San Jose 1, LA Galaxy 0
Q. Start with your thoughts on the night. Seemed that you guys came out looking to probably get ahead, get on top of the game early, didn't go your way and you get hit with that late goal. What is your thought process on how the night went as you look back at the night?
MAYA YOSHIDA: I think we played not bad today. We created a lot of chances from the beginning and control the game. I think they have only a few opportunity to score, and the last one, probably they had the last chance they made, and they score. Instead, we had created a lot of chances then that we couldn't finish the action. We couldn't dominate it. So football, the soccer, is always about scoring. We didn't score, and we concede. But it's too much. I never had this kind of experience, even the difficult time in Schalke or the Holland, most of the time of the season, bottom of the league. Still, better than that. Better than this stretch now.
In my career, I don't apologize to what I have done on the pitch normally. Like on goal, any individual errors. But in this moment, we must apologize to our fans. I feel really embarrassing -- I feel really miserable for the fans who supporting even midweek. Still we not winning the game, still they support us after the game, and I feel really embarrassing.
So Saturday, we need to show different mentality.
Q. One thing Greg said, you probably heard him there. He said this is not an effort thing; it's an execution thing, the reason you guys are struggling right now. You notice the effort the guys are putting in, but is there a reason things aren't going your way or is it just a wide range of things right now?
MAYA YOSHIDA: It's easy to pointing, making the clips, this is bad, this is bad, this is not enough, this is worse or this shouldn't be like that. It's easy to pointing or blaming the people, someone, my teammates, the action. But I think in this moment it doesn't help the team.
And I often speak with the senior players like Marco and we try to help and we try to make something better to -- to increase the opportunity, the possibility to win the game.
So of course, everybody have to be better, including myself. But like today, Kansas also, San Diego last game, even though we control the game, we play well, still we're missing the points. This is small things, but small error, small things just continually happen and making huge difference.
So regardless fatigue or three games a week, midweek, injury, whoever messing, we have to play with a strong mentality and determination for Saturday. Like for example, Lozano from last game, 83 minutes, he spring back to defense to get the ball and Marco make a foul and then they get the ball. This kind of effort, we need from everybody from the team.
Of course I don't like to talk about the mentality because I want to talk about the tactics and the organization and the project but this moment, we have to step back to the basic, basic level, which we shouldn't talk, but now we have to talk.
I understand my explanation now can't convince anyone, any fans. So only way we can convince is winning. So we need one win. That's very sure.
Q. Greg mentioned earlier that he felt like there were opportunities today in the final third. In your point of view, did you feel like this game slipped out of your hands and it felt like a good opportunity to get this first game? Did you feel like there was chemistry with the multiple changes in the lineup today?
MAYA YOSHIDA: Again, I can't point to my missed shot, maybe ten times or 20 times, including myself. Again, it's no point to talk about this. We need to go, and if we cannot score with five shot, we try to make intention, 20 shot. And how we increase this kind of opportunity, we are going to prepare for the next two days. That's what we need. We are creating opportunities.
We are not like hopeless. We are not playing like hopeless. I feel like I can create -- I still feel like from the distribution much better than then. Much better than Kansas. Much better than Philadelphia, for example.
And then this is part of soccer, but like not better team always win. So we need to win. This is very simple.
Q. I know you guys allowed that goal but before that, were you kind of just happy with the level that you guys were playing defense at? This is a team that lead MLS in goals scored. Are you happy with how the back line dealt with a lot of the pressure from Quakes tonight?
MAYA YOSHIDA: Defensive?
Q. Yeah.
MAYA YOSHIDA: Again, it's so difficult to explain what's happening. Even I can't -- I think with my -- the comment now, I cannot convince anyone probably. I want to -- instead I want to show my performance and making the result. I think today that defensively, that overall, we play very calm and composure and organized and did well. But you know, still we conceding. Still keep conceding, conceding, conceding.
You can see today was a little bit different from what's -- how we conceded last couple games in the individual areas. So like sloppy mistakes but today, I feel much better but still not good enough.
Q. The break coming up, is that a good thing for you guys or is the answer to that depending on what happens to you this weekend?
MAYA YOSHIDA: I always like to play soon. I don't like training. But I need the rest.
Q. You had Zanka come in and spell Garcés today and play alongside you. What did you see out of him and what are the differences between the two?
MAYA YOSHIDA: You can see he's much composure and experience and physically very strong, and instead Emil is much athletic, quick, so this is different types.
Normally it's good to have this kind of different players in the squad. But in this moment, I think we need experience and calmness for back line, and that's why I just say, I feel really comfortable with him, and even he didn't play a long time. Immediately put on starting and he played really, really good.
So I really impressed with him and you know there's always competition, especially if we losing, no one has a guarantee to play every minute, including myself. So I need to focus on my performance as well.
A couple games before, I feel like my concentration, focus, things going away to thinking, over thinking many things about the team.
But you know, I need to bring back my best performance to convince the people, and I shout against my teammates but if I don't play well, then it doesn't make sense. So first of all, I need to play well. Then I can influence players, same as Zanka, and Marco, for example. We need to play well, and then we can inspire and influence other players.
Q. I spoke to Diego after the match in San Diego, and I asked him what the expectations were for the remaining part of the season, and he answered you're taking it one game at a time and not focused on playoffs.
MAYA YOSHIDA: The same. I don't think about the longer time than right now. I'm focused on next match, next match, next match.
As I said we need one game, one win, as quick as possible and then we will think about this longer-term future. Otherwise there's no point in thinking about this playoff, yes, playoff no, no, no, how many points we need. It's just meaningless, I feel.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports