text:
Press Release
Quote Sheet
Chicago Fire at New England Revolution
Gillette Stadium - Foxborough, Mass.
July 12, 2014 – MLS Regular Season
Chicago Fire Head Coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop
"No, it was not easy to get this result. We played against Kansas City on Sunday, went to Atlanta for an Open Cup game a couple of days later, and then came here for a tough league match. To get two wins and a tie out of these last few games is fantastic. We went to the quarterfinals of the Open Cup where we saw some great competition and then came here and got three points. I would say this has been a successful week.
Sean (Johnson) has been outstanding these past four or five games. He's a young goalkeeper and he's finally starting to have really good performances and he's also starting to look the part. Things like this make the difference and it was the reason we won tonight. Although it was a great penalty that was taken, Sean also made a great save that was able to keep us ahead in the game.
I don't think we deserved to draw as many games as we have. When we drew against the Revolution at home we missed a penalty like you guys did tonight. It's a great thing for us to win tonight, in conference, because of the tough week we had, but we did very well. I was proud of the way we played, even though the second half was a little bit ugly and they were all over us. In the end, we were able to seal it out and get a win. We got it done as a group and that's what is important.
My philosophy is to start quickly and try to score first. If you can do that, I believe that you can usually get a draw. My big thing is to get after it in the beginning, and we did. Mike [Magee] and Quincy [Amarikwa] were really lively in the first half and it went well. I thought we could have scored more goals, but you know, that's how soccer is. I'm happy we got the win.
Quincy did the same thing against New England at home. He's a very strong player that knows how to use his body the right way. Along with that being said, our squad was rotated a lot during these past three games. Everyone performed well. I tip my hat to them because the full squad of 18 has been doing well and it's shown in our results."
Chicago Fire forward Quincy Amarikwa
"It's really important, especially if you can come away on the road and get a win and get three points. I mean that's huge, especially in this league. We've just been right on the cusp of breaking out this year. We've got a lot of draws but that just means we're hard to beat, as proved by tonight. And hopefully it translates into more wins and we jump to the top of the table.
Everything is about building momentum. I think we've been doing the right things. We've been working hard as a unit. We're really sacrificing ourselves out there and it translated into three points tonight, and hopefully we'll carry that into our next game.
I was hoping to catch them flat-footed. I think there were two or three opportunities where I picked the back line or their holding defensive midfielder and I don't think they were ready for it. Luckily, we were able to capitalize early and prevent them from scoring.
Sean made a huge save. We always like our goalies to save everything they're supposed to and save at least one or two that they're not supposed to a game. Sean came out on top doing that big time for us. I think that will further boost morale and keep us going in the right direction.
I'm more trying to predict at what speed and strength [the defender] is going to be coming in, and you lean in one direction to compensate for that so that by the time he hits you, he's kind of hitting you upright. It's a balancing act. You learn the strength of each player on the field as you're playing. You try to – almost like a chess match – you try to outplay them.
I think though I make runs in behind and I get runs in behind, I'm fairly decent at my hold up play and most people might not think that, thinking of my size. I think it plays to our advantage, because defenders don't know if I'm going to hold it up or if I'm going to run in behind. Hopefully we capitalize on that more throughout the rest of the year.
[My partnership with Mike Magee] is good. It's developing. We're always looking for each other. We're usually involved in each other's goals in some capacity and hopefully it translates into more goals and more assists and more chemistry.
Especially with three games in the short period of time that we had them in, I was going to have to sit some minutes. Unfortunately, [last game] was due to yellow card accumulation but the guys showed up in Kansas City, got our point on the road. It shows our depth as a team and this is probably the biggest week we've had all year especially in terms of results. That's three road games in a very short span of time and we came away with seven points so these are positives to build on and hopefully they carry out throughout the rest of the year."
Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson
"It was just instinct. I think when it comes down to those moments, you kind of have to live in the moment. You don't really think about it too much. You just kind of react and I just got a good jump on that side and was able to save it. I mix it up in the moment. I've gone left, I've gone right. I mix it up quite a bit so you never know. If the striker makes it difficult, which he did – it was very well struck – but I was able to get a good jump on it. I was surprised to see it bounce backwards because it was on turf. On grass it just stays put. I was lucky to have the post there. Someone was looking out for me there on that one.
This is my fifth year playing. I've faced a lot of penalty shots myself. I just kind of develop my own checklist I go through on the day and it's different every day; depends on what I really think about when I wake up. Just in the moment I was able to save it. I watched it the whole way. I saw the ball the whole way. I knew it was going to take a bounce; didn't know where it was going to go. I just got on my feet as quick as possible and I just took it off the line; turned around and took it. It's really great.
This was huge. At a point in the season where we've gotten a lot of ties and we needed to really push and get over that hump. I think it really took a win like this – one that took a lot of grit and a lot of fight to really get the result. Three points and a shutout at that. I'm proud of the boys, and it's just unfortunate to give away a PK when we worked hard. It shows the effort we put in defending and we were able to come out with a victory.
It's bittersweet. It's great to get the early goal, but you've got another 87 minutes you know the other team is going to press you to equalize, especially at home. To keep them off the scoreboard tonight was just great.
This week in general has been great for us. We've had a long week on the road, the entire week, and starting with Kansas City. To grind out a result on the road, and get the Open Cup win down in Atlanta – which I got to play in front of my family and friends in my hometown – is huge. Using that momentum to roll in, play the game on turf—have that experience coming in—we were able to get the job done.
It's really great. It's almost a sense of relief. We can't relax yet, you know just those three points have been so evasive for so long. We've tied so many games. It's very frustrating. We almost tied there at the end with the PK. We're getting closer and closer to putting together a complete game. This game for us was great. We played well for 80-plus minutes and it's just really grinding it out to see the game out in full. We'll get better.
There is a ton left to play for. We had to regroup, starting with the Open Cup. We had two things to focus on: Open Cup midweek and then shift focus back to the league. It's huge for us to get this result. We want to keep it rolling. We've got a lot to play for, a lot of games left, and we'll get back to training and get better and get back to it this weekend against Philly."
New England Revolution head coach Jay Heaps
"Tough loss. That one really hurt because I thought we had some tough decisions against us last week and I thought we responded well. Then tonight, I thought we were going to come out flying and we got punched right in the face the first two and a half minutes. We have to be better and it's on us.
I thought that we definitely had more chances (in the second half). I thought Jerry (Bengtson) did a great job coming in and impacting the game and I thought Steve Neumann did a good job, as well. It was a little bit of a change to a 3-5-2, it helped out our attack. It would have been nice to punch one in there.
(Lee Nguyen) is one of our playmakers and someone we look to to facilitate our attack. At the same time, I thought we have enough fire power to create. Right now it's a really tough run. We have to dig ourselves out. We have a penalty kick in the 85th minute and I thought it was well deserved. I thought it was earned. I thought we were trying and we were doing everything we could, but sometimes we've just got to make our stamp on the game.
I don't have the update on Andy (Dorman) yet, but it was significant. Andy's a tough guy, so we'll find out more in the next couple days. In terms of Scottie (Caldwell), I thought Scottie did a great job. Scottie came in and had no warm-up time and went in and really was chomping and biting and trying to make plays.
I don't know if there were positives in all those four (previous games), some losses were worse than others, I believe. But tonight it's really raw right now. Going back, the subs did a nice job coming in. No one gave up, that's for darn sure. During the penalty kick in the 86th minute with a team that's punkered in, it's not easy. You're trying to probe and pick teams apart. It's unfortunate, but you've got to use the positives and just keep going. You've got to dig even deeper now."
New England Revolution defender Andrew Farrell
"Every time we have scored a goal first this season we've won. It's tough to get scored on in the first three minutes. Our back line gave up some sloppy goals, and we need to stop that. We carried the majority of the game later on in the first half and the second half but when you make a mental mistake like that and put the whole team behind it's really tough. Obviously, they are a team that fights a lot, they have 10 ties and that says a lot. We've gotten down a goal in the last couple of games, and that really needs to stop.
I thought we had some good chance. We had a few solid set pieces and the PK obviously. I thought for the second half, besides the one on one we gave them, we carried the play, but that's soccer. We could have come away with a victory but it just wasn't our day.
It's soccer and this stuff happens it's obviously very frustrating. You have the momentum and you think we are going to score but giving up that early goal was just too much. We get one there, we get four more. It wouldn't feel as bad if we weren't losing so many games but this one hurts a lot. We thought we were going to come out in front of our fans and give a good performance – which I thought we did – we just couldn't find the back of the net, and I'll take full blame for that goal.
I was in the back so I didn't hear what they said but it happens. I mean Chris (Tierney) is a great PK taker and it was a big-time save."
Chicago Fire at Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Park – Kansas City, Kan.
MLS Regular Season
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Chicago Fire Head Coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop
On a 1-1 draw against Sporting KC…
"First off, I thought we played well—an even game. I think we moved the ball well. It had been physical in the first 20 minutes of the match. We had a game plan to come in and try to do that and find little pockets and little holes and play in between the lines. I thought we did a great job, we just ran out of steam. We had a couple injuries. Alex was off at halftime, and Jhon (Kennedy Hurtado)'s got dizzy spells. So late in the game, when you want to make your subs make a difference, we couldn't do that. Credit to Kansas City, they really pushed and in the end could have won it, but I was proud of the way we hung in there. So we could win a few more games, but we can tie them for sure."
On the impact of the weather…
"It's huge. The thing for me is that we don't quit…and we didn't. We kept going and tried to do the right things and moved the ball well. I thought Harry Ship was good today. He finds the pocket and finds good spaces. But in general, I thought we did OK. We have tied a lot of games and it's frustrating when that's probably one of the games that Kansas City probably deserved to win. But a lot of other times we pretty much were on the verge of winning the match. So it's a close thing for us right now. Today was a good fight and spirit, with injuries and with stuff that went on. To get a point here, as you guys know, it is very difficult."
Chicago Fire midfielder Logan Pause
On a 1-1 draw against Sporting KC…
"This is a tough place to play against a good team with a great crowd. But at the end of the day, not many people can come here and get a draw out of it. It's a good point or us."
On using U.S. Open Cup results to build momentum…
"We know we have a lot of work to do, but I think we've gotten some good results in the Open Cup that have given us a little momentum and a push. So we are excited to keep that going."
On Mike Magee's goal…
"When Mike [Magee] gets in those types of situations, he is clinical. He does a fantastic job running off defenders shoulders. It was a fantastic job by Chris Ritter to put him in behind."
On preparing for another midweek game…
"We are going to have some tired legs, so it will be up to the staff, but hopefully we can take some momentum into Wednesday. We have a big Cup game and then it's back to League play over the weekend."
Chicago Fire forward Harry Shipp
On a 1-1 draw against Sporting KC…
"It was hot. I think the first half we did a pretty good job defending and countering when they turned it over. In the second half, they were a little better on the ball. In the last 30 minutes they wore us down, running in the heat, and shuttling back and forth took its toll on us. It was tough for us to connect passes in the last 30 minutes."
On using Open Cup success to build momentum…
"Any time you get a win, especially when we struggle to get wins in the League, it's imperative for us. It hasn't turned into a League victory today, but hopefully in the next couple weeks it will turn into a couple wins."
On a demanding July with MLS play and the U.S. Open Cup…
"We have a busy month. We have a mid-week game and a weekend game almost every week. It's important to keep our bodies rested and fresh when we aren't playing."
Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes
On Sporting KC's 1-1 draw against Chicago…
"Look, we obviously gave a goal away. And they had one other chance besides that. We lost a ball, a very easy ball right at the beginning of the final third. We lose the ball and we're a little stretched out and they get an easy tap-in at the end of the day. So we give that up, then obviously we drove the game, in and around their box quite a bit. I like to think that in the second half we made some really, really good opportunities at goal. We had some really good chances (where) we should have scored a second goal, no doubt in my mind. We just didn't have enough people in the box. I do think that these games, when you play at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, in this kind of weather…it makes for a tough game for both teams. And I think it changes the way the game is played. Its not an excuse…My point is that when you play these games at night in the summertime, they have a different feel for both teams—and they should from their entertainment value. But again, we had enough chances around the goal, and we should have scored a second goal."
On his decision to use Graham Zusi as a second half substitute but keep Matt Besler out of the matchday squad…
"Zusi felt good to go in and play, and Matt felt he needed a couple more days (to rest). Really simple."
On Chicago's first half pressure leading to their equalizing goal…
"I don't know if they really pressured high up the field. I don't think they really did. But I thought what really happened was that as we were building out, I don think we were moving the ball quick enough. So it allowed them to just hold their ground. We didn't expect anything different. I don't think they were high up the field to be honest with you. I just think that our circulation with the ball in the first half was very slow, and I think the second half was much better. And I also thought that they tried to isolate a couple of our guys with the ball. We made adjustments in the second half and that changed everything."
Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber
On returning from a shoulder injury to play his first game in a month…
"I felt pretty good for the most part, but got tired there at the end. It was obviously a tough environment to play in—really hot and humid today. We did some good things and almost got the second goal a couple times in the second half. I thought our second half performance was a lot more composed. We had the ball a lot in their end. Whenever we lost the ball, our transition was good, and we created some decent opportunities. It's always going to be tough when they put 10 guys behind the ball. Overall, it was a decent game. I just need to keep building endurance game-by-game."
On splitting the points with a defensive Chicago Fire…
"It's important to get points throughout the season, so a draw is okay. At the end of the year, every single point is going to count, whether you're getting them home or away. It's tough not getting three points at home, but we'll take this result and focus on next week in Montreal."
On how Sporting KC's great fan support makes it tough on Matt Besler and Graham Zusi to decide whether to pursue a move to Europe or stay in MLS…
"There's no doubt that everyone (on our team) wants to be here, or else Peter (Vermes) wouldn't keep them here. And it's easy to see why we want to stay here. I've only been in Kansas City for a year and a half, but there's no place I'd rather be. The fans that are out there every single weekend, the way we play…our entire setup here is fantastic. It's a class organization. I'm sure Besler and Zusi both have some decisions to make regarding whether they leave or not, but it won't be an easy one. Sometimes opting to go elsewhere is something you have to do develop your football career, but it's never an easy decision when you're leaving a place you really love. They'll take their time with the decision, and if they decide to stay, we're going to be thankful."
Sporting KC forward Dom Dwyer
On his showy goal celebration in the first half…
"(The celebration) was set up. It was mentioned earlier today before the game, and it sounded like quite a cool idea. It was a good bit of fun, but I got a yellow (card) for it. I was lucky I didn't get another yellow, or else I would have been in big trouble."
On whether his first half yellow card changed the way he played the rest of the game…
"It was on my mind after that, but it didn't change how I played. Obviously I wasn't going to go hard into a 50-50 (challenge), and luckily that opportunity didn't come."
On Sporting KC's 1-1 draw against Chicago…
"I'd rather have three points, but it's nice to get on the score sheet. I was more excited that I cleared one off the line, to be honest. I really wanted to keep a clean sheet today and was gutted when we allowed one. I thought we defended well throughout the whole game, so I'm a little disappointed there."
On scoring his 12th goal of the season…
"I just stayed calm. I remember the defender got a bad ball and he didn't take the best touch. He kind of panicked because I was coming at him quick. He kind of stumbled over the ball and I nicked it from him. I was going to shoot across the keeper's body, but I saw (Sean Johnson) take a little step to the middle. So I hit it early and slid it past him. Normally you'd go around him, but he's a big goalie. I just saw a little gap and slid it in there."
On exchanging goals with defending MLS MVP Mike Magee…
"I have huge respect for him. I think he's a fantastic player and a great guy, too. He's sent me messages of encouragement and givent me some good advice. He's a veteran, a very good player and a former MVP of the League. Obviously I'd like to follow in his footsteps. We're different players, but we both score goals. That's a good similarity to have."
On Sunday's playing conditions…
"It was stupidly hot. A 2 p.m. game is not fun with that weather. I understand it's T.V. time, but those were very tough conditions. It was bad at the end there, I was cramping up. But that's part of football."
Chicago Fire vs. Toronto FC
MLS Regular Season
Toyota Park – July 2, 2014
Chicago Fire Head Coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop
On team's overall performance
"I thought we did enough to win the game. When it is eleven men against ten, we should win the game. We had our chances. It's frustrating, I've said it a few times; we've tied and maybe deserved to win the game, but we haven't. That's our problem right now: we can't seem to win a game. We haven't lost a ton, but we haven't won many. It's a weird situation, it's frustrating; we can't get over the finish line with a win. The guys are frustrated in there, we are, as a staff, and me as a head coach. It's not from lack of effort, which is important, it's just lapses of concentration at the wrong time. They had one or two chances and scored one goal; we probably had five to six, seven, eight chances and scored one. It's the story of our season so far, so it's been frustrating."
On issues with low number of shots on goal
"We'll have to look at them again. I thought we had enough chances to hit the target. I'm not out there, I can't remember all the chances we had. I think the one cross that went in, if we just get a nick on it, we score; Joe Bendik made a very good save, he traps it. [We had] one on a good volley; the offside goal, I haven't seen whether it was offside or not, so it was another good chance. You can't always tell if you're hitting the target is the right thing; if you try to bend it around the keeper and it just goes wide, sometimes that's unlucky too. But we had enough looks in the final third and in their box to get more than one goal; but we didn't, so that's the story of our season if you like, and our theme tonight."
On the performance of midfielder Harry Shipp
"Good. On a positive note, Harry's starting to blossom into a good player. I think he's starting to play with a lot of confidence, and he knows he's a good player. He's maturing nicely, and I think that it's no surprise that he does well. He's in a lot of the good stuff that we do going forward. So, very happy with his development. Good goal again; I think he's at six goals already, a great tally for any player, let alone a rookie coming into a brand new, professional league. He's done fantastically well."
On the performance of forwards Quincy Amarikwa and Mike Magee
"It was difficult. I thought the two center backs were physical and strong, and I spoke to the boys to play a little quicker and try to separate them a little bit. I think, in the second half, we did a better job creating chances. I know it's against ten men, but still, the same back four, or back eight if you like, they got one up front in Jermaine Defoe. I think we created enough opportunities to do better with what we had, and I haven't spoken to either guy yet, but both of them had pretty good looks tonight; just that final, last, little piece was just missing. But I'm not going to fault them for effort, I think that they worked well. They tried to do the right things, moved the ball pretty sharply for us, passed it well. Again, it's a little easier against ten men, but I still think we did the right things to create enough chances, but we just didn't get our final touch."
On the second center midfield position
"We're looking. It's a spot where Alex has been injured a lot this season; I don't know how many games he's played, it's not been many, he's not played a league game for a good nine weeks or so. Once they went to ten men, I felt we needed something more offensive, and Alex obviously has more of an offensive mind than Chris [Ritter]; Chris had a pretty good bang on his eye, so I think it was a smart move to do that. If you look at the game as a whole, with Alex in there, we did create enough chances to get something out of it. Whether he played really well himself, he didn't play for a while, so he was going to be a little rusty. But I think that the formation was fine, and it gave us enough chances to get into the game or win the game."
On going for it by substituting forward Juan Luis Anangono for defender Greg Cochrane
"I tend to think, for me, if we're tying, we need to win games. If we had lost 2-1, it didn't really change too much (the points) so we're trying to get three points. We went to three in the back, but it didn't quite work, so I put Jeff [Larentowicz] back. So we were going to go with Jeff, Baky [Soumare], and Patrick [Ianni], but we decided to just go with four and just push Lovel [Palmer] and [Grant] Ward, playing right back, he's really a right wing, forward. We possessed the ball enough, did enough to get something out of it, so we were definitely going for it to try and get a win."
Chicago Fire Midfielder Jeff Larentowicz
On the break:
"It's disappointing. We talk about the little things. There's one chance in this game for the other team and they took it. We were second best."
On the team's reaction Yallop's comments at training:
"What he said was taken in by everybody. There's time left, however. We can't hope to hang our hat on ties at the end of year, especially home games and conference games. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."
On the substitutions:
"In other games, earlier in the year, Frank has shown he wants to win and puts on players that are going to make a difference. Last week Juan [Luis Anangano] did that for us in the game."
On the difference between ties and losses:
"There's always a difference. However, when you have so many ties that feel like losses, it's tough."
Chicago Fire Midfielder Harry Shipp
On his goal:
"I think someone played it out to Mike [Magee] off a corner kick, and I was actually jogging over to take the corner when I saw it go out and I sort of slipped along the endline. I think Mike made the pass, I took a few touches then took the shot and scored."
On not being able to get the win playing a man up:
"It's really frustrating, it sucks and it feels like a loss. We should have scored about four goals in the second half. I think we all need to figure out how and what we can do better to not fall behind in the game, that's the key I think. We started getting into the game, up a man, they scored a goal and that kind of killed us going into halftime."
On the possibility of Rookie of Year Honors:
"It's not even on my mind. When you're on a team like this with two wins all year, you're focusing everyday on trying to go in and get a win and to learn how to get better. I'd rather not score a goal all year and be on a winning team than score however many goals I score and be on a losing team. So, Rookie of the Year is not really on my mind."
On the substitutions:
"We had the ball pretty much the entire second half. Being up a man obviously helps that, but we can't afford to tie at home. We came in to this game knowing that we needed a win, we kind of billed it as a game to turn our season around, which hopefully gives us momentum heading into the second half of the year. It didn't happen, so we have to look toward Kansas City on Sunday."
Toronto FC Head Coach Ryan Nelson
On surviving with a point on the road:
"Yeah, any point on the road is a very good point, especially when you go down to ten men. The guys were absolutely fantastic. Really in control of the game, up until the decision, and even then I thought we looked like we were going to get one on the break. They [Chicago] did very well in the second half, as they would, Frank's a very good coach, and pushed us high and we kind of sat back and we didn't have the confidence to maybe press a little higher, and force them into making mistakes. They kind of trapped us in a wee bit, but we had to defend. We defended very well. When you're down to ten men, you need a lot of organization and a lot of character and a lot of strength, and I think the boys showed that in abundance."
On Jackson's goal:
"We worked on that potentially but our wide guys would have a lot of influence running in behind their defenders and it just happened to be that he got himself into that position and it was a perfect cross. Really good finish."
On the team holding its defensive shape for the duration of the second half:
"They had every excuse to lose it. Away from home, and Chicago desperate for a win, absolutely desperate for a win, and Frank's done a great job with them, they are a great team. Obviously with then me, we had to sharpen our steel; this point is very valuable. It proves now that at six unbeaten that when we are away from home, and being down to ten men twice, we've managed to get something out of the game. That's extremely important."
Toronto FC Defender Nick Hagglund
On fighting through being down to ten men for over 60 minutes:
"I was pretty proud of the guys and how we responded with that red card. A lot of times, people go down, especially when you go early in the game, you're down and out. Usually a red card towards the end of the game is a little different, and you push a little bit more. I thought we being zero-zero, I thought we did well."
On what Coach Nelson said at halftime:
"He said just to stay organized. We knew that they were going into halftime, they were going to change their plan a little bit more and figure us out with ten men versus eleven men, but I thought we made sure we were tight and made it difficult for them to score."
On coming away with a point:
"I think in the locker room we were pretty disappointed. I think the goal was soft. Could have been deflected. Joe got a hand on it. I think everyone here is disappointed that we didn't get the three points, because we were up. I think it's a step in the right direction. To be disappointed with getting a tie and not three points [especially on the road]."
On going into the three game home stand coming off the World Cup break:
"We are pretty excited to get Mike [Bradley] back in the lineup. Being at home, we are tough at home. That is where we thrive. We still have two or three games in hand on most teams so there's an opportunity for us to jump up standings."
Toronto FC Midfielder Jackson
On earning a hard fought point:
"We weren't expecting to play with ten men. However, this team is a strong team, and we fought through it. As a whole we played really together and we got that point that we needed."
On his goal:
"At training we talk a lot and we practice it and we communicate constantly. Fortunately, I was at the right spot at the right time. We continued to fight and continued to be a team as whole and get ahead."
On taking advantage of the space on the flanks to utilize on counterattacks:
"I was fully aware of the space I had so I was just waiting for that one spot, that one time, and I got it with myself and Dom [Oduro]. Unfortunately, the goalkeeper got a hand on it and I was happy with that touch but I want to reiterate again that we have to continue working strong as a team, whether we have ten men or eleven men."
Chicago Fire Head Coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop
Opening remarks
"It's always good to win any match, and I think that on the basis of the play we had, especially the first half, I thought we deserved to win the game. So, obviously, the red card for Parkhurst makes a difference in the match, but I still felt from that, we went on and had a good performance. To score four goals in any game – although we got an extra 30 minutes to do that – is good. Pleased for the guys. You know, the Crew made it difficult. We went up and then we go down. But we came back into it, good substitutions by the staff, if I do say so myself, to bring Juan on. But Juan's been waiting for a chance, and I was very happy for him to get two goals tonight."
On Juan Luis Anangono's performance
"If you look at Juan's production, especially maybe earlier when he's played a little more minutes…I forget the game we had at home, he got brought down for the penalty kick. He scored a goal in one of the games. He missed the PK. He could've scored that one. So, what I will say about Juan is he's a terrific professional. He's been right with the team all along, with not getting many minutes because of Quincy's play I feel like. But what I like about him is the way he goes about it. He tries very hard for the team. And I'm very, very happy for him to get the two goals tonight."
On Mike Magee's status
"He got clocked in the ankle when I think it was Kevan George caught him with the challenge. So we'll see how he is, but I'm not sure right now."
On what changed in the second half
"I said to our guys at halftime 'they're going to make changes' because I thought we outplayed them completely the first half. So I said, 'Expect to see changes.' And I think that the goal from Anor, he made a difference. They were more forceful. They tried to quickly counter attack on us. And to be honest, they did a good job. And I think that until we kind of figured it out towards the end of the game, we were in a bit of trouble. So again, we've got to be better at doing a 90-minute game and making sure that we see it through and do our thing. But what I will say is that the fighting spirit in the guys to come back again and to go on and win the game is great. It'd just be nice to put a good performance of 2 or 3 to nil at some point. It'd be nice, but we're not there yet. We're trying hard. And I can't fault the guys for effort at all. They've been great."
On making adjustments throughout the game
"We were down in the game, so we have to push it. Bringing on Alex is a bit more attacking minded than putting Logan in his role. Juan's a forward, he wants to score goals. Bringing him on obviously is key. I just wanted to bring on a fresh defender with Jhon. I felt that Columbus was getting into the game with the quick breaks. I wanted to make sure that we shored that up a little bit. You know, I was pleased with the subs that came on. They did a nice job. And I think the whole team responded when we did that."
Chicago Fire forward Juan Luis Anangono
On the opportunity to come into the game and be a hero
"The team worked hard to get all the goals and I'm personally happy to have scored the two goals. I think the whole team are heroes. The whole team worked hard. This is a team, we're 11 players and seven subs and other players that are all helping the team. This is a team, there isn't one hero. If there's a hero, it's the team. We all have the characteristics and we're all ready to play. Who plays and who doesn't is the decision of the coach. I think the coach does what is best for the team, thinking of who will help the team. I believe we're all good players and we all need to be ready to help at whatever moment."
Chicago Fire midfielder Jeff Larentowicz
On using the Open Cup games to help turn things around over the break
"It's just about the will to win, and taking care of the things we should. I think that having two home games in the Open Cup is a good opportunity for us to get into a rhythm. We've had some injuries and we've gotten some guys back. Right now we're just finding a way to win and build on that heading back into the regular season."
On how this will help going back to MLS play next week
"The guys that are playing in these games are probably the guys that will be playing once the regular season starts up again, so I think it's about everyone developing a rhythm and understanding each other. If we can create goals we can start to see patterns of play we like to do and hopefully we can carry those in the regular season again."
On training during the break
"I think over the past couple of weeks it's just been about getting bodies back. For a while there we were pretty thin, and now it's about getting everyone back, veteran guys, healthy and training hard again because we have trained well the last couple of weeks and I think it's showing in games.
Chicago Fire forward Quincy Amarikwa
On coming back in the second half to get the result
"We just battled. Unfortunately, we let them score two unanswered [goals]. After we came in at halftime, we said we wanted to come out on front foot, but we dug in. Juan [Luis Anangono] came off the bench and really made an impact on the game, he helped us tie it up and the rest is history."
On Columbus' play in the second half:
"When you're the team on the road and down a goal at halftime, you don't have anything to lose. So, you kind of throw everything but the kitchen sink at the home team, and that second goal kind of just fell their way. I don't think there's any kind of defensive error from thinking about it. I'd have to go back and look at the tape, he just happened to be at the right place at the right time and took advantage of it and they capitalized."
Columbus Crew Head Coach Gregg Berhalter
On the match:
"I thought it was a good game. We put a different system into play and the guys knew about it at the last moment. We wanted to try something. We got a lot out of that exercise. I'm proud of the way they adapted to the system, and proud of the way they played the game. Specifically, the second half, where I thought we were extremely dominant."
On rallying his team at half time:
"We weren't confident in our movement in terms of how we were executing what we designed. The message was positive. All things considered, it's a good job. Now here's what we can do to make it even better. The guys did that, especially in the second half. They played really well."
On Arrieta's goal:
"It was a great goal. Great move. Good finish. It was good. We need Jairo to score those goals. He had some other chances as well and we want him to be dangerous."
On the team's defensive 5-man posture tonight:
"It was good. We honestly gave them this today. So having said that, I think they did a great job. It was something where we felt we wanted to take a look at. We thought we could expose some things of theirs and take advantage of an organized back line."
On Chicago's equalizer late in the second half:
"If I take anything from the game, I'm most disappointed with that. I think that when you are at that stage of the game, you got to be disciplined enough to carry it out. And I would say it's a little bit of the guys who haven't been getting enough minutes. They weren't comfortable in that position. Chicago is putting more pressure on us, and we just needed to be brave and keep playing. I thought we stopped doing that. As a result, we got punished."
Columbus Crew Midfielder Bernardo Anor
On the match:
"It was a crazy game. I think we had the opportunity to close down the match. We started to lose 1-0, and then we went up 2-1, and then 7 minutes left we let them tie the game which leads us to overtime. Then we give up two goals. That killed the game so we should have done better towards the end of the game."
On coming back to take the lead in the second half:
"A lot of new guys on the field. For all of us, we need to hold ourselves accountable to do whatever it takes to get a 'w' and I think the performance for most of the guys was pretty impressive. We were trying out a new system and it's the first time we did such a thing. Some of the things we did out there we are forced to take home and assess them, and get better at them."
On his goal scored in the 70th minute:
"Speas was coming in with his right foot and I was just making the run to play me through and I decided to shoot the goal. I gathered the rebound and saw it was wide open and got it with my left foot."
On his thoughts on the new system:
"It's a transition game, pretty much. Having five in the back, we knew that Chicago was going to have one of the guys come in pretty deep and have the ball so one of the purposes for one of the 3 center backs to release his man and come help us in the middle. So by the time we win the ball, we got to push all the backs forward and get numbers up. I think we're going to do a better job in doing that. Again, it's the first time but I think working on it we can pull it off."
On returning to playing FC Dallas on Saturday in league play:
"We don't like losing of course, but I think the positive thing is we will be 100% in getting those 3 points against Dallas. We need to focus on that so now our priority is to get good rest and our mind ready for the game."
Frank Yallop, Chicago Fire Head Coach and Director of Soccer
On what to take away from the game:
"I thought it was a scrappy game. I don't think either team really played that well. I think we both had a lot of changes. We played Sunday. They played Sunday. We've got a game Wednesday and we've got a game Saturday. We're both eyeing the same thing. We can't go 90 minutes with all of our gunner guys. And that makes it a little disjointed when the teams haven't played together and we have a few starters who are actually tired in the end of the game. I thought Colorado pushed at the end and we had a great chance with Juan [Luis Anangono] with a bit of a break too. All-in-all, really happy with the point, not pleased with the performance. Having said that, I thought the guys really fought tonight. Effort was brilliant, absolutely fantastic. We didn't play well but you can't always play well."
On Colorado's "strange" lineup and how to prepare for it:
"Well, first, finding out who some of the players are. You know I was in the west for a bit but now I'm in the east and we don't really play the west. I knew who they were but you have to double check to see how tall they are and kind of get as much info as you can, just to see positionally because I don't know where they're all going to play. So it's not easy but I have a good coaching staff and we figured it all out and we kind of got it right. Just prepare them and we said that Brown will come on, Powers will come on, their big boys, and try to win the game late. And they did that. Everything was correct that we said. Everything that we did defensively was good. We didn't give them a goal. We could have been a lot sharper towards goal but I'll take it right now."
On Sean Johnson's performance:
"He's been good. He's still a young goalkeeper. He's only just turned 25. He's played a lot of matches but he's still a young man. He's been very good this season. He's kept us in games at times. Tonight was no different, so it was good."
On Dillon Serna's shot off the crossbar and the defensive performance:
"I saw the flag go up so I wasn't worried. I was just worried he was going to say play on, but it hit the crossbar anyway. We tried to just play a good solid back four and usually the byproduct of that is people going offsides. I don't know if he was offside or not but I think we did a good job of letting him get behind us. I mean, I wouldn't say the best in the league but Deshorn Brown's probably the best at the breakaway. So we didn't allow him that, thank goodness. Jhon [Kennedy Hurtado] covered Bakary [Soumare] the one time and vice versa, so we did a nice job on him at the end."
Jeff Larentowicz, Chicago Fire midfielder
On getting possession after a choppy start:
"It's hard. They clogged the midfield. You can tell that Pablo's got them closing the ball down very hard and trying to win the ball. I think we tried to play very narrow in the first half and they clogged it up so it was hard to keep possession. They'll pressure hard and when they do that, it's difficult to pass and keep possession."
On Pablo's direction with the team:
"It's the mentality of the coach. The team follows the mentality of the coach. That's the way Pablo was. He was right in the middle of the field. If you're not out there closing people down, I'm sure he's going to get on you. You can see they have that fire. They closed us down, and we weren't good enough with the ball in the first half. I think in the second half, the game opened up a little more. You could tell, with the week that we've had, the guys got a little leggy. It was bound to happen."
On the chemistry of the team:
"The cohesion is not there exactly. It's a fairly new system that we started this week to try to get us more solid in the middle of the field. All in all, it's the first shutout of the year, it's a point on the road, and we'll move onto the game on Saturday."
Harry Shipp, Chicago Fire midfielder
On the mindset going into the second half:
"I think in the first half we struggled to keep the ball, especially through the middle. It was tough for Jeff [Larentowicz] to get the ball and kind of face up and play. Partly cause they were trying to clog the middle, partly cause we really didn't try to play. I think it was trying to find those pockets underneath. I think most of the times I touched the ball, it was off a long ball that just fortunately fell to me, which isn't ideal. It's not how we want to play, but it's just kind of how it was at the end of this game."
On Colorado clogging the middle of the field:
"They did a good job doing that. I think it's hard when for periods it was just me and Juan [Luis Anangono] up top isolated, it's 2v6. It's not really anyone's fault, we're playing at altitude, we played three days ago, the outside mids are tired in the last 20 minutes of the game, so they aren't getting up as much. We'll take the point, move on, and hopefully win on Saturday."
Sean Johnson, Chicago Fire goalkeeper
On earning the first shutout of the season
"I think it was very important for us to get a shutout, especially in a tough game on the road in a tough stretch with three games. Coming off a Sunday game, it's not easy to play and then travel, especially at altitude, so it was really important for us. I'm happy for everybody, not just the defenders in front of me but all the guys on the field that worked over 90 minutes to grind and get the result. Now we have to look to build and keep going and look forward to Seattle on Saturday and look to get another result."
Chicago Fire Head Coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop
On today's performance…
"I thought we played really well today. I thought we had some great individual performances from a lot of the young guys playing, and other than one mistake, I thought we very deserved to win. Obviously very frustrating points wise, but very encouraging performance wise. I thought they gave their heart for this club and the team today and tried their best to get the result."
On decision to start Chris Ritter…
"I think Chris has done well in the games he's had with the reserves, trains well. With a few bumps and scrapes that we do have, I thought our forward play has been good. I thought today, other than the chance that they got and they scored on, we kept them pretty quiet. A very good team that's good at going forward. The stability of Chris next to Jeff, it really wasn't a defensive move. It was more making that box that Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane love to operate in. I think that Chris, Jeff, Baky, and Jhon did a really good job making it difficult for them to get any space and go and that's reason that I am playing Chris. It loosened Jeff to get on the ball and we had some good solid possession and solid attacks."
On the original back four together after a couple months…
"I thought they did well. Gonzo's not really training much. He got an injection before the match, he has to get his ankle cleaned out, but I think he has done well for what he's done. Baky and Jhon were strong, and played with authority today. Lovel wasn't our best player but pretty close. I thought he had a great game. Once they start to play together again, and it's been up and down and injuries and other things come into it, but I was very happy with the chances we didn't give to L.A."
On the health of the team…
"I think we are okay. Lovel has just a bit of tight hamstring. Quincy has been feeling a little bit fatigued. With the game on Wednesday I thought 'take him out.' We were one up at the time. I think we are okay. I haven't check with Bo [Leonard] yet, but I think we should be okay."
On changing to a more defensive formation in a 4-2-3-1…
"The balance has not quite been right and I think the balance was good today. I think we created enough chances to win the game, but we limited them to not many good looks. Whether it's Chris or the system we played, I liked it. Logan probably would have played in there had he been healthy, but I was very happy with Chris' performance. I was very happy with the whole demeanor we had and the way we went about it. I thought we played high up the field, which is important. I thought we created some good turnovers, our penalty comes from a turnover, but it was good play by us."
On Landon's performance today…
"He scored so…that's Landon. I actually texted him when he broke the record and I was there for his first goal in the MLS and I just saw it again today, but Landon is a good player. I think you saw his quality on the finish, and any time we can keep him under wraps, and Robbie Keane, two very good players. Our team did a nice job of that, we didn't give them some good looks, which usually they have."
On Duka and Ward out wide…
"I think both guys did well. Dilly's been kind of injured all year and he played in the Columbus game and wasn't effective. He never got himself going. I talked to him this week and said 'you got that game under your belt; that was the game to get your legs moving, now we got to start to play.' I thought he did well, a couple of shots, but he is going to tire. He hasn't played much, but I liked the fact that they are attacking players, both of them, with Harry and Quincy it's four good attacking options we have and the supply was good from Chris and Jeff. I though Grant Ward played well today. He is a good player, a young kid. It's a shame we've not had him and just got him now. We got to make a decision pretty soon so we will see how that goes."
Chicago Fire Forward Quincy Amarikwa
On battling in the heat against the Galaxy
"That's what it was, it was a battle. It's hot, you could tell; a little bit different than what we've been playing in recently. As a team, we battled, we fought hard; unfortunately one mistake got the best of us. But we'll bounce back and hopefully get a win on the road in Denver."
On the team adapting to multiple injuries
"I mean, a couple of guys have come down with injuries, so we've had to adapt. I think the guys that were called upon today did really well to fit into the system and really show themselves, and show that we have depth all the way to our 18th man and beyond. I think the guys showed well, and it's going to carry on through rest of the season."
On how upcoming week will test depth
"Yeah, definitely, any time you have three games in eight days, your depth is going to be tested. I think we rose to the occasion today; it only builds confidence for the rest of the week."
On combating fatigue after Columbus game
"I feel pretty good. For that reason, I came off a bit early, I think in the 60th minute. Just looking to save my legs a little bit, especially since we're going to altitude on Wednesday. I think the guys that stepped on did really well. Again, it's unfortunate to concede that goal; but overall, I think that's one of the better performances we've had, especially at home, this season."
Chicago Fire Homegrown Midfielder Chris Ritter
On first game in MLS
"It was an exciting day for sure. Getting your first start, or even just making your debut, is certainly a special day. The game didn't go the way we wanted it to, and I feel a bit at fault for the one goal; but definitely a learning experience, and playing more games this season could make it up."
On the coaching staff's advice in first game
"He kind of just told me to play my game, which is, I think, the best thing to hear from a coach. I think the whole coaching staff had all the confidence in the world in me, so it made going out there pretty easy; so I'm hopefully doing well."
On giving up a goal and learning a tough lesson from it
"It just shows how quickly top-notch players like Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan can punish you, so definitely a lesson learned."
On technical adjustments in the midfield prior to the game
"I think we do a good job adjusting to all the teams we play. It's kind of a mix of adjusting and letting them adjust to you, so I thought playing with two holding midfielders was effective and held them to limited number of chances."
On being part of the first two Homegrown players to take the field in club history
"Definitely exciting. Harry [Shipp] has done a great job this year, and I'm kind of just trying to follow in his footsteps. It's fun to be out there with Harry, a guy I know pretty well and spend some time with off the field; so definitely a special moment."
Chicago Fire Defender Gonzalo Segares
On first individual performance coming back from injury
"First game of the season; not completely fit yet, but it was good for me to come back. I feel that defensively, it was pretty good, but I had a few issues with the ball. Definitely not sharp yet, but you just have to keep working."
On health of ankle after the game
"It's okay until the medicine goes away [laughs], then it'll start hurting. It's something I've been dealing with for a long time, I think it's around 9-10 weeks, and the bone spurs started growing after the injury that I had. But I'm just glad that we know what it is, and the injection definitely helps me be in the game and not have pain; it's something that we eventually hope will get fixed."
On being surprised about the starting backline meshing well
"No. I've worked with Baky [Soumare] for a long time, with Jhon [Kennedy Hurtado] and Lovel [Palmer] I've been playing with for a while; we worked a whole preseason as well, so we're used to each other. I felt we were very satisfied with how we did defensively. It's unfortunate that the one play, I think the only look that we gave them, they definitely took advantage of that; that's what you get with Keane and Donovan. I think we learned from that, and we'll just keep building up. There's an important game against Colorado this Wednesday, and we need to go over there and get some points."
On tying Chris Armas' mark of 214 appearances for the Fire
"It's definitely an honor. Chris is a guy that helped me a lot when I came into this league, he's a Fire legend. It's definitely an honor to have as many games as him. It's not easy to stay at one club in MLS, and I've been lucky enough and fortunate to have been here for that long."
Los Angeles Galaxy Head Coach Bruce Arena
On the match:
"Awful game today. I can't tell you how many times we've told the league when it's this hot and humid in Chicago in June, we don't want to play afternoon games. This is not fair for the players. It's difficult. It's not fair for the fans. We shouldn't be playing this game at this time. Difficult, difficult game for the players to deal with."
On players suffering from the heat:
"Difficult conditions. You can't play these games this early in the afternoon."
On Robbie Rogers play:
"Rogers played very well. He did a good job for us."
On Landon Donovan's goal:
"Not his best day but he got a goal and he hung in there for 90 minutes so that was good. It was a lousy game today. There's no other way to put it. I think Chicago played a little bit better than us, but the conditions were difficult for both teams and it made for a not-good game."
On the penalty kick against LA:
"If a referee doesn't see it, he shouldn't call it. If he thinks he saw it, then fair enough. It may have been a foul but it was probably outside the penalty area. I don't know how they do that without discussing it between the linesman and the referee. And if they did then they got it wrong."
On getting a point on the road:
"[Happy] we got the point. We'll take the point and get out of Chicago."
On Dan Gargan's condition:
"Just heat issues."
Los Angeles Galaxy Captain and Forward Robbie Keane
On playing the game in hot conditions:
"I don't know who makes these f***ing stupid decisions. Play a f***ing game at three o'clock in the afternoon. Who wants to watch that crap? Do you? I don't want to watch that crap. These people who haven't got a clue about soccer make these decisions when we play a game. Why not play at eight o'clock? It wasn't on national television. It's so stupid. They need to look at these games and use their head and be clever. No player wants to play in that humidity. Everyone was affected by the heat. Why would you want to play at three o'clock in the afternoon? On the hottest day of the year so far here in Chicago, knowing it is going to be that hot. And you can't blame the Kings-Hawks game because you didn't know that was going to happen until two days ago. This is absolutely ridiculous. We have to stop. We have to listen to the players instead of listening to people who have never kicked a soccer ball in their whole life."
Los Angeles Galaxy Forward Landon Donovan:
On his goal:
"I feel great. I feel great helping the team. To get a tie on a day where we didn't really play well and sometimes during the season you have to games where you don't do well and you have to find a way to get something out of it. I'm glad to help out."
On the conditions:
"That's the way the league is at times. There are games where it is ugly. You play during the day, it's hot, the field is slow and that kind of stuff happens. You have to have the character and the resolve to find a way to get a result and we did that today."
On the team battling the conditions:
"It was difficult for both teams. Both teams you could tell couldn't really get around the ball and press the ball. You couldn't move efficiently as you wanted so again, it probably doesn't look great from a spectator standpoint but that's the way it goes."
On Robbie Rogers's assist for his goal:
"I thought he did well. Coming into the game was tough and he hasn't played in a while so fitness wise it was going to be tough but I thought he defended pretty well. He made a few good plays and the assist was a really good ball."
Los Angeles Midfielder Robbie Rogers
On looking confident on the field:
"I think just being able to train for three or four weeks and sustaining that kind of workload has really benefited me. I think there's tons of things I can improve on and today I thought there were things I could have done better but I was happy to provide Landon with that assist and get a point on the road. I really think these are the kind of games that when you get three points, and I think we are a good enough team to do that, but sometimes you just kind of have to grind it out."
On the heat affecting him:
"For me, not too much. But I could tell it affected the other guys. I only played like 60 minutes or something which is a bit different, and it was hotter in the first 20 minutes of the game and you could tell guys were tired on both teams."
On a turning point for his comeback:
"It's one assist in one game. It's a lot of work that I have ahead of me this season so it's a positive to contribute in that way and to help defensively but there's a lot of work to be done."
On his assist being against Chicago:
"No, it doesn't mean anything to me. I think maybe this is my third or fourth assist I've had playing in Chicago when I was playing for Columbus. I've had some success here. I don't know why. I've always enjoyed playing here and the fans are great. It's a great city. I enjoy it."
On his assist:
"I just kind of noticed that the guy put his head done when he was passing it to the outside midfielder and it's a slow field, you can pick things off, so I kind of just read that and when I went to take a touch, I reached for it and I saw Robbie. I also saw Landon coming in the back post so I thought just if I could whip it into the back post he would run on to that. He had an amazing finish. It wasn't an easy ball to finish. Those are the kind of balls a winger and an outside back has to play and we work on that kind of stuff. It's not a routine thing but it's kind of something you do ten, twenty times at training so it was a great finish. You have to give Landon a lot of credit."
On the differences between the first and second halves:
"I felt like Chicago got a little tired and were playing very direct and launching balls behind us. I thought in the first half they were finding little passes here and there so it made it a little easier for us to predict. I thought we started off the beginning of the second half really well. Chicago got that goal but besides that I thought we were playing pretty well. We finished the game all right. Everyone was dead at the end of the game. We will take that point on the road."
Chicago Fire Head Coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop
On where the breakdown occurred:
"We seemed flat from the first whistle. The guys seemed up for the game, but we weren't sharp. We had a couple chances here and there. Same as them, but they were sharper in front of the goal but we were poor defensively. For us, we have to address that but it's difficult. We have a few guys out at the moment, so there's not a lot we can change. We just have to keep working, and it's one of those games were Columbus was better than us tonight they deserved to win the match. You have to take the defeat and move on."
On having five players out:
"You can understand how it's not just the defense. You have key guys not playing, six or so. It's not an excuse I never make excuses. I'm not blaming them they haven't played for a while. Steven Kinney came in and he hasn't played all season. Grant Ward made his debut and he hasn't played for four months. Tough night around we kept going to the end but, we were pretty naïve generally all over the pitch, especially defensively. We have to make better decisions where we don't give chances to the opposition. We left the game mentally flat. Maybe it's because we came off two wins, and we don't think we have to earn the right to play a game. We do every game."
On dealing with Higuain's ability to spring players:
"He's pretty close to the best in the League. The game plan was as soon as he got the ball to drop. We couldn't really figure it out. He does it at the right time and he finds space. He's a good player, take nothing away from that guy. He's a very good player. He sees the game well. He sees the game how it should be looked at. Offensively, we couldn't handle it. It wasn't just him they had good runners off the ball. We made poor decisions defensively to give them the chances to score."
On not being able to score:
"That's kind of us. We looked like we were going to score most games. We went through the game and had some good chances. Quincy [Amarikwa] has gotten some good spots. I just talked to him he's a little calmer, a little bit picking guys out. I've only seen him once but we had chances to score but you can't keep conceding goals and win matches. At some point you need to shut it down and make it difficult. It's the whole team; it's not just one or two guys. The whole team has to do it."
Chicago Fire Midfielder Jeff Larentowicz
On the backline:
"Columbus guys are tricky, they know how to run off your back shoulder, they know how to find time on the ball and it allows guys in the midfield to pick out runners. I think that both goals come off of passes from the midfield with runners off of our back shoulder. They both ended up as goals. They also had other opportunities that were similar that didn't come off for them."
On Columbus tactics:
"They overload the midfield so we have to find a way to get pressure on the ball. If we turn the ball over then there is no pressure on the ball and then he can pick his head up and make those passes. Like I said, the forwards and the wingers are tricky enough to run off his shoulder and find that space. It's dangerous."
On missing players on the road:
"Every road game in this League is a difficult game. However, every road game is a winnable game if you're playing right, if you're turned on at the right moments. Today we weren't."
Chicago Fire Goalkeeper Sean Johnson
On new players in new positions:
"I think you can't really come up with any excuses. You can't really look to blame a different lineup or different person. We are all on the same team. We all train together on the pitch and prepare ourselves for match day. I think it's down to what we do when we step on the field. We are more than capable of meshing together for 90 minutes and getting a result."
On Higuain:
"Higuain is a class player. He's not just been doing that for our game, he didn't really come out of anywhere, he's been doing it all season. We've got to do a better job of being aware of the kind of things he likes to do. He's a crafty player, very good on the ball. I think just putting ourselves in better spots. It's not any surprise to us that Higuain is capable of threading those passes and putting himself in those spots. It's just up to us to deal with those things better."
On goals:
"On the first one I put him out wide and I think it was still an angle where he had a difficult finish. It could've been saved, possibly. The second one was in no man's land and I came out to close the angle and he did well to put it past me."
On needing a win:
The starting point is it is always better to win then to lose or draw. We're happy. I think we've been frustrated that we've been playing well and not getting the results. We're still trying to focus on the product we're creating and how we're playing. It's nice when you get results. From that standpoint were happy. I think it was a good effort. Obviously we're missing some guys but we did a great job.
On Ethan Finlay's first start of the season:
He was excellent. This game isn't something that comes out of the blue. If we look at what he's been doing these last couple of weeks, he's been leading up to this. I'm most happy with the fact that he was a guy that isn't a starter, he works his way to the 18, he works his way to the starting lineup, then he performs like this. You can see the progression and he makes other guys believe there's a chance. He makes other guys believe that if they work hard and train hard that they will get an opportunity.
On defense:
Chicago hasn't been shut-out yet this season I think that speaks for itself. The guys did it with determination. Guys like Eric [Gehrig], Tyson [Wahl], Hector [Jimenez]. I mean I thought Chad Barson was great as well with his defensive responsibilities. Steve Clark was very secure today. On crosses, he didn't give up any rebounds today and that's what you want from a goalkeeper. I think these guys really responded. You can see some of the guys that played last week and played again this week they are getting a rhythm and they are getting a lot more comfortable.
On Michael Parkhurst and importance of getting him in the game:
I think the fans were spectacular to give him that ovation and really cheer him on. He's been through a lot these last couple of days and it's nice for him to feel that everyone supports him. It's the team, the fans and the community supports him. He had a tough session on Thursday, followed by a weight session followed by a red-eye across the country. It was too much for him, he wanted to play but I didn't think it was worth the risk of an injury after all of that travel and training.
On replacing Federico Higuain:
You don't replace Federico, simple as that. We get someone on the field that can play their game and we're not going to ask someone to come in and play like Federico that would be foolish of us. We're going to ask someone to come in and play to the best of their ability. I'm confident that we are going to be able to get that out of someone.
On tonight's game:
We had a fantastic game. We knew that there were a lot of players on this team that could play and Eric [Gehrig] obviously stepped up tonight. The thing about Eric is that he is a gamer, the whistle blows and we don't have a problem.
On second shutout of the season:
For me it's more important to win and I knew that if I continued to play the way that I play every game then shutouts are going to come and a lot of them. For me it's about process not results all the time, especially in the goal keeping you have to keep your head and blinders on from distractions. Shut outs come and they go.
On Chicago's playing before first goal:
You have to give credit to Ethan Finlay for figuring that out, he had a fantastic run. He is a very intelligent kid and a very intelligent soccer player. He spotted that and he was in behind.
On Crew's teamwork tonight:
I think that our backline had a good game but I can't tell you compared to their backline. We didn't give them a goal and they gave up two but I thought that we played very well.
On playing tonight:
It's nice to be back home. It's a few weeks earlier than I participated or that I wanted but it's really good to be home. And it was a really nice motivation when I came on the field and I heard everybody. I was really appreciative of that and the support that everyone has given me here.
On the last 48 hours since being cut from the final U.S. Men's National Team roster:
It's tough. We didn't know that the cuts were going to come in that day so no expectations there. It's difficult of course, I just lost my dream. You have to bounce back and be professional. Now my whole propose is the Crew.
On leaving with his "best foot forward":
Yeah I think so, I don't think that there is anything else I could have done. I don't think that there was anything negative that was on my part that made them not choose me. I think that's just how it was set up. It makes it a little easier for me to swallow knowing that I had done my best.
On moving on from the roster announcement:
Absolutely, it's great to be back around the guys. I wanted to come back here and get back to business as quick as possible to get my mind off of it.
Chicago Fire Head Coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop
On the Fire's first win at Toyota Park this season
"Well obviously, last time I saw you guys, it wasn't a pretty sight with the game we had before. But today, we come away with three points against a good side – it's obviously the aim before the match. We got it done; we're unbeaten in two games, which is always a good thing. We dug through and got the result that we needed. We should have shut them off with a couple of chances late in the game, but didn't; and you have to give credit to Kansas City, they kept going, created some chances late with ten men. But it's great to get that win; I feel good that we saw it through. But obviously, there's room for improvement on any performance, and there's no difference for this one."
On the lack of shutouts
"We won the game, would have loved to get the shutout; winning is everything. If we win 3-2, 2-1, whatever it is, we'll take it. Obviously, it's nice defensively if we can get a shutout. But as you know, it wasn't a defensive back four error; it was someone not picking up someone on a set play, so that's a team thing. We're working on stuff all the time; it's brand new, with 10 games in, I'm happy with only losing two games in this league with a group that's been put together a little bit. We've had our ups and downs; we should've won more games for sure. We had two home games that you saw had penalty kicks; we could be on four wins right now. It has me going, "well, that's not bad," so it's give and take. I don't get carried away with winning games; I don't get carried away with losing or tying games. I think, right now, we're in a good spot, we've got a chance to now get going. These next four games are tough; we've got a tough schedule, but it's something that I'm looking forward to, to see and test the character of the boys. They're up for the fight, and we saw this game through, which is important to me, so they're going to feel good about it. We did the same in New York, no matter how the manner is. I got a little bit of gray hair; it could've been silver by the end of the game. But we got the win, and that's all that matters at this point."
On the revamped back line
"It's pretty good; and again, it's a work in progress the whole time, it's a team defensive type of thing. I thought Patrick [Ianni] had a good, solid game again; Jhon [Kennedy Hurtado] again, I thought, was solid in the middle, the two outside backs at times. Kansas City moved the ball well; they get you overloaded at times, they pull you around. In general, they had a couple of good chances; but I thought we had the better chances, to be honest. Dilly [Duka] had a breakaway, Mike [Magee] had a chance to go around a keeper and slot it. I know it was a tough game late in the match, but we could've come away with four or five goals today. The way I'm trying to set the team up is to obviously try to outscore the opponent, and try to make sure that we're going forward, but we're just trying to be solid and defensively sound at the back. The balance at the moment is a little bit wavering; we've gone forward okay, but I think the defensive side of things is not quite right yet; and again, it's not just the back four, it's the whole thing. We watched a lot of DVD last week, we're going to watch it again this week, and see if we can get the balance where we can just be in good spots. And I just think, as a team, we sat back a little bit again in this game. We have to slide up the field and keep the ball, especially against ten men.
On who is taking penalty kicks
"I actually had a chat with a few press guys a few weeks ago, and I decided Jeff [Larentowicz] was going to take them. But Mike [Magee] and Jeff were talking, and Jeff felt that Mike was the guy to do it. He missed the last two for us; last season [against Montreal], then the first one against Philly. To score two in the same game is tough, so you have to hand it to Mike that he stepped up and buried those two chances and won the match for us; it was great."
On facing a 3-5-2 formation
"I have not seen that for a while, actually; that was old school MLS stuff, the 3-5-2. But looking at [Kansas City head coach Peter Vermes'] team, it was depleted a little bit at the back, so he decided to play that. It was a little bit different; for us, I'm sure where they're going to play and who's going to play, just make sure we're ready to do it, and step the guys and do our thing. For a good seventy minutes, I felt we were comfortable, and then it got a little hair-raising at the end. But you have to hand it to Peter and his team, they're a good side; they're not champions for nothing. They proved it today; they really came up to fight, especially with 10 men."
On the thought process behind the Fire's double substitution
"I just thought the momentum was getting away from us a little bit, so I just decided that double is always good. One is not always the impact that you want, so I wanted to do two at the same time, and make two positions freshened up. All in all, I thought it was good; I think Logan [Pause] did a good job, and Dilly looked good when he came on. He has not played for a while, so it was good to get him some minutes and get him running around. All in all, you decide what you want to do; I talked to the coaches, but ultimately, it was my decision. I felt it was the time to do it."
Jeff Larentowicz, Chicago Fire Midfielder
On not being able to score to put the game away:
"We want to, it's not something we're afraid of. It's just not happening. We come close, we have opportunities, but they make the defensive plays and good saves, but it will come. A win is a win and it's good that we can be picky in this circumstance."
Sean Johnson, Chicago Fire goalkeeper
On the defensive performance:
"We needed to learn how to control a game and we are. I think tonight that the effort defensively was fantastic. We limited shots, limited chances and there were not many shots on target at all. I think we'll look to build on that going forward, but I'm really happy with the performance tonight.
On the learning curve:
"I think we've learned a lot. The most important thing we've learned is that we can't sit back and wait for the game to come to us. No matter what the result is – regardless if we're tied or we're up we need to keep playing our game and be confident that we can dictate the way the game goes, close out games and get results."
On building momentum:
"Back-to-back wins are huge for us. Now we know what it feels like to win. We know how to win and now it's a matter of focusing on the little things and getting it right so that every game we give ourselves a chance to win and put ourselves in a position to go on and push for three points."
Mike Magee, Chicago Fire forward:
On the first win a home:
"We needed a win badly; however, if that's how we're going to win games, I probably only have a couple games left in my career. We'll take it, it was deserved. It was a very funky game, but we'll take wins however we can get them at this point."
On the end of the game:
"That's kind of been our M.O. We get up in games, play well in spurts then kind of take our foot off the gas. That happened again tonight. We created a couple chances, I even had a couple of good ones, but for whatever reason we're letting teams hang in games, and teams like K.C. usually make you pay."
Harry Shipp, Chicago Fire midfielder
On playing K.C. with missing starters and a man-up in the second half:
"The players they subbed in for them are still really good players. A championship team isn't 11 guys it's 18 guys. When you slide guys into the midfield and up front they are still going to be dangerous. I think they were good keeping the ball in the attacking half, but once we were able to break that pressure we did a good job of slipping balls in – getting Quincy and Mike behind for some penalty calls in the first half."
Chicago Fire Head Coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop
On the spirit of the team:
"It's been good. I mean, you know, I think last week we had that same situation. We're 5-2 up in this game and they nearly come back and tied it. We're two-nil up at home and they come back and win it, [Real] Salt Lake last week. So, what I'd like to think is we've learned something from last week. We can only get as hairy as this, but [we're] playing against a really good team. You can't take away from that."
On Harry Shipp:
"Great. Harry's been playing really well. Each game he's gotten better, and better, and better. I think just his passes with the one pass to Mike [Magee] when he just missed it, first half, to make it 2-1 I think, and they go down the other end and score. That pass, you know, he's got that passing in as well as the finishing. I can't say enough about Harry. He's really working hard at his game, he looks like a real player, and I think he's got a great chance at going all the way."
On the importance of scoring the first goal:
"I always say, and I think there's stats if you look at the stats, if you score first in our league it's 83 percent, I think, you get a point or more. So, I think, you know, getting on the chart first is always a big thing. We've been a bit unlucky, to be honest. We've had two home games and we've had a penalty kick in the last minute of the game to win it and missed them both. So, we could've been on three wins, four wins, you know, maybe two wins, or whatever and we're not stuck talking about it now. What I like about the group, you know, they're really celebrating now because they deserve it, you know, we've deserved more that we've got. They have not dropped their heads, come to a really difficult place to play, and get a result, and score five goals, which is amazing really, in any game, not just coming to New York and doing it. I'm really proud of the guys the way they hung in there at the end, Sean [Johnson] made two great saves, and we preserved the win."
Chicago Fire Forward Quincy Amarikwa
On the match:
"I think overall we showed a lot of fight. We came on the road, I think a lot of people, especially the analysts, didn't think we could come out here and get the road win. I'm glad we were able to prove them wrong."
On the second half:
"We came in at half time and knew we were sitting in too much. We were giving New York too much respect to play and we know we can score goals. That's what we've done consistently this year. So, we said in the second half we're just going to high press, what do we have to lose, and I think it really caught them off guard. We put away the number of goals we needed to get the win tonight."
On the importance of getting the first win of the season:
"I think it's a pretty big relief, you know, we've kept the morale high this entire time. We've known we're capable of winning. I mean a lot of games came down, I think there's two games that came down to PK's that we just weren't lucky on. It was nice to have a little bit of luck go our way today and I just think it's what's more to come. We know we can win and we just proved it tonight and we're going to continue on with the rest of the season."
Chicago Fire Midfielder Harry Shipp
On the match:
"Yeah I'm honestly just happy to get the first win for this team. I think over the past four or five games, or so, we've had some heartbreaking ties and losses giving up late goals, especially last week. So, I think just hanging on for the win, I think New York's a good team, they were going to get back in the game, you kind of knew that, but just kind of some last ditch defending helped us in the last 10 minutes or so. I'm just happy, if I score three goals and we don't win the game it doesn't really matter. So, that's what's important."
On his game:
"Yeah I think especially in the second half. I think I was finding spaces in the first half and played a ball to Mike [Magee], scored one goal, but I think we kind of knew going into half time, I think we knew we could exploit those spaces even more underneath, me coming inside off the left and so I think we really started pressing higher in the second half, trying to win the ball off their back four, which is how I got my second goal, or third goal was taking it off of them. So yeah, I think the first, especially 30 minutes of the second half were really good."
On play of the team:
"Yeah it was surprisingly upbeat. You know, I think we played well for those first 70 minutes or so and then I think we collapsed down the stretch, but we know if we could take those 70 minutes and turn it into 90 minutes we have a chance to win every game and I think we've been playing well the prior three, four games before that and that was just a lapse of 20 minutes, like I said. But yeah, I think everyone was hungry in training, everyone was feisty trying to get after it, trying to get a spot in the [starting] 11, and I think, you know, it showed this game."


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Food Bank inventory does not gather dust, as empty shelves show.
As a second round of sequestration has begun, the Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments is scrambling to serve multiple programs and a growing need with dwindling resources.
"During the first round of sequestration cuts, every one of our programs saw between a five and nine percent cut in funding," said AOG Executive Director Debbie Hatt. "Those cuts have meaningful consequences and will be made more difficult depending on how much we lose this next year."
In Carbon, Emery, Grand and San Juan counties, the AOG provides several programs aimed at helping low income Americans. Their Food Bank, Weatherization/HEAT, Aging and Community Development Block Grant programs assist local citizens to augment their income and stay afloat.
The poverty level can be deceptive for those who have never used these programs. For instance, a four member family is considered under the poverty level if they bring home $24,000 a year. A family of three is considered to be at 120 percent of the poverty level if they make $2,300 a month.
According to Hatt, the service which could be impacted most drastically and quickly by the cuts will be the Carbon County Food Bank.
"We won't cut out whole areas or anything like that," she explained. "We will start by seeing where we can save within the program and then look at how we can make the food stretch."
The food bank, along with many other AOG programs see a marked increase in demand as fall and winter set in. The bank may look at reducing hours of operation to deal with the cuts. However, if the federal food stamp program is decreased, there will be a massive influx of residents looking for help at the already stressed food bank.
The program uses strict guidelines to select those they help. Every citizen looking to use the bank must provide proof of income, Social Security numbers for their whole family and a list of everyone living in the home. Should this information place the family at 120 percent of the poverty level they will receive assistance.
"Anyone who needs food is allowed to use the pantry once," explained Hatt. "But if they plan to keep coming back, we need their information."
The AOG director explained that a great many of those who use the food bank's services are working. Their income simply doesn't allow them to feed their family. Many get food stamps, especially the elderly, but it simply isn't enough to get by. If they have medical bills, the problem gets even worse. Some patrons seeking assistance have two incomes.
Upon visiting the bank, many patrons were dejected by the fact that no matter how hard they seem to try, their poverty only increases. According to one client, "the minimum wage and food stamps can't keep you fed, but they sure as hell can keep you poor."
With weather turning cold, literally overnight this past week, the AOG has begun receiving their first calls asking for help from the Weatherization/HEAT program.
Weatherization/HEAT helps residents to insulate their home and augments their utility costs during the winter. The application process works much like the food bank and will also most likely see another cut in federal funding.
Currently, the assistance effort will operate under last year's fiscal contract, according to Hatt. meaning that there are funds available. As last winter was mild, the program was able to help many individuals. Should 2013 turn cold, the number qualifying for assistance could drop.
"It is a comprehensive program," said Hatt. "The process starts when a HEAT officials conducts an efficiency examination of one's home. From there, small fixes are made including the installation of insulation and the weatherization of windows and doors. From there, the effort helps pay a person's heating bill."
Hatt stressed that these programs are not only for the drastically poor. They can help people who are in the low to moderate income bracket. Information about the program can be obtained at the AOG's office on Carbon Avenue.
Another of the association's major commitments is to help the elderly where ever possible. Their aging programs have taken a hit, but are protected somewhat by the "Older American's Funding Act." These federally funded programs help seniors to stay independent and in their own homes. Eligibility for these in-home assisted programs are also based on income as a senior must qualify for Medicaid to be part of the program.
As senior services continue to dwindle locally, Hatt was asked why Medicare Part C is not available for area seniors. Part C helps to organize a senior patient's payments, alleviating the need to send one check here, another check there, pay this and then be reimbursed for that. The providers from Part C take care of a patient's payments.
