Frank Klopas, Chicago Fire Interim Head Coach
Thoughts on the match:
“Obviously it’s just great to get the win because sometimes the team has played well, but sometimes things just don’t go your way. In a game like today, we looked a little bit tired. It certainly wasn’t one of our best games. Some things kind of went our way. Toronto hit the post a few times, ball didn’t go in, and so things were going our way. Mostly, I’m just very happy not only for the players that have been working very hard, but also for our fans. Gosh, it’s just a good feeling.”
On Pavel Pardo’s positioning, fitness:
“We moved Logan there. We could have moved Logan out of the middle. But with Kinney being out for longer than we expected, with the players were having Grazzini, Segares and Marco Pappa on the field I thought that if we had someone on the field who can give us cover on both the left and right side. Pavel in the middle can distribute. The solid back can just give us depth, read, step in and start. He’s a competitor and has a great attitude. He can go in a multiple of positions. It’s huge.”
On the team’s record:
“The people that don’t see the games only see the scores. The ties. Most of our games could have ended up another way. As a team, as a whole it’s coming together. It’s just a matter of time, fine tuning, and finishing chances. It is a relief. You can motivate a team and keep the guys focused, but it also helps when you get wins.”
On having Cory Gibbs back in the starting lineup:
“It’s a position where you need experience. I think he provides that. When you have Segares and Gargan, you have some experienced guys. Second half he dropped off a little bit. I think he was able to pull the line closer. Look, Cory’s been good, Cuesta’s been good, Jalil has played very well, and even Mikulic when he’s been in there has done well. You have some good center backs and experienced guys and younger guys that you have behind this team.”
On Dominic Oduro’s performance:
“The thing with forwards, you have to have the mentality and confidence. Sometimes Dominic tries too hard. But I think he has the right mentality. When you miss good chances, you have to be ready to capitalize on the next ones. I think he has that confidence in himself. He opens up a lot of space for our midfielders. He’s been a great addition for us.”
On Diego Chaves not seeing playing time:
“Diego is a good forward. Sometimes you need to make different combinations to see what clicks. He’s still a guy that I count on. Today I felt that he was doing well and I could have brought him or Cristian. I thought Cristian would work well defensively. That was it. It’s also good to keep everyone involved in the game. Diego’s a guy that I count on and he’s going to play a role in the end.”
On team chemistry:
“So many things we do are improving. Don’t forget, we have a lot of new players on the team. The most important part in putting together a team is trying to get good team chemistry. That’s our starting goal. Of course, that includes getting new and talented players. But that takes time. After saying success is going to come over and over again, it’s nice to finally have something to show for it. We’ve been so close. We got a lot to play for now. That’s important. As a coach, you can only do so much to motivate the players so it helps when the stuff you’ve been working on pays off and you get a victory.”
On Jalil Anibaba at center back:
“I like him better as a center back. He reads the game better there. For me, I think he can play both but I see him as a better center back than on the line.”
Sean Johnson, Chicago Fire Goalkeeper
On the result:
“I think the win is good for team morale. We’ve been teetering on that line having so many ties, so I think it’s good to come out and get a victory tonight for everyone’s confidence going into next weekend. We’ve got to get on a roll here and make a push for the playoffs, and that starts tonight. We will enjoy the win and take the good and the bad from it, and then move on next Saturday to Colorado keeping it going.”
On playing on short rest:
“I think everyone, more than anything, was prepared for this match mentally. No one will tell you they are tired during the match, everyone is fighting for 90 minutes and everyone gives their heart out on the field. Afterward it’s a different story we know we have a week to recover. Everyone understood that, came out and got the job done and now we can take a little break for regeneration and then get back to work.”
On moving up in the standings:
“The win is definitely good for our push to the playoffs. I think taking it one game at a time is the most important thing, but moving up in the standings is huge for us. We’ve been teetering around the bottom with so many ties and have been unfortunate with the results, but I think the results are going to start coming for us now.”
Dan Gargan, Chicago Fire defender
On scoring his first goal with the Fire against his former team:
“It feels great to score, but it feels even better to get the three points. We’ve been pushing for that and we really needed it. It was really nice to get it at home. “
On his celebration:
“I can’t really hide the excitement and I’m not going to try to either. It was phenomenal; it felt like a long time coming. It was nice to get it against them and at the time we were pushing for the second one to put the game out of reach.”
On breaking the winless streak and the importance of a win:
“It certainly grinds on the team, considering how hard we’ve been working in training and games and not getting those three points. Hopefully this is just the start and the spark we’ve been looking for. We got a little lucky tonight with a couple of posts they had, but that’s the way the game works sometimes. It was important for us to finish the 90 minutes out and get the three points."
