down. But most importantly, in front of our home fans, we left a little on the table this last game. We want to reward them with the points and the players to reward themselves for a lot of hard work. And quite honestly some good stuff that that's going on.
On updates to Andreas Maxsø's injury
He wore a mask today, the doctors to possibly reset his nose, but it's this fracture in his nose. It shows a type of person he is and competitor and winner that he is that he's out here at training. We left it up to him in many ways, his comfort level, and he's out here training. So I think he's such a big part of this team in so many ways. But I think that grit that he has is kind of the shape of our team right now.
On updates to Jasper Löffelsend's injury
He was involved in training today in a certain capacity and we have to make sure when we have these types of soft tissue injuries that we bring them along in the right way and just put it behind the player. It's going to be a long season, we're going to need everybody and we need everyone healthy, so it's good to see him out there with no issues today. Hopefully, we'll be looking ahead to the weekend and see how he could factor in.
On defender Moïse Bombito returning from international play with Canada
I think it's two things. One, Moïse is such an energy guy that he brightens up a room when he's in it. I think it's almost perfect on a day like today when we come back in and it's all about work and getting back to work...he helps the group. He's a good player, his smiling and his energy, dancing around and that spirit that he has, that childlike energy, we love it. It's good that he's back. We always know that players, young and older, when they go to the national team, you come back a little bit taller, even if you don't play, you feel like you're part of something bigger. You're one of the best players in your country that gets called in the demands is the standards. When you're a national team player, you come back better for it. So I love when they get these experiences, especially the young players. So we're happy to have him back.
On the differences between the Rapids' and LAFC's past matchups and approach to the upcoming game
I know enough about the coaches over there, they don't get too high on things and certainly they wouldn't get too low either. So I think, like us, both camps are probably looking at their results with an eye of reality and that you have to reset it, that you never can get too high or too low. For them, it's an important game, right? I would think that they would think 'Hey, we gotta win at Colorado', get three points to try to challenge for their aspirations, which is to be at the top of the league. For us, we know we want to get points, we need to get points. So, of course, we have to operate with urgency, almost like a playoff mentality, must-win type of thing...So every play matters, every moment matters. How alert can we be? How sharp can we be? Can we take our chances better than we have? Can we help get the players in different areas? And can we continue defending well, because it'll take a lot of good defending against that opposition.
On his connections to LAFC's Steve Cherundolo, John Thorrington, Ante Razov, and player Aaron Long
I think three of those four, I wish I was out there, nipping at their heels in the way I used to. [They] were three of my my best teammates in my career and I was lucky to have a lot of teammates. But those guys I shared different parts of my career with, Steve was part of the national team, he was younger than me but what a talent coming through. No surprise that he's passing on who he is as a player now as a coach, but it'd be great to see him and compete on the pitch as coaches now. Ante, I shared the most time with him as a player, my roommate on the road, just a dear friend, so it'll be nice again, the competition part of it, we love it. We've done it many times in training and even sometimes as we separated as players but um, it'd be good to see Ante for sure. John, who you have to give so much credit for...there's a guy at the top pulling the strings. John Thorrington, back in the day when we were teammates in 2006, 2007, top person, top competitor, intelligent human being, class act all the way through, so now he's really leading the charge of the club. No big surprise there. Friends before and after, and we're competitors and that's the way we would want it. Aaron Long is the one player of that group and I love Aaron as part of his journey early on with the Red Bulls and part of a coaching staff that saw something in him when not a lot of people did. I mean, when you talk about a success story in this country, in MLS and in the United States, he gets that credit because he has certain physical capacities of a really smart player but his will to succeed and to become who he has, that's Aaron Long, so it'll be great to see him again, compete against those guys and of course, reconnect for a little bit.
