Steve Sampson Quotations

My guys did what they're supposed to do, ... They held their positions like I asked them to. We just took care of business.

One thing that I've truly enjoyed about this team is the great leadership. Every single time this team's back has been against the wall, the leaders managed to come through. Now is no different.

Only after we've had the opportunity to play at home and play away, will you really be able to measure the differences between the two teams, ... I look forward to them having the opportunity to prepare ideally for the next match and for us to be able to prepare ideally for the next match and to see where it lies after that.

Obviously (Lee) is an exceptional player. It was pretty obvious to me that the Koreans were trying to find him. The first touch that he made on the first goal was in my estimation brilliant.

New England is going to be a title contender as is Chicago. Chicago, I feel, is one of the best teams in the league, so we have to play well.

Let's put it this way France '98 was half a decade ago - it's ancient history as far as I'm concerned. I've moved on.

Kevin has literally played every single minute up until today's game. I didn't want to go into the playoffs without Steve Cronin getting some playing time.

He is very depressed by the situation because he did everything possible.

For us to be successful we have to play with much better energy. Teams are playing us tough and for us to get any results this year we're going to have to raise our level significantly.

I felt in the second half the players played with a lot of pride and they showed they weren't going to drop their heads and roll over and that was important. They wanted to show the Dallas fans that we can play this game too.

When he's happy with himself and he's contributing, ... it's only going to help his confidence.

He's a great goal scorer. I think he has deceptive speed. Technically I think he's gifted. He's got the complete package. He just lacks the experience at this level. We don't want to rush the situation.

We talk about defenders taking responsibility. The players that missed clear opportunities also have to take responsibility. That's how you win ball games.

He wasn't showing any signs of illness. The team doctor was with him and suddenly noted that he was sleeping in a very strange position. When he took a closer look he realized that he was not breathing and immediately began resuscitation.

He can tend to make a defense fall asleep, so when he does make his run for it, it tends to be very productive.

He is a young, smart and quick player who will continue to develop and improve.

He not only understood the business but understood the technical side as well, which is very rare in our sport.

We just have to do a better job of being very disciplined, defensively especially... Getting back and taking up the proper position (on the transition) is something we're going to continue to train on until we get it right,

Marcelo is a proven player in this league. His knowledge of our club and league, when combined with his ability, will give our midfield an added dimension.

Playing matches like this is great preparation for us. We know very quickly the things we need to work on. We're much further ahead this year at this time than we were last year, but we had to be, given the early competition. I like most of what I see with my team and I think we're going to be very difficult to beat in league play.

Our players have had the challenge of, like every other club in the country, to meet the physical challenges of travel and on many occasions, Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday games,

Landon will tell he isn't a one-man operation,

Management has never told me that, but regardless of what management's expectations are, my expectations are to win the trophy,

I think this team understands that we have to be able to resolve those issues in the first half and bring more energy to the game, and play more tactfully more intelligently. More players have to have better games than what we saw tonight, ... We have to use this game as a motivator for our upcoming matches and I'm sure that they will. This team will show its abilities, I'm sure in the final parts of this season and I'm sure that they will so our fans get what they want to see in the Open Cup Final against Dallas on Wednesday.

I think they have to respect the game, and they have to respect the opponent a bit more in these types of situations. Obviously we're going for the win, but you have to keep your shape and your balance in behind the ball, even when you attack. Foul a player at a key time. That would have been a moment to foul someone, even at the expense of taking a yellow card. Even at the expense of taking a red card at that moment.

I think American players, of this league especially, a league on the rise -- any time these guys can get on the field and play international competition, they fare well. I think our all stars are going to do very well. Unfortunately it is not the most ideal preparation, but once they get on the field and see the environment I think they will step up and play respectfully.

Overall, I was very disappointed with the end, but not disappointed with everything we saw tonight. I thought we put on a good enough performance to win if we just finish our chances.

I think that if we could've finished a couple of early opportunities in the game, that would have made a difference for us, ... Chris Albright's opportunity, which Scott Garlick saved, was a big psychological boost for them. Then we take the own goal and the two things combined caused some problems.

It is not only an important match, points-wise, but also it is an important match to once again find the solutions necessary for us to play well going down the stretch and prepare for Wednesday,

It is not good enough any longer just to win championships. We want to put out a product on that field where every single day our fans feel like we're giving the very best possible. It has not escaped me, the importance of us playing well and how it relates to making money for this club. I'm not a happy man when we're not consistent.

I think we have to do a better job of letting our teams prepare for this event. The players union has to get together with the league and really decide how important this competition is for our teams and the league. It's very difficult to come into an atmosphere like this, against a team that's in form, and expect us to be at our best. Our league wants to win CONCACAF championships, and we're good enough. We have to give ourselves a better chance.

I think we're very close to being very good, but that small measure comes in the way of scoring goals, and we have to get better. Normally I don't meet with the team (after a game). I felt that tonight it warranted it. There needs to be a much greater since of urgency to get the win and I felt there wasn't enough urgency out there.

