What was said following Atlanta United’s 3-1 win against NYCFC on Sunday at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium:
CARLOS BOCANEGRA
Technical director
On when we should expect Josef Martinez to return:
“He is doing very well. He is back in training and it is up to the medical staff and our coaching staff to work together to manage his minutes. It is more about fitness with these guys when you are out for so long. It is just catching your wind. He is good. Everything else is good. It is just about getting him fit and ready to contribute minutes.”
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On if he has any adjustments going forward after the team totaled seven goals in the last two games:
“You are always trying to make little adjustments going on the road, playing at home, depending on who your opponent is.
“The overall objective for us is to play attacking soccer and score goals. I think you will see with the formation we put out and the players we have. Coach (Gerardo Martino) is doing a good job getting them in those formations to be successful and at the moment our top players are performing.”
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On the importance of this win building the teams confidence:
“I think the MLS is a little bit of a roller coaster. We started quite well. We had a few difficult games — of course, the one in New York hurt, we didn’t play very well. So, of course, coming back, we wanted to show what we can do against these guys.
“You hit peaks and valleys in the MLS. For an expansion team, we have to do a good job of not getting too high off this win.
“A few weeks ago, the guys did a good job of not getting too low and burying their heads. This is what it takes and as long as we can stay pretty consistent the whole year that is what we are hoping for.”
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PATRICK VIEIRA
NYCFC coach
“The first goal we made a mistake because two players went for the ball and our recovery wasn’t good. When two players go for the ball and none of them win it, we create the space and become vulnerable. The second goal, a foul on (Alexander) Callens, but the referee didn’t give it. If it was another referee, he may give it. I think we put ourselves in a difficult position against the quality players they have on their team. Then, when you concede a goal in 17 minutes, then 19 minutes and 25 minutes, it is difficult to for us to get something from the game.”
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On conceding early goals:
“It made it difficult because of the quality of the players they have up front. They put us under pressure. They played well.
“They were aggressive especially in the first half. They won a lot of 50-50 balls. When a team like that wins all of the 50-50 (balls), it becomes more difficult for us because they have more desire than us.”
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MIGUEL ALMIRON
On what he learned from the first game against New York City FC that helped the team in the game today:
“I think the loss to New York we left in the past. It was a game we wanted to forget. Now, thanks to God, the level of the team is increasing. We have more patience and we were able to get the win today.”
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On why the offense was able to create more pressure on the back defenders today compared to last time:
“The coach always asks us to press like that and I’ve said it before, I think you saw it in Portland that we had a good showing.
“We were able to have another good showing today. That’s what coach wants from us.”
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On the team’s three goals in seven minutes:
“Thanks to God, we were able to find the goals early and that was really important for our team because we know New York (City FC) is a really difficult team to play against with guys like (David) Villa and (Maximiliano) Moralez.”
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MICHAEL PARKHURST
On containing David Villa:
“Our pressure up front was fantastic. I can’t even count the number of balls their centerbacks passed out of bounds and that is rare for them. Tito (Hector Villalba), Yamil (Asad), Miguel (Almirón), Julian (Gressel) were fantastic up front with their first line of pressure. If those guys have the timing on the ball, their movement is very good and it is very difficult for us when their guys don’t have time to pick up their heads and take their time. It makes our life a lot easier.”
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On if they learned pressure needed to be better after watching film:
“Defensively, we talked about making sure that we stay with runners. (David) Villa, (Maximiliano) Moralez, (Rodney) Wallace and (Jack) Harrison — they like to do little flicks and in run — and they score a lot of goals like that. We wanted to make sure we stayed with runners in those cases. but our pressure up the field is very important and it was fantastic tonight.”
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On the importance of winning this match after losing the game in New York:
“It was important for ourselves. We talked about the game in New York City was our biggest disappointment of the year. It was our worse performance and we got away from our style of play and we wanted to atone for that tonight and we were able to do that.”
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HECTOR VILLALBA
On his goal:
“Mainly what I look for is the long ball and that’s how it happened. I received the long ball. I shot it and it hit the net.”
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On if this game was a ‘revenge game’:
“Like I said, they were the only team that really outplayed us during the game in New York. Today, we were able to wake up on the right foot and we were able to flip the score on them and get the win. I think it’s important because we’ve been working really hard in practice to get a result like that.”
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JULIAN GRESSEL
“We knew we had to change things because when we went there we kind of lost our way — how we wanted to play. Today, it was very important that we stuck to the way that we wanted to play and we watched a lot of video of that game. We knew what we had to do today to come out and be on top of the to win the game. I think we did a very good job of executing that game plan.”
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JACK HARRISON
NYCFC Forward
“They pressed us very well to start off the first half. We struggled to play and made a couple mistakes and they took advantage of them. We can’t afford to do that in the future.”
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On what Atlanta United did to disrupt their gameplan:
“Credit to them. They pressed us very well. They made it very hard for us to play. They finished their chances when they could and I think that was the biggest thing. As soon as they got the second goal and the third one, it gave us a big mountain to climb. We just have to be wary of that in the future.”
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On the atmosphere and the Atlanta United fans:
“Having a crowd behind you like that is unbelievable. It gives you so much energy on the field. It’s a fantastic place to play and a great atmosphere.”
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SEAN JOHNSON
NYCFC Goalkeeper and Atlanta native
“It’s disappointing to get the result we got but it’s good to play at home. It’s my first time to play at home since, I think, 2014 (with Chicago against Atlanta Silverbacks in U.S. Open Cup). It’s good to see the atmosphere and what they’ve done here and for my family to come out and watch me play. It was great to have them out supporting.”
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