LA Galaxy Media Conference

Dejan Joveljić

Press Conference

Saturday, November 30, 2024

Los Angeles, California, USA


Q. Can you describe the goal?

DEJAN JOVELJIC: Yeah, actually, three and a half years I'm here. But before the goal, it was a good reaction, I'm not sure Riqui got the ball, I knew he was going to play. I saw the open space. I run into it, and I know the goalkeeper is going to make one step to his left side so I just shot it with 60 percent of power but he almost saved it. I was a little bit lucky.

Q. What does it mean to be going to the MLS Cup?

DEJAN JOVELJIC: We prepared for this time. Happy but not surprised.

Q. What does it mean for this team to win this way, shutting out Seattle, coming out on top in front of your fans here?

DEJAN JOVELJIC: Yeah, it's an amazing feeling. They said that their defense is the best. They showed that today. They played best defensive football.

But their defense is locked, but they didn't know one thing. We have the keys from every locker on the West side.

Q. What were the things that Seattle made most difficult? What was most difficult about what they did? And what does it mean to you to be able to score this goal at this moment on this stage?

DEJAN JOVELJIC: I think that they did good job because they somehow stopped us from our counterattacks. We couldn't run behind them so much. They saw the games, and it almost paid off. Second thing, I mean what can I say? I'm very happy, very proud, and I cannot wait to play next game in front of our fans and our home. I hope that we are going to lift that trophy, the real one.

Q. Congratulations on the goal and the win. Just want to have you look back at your career. Is this season, do you consider this to be the best season of your career, and this goal, do you consider it to be one of the biggest goals of your career?

DEJAN JOVELJIC: A hundred percent, yeah, a hundred percent. I can agree with you, this is maybe my most important goal in my professional career.

My numbers are the best so far. So hopefully in the next season or after, I'm going to be --

Q. A lot of the focus this season has been on the Killer P's, and there's even been a couple games this year that you've missed and so the focus was magnified even more. How gratifying is it for you to get this goal when everybody or even Brad said the game plan was to limit Riqui Puig. How satisfying is it to get this goal and take your team to the MLS Cup?

DEJAN JOVELJIC: I said this many times. It's a pleasure to play with Killer's P, even before the season I talk with the coach, the guy from the front office, I said just bring good, fast, young, talented players around me and I'm going to score a lot of goals. It's easier to play when good players are around you.

Q. Was there a point season where you looked at the roster and thought the team could make it this far?

DEJAN JOVELJIC: I also said that many times before the season when we brought new players. Yeah, from the first day when I saw Pec and Miki and other guys, I knew we were going to be special and good this season.

Q. How would describe what you were saying before, just we've seen you throughout these years just fighting for that starting role, fighting for your opportunities. What does this moment teen to you, and throughout the years; there a player who has helped you on the journey or someone you really learned from?

DEJAN JOVELJIC: It means a lot because this is me first season that I'm real starter. In the past seasons I was super sub, and now I showed and prove myself; I'm really No. 9, and I feel like I'm going to keep doing that.

The second, question, that's for sure, Sacha, Sacha Kljestan. I learned a lot of things from him, and he was my inspiration and he was the real example of how one professional needs to train every day, how needs to do everything. So he's the guy.

And also Reus, when you see him next to you in the locker room.

Q. Just wondered, how much of an influence Greg has had on you, and how he's helped you threw the difficult times, and then also through the good times, too. Just a few words about Greg.

DEJAN JOVELJIC: I mean, he's the reason why I came here. Not anyone else. He's the real reason why I came in LA Galaxy and I don't regret it. I'm super proud of my decision, and he's a very good man.

Of course he's a good coach but first of all, he's a real gentleman, and I appreciate him and I like his style of football. I like his idea. And I just don't like -- because he doesn't like to -- wingbacks and -- power backs on side of the box, this is the only thing I disagree.

I just want to say that today is Magnus Carlsen, the best chess player in the world's birthday. So I wanted to say congrats and right now he's the World Cup of Chess; one Chinese guy he's playing against. So I'm happy to watch that tomorrow. I have one routine, that before the season I said to myself that I'm not going to play chess on the game day, maybe after the game. So now I go home to play some chess and finally enjoy.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
151010-1-1003 2024-12-01 06:43:00 GMT

ASAP sports

tech 129