Toronto FC 0, New York Red Bulls 0
RICHIE LARYEA: Yeah, obviously a clean sheet is very important in this league, and also, I mean, you have three, four, like very clear goal-scoring opportunities, and I think we limited them to -- you can tell me if I'm wrong, the one they had off the bars is the only real chance they had the entire game. I thought we defended well and we attacked well and we progressed up the field pretty well, especially with some guys getting their first starts of the year and guys coming in that had not really played a whole lot. So I think that was a big kudos to the guys, a lot of the younger guys and guys that have not really had minutes to come on and play like that.
Overall, should be a good feeling in the group with so many key veteran players not on the team today. I think it was very positive. Obviously you're at home and you want to win, I want to win, so it's not, I wouldn't say disappointed, but we want to win at home. It's as simple as that. But I thought everything was pretty good today.
Q. Have you ever played --
RICHIE LARYEA: Never. First time today.
Q. What about in terms of when they gave you the assignment?
RICHIE LARYEA: Yeah, spent a couple minutes with me knowing positioning, more so it was defensive mark on the ball. I've played with enough centre-backs to know kind of the spaces that I like to get the ball as a right back. Yeah, defensively, he took me through some stuff and I picked up on it -- well, I had to pick up on it quickly or else I would have been fucked up there.
Q. When did you find out?
RICHIE LARYEA: An hour before the game maybe.
Q. Was it good in a way in that it came late and you didn't have too much time to think about it; the instincts came in?
RICHIE LARYEA: That's probably better than getting a full night sleep knowing I was playing. Yeah, it was good.
Q. It's been a strange start to the season obviously can injuries and things like that. Do you feel that if you could just switch it a little bit, the picture would be much clearer, if you know what I mean, that you're not that far away?
RICHIE LARYEA: I haven't seen the results, but at this point, three points off the playoffs, it's very early in the season. I think it's a very positive performance today for us to take into an important away match. I mean, it's football. Teams go through stretches like this. We have a good team and we are missing a lot of people. We have young guys playing that haven't had a ton of experience.
Everyone is growing right now. I think it's good. I think it's better to go through stretches like this now versus somewhere later in the season. I understand what you're saying but I feel like I'm honestly proud of the guys. I've played on teams where guys have given up early, even earlier than this in the season when guys were still trucking along, going -- coming into training every day and we put in the work. It's positive. There are things you guys don't see. You see the results after the games, and it might look bad to you, but within the group I think everyone is working really hard which is a very positive thing for me which keeps me going and keeps guys going. Even today I thought Fede and Lorenzo led us from the front. They were easily motivated and they could have easily chucked the towel. They set the tempo from the front, and we followed. I think it's going to click soon. So hopefully this week we can go and get a big three points and start getting a few of the guys back and yeah, start going from there.
Q. What things we not seeing from the outside that give you confidence about the team's future?
RICHIE LARYEA: The conversations that are being had; the meetings we have; the care that -- the club wants to win. That's the ambition of the club. Every day we are reminded that have and guys on the team remind guys of that. I'm constantly reminding people of that. It's a big stress of a lot of the veteran guys.
It's good that we have many different voices saying the fact same thing and everyone wants to win. Sometimes you hear people say that and they don't really mean it. So this group means it and you see when we come to train. Yeah, the mood in the group, yeah, obviously it could be a better season but it's football and you'll see people hang their head. You'll probably see me hang my head a few times in games as well but we keep trucking along. Yeah just stuff like that being I think you guys don't really get to see within our walls, our discussions, arguments amongst ourselves that just shows that everyone cares. I think it's good.
Q. What do you make of Kobe's progress?
RICHIE LARYEA: He's been fantastic. He's done so good. Getting a forward today as well. I thought he got into some really dangerous spots, got himself in the box. He's a really good player and he has a bright future in this club and beyond, so I'm excited for him. It's nice to see him getting along with how young he is.
I remember when I first started playing as well, it's kind of, you don't know positioning-wise on days and stuff like that so guys have helped him and he's done really, really well and he looks like a regular. So he fits right in.
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