Seattle Sounders 4, LA Galaxy 0
Q. Talking with Greg he said maybe you guys never really got going in this game. Do you feel like there was sort of a lack of urgency or speed in this game?
MAYA YOSHIDA: I think until concede the first goal did okay, and I don't feel like they created a lot. After one goal, immediately second goal, and then the game change already. Then two goals down we have to chase them and it become different game.
After that, yes, as coach say, was very difficult. They dominated us very well. Great team to be honest, but surely we were not enough today.
Q. Is there this weird sort of comparison between Leagues Cup where you guys are one of the top four teams out of 18 teams and MLS where you guys sit at the very bottom. Is that something that plays into games like tonight?
MAYA YOSHIDA: To be fair, Seattle is different. They're a much better team to be honest.
And also their situation they have after two games, and after third game in the Leagues Cup and the league game is different as well.
But, yeah, we should -- as I say after the game, we should bring the same vibes to the league games as well; today wasn't.
Today no one had the standard level of the game, and -- none of us to be honest. Yeah, even we change the shape, we change the players second half, four players immediately, then also we couldn't bring the balls in front. We didn't dominate the ball behind.
Yeah, absolutely not enough today, yeah.
Q. You guys have to travel to Miami and then come back for Leagues Cup. How do you go about processing that long trip there, long trip back, and right into preparation on Wednesday Pachuca on Wednesday?
MAYA YOSHIDA: Always like that. That's MLS. Sometimes we go to Minnesota and come back. Sometimes we go to New York and come back. This is a key part of the MLS. Maintain away trip and how many points we can get; also how much we can keep our fitness during the traveling. This is the key.
And I think everybody knows how -- especially me, I know how to manage my body, so I'm not worried about this. Of course it's tough. Very tough.
But also same time I'm excited to play against Miami, one the most famous club in MLS and also the Leagues Cup. Realistically we have to focus on that competition as well. So next two games I'm fully focused, as always.
Yeah, Leagues Cup and also league games, both are already like no (indiscernible) stage for us.
Q. As you look back to the first three games in Leagues Cup, what did you like about how the group handled those three games?
MAYA YOSHIDA: Leagues Cup?
Q. Yeah. How you guys prepared and went after those three games.
MAYA YOSHIDA: Better bonus. To be honest, I think my first season I didn't understand this competition, and last season even we didn't qualify and now I could understand how it is.
And now, this third season I'm pretty understanding how important this Leagues Cup is and we should focus, how much we should focus as well. We did okay so far. Of course from now on it's the real part and this is more difficult.
You know, if you look at the tournament Seattle, Miami, Pachuca, the teams are really good. It's going to be tough, but will be really exciting.
Q. Greg mentioned that the team never really seemed to get going. The team seemed like it was a different team that played in the Leagues Cup. You mentioned that the opponent was different. Greg mentioned as well the fixtures, four in a short span. Why do you think the team looked so different than just a couple days ago?
MAYA YOSHIDA: Actually what I say. Different teams, opponent. First two, three minutes I put ball behind, immediately we can dominate the line. But Seattle is one of the most solid team in the MLS. No one cheat; 11 players, even the subs, they fight 50/50. They cover and help each other.
This is I think very matured, one of the most matured squad in the MLS.
Q. You're obviously a very experienced player on the team. You've had a long career. In MLS it's a unique situation in a sense because you get into -- you might get to a point where playoffs becomes less realistic. You're not fighting regulation though. But you have to keep the intensity up somehow. What can you -- do you have anything you can look back on in your career to draw inspiration from, and what is it that you can pass along to your teammates of how to keep that intensity up?
MAYA YOSHIDA: Yeah, that was my concern as well before I come here, and I came mid-season 2013 -- no, 2023. Yeah, we almost out of the tournament, and that was my biggest concern.
But the team really want to win. Also the player want to improve every game. So I have no -- of course probably the atmosphere in the stadium is less excitement, but as a team, we want to play better, we want to win.
And also, no relegation battle means we can try to put football, the soccer as much as we can. Even we are both in the league, if it's in Europe, everybody kick long balls and fight. Just kick and fight. This is different from MLS. Instead we play. We try to build up and we try to distribute from the behind.
And even they are like one of the top in the league so far and we are bottom of the league, still we can break the line many times. That's never happened in Europe. That's big difference.
I think that is very positive way because the fans want to watch -- to see how we play.
Q. I asked the same question to Greg. I would love your thoughts, too. What's been the most disappointing thing for you this season in the league?
MAYA YOSHIDA: As a team, we start really not great. That's first mistake I think. You know, even good teams, sometimes if you start not well, then difficult to recover.
We took very long time to recover. Also we had a different competition. We have to travel. We didn't have time to fix it, and that's first difficult moment. After that, of course we lost a lot of points and the team is -- wasn't experienced enough I would say.
And then too many conceding goal. This is the biggest pain for myself, and of course personally conceding a lot is really hurt me.
Also got injured already twice, which is not normal for me. Very, very disappointed about that. This is the biggest disappointment for me.
At the same time, this is different. First become champion and I understand I'm learning now how difficult it is after become champion. And also playing as a champion then more pressure, more like analyze from opponent. That's different challenge for me.
And even difficult moment I could learn many things. Especially when things going well no one ever say, oh, yes, good, good. That's easy. Easy life.
Only we can realize myself when the difficult moment, especially the leader, coach, this kind of person. We have to show the character. We have to show the identity in the difficult moments.
So this is a test for me, long season test, and I'm still taking that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports