LA Galaxy 4, Colorado 1
Q. Joseph, we've seen you grind it out the last two, three games. You had the goal called back in Houston. That one didn't count. You come into this game, I know you've hit the post a bunch of times and some woodwork in there. How did it feel to get one at the back of the net and for that to be such an important goal tonight?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, it feels really good because I've been working for this moment for a while now, and me having these kind of moments and having this kind of goal means a lot to me. Also to the team, in the later part of the first half, at least, but kudos to everyone who just did our best in this win that we had today in a tough away game.
But I feel really happy and glad that I had this goal added to my numbers and I'm really happy, and yeah.
Q. You now advance to the next round. Do you feel like this team is maturing at the right time? Do you feel like you guys have that championship mentality?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: We do. As you can see, we take every game by -- at a time, and as you can see, we are doing everything possible to have that kind of mentality as we have been always having at the beginning of the season.
There are little doubts about people towards us but we don't really care about what people say. We just go game by game, and then we will just see what happens. But our goal is to be in the final.
Q. Just if you could talk to me maybe about just the difficulty of this game, obviously Colorado are playing with their season on the line and you guys having to play in altitude and different weather. How was that experience for you?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: For me, it's just a normal thing because this seems like any other different weather than Belgian. It was an okay weather for me, and I think for the players, also.
But as you can see, they were playing five back at the first half, and it was a little bit difficult to find out where we need to go and how we need to do our pressing and all this kind of stuff.
But when we went up in the first half 2-1, I think in the second half, the coach explained things and we need to change things. And I think you can see in the second half it was more open because we knew they would come full support to win this game, and there is all going to be space behind them.
As you can see, the space behind them result in Riqui's goal and also the -- the two goals of Riqui.
Q. Wanted to ask you about Riqui. In his interview after the game with Apple, he said it would be a massive disappointment if the team didn't win the MLS Cup. Is that how you and the team feel?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, we would all be disappointed. We are all fighting for something that's really important for us.
It's been a long time since we have this trophy, and we have to leave a legacy in LA Galaxy by winning a trophy this season. And that is our ultimate goal, and as you can see, Riqui is doing his part; the management is doing its part. Everybody is just putting in more effort to make sure that this season will be a memorable season for LA Galaxy.
Q. You just said that you guys don't kind of care about the doubters and what people say, but just curious, as somebody who plays with Riqui every single day, and he wasn't on the MVP short list, he doesn't seem to be getting the recognition. Do you think that he's underrated by a lot of people; that he's not getting the recognition he deserves this season?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: I think he deserves everything. If people don't see, we as players as a team, we see it for ourselves. We are a team. Even if he isn't really being recognized as the MVP and everything -- for us and for him also, it doesn't matter.
I think in his mind, the most important thing is to win the league. That is the most important thing. Winning MVP is a plus for a player but winning the league is much more important than everything for a player or the club.
So I think he is not disappointed; if he is, I think you know the reaction of Riqui. But yeah, he is not, and he is a fantastic player for us. We, as a team, we know what he's capable of; and he has been the head of this team for a long run since the season starts. And he's a fantastic player and we all support him no matter how difficult it is.
With the MVP, I think he needs to just forget about it and just focus on what is really necessary, which is the league's MLS Cup, which is ahead of us in a few weeks.
Q. Do you feel like conceding late in that Houston game and going through that pain brought you as players closer together and gave you a refocus?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, I think so. The Houston game really wake us up because it was really a bad last-minute goal that we conceded, and as you can see, the defenders always talk to themselves never to concede any more. And we had -- in terms of defensive play, that kind of show what we did in Houston, that we lost, really boosted us and make us strong, especially going on an away game always prepared, and always know that we need to go all-out to win no matter what, even though it's kind of difficult.
But as you can see, we did what we need to do as a team and then we win as a team and kudos to everyone who was part of this victory.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports