Veljko Paunovic, Chicago Fire Head Coach
On D.C. United’s late equalizer
“We just conceded a late goal. That’s what it is. Hard to receive that goal. We had the win very close but we keep our heads up and continue working and moving forward. We have to do analysis, talk about it. How we can improve. It’s the same story like the whole year – we have the game where we give our best. We really work hard. I think we had a lot of opportunities today. I think the team played well, especially in the first half. Later, the circumstances changed the game and changed the situation on the field. You have to adjust, give your best, and in the end it’s disappointing that the way we gave up that late goal but the guys fought hard and pushed hard until the end. Later, we had another opportunity with that free kick, where you have another try, another shot, and it didn’t go well. It’s part of the game.”
On the takeaways from the game
“Of course, you have to learn lessons from there. You have to do your best to understand what you can do better and address that with the players and work on that. Of course, keep your faith, like always, and just have an honest approach and want to get better and want to give your best in every single game and that’s it. We’ve been in this situation a couple of times this year and that’s where we still failed. It’s in this point where we have to step up. We actually had a couple of games where we did well but it has to be more consistent. It had to be that mentality, that toughness, that self-believe that when it’s time to defend, you can defend it and you can be very good in that and you can even take advantage of the counter attack like we had opportunities but we didn’t convert. It’s a learning process. Team that’s growing and it’s a process.”
On whether injuries affected the outcome of the game
“Let’s start like we always say. Everyone is important for us and when the moment, like today, comes where we had injured guys. In this case, Michael was injured and Goossens too. It’s important to step up and be ready for the opportunity. And I think the guys did well, they really fought hard and, I think, we had opportunities. And for sure, everyone is important for us and today I’m very happy with the performance with the guy who played. Regarding Michael, he had last weekend, last game he had ankle sprain. He couldn’t recover from there. He couldn’t play today.”
On conceding late goals
“I think, there is always a reason but we are not looking for excuses. Like I said, we never give excuses. There is no reason to fail even when you have the result today. It’s tough for us but small defeats lead to great victories. That’s how we look at this game and the game in the back, something that we learn from because that will make us better in the future if we have that approach and that’s something that I just can’t wait to happen. I’m just going to continue working hard, encourage these guys who are committed 100 percent and doing their best and I really enjoy working with them. Until we get there, we’ll push hard we will continue fighting.”
On the season overall
“We are not evaluating now the season in that way. We are still playing, we are still in the competition and we are still fighting, and we are still taking every opportunity in every game to get better and learn and get to the point where we want to be. Which is to be very competitive and winning team.”
On whether or not there will be changes in the lineup
“I don’t think so. We just had our plan, our process, and we will continue working on our plan. Our plan always has to get some adjustments and we will do that for sure but we’re not losing our heads. There’s no reason for it. And we are not going to. Everyone is working hard and everyone is committed. That’s all we are asking. Of course, have that desire to win and desire to get better.”
David Arshakyan, Chicago Fire Forward
On making his first start
“I feel good that I got my first starting game here but unfortunately we played a draw. I thought we deserved to win this game and in the last seconds unfortunately we concede a goal so we’ll keep pounding and I hope next game we’ll win against New York. I think everything’s going to be okay.”
On his comfort level
“Good, good, every training and after every game I will feel better, I will feel the connection with these guys. I think all’s going to be okay very soon.”
On gaining familiarity with David Accam and fellow attackers
“I’m used to it I think. I’m big but I can play with the ball at my feet. But I think I can show more in the next games.”
Razvan Cocis, Chicago Fire Midfielder
On his fifth goal of the season
"There's things we practice, of course, and it's one of those. It's the best spot where I can be, either a flick or shot to score the goal. Today, it was a goal. I want to say Pauno encouraged me before the game. He said, 'How many goals do you have?' I said four. He asked, 'When are you going to score the fifth one?' It was something that I was thinking about and it really happened. And that really helped me."
Johan Kappelhof, Chicago Fire Defender
Thoughts on the game
"I can tell that we worked very hard for the three points, but unfortunately, it's just one point. We weren't lucky at the end. I think we gave everything, but these minutes are very important at the end. We didn't finish so good, but I'm proud of the team, we worked hard, and we just need to keep on going."
On the last 30 minutes of the match
"We were dropping too much. We didn't have the ball, we didn't take the initiative. They smelled that they could score, and they could feel that. They had the ball all the time, so we were defending, losing our energy without the ball. That's a thing we have to do better next time, even if you're one goal ahead, you have to keep playing football. Now we're losing too much energy without the ball, and you could see it at the end, that they had more energy to press us. That's a thing we have to do better next time."
