04/14/2007 11:56PM
Revs 4, Toronto FC 0 -- quote sheet
MLSnet.com Staff
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER QUOTE SHEET
SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2007 -- NEW ENLAND REVOLUTION 4, TORONTO FC 0
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION HEAD COACH STEVE NICOL
On the game:
"It was a real team tonight. Every single person played their part and gave everything they had for the team. It was a real team performance. ... We couldn't have asked for a better start. Not only did we control the game, but we made chances and put them away. It's always huge to get your nose in front and the other team has to come and leave holes. So the first 20-25 minutes were about as much as anybody could ask for."
On Pat Noonan's late entry:
"(Pat's) just lacking a wee bit of fitness, that's all. He's not hurt; he's not in jeopardy. He just needs to get some more fitness done and get that sharpness back. I think (Adam) Cristman has done a great job filling in for him."
On the team's first game on the new Gillette Stadium FieldTurf:
"It's kind of hard to criticize anything when you win 4-0. I think it played fine and I think we adapted to it well."
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION GOALKEEPER MATT REIS
On going into the game:
"The crowd was great, it was great driving in, seeing all the fans tailgating and having a good time. Even though we lost in Chicago, I think there were a lot of positives that we took away from the game. We were a little snake-bitten not to get a result there. We just came out tonight and did the same things we did in Chicago, and this time we got the goals and we got the result."
On the Revolution defense:
"We were very solid with James (Riley) back there; it's a learning experience for all of us and I think we did a great job with our shifting and covering. As a whole - as a defensive unit - top to bottom, we did [well]. The shots that they had were long-range stuff. There was nothing too troubling for us. I think, all in all, it was a great performance for us."
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION FORWARD PAT NOONAN
On his return from sports hernia surgery:
"I'll take it week-by-week. Thirty minutes here and I'll play in reserve again tomorrow to get some more minutes. Hopefully I'll be ready for next Thursday in the starting 11, and work my minutes in there."
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION FORWARD TAYLOR TWELLMAN
On the game:
"I thought our defense did a tremendous job of keeping everything in tact and not really giving much up ... Obviously (on the) the second [goal], it's Rally (Ralston) and I doing what we do best, and Stevie (Ralston) played a dime. All I had to do was put it on goal ... All 11 guys today were on the same page, and it showed."
On narrowly missing his fourth-career hat trick:
"I should've had a third (goal in the 19th minute). Obviously, when you get two quick goals and you're pushing, you're going to hit a wall."
TORONTO FC HEAD COACH MO JOHNSTON
On the game:
"New England was by far the better team in the first 17-20 minutes. And then we couldn't string any passes along. Our defense was very poor other than Jimmy Brennan."
On if an expansion team can compete immediately:
"We can compete. Tonight, I wouldn't say it was about competing, it was about that we were just outplayed on numerous occasions. ... We never gave our goalkeeper a chance. We got four goals scored against us. The last two were mistakes schoolboys would not have made."
On the team's first season so far:
"We've lost the last two games, and we've not scored. We have guys on this team that can score. We're just not gelled properly at the moment. ... Tonight (there) was no positives. Tonight's a night you go back and look at the game tape and point out all the mistakes you've made."
TORONTO FC GOALKEEPER GREG SUTTON
On the Toronto fans who came in mass for the game and the game's outcome:
"It's great to see. It's something that you're not going to see often in this league, where supporters come that far. The number that was here was great. Unfortunately we didn't give them the show that we wanted to. But they have to understand - and I think that's something we understand - that we're going to go through some growing pains. But at the same time, there's no reason for excuses and we're not making any. We'll man up to what we've done wrong here and I think that we have enough guys on this team that are strong professionals and will know how to react to this that it will make it better for the rest."
On Toronto's next game in Kansas City:
"Obviously, [we want] as many points as we can get out of it. I think that we just have to ... we're worried about ourselves right now. I think that's our biggest goal: to become more of a cohesive unit defensively and offensively. We're going to have a week-and-a-half off to prepare for Kansas City and hopefully we can get a good result on the road and then come home to an exciting crowd. But it's a long season. We just have to make sure that we're doing the right things to get back."
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