I think we're concentrating more. I think we're paying attention to details a lot better than we did midway through last season.

I think we're further along this time of year than we were last year at the same time. We also know that New England and Chicago, our first two matches, are going to be tough.

I thought that the first 20-25 minutes of the game we played quite well. We created a couple opportunities. If we put one of those away it's a different game. I think the emotion of the match, and all the pre-game ceremony before we stepped on the pitch, hopefully wasn't that much of a distraction but in the end I think we'll evaluate that it was.

I thought that Tyrone Marshall leaving the game was a big loss for us because I think he was holding the middle of the defense quite well for us. When he left we lost the middle of the defense.

We know that after this match, both teams will get on with the business of trying to do well in the playoffs and win the MLS Cup, ... So, both teams have an opportunity to win two cups going forward, and I think it's a great opportunity for both teams.

We're used to the low 60s by now, ... This is brutal and this course doesn't have any shade either.

We're alive in both cups. We're alive in the U.S. Open Cup, which is very important to our organization. We're still very much alive in league play. So we're very happy that we won Wednesday night. We know that we will meet this team again in league play at our place, and probably in the playoffs at some point. We just hope to be playing our very best soccer when that time comes.

While we're here in training the players have done a great job on concentrating and focusing. It's when we get away from this environment that it's tough to relax or really enjoy themselves. Sometimes we almost feel guilty for wanting to laugh, and that's not the way that Doug would have wanted it.

We've been in training for 12 days now and we're playing against a team that's very experienced. This is an opportunity to see where we're at. The technical speed of the Koreans will be more than we'll see at any other time of the year. It will be a great test for us and we'll be able to take from this exactly what we need to work on.

You don't make wholesale changes with your midfield that worked for you and won a championship overnight. But Landon is the type of player that is versatile. If it's not working for us in the midfield with Paulo and Pete I can put (Donovan) there. We might start with him there next week.

We don't like the fact that we finished fourth. The advantage is that we get to play San Jose twice and I believe that this club can get a result against them.

We've very close to being very good but that small measure comes in the way of scoring goals. It is inexcusable to lose the way we did.

We would prefer to finish second and have home-field advantage for the first round. Equally important is that we continue to find our form heading into the playoffs.

What a disappointing way to finish the match, especially after creating so many opportunities that we should have put away. It should have easily been 2-1 at halftime. We played to win, we created enough opportunities to win, and we didn't handle the last few minutes of the game very well at all.

We're really excited that there's going to be a great environment. When we go down there we're going to use that to our benefit. We look forward to it being a hostile environment. We look forward to the excitement of the event.

(Cronin) got invaluable playing time tonight and I thought he played very well for his debut.

competitiveness becomes the first objective and being colleagues goes out the window.

Cornell is a player who is always dangerous around the goal.

At the beginning of the year, the message is very clear, ... There are two cups we want to win. One is the U.S. Open Cup, and the other is the MLS Cup.

At the beginning of the year, the message is very clear. There are two cups we want to win. One is the U.S. Open Cup, and the other is the MLS Cup.

As thankful as we are that he scored the goal, we have to take a look at the entire season and we did not get the goal-scoring production that we anticipated and expected from him.

I've been on the end of it where Bruce is,

We're the only undefeated team in the country, ... We're the No. 1 team in both polls. We felt Virginia had to come in here and beat us to take over that position.

The three points is very important to maintain at the very least second place and to try and gain some ground against San Jose. We know we have a lot of ground to make up.

It was very important that we rest some bodies today in preparation for the match against Dallas.

You either change personnel or you work on it in training. We're working on the personnel issues. Certainly I think Cornell Glen has been a very dangerous player the last two weeks. You can't win games if you don't score goals.

We've had troubles all season long and the lack of concentration towards the end of the game. Tonight we didn't show that, we played with a lot more intelligence. Dallas brought everything it could, sliding balls in from every single part of the attacking half of the field. Cobi Jones and Landon Donovan -- their experience led to the victory at the end. The guys played with a lot more concentration and a lot more wisdom than we have at previous matches.

We created a number of opportunities. We just lacked the precision in front of the goal.

We are very excited about adding a player of Landon's stature and experience, ... I'm sure he is going to be a very positive element on and off the field for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

We are very excited about adding a player of Landon's stature and experience. I'm sure he is going to be a very positive element on and off the field for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

A couple of opportunities early in the game, I think that would have made a difference for us. I think Chris Albright's opportunity which Garlick saves, psychologically was a big boost for them, and then for us to take the own goal in the first half.

Something has to be done where the champions of MLS are allowed to prepare more effectively. We put ourselves at a disadvantage right from the get-go. Thank God we have players who have been with the national team who are now fit.

Sometimes that's even more difficult because these are the guys on the bubble as far as making the World Cup squad for Korea. They're going to be fighting the hardest to win a spot; sometimes they're the most dangerous teams to play against.

