LA Galaxy 4, Colorado 1
Q. John, what does it say about this LA Galaxy defense? You guys were able to hold them to one goal through 180 minutes. Most teams that have success in the playoffs tighten up the defense when it matters. Do you feel like that's happening?
JOHN McCARTHY: Yeah, it definitely seems like that, to limit their chances, limit their opportunities, especially in the first game. We knew they were going to through everything at us in the second game. Their team was a little bit on the line for their season. We knew we had to focus, and it's not just the back line defending; it was a group effort defending.
So it's a good place to be in in the playoff push.
Q. What have you seen from just the collective team in these last two games in terms of defensive side?
JOHN McCARTHY: It's do-or-die now. It's no more hoping someone else makes a play for you. Everyone has to make a play. If you're not committed to the group as a whole, some bad situations might come up.
But the mentality of the group has been great the last two weeks, and now we need to make the right decisions at all times, and it's all about the group.
Q. On a lighter note, a little bit busier tonight than you were in the first game. Does that feel a little bit better for you?
JOHN McCARTHY: I don't care if I'm busy. I don't care if I have a hundred shots; I don't care if I have no shots. At the end of the day, if we are winning, that's the most important thing. If I can get shutouts, great. If we win, that's the most important thing.
Q. You mentioned earlier the team, everybody buying into that defensive mentality. We are seeing guys who maybe from during the regular season are hustling a little bit more. How infectious has that message been for the whole squad, and how rewarding is it to see everybody kind of pulling their part now that it's do-or-die now in the playoffs?
JOHN McCARTHY: It's huge. It's needed in these moments to have a group defensive effort. I think a lot of teams know that we are very good in attacking moments. And if we can step up in our defensive team, whether that's me, the back line, midfield or the front three, it doesn't matter.
If we can find a way to come together as a group and be completely bought in as we have been for the last two weeks plus, then it's a great mentality to have. And it doesn't matter if we win games 1-0, 10-0, 10-9. It's all about that mentality to just find a way to win at the end of the game.
Q. Your guys' next match is probably going to be within 20 days or a bit later. How frustrating is that to cool down a bit as the playoffs are getting into these more intense stages?
JOHN McCARTHY: It's just bad scheduling from the league. Nobody likes it. Nobody wants to do it. It's tough. You have to find a way to get some downtime and enjoy some time with your family and get right back into it.
It's definitely one of those things that I think across the league, it should be sorted out. Because it's four weeks from the last game to another international break. So it's really one of those tough things that I think across the league, it needs to be sorted out.
We'll take a few days. Get our minds right and enjoy time with our family and get right back to it and have that mindset, whether it's happening in Salt Lake or Minnesota, I think that's who we play. Just get back into it when we can and enjoy the days off.
Q. Aggregate obviously doesn't matter in this format, but 9-1 is pretty impressive. You've been on a championship team before. Do you feel like this is another championship team here?
JOHN McCARTHY: I hope. I hope, man. Like I said, I think teams that have the ability to score goals are really dangerous going forward. I think we want to keep the group mindset of buying out defensively, it helps out a lot and it will probably frustrate teams a little bit.
So like you said, aggregate doesn't matter. Like I said, I don't care what the scores are at the end of the day as long as we're on top.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports