LA Galaxy 6, Minnesota 2
Q. 15 goals you guys scored in the first three playoff games. You guys have had dominant regular season runs but what is it about the group right now that you guys are scoring the way you guys are so far?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Can you come again with the last sentence?
Q. What is it about this group now compared to the regular season that you guys are -- you scored 15 goals in the first three games. Is it something different that you guys are --
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Things are really a little bit changed because the way we press, as you can see today, when everybody -- got really hungry to thin this game, even though we had a long break.
But we were really focused and we came together, even in training, everybody is pushing everyone to do what he needs to do and attack and everything. I think with the individual and with the connection of the team, that makes it possible today because everybody fights for every ball, and it was really amazing that we came out with this great score.
Q. The cliche is that defense wins championships but since the Galaxy; is it the mentality of the team that even if you give up a goal, you'll figure it out --
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Normally we never want to give up a goal but when it happens, we need to have a strong mentality as a team to keep going no matter what, even if it's 2-1, 3-2 against us or something. We always have the mentality, and also we have done it before; that at least when they score that one goal, it wasn't really like something that we need to panic because we were really calm and we were just moving the ball around. As you can see, whenever there is space, we as an attacker with Riqui, me, Pec on the end, we always attack the space, and I think it's really dangerous for the defenders.
Yeah, whenever we have the ball, they always panic. So we just keep our calm, our cool, as you can see, and then we just dominated. So we just need to lay them out and just had fantastic goals. But we did it together as a team and not as an individual.
Q. Greg said that this team likes to put on a show in front of the fans, and you guys had a really great atmosphere tonight to be able to play in front of. What does it mean to play at the stadium now and throughout the rest of the playoffs as long as you guys keep winning?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: It means a lot because they are coming in big numbers, and to start the game, the people, shouting, making noise, it gives us the energy -- because they came for us and we also need to give for them. Everybody was on a level to push us as much as possible because as we saw earlier, LAFC lost, and it's also an opportunity for us to be strong especially on our home pitch.
Yeah, we really appreciate the fans that came and they came and everything was full. Since we played against Miami at the first game -- we want everybody to keep coming and yeah, we don't want to lose this opportunity. We need to come together and fight for everything, even if we need to break our legs for this trophy.
As you can see, every player is really mentally ready and really fighting today as you can see, Marco and Riqui, everybody was really doing his part. I think the collective and the individual and the team really make the difference today, and also, the supporters, they made it really happen. Without their energy and the fans shouting and everything, we wouldn't have been where we are now and we really appreciate that.
Q. Following the second game of the year, you said that the season you would be able to kill a lot of clubs. You guys obviously have scored 15 goals in three games. Was there a moment maybe before the playoffs or during the playoffs where you knew not everybody was locked in with that killer mentality?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, I think there was some moments that we lose our focus and everything, but that moment did also not really distract us. We really stand firm and we just did what we need to do. As you can see, the mentality that we had, especially when we went to this way game, that we conceded last-minute goal in Houston, it was really a painful thing to accept.
But in the end, we knew that since we play at home, we were already ready that we going to play LAFC which is the next coming game, which we knew already, but unfortunately things really changed.
As you can see we are really on top now. All we need to do is just to be ourselves, focus and just keep playing how we play, be patient, call them out, and at the right moments, we just kill them. And as I said, we will kill a lot of teams, and we have already started and we will keep doing it no matter what. Thank you.
Q. It's been a long season for you, and, of course, you picked up an injury towards the laughter half of the season. The talk has been that the long layoff is detrimental to the team. For you personally, the long layoff, the 23 days, how do you feel after that layoff in did that give you kind of like a recharge in where is your comfort level?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, it was really long days, long weeks. It's not really nice for us to have these kind of long weeks, even if it's for one week, but also it's a traditional break and we understand, and it also makes us regenerate and refresh. But it was really a long week for us.
But yeah that didn't really distract us. We did whatever we did. It was difficult, getting fired, because you were not active playing 11 against 11 every week.
We just try to do our best in training and focus on the next game and do what we need to do, even though there was big intervals between those couple of days. But as you can see, everybody gave his full energy and that resulted in this fantastic victory.
Q. How did Greg help you get through some of the more difficult times when maybe things weren't going so well? If you can say a few words about your relationship with Greg and how he helped.
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, I won't say much but he's really like a father. He really talks really calmly with us, and as a player that's what we really need. We don't need a coach who shouts and make you angry. Whenever there is something, he always comes to you as his own son and discuss with you patiently and calmly, and that really gave me that confidence to also give what he also deserve, and not only me, Riqui, the whole team, Maya and everybody.
I think he bless me with such calmness and such great opportunity, has really given the opportunity to also give myself -- it wasn't easy when I had the injury. I was finding it difficult to come back to my personal self because as you can see, I had a long season. I think it's normal for that to happen because there's a lot of games that happened before coming here -- the coaches and everyone, no matter what I do, they tell me to keep going and the mistakes everything and.
I really thank the coaches, and not only him but the people that's involved and giving me a couple of days and also seeing my family was also important. Because I didn't know e even if it was in Belgium, I wouldn't have had that kind of opportunity.
As I say, he's like a father and he speaks to us like a son and he always understands the we, the players, and he always gives that kind of energy to keep going.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports