LA Galaxy Media Conference

Mayo Yoshida

Press Conference

Saturday, March 30, 2024

Los Angeles, California, USA


LA Galaxy 1, Seattle 0

Q. To pull that game out 1-0 after the issues you gays had defending corner kicks the past couple weeks, how important to pull this game out?

MAYO YOSHIDA: Well, the targets were the clean sheet, since the opening game to be honest. Finally we make this, so I'm very happy for this, and especially we needed to improve for sure and we spend a lot of time for that. Today, we did well but it's still a long season as Marco said, so we need to keep going and we need to keep adjusting the direction. When we are winning, like last week, we won, barely won, but to be honest we didn't play well.

We had a lot of discussion with Greg and when we are winning, we need to analyze what we need to improve and we need to make small adjustment for the direction. Even we are on the right way, we have to think about improvement with positive thinking, so that's very important, so we keep going, and of course in the set pieces, as well. But as I say, the three points is very massive today and very happy to be top of the table.

Q. Seattle spent a lot of time putting pressure on you guys in the defensive third, especially the last 40 minutes of the game or whatever. In what ways do you think you guys were better? What were you guys able to do today that perhaps you guys have been working towards and not quite getting right?

I think normally we could avoid the press if the pitch is in good condition but today we need to play much more the safety. Still a couple of casual errors we had that we need to still -- we need to still improve. But overall, we manage the game, this difficult pitch, and, well, today referee, I'm very happy to see the pro referee came back.

I think 90 minutes, or 95 minutes, we controlled the game more or less and yeah, very okay, but again, still keep going. Next game is more difficult, away, derby and more pressure, and we have to be ready for that.

Q. You guys had to switch at center back again whenever Martin went back. What has it meant for Eriq to come in and fill in for Martín, and you guys obviously keeping the clean sheet and getting the win last weekend, what does it mean to have that seamless transition whenever you have somebody who goes down hurt or suspended and you can get somebody else in?

It's everything possible for anybody, and today it happened to Martín unfortunately. As a center back, it's very difficult to come in middle of the game, but Eriq did well, especially first half. He tried to play simple and I tried to play simple as well. But probably more long balls you could see than normal games. But you know, sometimes we play -- we get three points and we keep moving forward and we analyze what we need to improve. Of course we want to play like Barcelona every game, but on the pitch, on the condition, the fitness, everything, and sometime you have to be very realistic sometimes, yeah.

Q. Gastón got his first start of the season today. Can you tell me what kind of impact he has on covering the back line?

For today or for --

Q. In general.

In general. Obviously Miki is helping me a lot. Play next to me and he understand what I want to play. Tactically, much -- probably better than me tactical-wise. He brought more experience and^ Marco as well and he came back from the injury and Eriq has already had experience. So if we are fit, we are set and organized and experienced enough. So I think that's different.

Last season, we are swapping my partner every time, it's also difficult but that's happened the same in my previous teams. So that's kind of the stability we need to make our base on the defensive line to go through the rest of the season, the rest of the long season.

Q. And Gastón?

Oh, Gastón, sorry. Gastón, also came back from a long injury, and I asked after the game, also, a little bit about the fitness and he say they are betting better. That's normal. It's a long time, didn't play, ^ and immediately he had to play as a start. He did well. Of course pitch is very difficult today, but still, I think he did okay. He did a great job, yeah.

Q. You guys did so well today defending the six-yard, the eight-yard box, and at the very end there's a chance that goes clearly wide and missed chance by the forward. What did you see there and how relieved were you when he totally missed the opportunity?

Well, of course, if we can win 3-0, 4-0 that would be great every time. But the goal is more important part in soccer. I understand sometimes you have to wait, and that kind of game, defensively, we need to have a lot of patience and today we had a good patience.

And Gabriel scored the first goal, and as a young DP, also, I think he got a lot of pressure because everybody expecting high and, well, he's tried adjusting and returning, and especially for the attacker, the first goal is very difficult for the new club and also Miguel. Hopefully this is the first one of the catchups and there's more to come and of course, the defense men, we need to protect.

We need to make clean sheet today, because today is the last game for Vicky and Vicky has contributed to the club ten years and special thank you for her from our squad and our team and very -- since I came here, I really appreciate what she has done, and this is part of the soccer. Sometime good people go very quick, and no good people stay long time (Laughter).

Soccer is very small world so we can see each other again next season probably and I hope good luck for her and we keep going.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
142870-1-1003 2024-03-31 05:56:00 GMT

ASAP sports

tech 129