Well "the Streak" came into "El Castillo" and the streak lost, as RSL scored twice in the second half to secure just the second undefeated home regular season in MLS history and keep the goal of winning the Supporters' Shield alive. Here are the post match comments from RSL head coach Jason Kreis:
On RSL's performance:
"All of the midfielders and all of the forwards bought into a defensive effort tonight. That's when and why we get shutouts.
"We finished the match flying high, so I'm pleased with that. We were a little slow to get going, but at the end of the match, when our guys are flying around making so many nice defensive plays, you've got to feel good about our fitness."
On his team's slow start:
"I felt like [the team was] really, really tentative in the first half. I haven't seen our group play that tentatively for a long time. So for me it was like, ‘Hey, let's relax, let's be confident, and let's remember that we're here to go for it. We're not here to be nervous, or to have indecision and regrets after the game, we're here to go for it. They came here to draw, we came here to win.' I told them to take the reins off and absolutely go for it, and they did."
On FC Dallas' aggressive play:
"It's the first time this year that someone's been that aggressive on our field in the first 15-20 minutes of the match. I walk away from this game and probably feel the most proud about shutting out what's a very, very good and dangerous attacking team."
more comments from the locker rooms after the jump:
REAL SALT LAKE MIDFIELDER NED GRABAVOY
On his game-winning header:
"I think I was just in a better spot. It was one of those balls where he is kind of back pedaling and I am seeing it the whole time. So I was kind of in the right spot at the right time. Robbie [Russell] played a great ball, took a touch and kind of just looked at me, just lifted it over his head, so a good goal."
On RSL's place in the Supporters Shield race:
"Every game has been a big game lately and we just keep on going and going and going. We still have the Supporters Shield in our reach and that's obviously a goal of ours, and as long as it is still there we are going to go for it."
Thoughts on potentially seeing FC Dallas in the playoffs:
"It will absolutely be a good series [if we see them]. They are a really good team. I think they have the right players for their formation and for what they are trying to do and that is one of the reasons why they are so successful."
REAL SALT LAKE DEFENDER NAT BORCHERS
Thoughts on another shutout:
"It's pretty amazing when you think about how well we have done at home defensively this year. I am still trying to process it all. We wanted another zero tonight, but I thought it would be a lot more difficult and I felt like everybody switched on for us. I am really proud of all the guys tonight."
On only giving up seven goals this season at home:
"I remember every goal we give up. I am probably the most defensive-minded player on the team. I definitely take goals against us personally. I am very proud of what we have accomplished at home this year."
REAL SALT LAKE GOALKEEPER NICK RIMANDO
Thoughts on the match:
"We knew this game was going to be hard. We wanted to come in and obviously get a record, but first and foremost we wanted to get three points. We know we might meet up against them in the playoffs, but we were just focused on this game."
Thoughts on RSL's slow start:
"They pressured us. They had maybe four or five guys on our half of the field pressuring us, and it made us give the ball away a lot of times. I think things started to get a bit more calm [after the first 15 minutes] and we were able to play the ball through the midfield more and that's our strength. We were able to create some good chances and put away some of those chances."
On his one-on-one save against Jeff Cunningham:
"The fact that it could have changed the game was obviously in the back of my head, and I know he is trying to break a record. But when you are there you are just in the moment and he is just another striker that is trying to take a shot on us and I am just trying to make a save on the ball."
FC DALLAS HEAD COACH SCHELLAS HYNDMAN
Overall thoughts on the match:
"I thought we started off very well for the first 15 or 18 minutes, and then we started giving a lot of balls away because the pressure was very high on us. I thought we came out well in the second half and we created a couple of nice chances. [Ned] Grabavoy gets a header and the second goal was a giveaway, but at the same time I thought we were outplayed tonight. Salt Lake had a step on us and moved the ball quite well."
On FC Dallas' strategy entering the game:
"The idea of the game was to come out and get three points. We went after it and that's why in the first 15 or 18 minutes we were doing so well. What ended up happening is that we were just turning a lot of balls over. I didn't think too many of our players had a very good game. In the second half we went to a level two defense where our wing midfielders weren't going out and trying to press the ball."
On possibly seeing Real Salt Lake again in the playoffs:
"If you look at both games [during the regular season] it was pretty even. If we match up again we will have to get the result at our field and then come [to Rio Tinto Stadium] and come after it again. I think that Real Salt Lake had a good game tonight and I think we had an average game and we didn't do anything exceptional."
FC DALLAS DEFENDER UGO IHEMELU
Overall thoughts on the match:
"I think it was a good match for Salt Lake. They showed why they are undefeated at home [this season]. They have a solid team; they work hard for each other and they are coached well and it was a good win for them. It was not our best match. We have had better games this year. We didn't create too many chances."
On the end of their unbeaten streak:
"Streaks are awesome. We had a great run, but I think our focus should be on the next game and into the playoffs."
FC DALLAS MIDFIELDER DAVID FERRERIA
Overall thoughts on the match:
"I feel bad about the loss and we all knew it was going to be a tough game coming in here against Real Salt Lake. But we didn't have a good game. We didn't do the things we were supposed to be doing, so we just have to rest now and concentrate on the next game."
On the difference between the first 15 minutes and the rest of the match:
"We started giving away a lot of balls [after the first 15 minutes] and we were making a lot of mistakes and were out of position. When we were in the attacking third, instead of being precise with our passing we were giving a lot of balls away."
There you go the thoughts from the locker rooms after the match.
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