FC Dallas 4, LA Galaxy 1
Q. You're a late addition to this roster and you come in middle of the year with the goal of making the playoffs. You guys come up short with that. How do you sort of look back on this half-year with the L.A. Galaxy?
MAYA YOSHIDA: I think we have started well. Game by game, maybe we are getting a little bit unsteady and the key point, dropping the home game points, we didn't lose but we couldn't win. That game, we needed to win like against Minnesota and Portland. Then, of course, the last minutes against Seattle was very painful. Then it's gone. It's gone.
Again, I felt really good when we started, but after that, too many players, again, they got injured, and it was difficult to play with the same members. Of course, there's 23, 25 players. If you want to make the playoffs, we have to be stable more, and that's what we need more next season. But still, of course, in the end, we are not enough. We were not enough the last couple games. But still positive for the next season to start well because if everybody is healthy and train with the preparation well for tactically, physically, for sure next season will be much better. And of course, even we could not go to the playoffs, also we are just second from the bottom, I think many problems with a lot of changing. That's how it is in soccer. Again, we have to rebuild the team. That takes a long time. So make sure we come back healthy and ready for next season.
Q. Are you looking forward to getting a preseason with this team and being able to train through all of that and then be able to join for a full season? Do you think that's going to help you and everybody else?
Me individually, yes. Four months, probably could study, I could learn many things in the MLS, not only on the pitch, off pitch, and also, I'm adapting to different country, new country and a lot of different things to be honest. I'm sometimes very surprised, and this is not good or bad or whatever. It's just different. So I have to adjust, which I have done for the last 30 years since I left Japan, so nothing wrong. I'm really enjoying.
Q. What was your overall impression of the league? I know you've only been here for a couple months but what do you think about the league itself, competition-wise, style of play against opponents and all the way down to the referees?
Again, this is not good or bad. It's just different, referees, I have to adapt. I felt same thing happened when I came to Italy because before I used to play a long time in the Premier League and come to Italy and every time was really stressed. But now, after two and a half years, I learn many things. Now I'm here and I have to adapt.
But again, as a team, we are -- I think today was the worst first half for us since I came here, and typical Galaxy: Concede two goals in the beginning, very sloppy way, and again concede in the last minutes of the first half. And second half, a little bit getting better, but it's too late. That kind of thing never happen again; repeat, repeat, repeat.
If we want to go higher or we want to accomplish something, we have to learn from mistakes. But too many things happen again. So make sure we have to be more mature and be adult. This is MLS football, soccer, not Sunday league.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports