LA Galaxy 3, Portland Timbers 2
Q. Hey, Joseph. Talk a little bit about this role you've played the last two games where you're starting as a nine but you obvious have the freedom to maneuver around and just how much you like it, how it's been for you, adapting to it but also just what it's men to this attack?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, it's not a difficult role. It's sometimes annoying because sometimes you don't get a lot of balls which is okay, you need to do some runs and just helping the team at least making the run also helps to create some spaces, so for me this is not my first time playing in that position. I did that when I was playing in a couple of games so it's not my first time but, yeah, I just need to do whatever I need to do in whatever position that I'm being used to help my team. That's the most important thing. It doesn't matter if I play on the right or on the left or on the strike. What I need to do is just to give my all and when I'm done, I'm done.
Q. Joseph, congratulations on the goal and the win. When you look at getting injured and having to take some time off, in the long run was that better for you? Did you get some rest because you have been playing almost year round now, do you feel fully recovered and do you feel like you can play down this next stretch of games?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, I think the injury taught me a little bit of a lesson because I needed to relax myself because I was playing a whole lot of games and I just came to continue in the season here so I think that's also helped me with the rest because if not, my body will be really down and maybe I can get multiple injuries, but I think it helped me recover and I came back faster and, yeah, I'm really good. The level I am now, I'm trying to come back to whatever I am and the level that I am, so it's important for me to go one game to the other, not always that you need to score, make an assist, but the impact you need to put on the team to help the team to win. That's why I'm here and that's why I'm here to help the team including Riqui, including Gabriel, including everyone with the family of LA Galaxy. We all do everything together. For me I'm just glad to give everything that I have just to help the team no matter how the outcome comes.
Q. Hey, Joseph. You just talked about Riqui and Gabriel. How is your relationship with those developed over these couple weeks, couple months here?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, it feels good. We are not too long together, I think four-and-a-half or five months but as you can see, we do whatever we need to do especially on the wing with Riqui also. The combination is really good. Sometimes it's annoying, you get mad at each other, but that's football, so sometimes I get mad at Riqui, Riqui gets mad at me, Riqui gets mad at Gabe. It's not that we don't like each other, but we want the best for each other so we communicate and tell each other what to do and whatnot to do. With the bond that we have, it's really strong and as we keep going, if we go like this, like I said, in a couple of months we'll be unstoppable with our offensive plays.
Q. Hey, Joseph, congratulations on the win and the game. You guys have put together quite a run. You guys are in first place right now. When you come back from Leagues Cup there's eight games left. What's the mind set going into those last games? What is the locker room talking about? What are you guys looking forward to in the second half?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: What we were looking for in these eight games is to win all these eight games if possible and the players are really willing to win each and every game even if we are on a road trip, at least winning a game or having the points back is the most important thing and always killing it in the home game, but we have told ourself to take one game at a time and win one game at a time because it's really important. These eight games will determine where we stand at the end before we go to the playoffs so these eight games is really important to us. We are really going to go all out no matter where we find ourselves because it's really important for us to win these eight games and, yeah, at the end of these eight games, we will see where we are. Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports