Seattle 2, Toronto FC 0
Q. Michael, give us your impression of the 61 minute, direct shot you made to the goal? The team was lacking on offense but you were able to make the first direct shot.
MICHAEL BRADLEY: Yeah, look, the first half wasn't good enough. We know that. Too slow. Not sharp enough. Not enough intensity. Just not the way we want to play in any way. It obviously second half starts. We're trying to really pick up the speed of things and really go after them and see if we can connect passes and see if we can push them back and see if we can create chances and win ball back quickly. I thought wet a pretty good start to the second half, some good advantages. Can't quite make enough of them and obviously give away another poor goal.
Yeah, frustrating night in all ways.
Q. This is a new team with lots of new pieces, some of which are not on the field yet. You said it's a frustrating evening and Bob said the same thing. Is this part of the learning curve or was it just a poor outing?
MICHAEL BRADLEY: Both. Both. Anyone who has been around here in this last stretch knows that -- knew that it's going to take a little bit of time to put the pieces back together in a strong way and make a real team, a team that can play football and a team that has the right mentality, a team that can be resilient, a team that can win.
So yeah, anyone -- again, anyone who has been around here knew that there wasn't just going to be -- there was no quick fix. There was no magic dust and all of a sudden everything was going to be perfect. We knew that. But tonight is -- tonight is -- especially the first half is not good enough. It's frustrating because we feel like in this last stretch, we have made good progress in terms of how we want to play, in terms of, you know, again, pushing games in the right way, playing our football. Yeah, it's not added up to enough points, yet. But we feel like there's been good progress in this last stretch. The first half was a step backwards in that regard.
But we have no choice now but to regroup and get ourselves ready for a huge home game on Saturday, and obviously now we know that with -- at some point with Lorenzo, with Mimmo, we'll start to have a few new faces and so we will try to integrate them as quickly as possible and continue to make real strides.
Q. Was the fatigue both mental and physical a factor tonight?
MICHAEL BRADLEY: Not an excuse. You go through different -- different periods in a season where games pile up, and yeah, it's all part of it. When I use the word resilient, that's exactly what I mean, just the group's ability even on nights when things aren't easy, even on nights when things don't come perfectly to still find ways to make the right plays and to play our football and to still take points. We have to continue to learn in those ways. We will.
Q. The last two games, you've encountered a low block from the opposition. What are some of the challenges with that?
MICHAEL BRADLEY: Just a lot of numbers behind the ball. Again, I think our football is getting better. But still, turning that football into more big chances, into more goals, that's the next step.
Q. As you know, it was Pozuelo's one hundredth game in all competitions today but got some rough night against Seattle, doing his artistic best to help your team. Can you talk about what he's done recently?
MICHAEL BRADLEY: He's been in good form. Obviously we know the ability that he has in terms of being able to make special plays, and so you know, in this last stretch, he's been able to make some really important -- come through for us in some important moments, whether it's assists or goals. You know, we are going to continue to need that in a big way.
Q. I was not able to see short combinations today. Do you think you play better with Pozuelo close to you? I see you only trying to carry the team, are you looking for a better partner or did something happen today?
MICHAEL BRADLEY: I think there were moments of where the connections were tighter and we were able to play quicker with each other. Obviously Seattle, a big part of their plan was to clog the center of the field. You know, to still find the right ways to play but also play from inside out and use the half-spaces and use the wider areas also becomes important. I thought there were moments where we got -- where, you know, the football and the connections and the fluidity was good and obviously the game presents different challenges, and so you try to find the right ways to -- the right ways to still attack and find chances.
Q. What would you tell a lot of the younger guys that are experiencing a lot of football in several days?
MICHAEL BRADLEY: Just to keep going. There's no -- there's no substitute for doing it. You know, the experience that they are all picking up is so important. They are great kids. Kids isn't even the right word; young men. Men. Players. You know, they are great guys. They come in every day hungry, motivated. They have all shown real glimpse of the quality they have.
And it's normal that again for everybody, as we are trying to put the pieces back together in a real way to build a team that now there's frustrating moments, there's moments where things don't go -- don't go exactly the way you would like, and the ability to just keep going, the mentality that says nothing is going to put you off to just push and push and push that part. You know, I think I mentioned to you guys a few weeks ago, that's what separates guys.
That's the difference between good players and great players. That's the difference between guys who play for a few years and guys who have really long careers. They are all doing really well. We just have to keep finding the right ways to keep helping them and supporting them. Look, they help and support us, also. So we'll keep at it together.
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