St. Louis City SC 3, LA Galaxy 0
Q. You joined this team in the summertime and this team was pretty well sorted out and you were able to fill in well. A lot of changes in the off-season, and you guys are going through injuries, as well. How do you feel about this team right now?
MARCO REUS: I mean, it's the worst start that we can have. We played four games, four loss. Conceded too many goals. We are not scoring so many goals. Just one.
I think today in the first half, we played, I would say, well. We created many, many chances. But at the end, we lost the game and that is really what matters.
Of course, at the moment, it's a little bit frustrating because of covering we had a couple of changes this season with players who are really important for us. Some of them are injured. Some of them are not any more here.
And new players was coming in. So they need, of course, a little bit of time. But in this sport, you don't have time. We really have to understand that our standard, even in training, has to be higher than last year. Because every club who is playing against us, they want to win. We have to, yeah, kind solution and find the chemistry in our team to build the mentality of winning each game.
Yeah, at the moment, as I said, it's really frustrating. But I can say that during my career, I had a lot of these situations, when it's not doing well for the team. We have to stay together and work harder, like every day. First of all, we have to score goals and win games.
Yeah, today was not our day, and in three days we have another chance.
Q. You're being asked to be a little bit more of a play maker right now. I'm wondering how that's coming along, especially when you're dealing with an attack where everyone is trying to learn each other.
MARCO REUS: Yeah, like I said, at the moment, today was much better of creating chances. I mean, the last three games, we couldn't create so many chances like last season. Yeah, because, of course, we have different players on the pitch, and the new players need a little bit of time of adapting to our playing style.
But each of us have to step up now, especially, of course, me, and the other experienced players, as well.
Yeah, I mean, it's the start of the season. Of course I can really understand the frustrating from the fans and also our team. But this is the part of the business, and tomorrow is a new day and we have the next chance on Wednesday. Then hopefully we get our first win.
Q. You're wearing a lot of KT tape on your left leg. Are you dealing with an issue or is it just being an older player?
MARCO REUS: Thank you. Yeah, no, I have this since last year, last playoff season. Yeah, I'm just dealing with it. Of course, I want to play every game, but like last weekend when we played in Vancouver, it made no sense for me to play on turf.
So me and the coach and the coaching staff are just speaking every day, how we can manage these things, for myself, for my knee. But I feel good. So if I don't feel well, I would not play.
Just hoping now for the next two days to recover well and try to win and score goals on Wednesday.
Q. The team is struggling now to score goals. What's your confidence that you can start playing better attacking football in the next few weeks and that everything starts to click between you and the new guys and that you guys can turn this ship around?
MARCO REUS: Sometimes just in all sports, you just need sometimes a win, and then it feels much better and easier for us to do the next step.
But like last season, of course, when we speak about last season, it was much easier. But you have to really work hard for these moments for a win, especially in this league. Like today, when you see we controlled the first half, I would say, with good chances, and then you could see that one unnecessary goal -- but yeah, we have to build from this. Mentally, our thinking has to be more higher, the standard has to be more high for each of us in our dressing room, and we have to be positive. I mean, the worst thing what you can do now is just heads down and shouting to every player.
I mean, I told the guys in the dressing room after the game that now it's completely the opposite like last year. But last year, really, I don't care about anymore.
So we have a new team, new guys who is coming in, new chemistry. We have to build a new mentality of winning. And like small details, very, very important, especially in this league, in these kind of games like today when the opponent was not playing well, like in the first 45 minutes and they are just waiting for our mistakes, and we give them the mistakes. Yeah, this cannot be happening.
But this is football. The good thing is in three days, we have another chance. Yeah, we have to focus now on this.
Q. Speaking of Wednesday, what's the sense in the locker room right now going into that match, that second leg? Does the dressing room consider that a must-win at the moment?
MARCO REUS: It's a must-win game. We have to score goals on Wednesday.
But of course, this moment today, we have to think about today, what happened today, what can we do better in difficult moments. Of course, we have to stay together as a team, especially when it's not doing well in the first three games. We have now a home game today, and you can see almost our own goal.
It means, like I said, we have to stay together. We need the good energy in the dressing room in the next days because we play on Wednesday and then on Sunday again. Things has to turn around. We have the guys on the pitch. The coach gives us so many opportunities and so many options during the day and during the training sessions, but we are the guys on the pitch, and we have to decide what is the best for the team in this moment, and we have a lot of experienced guys also today. Of course we have young guys, but we have to take care of them, and yeah, I mean, like I said, you need a win.
Q. How are you feeling? You talked a little bit about how you're dealing with something that you've been managing with the team. Does that ever enter your mind as you're on the pitch or how do you manage your body, taking care of yourself and also the demands of the team, the fans, the league? How are you doing managing all of those things?
MARCO REUS: Like I said, the whole situation is very frustrating for all of us, not only for me, for the team, for the fans, as well, especially after last year.
But like I said, last year, it doesn't matter anymore. We have a new team and, I mean, I do every day my treatment routine and my regeneration stuff. Especially at my age, it's very important for me, and yeah, like the other guy, too.
Like I said, I mean, it's frustrating at the moment. It's a new situation for us, especially from last year. Yeah, we will find a way to turn things around. Hopefully from Wednesday on.
And then it's also a good chance, yeah, to bring new energy in the next days to the locker room, and then we will see.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports