Timbers 4, Galaxy 2
Q. You made a bunch of really great saves. Looked like you kept them in it. Allowing four goals on the defense probably isn't the way you guys wanted to play this. What were your thoughts on the game?
JOHN McCARTHY: Yeah, you never want to give up a goal, let alone four. So it's one of those frustrating ones where I think they're preventable goals. We know that and Greg spoke it a briefly after the game. It's something we have to learn and grow from and get better.
We have to quickly forget about this one and bounce back for a home game against Vancouver.
Definitely frustrating, but sleep on it, get over it, and move on.
Q. The gap closed a little bit with RSL jumping into second place. Five points behind you guys; they have the game in hand. LAFC got a draw, so they are six points now behind you with two games in hand. I know it's hard to pay attention to everything happening outside and surely the focus is on Saturday, but is there some scoreboard watching with everything that's going on?
JOHN McCARTHY: Yeah, obviously you know the standings and stuff like that. I check them after games. We knew where we were before the game and we knew where we were after the game. The only thing that matters is us. We can't control how other teams play or how other teams win or lose. We got to go out and perform and give it our best and win every game.
That's the only thing we can control. It's on us. Our game is what will define us. That is how we get our winds. We can't worry about anything else.
Q. Greg talked about it a little bit, but is there a little frustration in the finishing tonight? Seems like you guys did create some chances in that second half that maybe could have put a few more in the back of the net. Feel like there was any frustration with the team?
JOHN McCARTHY: I'm a goalkeeper, man. Guys are going to create chances and guys are going to get chances. It's my job to try keep the ball out of the net as best I can. Some nights they'll fall for us; some nights they won't.
I thought we had a fair amount of chances in the game. That's just how it goes.
Q. Just wanted to ask you, obviously over the weekend you guys had a very emotional win. The loss today, does it feel a bit like a reality check? How was the locker room after this game?
JOHN McCARTHY: It was another game. You have to forget about, and we did forget about LAFC as soon as we got here and we're ready to go. You have to take it game by game, step by step, day by day. You can't look in the past and you can't look far ahead. I think I've said that before in a couple interviews. I'm a big believer in that. It's truly a day by day thing.
We have to get our bodies right, getting in the facilities, and then look forward to Friday and then Saturday with Vancouver. Has to be day by day and game by game process, and you can't look back and can't look too far ahead.
Q. Looking at the goals, Greg mentioned earlier just the impatience or frustrations at times when you guys give the ball away. As the goalkeeper, does it get to you, the frustrations and maybe the same mistakes getting repeated over and over throughout the year?
JOHN McCARTHY: Mistakes are going to get made. That's life. It's a game of trying to limit your mistakes and as get as many opportunities as possible. Portland got the best of us today obviously with the three points.
Mistakes will be made. Nobody is perfect. Everyone tries to hold them to the highest standard possible and push to be the best they can be.
Yeah, it can get frustrating, but it's just part of the game. We try to eliminate them as much as possible. Like I said, we'll learn from it and move on together. That's the most important thing.
Q. You guys have done such a great job this season in terms of the mid-field being so connected to the defense. Did you feel there was a disconnect today that maybe exposed the back line a little bit more than usual?
JOHN McCARTHY? No, I think I'll piggyback on what Greg said. I think it did turn into maybe rushing going forward and turned into back and forth a little bit, and as a group we knew that.
It's one of those things where everyone from myself, including to the forwards up front, there are moments we have to pick and chose. That comes down to a collective unit, picking and choosing moments to go forward.
So it's one of those things where it turned into a bit of a track meet and played into Portland's favor. They're a very, very good team on the counterattack and they were able to catch us a few times get behind us. That's something we tried to prevent but Portland got the best of us tonight.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports