Nashville 2, Toronto FC 0
Q. For the longest time it seemed like we were going to be talking about your unbeaten managerial career but given the challenges you faced with a defeated rotter did that catch up with you in the final minutes?
JASON DEVOS: It was an 80-minute performance and I'm really proud of the effort that the players put in for that 90 minutes. They nearly executed the game plan to perfection. And they nearly got a deserved point at least out of the game. Unfortunately the last ten minutes cost us and that's the cruelty of football sometimes, but it's a 90-minute match and you need to put in a 90-minute performance and the players are aware of that. They know where the growth areas are for the team and I have to commend them for the effort they put in for large parts of the game. It's a very difficult place to get a result against a very difficult opponent.
Q. What was it like behind the scenes? Did you have a lot of notice about the suspensions? What was it like leading up to the game?
JASON DEVOS: Yeah, it was fine leading up to the game. Obviously we were notified by the league and we knew we would have players and potentially staff suspended so we adjusted and adjusted our protocols and followed our game plan. So it's not the circumstances I would have preferred for sure. Would I much prefer to have John on the touch line with me as well as many of our players back but it's the reality of what we're dealing with and we just adapted and did our very best to overcome circumstances.
Q. Nashville is a pretty good team on the counterattack, really quick but really didn't get in behind you tonight. How were able to limit the quality moments in transition?
JASON DEVOS: Yeah, obviously they have a lot of threat going forward, particularly a real threat in transition. But I thought the boys did an excellent nobody of mitigating that, the three center backs largely nullified their front two and I thought Tyrese did an excellent job in the first half and into the second half. Kobe came on to really shut the game down on the flank. The guys executed the game plan almost to perfection and again, you know, in some respects I'm pleased, the guys are frustrated because this was a good opportunity but that's the difference between getting the results away from home on the road and not getting a result. It's putting that 90-minute performance together but as I said for 80 minutes I thought the guys did an excellent job.
Q. Given those circumstances, what was the message to the group tonight and what was that game plan?
JASON DEVOS: The message to the players tonight was to take the opportunity that was in front of them. A lot of players are desperate to for first time and for an opportunity to prove themselves and this was a chance for a lot of guys and for 80 minutes again they were very, very good and performed extensionally well but these are the fine margins in MLS. You have to put together a full game and mistakes that cost goals are the difference from coming way from a very difficult place with a smile on your face or feeling frustrated and disappointed that we come away with nothing. I thought the players that stepped in today did an excellent job and executed the game plan against a very tight team, and it's very difficult to play them ask deal with their front two and the pace that they have and the pace of Shaffelburg that we know very well from our time in the national team. I thought for large part of the game we did that. There's a lot to be proud of and pleased with but we also know that we are coming way frustrated because we got no points out of this match. It's part of the learning process and part of the growth and evolution of this team to be disappointed with the outcome of the notch knowing that there were a lot of good moments in the match and a lot of positives to come out of that and he want to build on that positivity for the next match that's coming up in the next couple of days.
Q. You were a little bit Saturday night trying to play peace maker, do you have any thoughts on the disciplinary committee? Seemed like Toronto got hit harder than New York City.
JASON DEVOS: No thoughts. Those are things you never want to see in football, but I did my best to be a peacemaker. I don't know if I was a peace maker as a player but I'm certainly a peace maker as a coach and I can understand everyone wanting to get answers to those questions. But my thoughts are we focus very quickly on what we had to do tonight and move forward to this game and there's no real time to dwell on the past. We have to look forward and now the attention shifts to the next match against Montréal in the next couple of days.
Q. Given what took place on Saturday and the suspensions and John not being on the touch line, how would you describe the frame of mind of the mentality of the players?
JASON DEVOS: It's a difficult place to get a result in Nashville. Not many teams will come away with a smile on their face with three points in the bag. The players have this next man up focus and know that there will be injuries and there will be suspensions and it really is about the entire squad of players and the players being ready to step in and take their chance with the opportunity comes and that was the focus all week on this match was the opportunity that existed and again, have to commend the players. I thought they did an excellent job for large parts of the game and should be proud of their performance, disappointed with the result, disappointed with the goals we conceded but proud of the work we did to hold a very, very difficult team at home to a few chances.
Q. You touched on that Montréal game. What do the next few days look like, potential disciplinary action?
JASON DEVOS: I can't really comment on that but our preparation is as we planned it. We are obviously going to get back to Toronto as quickly as we can and get ourselves ready for Montréal and preparation starts now and we have a short period of time to get ready for that match as do they. But we'll be ready to go and look forward that match on Saturday.
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