Photo and video: Daniel Gajdamowicz

Jim Curtin’s postgame press conference

Postgame interviews with Danny Cruz, Pedro Ribeiro, Zac MacMath, Brian Carroll, and Ray Gaddis 

Philadelphia Union postgame quote sheet

Jim Curtin

Opening Statement

I would have said this even if we didn’t get the penalty at the end, I was proud of our guys tonight. A lot of guys had very good games that haven’t been called upon a ton recently and they stepped up. If you look back at the first half, I thought we took it to New York. Had a great start, we probably could’ve scored a goal in the first minute there. Pushed the game a little bit. We’ll call it a generous penalty kick call that changes the game a little bit. The first shot they actually get on goal was Thierry’s that goes in to make it 2-0. Our guys could’ve laid down and quit but they don’t — they respond and get a quick goal back and push the second half in a way that felt like a playoff game. The tempo was quick, we had lots of chances and for a second there you start to think that it’s not our night, that it’s just not going to go in tonight. Robles made some saves. They blocked a lot, they made a lot of plays defensively, they were organized and they were tough to play against all night. We finally got the breakthrough. It took literally almost the last kick of the game to get our chance. Again I can’t say enough about the guys that were out there. I thought there were a lot of great performances across the board. Looking forward, we did manage to save some legs for Tuesday.

On the conversation with the guys who haven’t gotten a lot of action

The conversation was, “We need three points.” This is New York. This is a rivalry game. Those guys deserve to play, they deserve to start. The way they push things in training, like I’ve said a million times here, we have healthy competition in every position. You can see now that when you go to a Danny Cruz, a Brian Carroll,  Fabinho, they’ve all played 20 games and more this year for us, so it’s not like its this crazy idea. With Fred, I know he has the experience to manage a game, and I thought he was excellent tonight in that role. The only wildcard was Ribeiro. He’s only a first year player so that would be the one that was a calculated risk and he actually gets the goal — Did they credit him with that or no? They did? Alright, good, that’s good for him. So, he gets his goal and causes the PK at the end. Again, I couldn’t be prouder. Brian Carroll I thought was excellent, Amobi was good. I can go through every guy and check all the positive boxes. It was always going to be Thierry making the play for them and no matter how much you focus on him he can still do it. He’s special, he’s world class. It’s tough. It’s their third game so you give them a lot of credit for the effort they put in. I think we did wear them down a little bit at the end and finally broke through. We deserved a point, if not more.

About focusing on this game and not the Open Cup yet and thoughts on Open Cup

I actually liked how the first part of the game went, it was kind of playing how we wanted it to. With the Open Cup Final, I only get one crack at that, our guys only get one crack at that. There’s still six more games in the year and I knew that going in. I wrestled with it. I’m not going to sit here and say I knew it right away that was the way I was going to go. We wrestled with it back and forth with who we play, starters. Can we turn it around quickly on Tuesday? Knowing that Seattle played last night and has an extra day of rest, Seattle played a full lineup. Sigi is in a different position then I am as a coach. He’s done some things, he’s won the Open Cup three times, he’s got trophies. Their season, right now, they’re focused on MLS Cup — obviously,  Open Cup too — but he has a little different way of looking at it right now than I do because this is my first time through so I don’t have all the answers. That was the way we went. I think we did preserve a lot of legs for Tuesday night so we will be fresh. All my subs came in and changed the game: Seba came in and made an impact; Nogueira came in and made an impact, Maidana came in and made an impact — they did a great job. I’m happy with the group again. I don’t think there was much drop off from what you would call our starters to this group that played tonight.

Thoughts on going down 2-0. Nervous?

Maybe with me. I was nervous when it goes down 2-0 because you look at the players that they have on the field. You can start to push and then Thierry can get you for a third if you find yourself flying forward. I was nervous when it went two zero, I’m not going to lie. But, our guys responded quickly and calmed things down for the whole group. At halftime the message was more of the same. We played a good half, it’s just that the penalty kick call changed a little bit. Those things happen., mistakes happen in soccer. The goal wasn’t a goal that was a great goal. Zac can tell you that he could’ve done better on that one. Thierry hits a hard shot that Zac would tell you he could’ve done better on that one. But, our group, we don’t put their heads down. We don’t complain or cry or feel bad for ourselves. We get right after it and I was really proud of the response.

Does MacMath’s performance affect the decision about who will start in goal on Tuesday in the  Open Cup final?

No, I have my mind made up with what we’re going to do with that, and the goalkeepers know what we’re going to do with that. They better not tell you guys (laughs). Again, I don’t want to give any advantage to Sigi going into this thing. They’re in the mind frame and they know what the decision is moving forward.

On going for the Open Cup

I’m from the city. As a player I won that trophy two times and lost it once and I don’t want that losing feeling. As a coach it’s different. I don’t want to let the city down so it’s different. It’s something that is a special feeling. The toughest thing for a club too is to get your first trophy. Once you get your first one there’s confidence. When people talk about the Philadelphia Union, they say they are champions. That changes things. Even us just playing in a final you can tell there is a buzz about this team now. Publicly in the media, when they say over and over again “Seattle vs. Philadelphia,” these are positive things to be mentioned in the same breath with Seattle this past several months is a good thing, they’re the best team in the league right now. I’m not going to sit up here and tell you they’re not. They’re flying on all cylinders. But, we respect them, we don’t fear them. We don’t fear anybody. My group is not scared. So, we will be ready to go on Tuesday, we’re excited for it. It was good to get this New York game past us. We would’ve liked to get three points — that was the goal — we came up a little short. Alright, but now, it’s almost like tonight didn’t happen. We pick up a point on maybe Columbus and we cheer that maybe they draw Houston tonight.

On Pedro Ribeiro

He was good. With any young player there’s going to be moments of brilliance and there’s going to be mistakes. It actually almost went that way to a T. He would make a great play, he’d win a flick, and then his next play he would have a clear easy pass and he’d miss it. These are the rollercoasters with young players. To his credit, he stuck with it for 90 minutes, he gets us a goal and then creates the goal in the penalty kick, so I couldn’t be happier for him. Great kid. He’s had a long year in terms of Harrisburg; he’s playing different positions. He rises to the occasion every time. He’s a soccer player, man, the kid is — he’s solid. He’s got great feet. Great teammate, always a smile on his face, loves coming to work. I can’t say enough about him. He’s going to be a part of this organization for long time.

On bringing in the three subs earlier

You can always second guess, you can always have hindsight. I would just say you can judge me after the Open Cup final and then you can judge me if we make the playoffs or not. That’s kind of the way I look at it. Believe it or not there is a method to this thing. We do think and look at games ahead, and how Sigi handled the game last night and how we handled it tonight. That goes into it, it weighs into it. I actually thought our group deserved three points tonight with the effort they put in. I don’t want to talk about the referee and the call, but that was a big call. The ball’s away — is there a little contact? Yes, but I think he knows deep down he might’ve made a mistake on that one. But, again, this is soccer. This happens all the time all over the world, there’s mistakes. Credit to our group for bouncing back.

Ray Gaddis

On ability to battle back from a two goal deficit

It shows fight and resilience, especially at a crucial time in the season. We are all sticking together and we know what our main goal is and that is to make the playoffs…whether its guys who are starting or coming off the bench, we all want this so we are never really out of any match.

On weather and field conditions

Some things you just can’t control. The ball didn’t move as crisp as you would’ve liked it to. It did slow down the pace of the game at times, but you can’t control any of that.

On using depth in today’s match with Open Cup final on horizon

We have a deep enough group -– I’d even say this is probably as deep of a group we’ve had since I’ve been here —  that can come on the field and contribute in any manner the coaches need them to. We need to make sure that we stay compact and together. From a leadership standpoint, we have those vocal guys that can dictate play and control the match for us and right now everything seems to be clicking at the right time. We hope to continue that on Tuesday [in the Open Cup final].

Sebastien Le Toux

On what Seattle will bring to the table in the US Open Cup final

I think they are going to bring their best squad. I’m sure they want to win this as much as we do, so we expect their best. It’s a final and we want to win this trophy. [Seattle] already has a taste of what it’s like to win this trophy and we don’t, so it’s a bit advantageous. But we have the support of our fans and we know with this being a championship we need to be ready and prepared.

On how special winning the US Open Cup is

It’s always a great joy both collectively and personally for everyone. Winning any sort of title is a big deal and for us we want to be the team that brings the first trophy to this franchise, so everyone is motivated and I try to show my experience and leadership because I know what it takes to win this final and I hope I can win again with Philadelphia.

On weather conditions playing a role against the Red Bulls

In the first half, the field was very slippery. So, credit to the guys for really trying to play the ball on the floor and attack, but it was very difficult. In the second half, it was slippery but it was for both teams, so I have no excuse and I am glad we were able to battle back.

On plan of attack on penalty kick

No, I try not to think too much about it. I have a spot and I try to make sure I hit it. Luckily for me, I have been fortunate in my career here [13-for-13 on PKs] to finish them and get goals for the team, which makes me happy.

Pedro Ribeiro

On being a part of both goals

The first goal was an important one for me and came at the right time considering it came right after [New York] scored a second goal. It was good to get that first goal before the half. It was a great ball played in from the left side and the defender and I kind of met it at the same time. He tried to clear it and I tried to bend it and the combination saw it go in. It wasn’t a beautiful goal but I’ll take it.

On the penalty kick he helped earn late in game

It was a great ball over the top and coach [Jim Curtin] told me to fight for every ball anytime I’m in the box. The defender came from behind on the tackle and got my foot as well, and we got the PK. It was an important PK because it helped us get out of here with a point, even though we wanted three. To fight back was good, I think, for this team.

New York Red Bulls postgame quote sheet

Mike Petke

On late penalty/game overall

I haven’t looked at both replays of both penalty kicks so I can’t comment on that. I’m trying to find the words here. Second half, I don’t know what happened. We really couldn’t put too many passes together. We were bunkered in. I think we frustrated them for the most part. At the end of the day, before it happened, maybe I’m excited. Maybe we didn’t play the best, but we had three points and that’s why it’s so frustrating to have that second PK called. Again, not saying it was or wasn’t — I don’t know. But we tied; we’re still ahead of them. And we’ll move on to Seattle.

On being bunkered in and not making substitutions

Who? In that game, the way it was going… Do we go to five defenders? Then we take someone out of the midfield or have no forward. I made two substitutes and we were OK with that.

On substituting Thierry Henry out

Very tired. Very tired from the long week. The wet, soggy field was playing tricks on his leg a little bit. So, get him off.

On the impact without Henry in the game

It could have [impacted the game]. I thought in the first half he did well for us. He held the ball. But it’s one of those things where you have to make the sub. Tim [Cahill] as well. Tim felt something —- I don’t think it’s anything serious —- but he felt something and we had to get him off the field.

On Union scoring first goal and not getting to the second half up 2-0

It was a bit of a lucky goal, but you could say Thierry’s was a little bit of a lucky goal, as well. [Ribeiro’s goal] took a bit of a deflection, but that’s the way the ball bounces and that’s the way it goes sometimes.

On a week with two wins and a draw against playoff teams

Very positive week. A little bittersweet here at the end because lost it in the last minute. I guess you could say seven points out of nine… I’ll take it.

On Armando playing left back, not Eckersley

We wanted to be very solid on the left, defensively. That’s not to say Eckersley is not as solid, but they’re more about getting get up-and-down. And our gameplan today, especially with the tired legs — especially on Thierry’s side — was to bunker down that side and let Thierry do his thing. We don’t necessarily need an overlap or two on that side. It was on them to win the game. They needed to win that game. We wanted to win the game.

On Armando at left back

I thought he had his moments. He did well.

On Ruben Bover’s game

I thought he did well. The first play when he came on, he was able to get behind the defense. Overall, I think he brought on some energy that we needed.

On quick turnaround

Wednesday’s game could be a lot of guys getting an opportunity. There’s six games left in MLS and they’re all important. Champions League is very important as well. But we’re going to do what’s right for the club.

On being consulted on delay

Yes I was. I was right in the thick of it. I was begging to play this game. My mindset is not the one of three years ago when we were saying we didn’t want to play the snow game against DC we lost the psychological edge right there.

Update on Wright-Phillips

Hoping to have him for Seattle.

Luis Robles

On the game overall

Today was an interesting experience to say the least. I’ve never been part of a rain delay. But I’m glad we played in it. I think, the positives first, we got a point and Philadelphia didn’t jump over us. Thought like playing three games in eight days — some guys left it all out there. We have a lot to be proud of. But as far as the end, I just feel bad for those guys that went out there for 90 minutes and literally gave their all. We weren’t able to keep the possession we needed to kill that game. Unfortunately, you look at the calls. Maybe ours was questionable, but their’s was definitely 100 percent questionable. Their first goal was a freak, but ours was as well. But at the end of the day, all you can say we got a point.

On what he saw at the penalty in extra time

It’s tough to say. From what I recall, it was just a bunch of touches, feet getting caught up. I don’t think there was pushing more one way or the other. Of course it’s a difficult call, especially at that part of the game.

On rain delay doing anything psychologically

I think if anything, we just wanted to know. We didn’t want it get to 4 pm and then hear it’s another hour. But I think the guys did a good job of being ready for it.

On the game potentially getting canceled.

We were just pushing to play the game. We didn’t want to come down here and waste their time by not playing.

On being tired because of the busy week

I’m exhausted. I looked at the guys around the 70th minute and I was just praying that we had enough to finish it off. Our defensive line, they did everything they could. The two guys in the middle — they were huge for us. If those guys didn’t have that courage to play, it would have been a completely different story.

On positives to take away from the last eight days

Obviously right now, we’re pretty emotional because we thought we should have won that game. We have to sit back and evaluate our week. We had three difficult opponents, three conference opponents, everyone was in the mix, it’s not like we were playing someone at the bottom of the table. If we can maintain that for the rest of the season, we’re going to be in pretty good position.

On the importance of having the reserves stepping up for Wednesday’s Champions League game

It will be very important because it’s not like we’re going to go to Montreal and it’s going to be a cakewalk. These guys are going to get a chance to play, not just for Champions League, but for their standing with the team. If they can go down to Montreal and get that win, they can set themselves up for the future.

On only using two subs

I think he [Petke] was a little cautious I was going to get a red card. I couldn’t believe he gave me that yellow. But the frustrating thing is not a single one of my guys was looking at me. What was I supposed to do?

On the save on Maurice Edu

The ball bounces perfectly over our center back and bounces right to his chest. I just tried to stay big like Nick Rimando did last night. Tried to do my best Rimando. I thought the ball would stay low because the field was so wet. To have him hit it high was to my advantage.

On playing the last 25 minutes without some important players

I think that’s the most frustrating part. It’s not because we want to make a statement without those guys, but we felt like we played well enough to get that win. Guys were giving it their all. You can’t get down on a guy when he’s giving it all. And I felt that was there today.