According to Hatt, the service is not available here because all of the providers have left the area, leaving Carbon County's small population to fend for themselves.
Another group which will be going solo are those who were hoping to "rehabilitate" their homes using Community Development Block Grants. Hatt explained that the CDBG program obtain multiple small grants along with a low interest loan and then use this money to help a low income family purchase an older home and perform the upgrades needed with their own hands.
"CDBG is a great program because it provides the funds needed but allows the homeowner to use their own sweat equity to both save money and take ownership of their new residence," she said. "Projects like a new roof or new windows are typical of what is provided by one of these grants."
Hatt estimated that between eight and 15 homes in Southeastern Utah are rehabilitated by this program each year. The process not only provides a new family with a home but beautifies the community by restoring an eyesore.
"We feel this program will take the biggest hit from sequestration and the general cuts the house of representatives is looking to make," she said.
Concerning the shutdown, most of the 3.3 million government workers which are deemed "essential," will continue to work. However, the almost 800,000 federal employes who are less than "essential" will be sent home.
While the sequestration isn't likely to affect the daily lives of most people, it already has affected those in danger of freezing and starving and the cold sets in.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Paper Source Bulk Discount Program
You'll find that many Paper Source paper products are part of our Bulk Discount Program, which means you can receive discounted pricing as you buy more product. Items that are eligible for these discounts will display the following information on the product page:
Buy 10 packs of the same item, same color - get 10% off
To receive the discounted pricing, simply add the appropriate quantity to your shopping cart. You must order the same item in the same color at the specified quantities in order to receive the discounted pricing.
Paper products in our Bulk Discount Program include regular price, solid color Paper Source items in the following categories:
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Flat cards & folded cards
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*Offer valid for new email subscribers. Promo code will be delivered via email.
*Offer valid for new email subscribers. Promo code will be delivered via email.


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Holiday Sewing Projects
Add handmade touches to your home this season with festive sewing projects that are quick to make!
Mitten Stocking [1]
Hand-stitch holiday motifs to a mitten shape for a stocking to hide presents or a cute gift for friends!
Jolly Holiday Pillows [4]
Pleats and ruching dress up a festive pair of Christmas-theme pillows just in time for a season of good cheer.
Merry-Go-Round Tree Skirt [7]
Finish a festive six-sided tree skirt fast using a cleverly cut border print. Choose novelty prints from the same collection to ensure that the fabrics will complement each other.
Season's Greetings [10]
Hang this drawstring bag on the front door to welcome visitors or use the woodsy delight inside to collect holiday cards.
Happy Holidays Gift Bag [13]
Make the presentation as fun as what's inside! Use a holly leaf pattern and a trio of buttons to add adorable appliqué to a lunch sack gift bag. Prairie points create festive fringe.
Warm Wishes Mitten Hanging [16]
Whip up a cheery felted-wool mitten to give away or hang on your Christmas tree. The ornament can double as a holder for small gifts, trinkets, or gift cards.
12 Days of Christmas Banner [19]
A partridge in a pear tree takes center stage on this quilted banner. With each pear ornament bearing an embroidered phrase from the much-loved carol, you'll be singing along every time you pass by.
Get the free pattern here [20].
Trim a Tree [22]
Decorate a foam cone with dozens of assorted green yo-yos to make this whimsical holiday tree.
Lunch Sack Gift Bags [25]
We don't know which is more fun--choosing the fabrics for these "lunch sack" gift bags or planning what treats they'll contain. For the closure, use a covered button, two or more stacked buttons, or vintage costume jewelry.
Snowman Door Hanger [28]
Cotton scraps, buttons, and batting for the snowman's body give this delightful jingle-bells door hanger one-of-a-kind character. What a great gift for family and friends!
Comfort and Joy Pillows [31]
Tuck tiny treats or a few Christmas greens in the tops of the stockings embellishing these fresh-for-the-season pillows.
Tiered Tree [34]
It's a breeze to set up a decoupage tree created with stackable terra-cotta pots.
Fabric Gift Bag [37]
Tired of buying paper gift bags? Reuse and recycle in style by creating your own handled gift bags, custom-made with fabrics you choose. They're sure to be used over and over again.
Pieced Drawstring Bag [40]
Hang this drawstring bag on the front door to welcome visitors or use the woodsy delight indoors to collect holiday cards.


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Outdoor Research
Long Sleeve Sequence Crew (Men's) (out-of-stock)
Out of Stock Product Number: 31325
Light, soft and quick to dry, this long-sleeve tee features the performance of a merino wool blend and the feel of cotton. The active cut fits more like your favorite tee-shirt than a piece of technical wear, and the seams are moved away from your shoulders for more comfort when carrying a pack.
* This product does not qualify for shipping to all countries.
- Lightweight
- Quick-drying
- Manages moisture
- Cotton-like feel
- FreshGuard odor neutralization
- Raglan sleeves Fabric- drirelease? Wool- 88% polyester/12% merino wool
Gender: Men's
Weight: Avg. Weight (oz./g): 8.1 / 229 L
Material: 88% polyester/12% merino wool
Season: F13
Vendor ProductId: 50745
Review ProductId: 31325


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Friday, RHP Rafael Montero was placed on the St. Lucie Mets disabled list. The word out of St. Lucie is that he's been shut down after hitting his innings limit. The 21-year old Montero has thrown 122 innings this year between Savannah in the South Atlantic League and St. Lucie in the Florida State League. He combined for 71 innings last year between the Dominican Summer League, the Gulf Coast League, the Appalachian League and the New York Penn League.
His numbers in the Florida State League were very good: 2.13 ERA, 50.2 IP, 35 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 11 BB, 56 K. He had a K/9 of 9.9 and a K/BB of 5.09. He had a pair of eye-popping performances in his final two outings, a 14 strikeout game in Clearwater on July 31 and no-hit performance over 7.2 innings in Palm Beach on August 7th.
Mets pitching Coordinator Ron Romanick began with the mental side of the game in a recent conversation about Montero, "He's always had a presence about him," Romanick said. "Nothing seems to bother the kid. I've seen him have a really mediocre game, for him, and I've seen him have really good games and he stays the same guy. Baseball, if you can learn to do that, you can be really good for a long time. You never really see him have a bad work day because of his makeup. He's tightened up all of his stuff. He's got a nice mix of pitches and throws strikes."
Montero worked off a fastball a tick above average in Savannah, but thrived because he could throw strikes with the offering and kept batters off balance with a changup. Romanick offered a similar assessment of Montero's recent work in the Florida State League, "He dialed it up 92-93 and was just down in the zone and attacking the zone with all of his stuff. He still has a plus changeup."
Over the course of the year, Montero tightened up his slider, and became more comfortable throwing it across more counts. "The sign of a mature pitcher, is you're not going to pitch exclusively off the breaking stuff, but in those counts, conversion counts, [breaking balls] are devastating when you can execute the pitch when you need to," Romanick explained "You don't waste it. That's the sign of a guy maturing."
Montero's a very real prospect who's stock has risen dramatically this year. He certainly has a chance to stick in a Major League Rotation.


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The Unlocked Droid X 2 is coming ever closer to the official announcement. Pictures and specs for the device have already leaked online, which could speed the device up quickly. The Droid X 2 will serve as the sequel to the first version of the supersized phone that has become quite popular since it was first released.
The photos and specs first showed up on a forum post over at The MobiZone, where all of the information was originally posted. The post has since been removed, but the information was already cached by Google, so the spread of the information could not be slowed
The specs are jaw dropping to say the least. The phone will feature an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core 1 gHz processor, that comes complete with a gigabyte of RAM, a nice LCD display that has a 540 x 960 resolution. Unfortunately the phone will be 3 G only, and will not be compatible with 4 G networks.
The Motorola Droid X2 unlocked will also have an 8 megapixel rear facing camera, but will not have a front facing camera for video conferencing. In the photos posted online it appears that the phone was running on Android Froyo 2.2, but it could be upgraded to Gingerbread before the official launch of the device. The launch is expected to come int he second quarter of 2011, although no official announcements have been made at this time.
At some point soon Motorola will be forced to publicly acknowledge the existence of the phone that they have tried to keep under wraps (although unsuccessfully) since it first went through the early stages of production. The device will also come with an FM radio, and will be the same size as the first version of the phone. The announcement of this phone has been highly anticipated by Android fans.


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David Beckham Visits China - Day 4
British football player David Beckham attends a press conference... News PhotoArts Culture and Entertainment,Attending,British Culture,Celebrities,China - East Asia,David Beckham,Football,Football Player,Horizontal,Playing,Press Conference,Sport,WuhanPhotographer Lintao ZhangCollection: Getty Images Sport 2013 Getty ImagesWUHAN, CHINA - MARCH 23: British football player David Beckham attends a press conference titled 'Ambassador for the Youth Football Programme in China and the Chinese Super League' at Wuhan Hubei Province on March 23, 2013 in Wuhan, China. David Beckham is on a five-day visit to China at the invitation of the China Football Association as China's first international ambassador. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)


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|Blowing Rock Stage Company Students Will Keep Appalachian Cultural Museum Stories Alive
|Written by Christie James
|Wednesday, 04 April 2007 01:37
The Blowing Rock Stage Company's Summer Theatre Camp is taking enrollment. The camp plans a production each year and this one proves to be special. Students at the camp will bring to life stories from the Appalachian Cultural Museum, which is currently closed due to lack of space.The students will use theatre arts and material from the museum to tell the stories of high country pioneers, toymakers, country western stars, soldiers, and – yes – even NASCAR drivers. Children aged 4 to 18 may enroll by calling Kim Cozart Kay at 828-295-9168.
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