Vancouver 1, Toronto FC 0
Q. I'm sure you have a lot of reasons to be disappointed in that result, and it's a lot of reasons to be angry, I would think. What are your sort of emotions right now?
BOB BRADLEY: I feel bad for the group. You know, we go through a stretch where we are trying really hard just to keep everybody going forward. A lot of guys put big efforts out there today, and then to come away with nothing, and then with some of the different calls, yeah, I feel bad for these guys.
A reminder just that sometimes it's unfair, and yet would he have got to keep a positive way. We've got to keep fighting together. I really want to make sure that they keep coming in and helping their teammates every day and realize that, look, if we stick together and do the right things, we'll get through it.
But I'm really disappointed for the players today.
Q. Wanted to get your comment on the decision to not award the Jayden Nelson goal.
BOB BRADLEY: Yeah, it's a mistake, and obviously when you have VAR, that's on the VAR to see it. It's clear, everybody that's seen it realizes that Hasal never had control. It's too bad that I think they say he might have broken or dislocated his finger and that's too bad. I don't know exactly, that might have been then on the shot as the ball came loose.
So he never had control. It's a good goal. And the system fails. You know, you can have a system but if the person responsible in that moment can't see that, then the system doesn't work. So we'll see what Pro has to say about it, but for me it's a clear mistake.
Q. I'm tempted to ask you about the potential off-side on the Vancouver goal but instead, Deandre Kerr put in a really good shift for you guys today. What have you seen from him and how have you seen him grow and become more comfortable out there for you guys?
BOB BRADLEY: Yes, I've said it a few times. I think he had a very good preseason. Had a tough first 45 minutes against Dallas in the opener. Had a little bit of an injury or two that sort of set him back but in this last period, I think he's been very positive.
His training has picked up with the situation that we have, missing some players, we've had to use him in different roles. He's handled that well. But I'm excited to see the progress that he's making in this last stretch.
Q. What do you say to your team after this long stretch and such a frustrating loss to cap it off?
BOB BRADLEY: Yeah, I think I just said it. I feel bad for them today. I saw a lot of guys that really put a lot into it; that if we can manage frustration; if we can manage the challenges of having things coming at us in different ways, tough ways, between players and between some days where maybe either we make a mistake or we don't take advantage of something, little football things.
But if the bigger part can continue; if we can keep finding the right ways to push word, I believe this team has it in them to get better. We always knew that in the first part of the season as we were certainly waiting for (ph) how things might develop for the summer, there's going to be opportunities for the young players. It's been frustrating to see some of the guys that were getting chances miss games and not take advantage of this period.
So I just keep trying to find the part that reminds them that this is how teams grow. You know, if you look at -- and I'm not going into details, and I don't look backwards too much, but if you understand things that went on in the last year, and if you understand then some of the changes in the roster, then the work for this group to become a good team was always going to take some time and have ups and downs. This last stretch has been downs.
But we've got to have the mentality and be strong together.
Q. Can you walk us through the halftime change? Did Kadin pick up a knock or was that purely tactical?
BOB BRADLEY: I thought physically after playing the other day and turning it around, I thought Kadin physically was struggling in the first half. Felt like we had to deal with that. He gave us 45 minutes but when the games come fast, sometimes a player has not been playing regular minutes, you don't want to leave him on in that moment. We thought we could make that change with cozy there and still keep things going.
Q. Wanted to ask about Shane O'Neill, he may be new to the club but he was playing in a back line with four different rookies. Can you talk about how he needed to step up as a leader today despite the result?
BOB BRADLEY: Shane is a really good guy, works hard every day, when we talk about getting some -- there are some guys that have been here over the years that set a really high standards and then, you know, it was posh to get some MLS experience guys that also could come in and join the group of strong leaders and be part of that and be someone that works hard and sets a good example and changes all of those things.
You know, he's just got a good way about hum every day. Well respected by his teammates, and so makes a difference for us.
Q. Did you get a chance to see that Vancouver goal again and do you think it might have been off side?
BOB BRADLEY: It looks to me on the first pass to Cavallini, that Lucas is maybe even with him so that Cavallini is on side. And then on the final part when Cavallini is putting the ball across to Ricketts, it looks to me like Ricketts is even with the ball. So in that respect, I think it's a good goal.
DraftScripts by ASAP Sports
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports