LA Galaxy 1, Seattle Sounders 0
Q. What does this moment mean to you?
JOHN McCARTHY: It's a big moment for the club. It's a big moment for the team. Grateful to be a part of it. It's everything and more you play for is to lift trophies and this is one more step closer to where we want to be.
Q. Coming into the season, everybody knows what happened last year, of course with you weren't here. Was there a moment that you saw this team had this run at any point in the season, that you thought this team has what it takes to get to the final?
JOHN McCARTHY: I think we have a lot of special players on this team. I think we have some very good players, as well. And I don't think those players define the team. I think it's the team in total. Not one player is going to win this game. Not one player is going to lose the game. It's a true team effort, and everyone's been bought in since the first game of the season against Miami, and now it's taken us this far and we take the same mentality and hope to keep it going.
Q. Would he haven't seen a shutout from the Galaxy in the playoffs, and the defensive side, when you see what Seattle can do. How impressive were you defensively? Didn't seem like they had many great chances but when they did, you guys seemed to react?
JOHN McCARTHY: I was asked this before. Games can be defined by one moment, and Greg said it before. It doesn't matter if we come out of a game 1-0 and win. Winning is winning. I have the same mentality.
I think the group has really bought in in the later part of the season and the playoffs, knowing that if it takes 1-0, it takes 1-0. If it takes 4-3, it takes 4-3. Whenever it takes to win is the right mentality, and it was a great defensive effort.
Q. I think you're the only player in MLS to go to three straight matchups. How does this one compare to the others? Is there a difference? Did you even realize that? And the other thing, there was the shutout. Everybody has been talking about this offense, 15 goals in three games. Does this mean anything to you to step up in this game? You won the game. You guys won the game on defense.
JOHN McCARTHY: I appreciate that. I think Seattle was statistically the best defensive team in the League this year with goals against. They are a great group. They are really organized and well-coached and some great players on that side of ball. We had the mentality that it might take some time, it might take 90 or might take 120. We tried to stay on the front foot as much as possible to get one goal and like I said, if it took one, great. If it took two, it took two. It was just one play at a time, one moment at a time and it was a real group effort to keep it clean in the back. It's huge in the playoffs to have that mentality. Whatever it takes it truly whatever it takes.
That's cool. Hopefully we win this one. I'm really happy. Whatever it takes to win, you lift trophies -- this is a great moment for the club myself, the team, the organization, however you want to look at it I'm really happy. And one more. One more is the big one and that's what you play for.
Q. Watching from the back as you do, what did you see in terms of just the difficulties that Seattle caused for you guys?
JOHN McCARTHY: Seattle is very organized. They make you play around them. They are not easy to break down and pass through the middle and create quick combinations. They are an experienced group that proves their record of giving up the least amount of goals.
They are really bought into the defensive side of things and they have had some great attacking pieces and we were just able to deal with them tonight as a group, and we knew, like I said before, it could be one chance; it could be ten chances on both sides of the ball. It doesn't matter; you have to find every chance.
Q. In the previous two MLS Cups, you were the backup and now you're the starter. Is that feeling any different and is the mentality going into the game any different knowing that you're going to be the starter? You came up with the MVP obviously, always ready but different mentality going in and secondarily, the past few days for you, new addition to the family and going to the MLS Cup, what has that been like for you?
JOHN McCARTHY: It's awesome. My wife was an absolute champ in that moment. She crushed. It, had a baby girl. You have to credit the wife for everything. I just stood there and cheered her on. I'm happy to have a girl be part of the family ask we are all blessed for that.
To be part of the MLS Cup, I'm looking forward to it. It's, like I said, it's what you dream of and what you play for. It's just you've got to take it as one game at a time and this is the next game, enjoy the moment, play in the moment, and yeah, just really looking forward to it. Can't look too big. It's just another game. It's just a game. At the end of the day, I still have my mom and my dad and my wife and my kids. Hopefully come would you tell with the little ones and the trophy that. Would be great.
Q. I'd like to ask you about a guy you told us that you called grandpa, Maya, I'd like to ask you about the relationship between you three, with Emi, obviously your two center backs are just ahead of you, and then maybe how you see, Emi grow under Maya's tutelage in the last season?
JOHN McCARTHY: Maya is great. Very experienced player. Has done it all. At the highest level he can play at, in Europe playing for his national team in the World Cup. Great pro and great person and great leader, and happy to have him as my captain. He stepped up big in big moments this year and obviously tonight he had some huge plays. He's a very reliable person.
And then Emi has been great, as well. Obviously he came I think in the summertime, maybe, around there. Got him up to speed. He's a funny kid. Really enjoys playing. Works hard. Gives 100 percent on every play. And he's fully invested to learning and getting better. And I think he changed and he's shown something different and something better at a young age and center back comes with experience, and over time, I think he could be something pretty special, as well.
So to have those two guys in front of me, like you said, I called him grandpa, Yopa-Yopa, and young guy in Emi, it's great. They are great center backs and great people, and they are in the same mindset of, you buy into the team and when you invest in the team hopefully good things come off for everyone.
Q. I wanted to ask you a little bit more about your journey this season, getting that trust from Will, Greg, the Galaxy. How has this season been different for you? And the confidence because of those previous experiences that you have in the MLS Cup.
JOHN McCARTHY: I appreciate everything Will has done for me, given me the opportunity here, and Greg, giving me the belief in myself to ride it out and be the star in the beginning.
So it means a lot to have those guys believe in you from the beginning and to show up to work when you have the support from the coaching staff and the front office, it goes a really long way with your mentality and it helps you believe in yourself even more. For those guys, I'm grateful for giving me the opportunity and just happy.
Q. How much of a unique challenge just looking ahead is it going to be preparing for a final against a team that you haven't faced yet this season?
JOHN McCARTHY: Yeah, Red Bulls, someone mentioned to me, we played them preseason once. I think they had a great start to the season if I remember, they kind of fell off a little bit in the middle and towards the end they caught their stride again with all their players healthy.
I mean, it's been a long time since we played them and it's obviously preseason. Got to look at some film, really buy in and keep our mentality right. It has to do with us and our preparation and truly believing in ourselves and our work to get us over the finish line.
Don't know how they play and we haven't played them this season. It's a weird one. Knowing Red Bull from previous seasons, they are a high-pressing team and run and work, and they are a team that does not give up an a single play throughout my time playing against them. They have that little edge mentality to them from experience.
It's something we have to prepare for. And like I said, if we can worry about ourselves, focus on our work, make the most out of it, some good things will come our way.
Q. Congrats on the baby and getting to MLS Cup finals. Just want to rewind a little bit, that Houston game and second goal seemed like such heartbreak at the time but in a way do you think it was a blessing for the team to face that adversity and feel that pain? Do you think that was a turning point?
JOHN McCARTHY: No, it's part of the game. It's part of life. You're going to win some games. You're going to lose some games.
Yeah, it is what it is. That was a heartbreaking moment. I wish we would have won it. I wish we would have figured out how to get out of there. But it's in the past. We can't dwell on. It doesn't mean anything to us now and now it's just on to the final which we are playing in and we're looking forward to it as a group.
And the beginning of your question, thank you for my kid and stuff like that, I appreciate it.
Q. What's her name?
JOHN McCARTHY: Madison Rose McCarthy. She's an angel. She was born Thursday night, Thanksgiving, I think it was. FastScripts by ASAP Sports ...
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports