Photo: Courtesy of Philadelphia Union

Note: Union quotes transcribed by PSP. All others provided. Questions have been paraphrased.

Philadelphia Union postgame quotes

Jim Curtin

Opening statement

First off, credit to the Orlando fans, they make this place very tough to come [to and] play. I don’t enjoy coming here. Obviously, they take care of us great but the fans create a very tough environment.

Credit to Adrian [Heath]’s team, they created a ton of chances; very good, tough to deal with going forward. I give my guys a lot of credit on the night, going down a goal, coming back, showing a lot of character. We’ve proven now we can get points home and away, which is the sign of a good team.

I thought at 1-0, the game changed on a…we’ll call it a mistake, the non PK call where Warren Creavalle gets two-footed in the box. Again, mistakes are going to happen from referees, but [we] became a little unraveled after that; Orlando City pushed the game and got two goals, and we responded well. It got a little out of hand there and, again, it’s a difficult league to referee in, but today it was a tough one.

Unintelligible question

It’s a balance. Adrian made two subs that really, really helped, they came in and impacted the game almost immediately. We responded with Fabian Herbers, who I thought did very well creating chances, got in behind the back line. They put so much into the game. There was a little fatigue in their back line that we saw [but] they played great, though. They’re a strong team, I think they’re one of the better teams in the East. They’ve had a couple tough results go against them but, yeah, it’s a sign of a team with some character and some guts to come back because when this place gets loud, the tendency with most teams is to shrink and get a little smaller and give up a third, and then Kaka’s having a field day out there. Instead, we responded well, got our goal, and pushed the game a little bit toward the end, as well. So, I think a point was fair.

On Tranquillo Barnetta

Tranquillo, his class speaks for itself. I agree with you, I think he did start a little slow, the turf’s a little tricky, it’s fast, it took him a little while to get adjusted. He’s a guy that I would say is kind of the modern day No. 10 where you have to get him volume, get him the ball over and over. And he runs so much that,over the course of 90 minutes, the guys that are tracking him, they fall asleep maybe for one second and that’s when he gets free and gets his chances. He turned around and I thought had a very good — after a slow first 15 — he led us, made some good plays, played a couple good through balls, and, obviously, to get the goal was special. But, I don’t have to speak too much for his quality, he played against Real Madrid a few months ago: he can play, no question about it, and happy for him to get the goal.

On the questionable refereeing decisions, including the non PK call and doubts about both of Orlando’s goals

Yeah, there was a lot of, a lot of…These are hard decisions; I will give [the referees] the benefit of the doubt on that [but] I still think they get some wrong — a lot wrong on the night. But, it’s hard, players make mistakes, too, coaches make mistakes — and I think the refs should be accountable, as well. I think he had an off night — that’s the nicest way I can put it without getting myself in trouble.

There were some controversial plays, no question about it. I think on Kaka’s PK…you know, maybe. You’ve seen that given so you’re not shocked. The one with…It’s a quick transition, right, so they play a long ball over the top and now three guys go to it. [The ref] was at midfield when that foul happens, so I don’t think he has a fair view of it. So, keeping up with things is difficult in an end-to-end game like that. I don’t know if he got it right, I’ll have to look at the tape.

The Warren Creavalle one is embarrassing. That’s a PK and — a red card, actually — if we’re going by the rules of the season and the leaving your feet with the studs showing, that’s the definition a penalty kick and a red card. That changes games; for sure it would have helped us to go up 2-0.

It’s tough. But at the same time, the one over the line, I don’t know if it was over the line. Bang-bang play, you have the crowd into it, and maybe you make a quick judgement. I don’t know if it was right or wrong, but there was a lot of tough ones. They’re not easy calls, I’m not complaining but, at the same time, I think there was some things that happened out there tonight.

On adjusting to Orlando’s lineup

They’re a good team, first and foremost. We dodged some bullets last time with them missing Brek [Shea] and [Cyle] Larin last time. Larin for me is a handful; he’s a tough striker. I thought for the most part we did a decent job containing him; he still gets on the end of a cross. But, yeah, we dodged some bullets with them missing some guys; we’re missing some guys, too. That’s the way it goes in our league, you get a break here or there, you run into a team when a guy’s suspended or on international duty. During the course of the year it happens. It needs to be said, though, they’re a deep team, they can go to their bench. And you look at who came off the bench: you know,[Júlio] Baptista, quality players. They’re a very strong team, they’re well coached, they’re organized, and they’re going to be in this thing down to the wire. The East is tough, though, it’s so close right now. A win here or there…the teams that put two or three wins together in our conference are the one’s that are going to have success. Hard to do, though. It’s really hard to win.

Tranquillo Barnetta

Thoughts on the first goal

It was a nice header from Chris Pontius and I tried to find my space and I was lucky the ball came there and it was not too hard to put in.

Thoughts on extending the unbeaten streak in this type of environment

We have a strong group and even if we have tough games like tonight, it was not easy for us tonight so we keep going. And to come back from the second goal shows we are really strong mentally and we always fight on the pitch and we try to keep going. Maybe tonight we also deserve a little more than one point but at the end we are happy we didn’t lose on the road.

Ken Tribbett

Thoughts on his first career goal

I mean, right place at the right time. It’s one of those classic goals where [the ball] just happened to fall at my foot and I was able to tap it in.

Thoughts on coming back after injury

It’s great to get back out there with the boys. It’s what you want to do as a professional, you want to be on the field. To be able to step in in a moment of need for the team and play pretty well, I was excited to do it.

Thoughts on heading home to Colorado to face the Rapids on Saturday

I’m ecstatic. It’s one of the places I’ve been really looking forward to play and now I think we’re headed there on a high and it’s going to be a fun trip.

Orlando City postgame quotes

Adrian Heath

Thoughts on the result

[I’m] obviously disappointed. When we got in the lead, I thought we’d see it through. I thought we looked dangerous in the second half, and we had a lot of momentum going at the time. We conceded too really poor goals. Defensively, for both goals, we looked awful. If you give players time and room, especially quality players, it invariably ends up in the back of the net, and that’s what we did. It took us a while to get going. I was worried, before the game, about our energy levels after putting so much into the game on Saturday. It’s strange because as the game wore on, one or two more people got involved. And certainly the introduction of a couple of the substitutes helped in that manner. It is what is, we move on. We’ve got a big game now on Sunday.

Thoughts on penalties to Cristian Higuita and David Mateos

Its disappointing. We’ll see what happens. But we have one game before we have a three-week break so we have to get through Sunday. It’s a big game for us, and we want to make sure that we give a good account to ourselves. I’m sure whoever comes in will step up and will do alright.

Thoughts on tonight’s lineup decisions

You speak to the players and they say they want to play again. As the game wore on we seemed to gain momentum. I think looking at the game tonight, Kevin [Molino] certainly gave us a lift, he will be in my thoughts for the weekend, maybe Júlio [Baptista] as well.

Thoughts on Kevin Molino and his response

You have an opportunity to impress a coach and he did that tonight. I don’t think I need to explain to anyone how I feel about Kevin [Molino], it’s well documented what I think. His talent is probably as good as anyone in this club. I felt like he needed to be left out of the Kansas [City] game.

Thoughts on Hadji Berry

At 2-1, do we put another defender on or do we go for it? At times Hadji is still an a little bit of an enigma. At times he’s incredibly good and at times he struggles to play with people but the kid has real talent. The main reason why I put him on is his unpredictability to change the game.

Thoughts on appealing David Mateos’ red card

We’ll have to see and if we can, we will.

Kevin Molino

Thoughts on not playing on Saturday

Yeah, you know at the end of the day I was watching the game on the outside and I think we needed a little more energy and a little more determination to come back into the game and I wanted to go out there and just give the team a boost.

Thoughts on the confidence level of the team

No, we got 4 points in two games, which we deserved a little more from this game, but so be it, you move forward and look at the game in New York, which New York lost 7-0, were going into the third game with 4 points in two games so there’s a little confidence and you know, with two players out we just need to continue working hard and you know the players who haven’t had an opportunity to play now is the time to go out there and show the coach they deserve to be on the team also.

Thoughts on scoring 30 seconds after being subbed into the game after being benched last game

For me, if I play, I start to you know or whatever, I just wanted to be the guy to motivate the team on the bench, on the field – whatever, you know and I just want to go out there and work hard, to help the whole team get the results and do whatever it takes for us to get three points, but unfortunately we didn’t get it tonight and we look forward to the game in New York and hopefully we get three points.

Thoughts on red card for David Mateos

For me, I didn’t really see the replay so I kind of put the remark on it, but for me the referees do have a difficult job and they are human being, they’re going to make mistakes so at the end of the day when I look at the replay and then I can make a remark about it.

Cyle Larin

Thoughts on confidence due to end result

I think our confidence is still up. We’re scoring goals, and I think we just have to keep the ball in the back of the net. We defend and attack as a team, and I think we did well tonight. There were just those little moments where we should’ve been together on it and it comes down to that in these games, especially when [Philadelphia] is in really good form.

Thoughts of injuries impacting the roster

No. I think the people that come in do really well. Everyone gives their all, so I think the depth is great. Kevin [Molino] and [Júlio] Baptista came in and did a lot.

Thoughts on tie result

A lot of teams have been tying these last couple of weekends, and teams are in form. [Philadelphia] and Montreal are very good teams, and this point was important. Going into next week, we can still climb up the table.

Thoughts on goal combination with Kaká

I know where [Kaká] is going to put the ball now. I just watch his eyes. The last second I see it, and I’m there. Each game gets better and better. These [games] are teaching me where to be, and I just know where he is going to put the ball at certain moments.

Thoughts on Kevin Molino’s impact

Kevin [Molino] is a very good and talented player, and players like that, when they come into a game, they want to do stuff. Those players give a spark in the game, and I think Kevin is a great and important player to this team. He came in and did very well, so that’s good.

Kaká

Thoughts on the team’s frustration

Yeah, because we think we could win this game so this is the feeling after the game, but it’s ok we played against a very good team. They are on top of the league in our conference so it was a very good game and there is some details that decided the game – PK, free kicks – so something that we need to improve.

Thoughts on first half vs. second half

I think it’s normal the first half, everybody’s fresh so you can occupy the space better so both teams can be in shape better and so the second half created more space, it can create more opportunities both sides for sure we have to take advantage of that and we did, we scored two goals but unfortunately we considered two goals, but some details that I just said.

Thoughts on playing in New York after they lost 7-0

This is something we need to respect all the teams no matter what, 7-0 or 1-0 is the same for us. We will respect New York FC the same that we respect Philadelphia and everybody that we are going to face so we are going to prepare for the game. We know that they have really good players, they just lost a game like this so they have motivation, more motivation to play against us so we will be ready for that game as well.

Thoughts on roster being affected after the injuries

No, I don’t think so because I think that it’s different from last year, this year we have a better group so we have a lot of players that can come, can play and the quality of the team doesn’t change so this is our team this season.

Thoughts on discipline for the team

This is something that probably the referee, the league and inside the club, they need to discuss. I don’t think it’s a lot of yellow cards today and we didn’t deserve. This is something that every time I come here I say about the referee so calls by calls by calls, I don’t want to talk about that sometimes we don’t deserve the cards that we have.