The only thing a coach can do is to continue to train, build players' confidence, continue to believe in them, or make personnel changes, ... Players with the kind of experience that we have should be finishing their opportunities...that's what they're paid for, that's what they're here for, that's what they're on the field for.

This course is extremely difficult and when you factor in the hot weather all the kids out here from every team, you could just see the pain on their faces, ... You feel bad for them?but it's great watching them work so hard.

This is a part of that. Our ability to play well Wednesday night is not only important to winning a cup, but also to gain that form that we're looking for leading into the playoffs. It's part of the process, and it's very important to us.

I hope we can leave all together tonight, with Hamilton's remains, but if I have to stay here to deal with this matter, then I will.

I like the way Cornell Glen finished his chances in the second half. He was very down on himself at halftime and the guys picked him up. He wanted to make a statement in the second half and I think he did.

I'm disappointed at some of the chances we gave in the second half. These are the things we have to tidy up, ... Don't get me wrong. I'm very pleased with the result but we have to play better team defense going up and that's something we're going to work on.

The bigger the field the better as far as we're concerned. It's a beautiful pitch, and great atmosphere. This team's mentality now going into away matches is so different than it was a month and a half ago.

Once again, Herculez was showing his tremendous value to this team. The combination of Landon Donovan and him is a lot to handle and will be for any team.

Not give Mark Chung the time and space to send that ball in.

It's really important that everyone understand this is not about me. It's about the Galaxy and the veteran players on this team who have made an incredible sacrifice.

Their decision to go after Landon early in the game resulted in two yellow cards. This is a guy who takes a lot of beating when he plays for the Galaxy. I think quality players have to be protected - and tonight, he was protected. That made the difference in the game.

I raised the issue that if you go past four overtimes, that you shouldn't declare co-champions, that it should go to penalties, ... And the first thing that Bruce said was, 'It won't get that far.' That was my first experience with Bruce.

Certainly the opening game on Saturday is going to be very emotional. How we handle that is going to be very important.

It was a great finish to a wonderful run. During the playoffs, we finally found our form.

It was a great first half with two very good goals. I thought that the way we responded after they scored was exactly what I was looking for. I wish we could have created a few more chances before that. I have to give San Jose credit tonight, they put out a lot of energy and they were very dangerous on dead balls obviously. It was a great strike by Moreno and a brilliant header by Danny Califf. I have to give them credit tonight. It was a great match, I thought both teams had chances, we had a good one with Chris Albright's header off the post, that could have made the difference for us, but I thought defensively San Jose played exceptionally well, putting forth a lot of energy and forcing us to play quickly.

You can't afford to give up so many of those kinds of opportunities. You have to eliminate the unforced errors and the silly fouls. You have to be very, very careful against a team like San Jose as far as giving away too many opportunities where they can set up free kicks. They're used to this field. They know how to use it.

For me, it's just a little bit of vindication for everything we've gone through all season, the long ups and downs,

For all of us, getting out on the field is therapy. When we leave the field, when we leave the training environment, when we have quiet moments, that's when we think about Doug and everything that he has meant to us, and that's when it's difficult.

It's not as if we're friends that play poker every Sunday night, ... We're colleagues, and there's mutual respect there. Certainly, he understood the challenges of the '98 team; I understand the challenges that he's had and what a good job he's done with the team. The growth that soccer has seen over the last 10 years - he's been a big part of that. We don't have any problems.

There was one series (on Saturday) that was absolutely beautiful one-touch soccer. That's the type of football that I want to play. It's necessary that we have the ability to attack in the middle channel, that we have the ability to attack on the flanks. So yes, we continue to work on varying the way we attack. That's the only way we're going to repeat as champions.

It was critical for us to get an early lead. Herculez once again showed his tremendous value to this team. The combination of he and Landon was a lot to handle.

It was a very difficult game. I think you could see that the two teams were very tired. You can see that the season is starting to take its toll. But it was important for us to get the three points and this is why you saw the players that we put on the field for the most part that will be the same look on Wednesday.

It's going to be enjoyable to have everyone here for the most part so I can rely on some consistent players, ... I'm not going to use it as an excuse, players going in and out of their national team, but I think any coach would like consistency and it has been difficult but everyone's making sacrifices around the league and now we should have our team in place in preparation for these final matches.

This man, I talked to four or five times a day. Philosophically, we knew where we wanted to go with this team. I'm going to miss those conversations. I'm going to miss his leadership; the players are going to miss his leadership.

This match was important to us for many, many reasons. First of all, we needed the three points. Second, it was important to play in front of so many people and come away with a win.

All of that is out of our control. All we have to do right now is sit back and watch and see what happens and prepare for San Jose (in the final week of the regular season).

It's a dream of mine. I worked very, very hard for many years. But the reality is, it's slow coming ... I think we're still a generation away from that.

His passion was the Galaxy. In retrospect, it's fitting that we won a championship for him this last year because I think he was so passionate about this team and loved every single player and the organization.