Cincinnati 3, LA Galaxy 2
Q. Hey Joe, just thoughts on the game. Felt like you were dangerous all game. Get rewarded with a goal; get an assist. Just talk about your performance today against a decent team out in the east.
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, I would say first off it was really like an open game, but unfortunately we conceded easy goals, which we decided to just come, back especially in the first half when we score the first goal.
But it's sometimes a disappointing result for us, especially like this when we are playing home. We don't just need to just give things away just like that, but mistakes are always in football and we just need to take it and just focus on the next game. Just work towards what's really important ahead of us, especially now I think we are out of the race now no matter what.
Now the focus is to win the next of the games and focus on the last -- first month, which is October, to give everything, because now the only thing we are fighting for is to get some points and also to win the Cup, especially for the fans. At least when we win the Cup it will ease some pressure.
So I think we just need to focus on the rest of the game and the most important thing, the game on 1st of October.
Q. I got to ask you, you had that chance where you are in on goal, you get tripped up there. Obviously this season feels look you kind of struggled to get the whistle. Do you feel like you have a reputation with the refs that they might officiate you differently?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: I don't know the plans of the referees, but whenever they are coming to a game there is always a player that they always single out. I don't know if it's me or the other players, but unfortunately you cannot just tell me this is not a red card and you cannot go and see the --
I really respect that ref a lot, but today he showed me the kind of referee he is, especially with these opponents also. He made the game really difficult for us. I think when he goes home and just watch the game, I think he's going to be really disappointed with the decision that he makes.
Q. Can you process just the swings from last year to this year? How did things go from winning the Cup last year to where you are right now?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Winning the Cup last year we did everything and we give everything. That doesn't mean that this season we didn't given everything. We are giving everything; just we don't have the results. As you can see at the beginning of this season also there was a lot of ups and downs with injuries and everything, with also new players.
I'm not going to say it's because of new players or this kind of things. We are players and we need to stand and fight for each other. Unfortunately this is football and as everybody that's really into football, they should know it's not always that you need to always win the game. Even if you are a champion that doesn't mean you need to be another champion in the next season. All you need to do is just fight and fight and fight and just be in the playoff. That's the most important thing.
When you're in the playoffs anything can happen. Last season we don't know where Red Bull came out from, but they came with the final. So this is football. We just need to take out time and focus on what is ahead of us, even though everything is really not feeling good for us. I still have trust and believe in the officials and with the players and everything.
But just that we are unlucky this season is not really going good for us. We are just eager to just keep going, raise our head up, focus on the next season as we have our playmaker also back, which is going to determine a lot of things for us, especially when Riqui is really healthy.
I think, yeah, everybody is giving everything. It's not like everybody doesn't want to give everything. But, you know, it's just the mistakes and all these kind of things. Football without mistakes is not football. We just need to focus and just work towards it. Every now and then, every day we keep learning. So this is a learning process. This is jot a failure for me. Not at all.
We just need to keep going and do what we have to do. If everybody goes to it's work and every season he doesn't get promoted, that doesn't mean he's a failure or he hasn't done what he needs to do. He did what he needs to do. It's just not that time for him or her to have that promotion.
This is also prevalent also to football. It's just like that. We just need to focus. There will always be backlash. We accept it. But as we were really happy last season in terms of blood and tears, they need to still support us no matter what. That's really what a fan need to do and that's really what a father needs to do, just to believe in his children no matter what.
Q. Seems at times things snowballed. It's been that way. Same process? Your process it from...
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, ups and downs is part of life. I accept it with the ups and downs. That doesn't mean that we are not doing what we need to do. Like I said, this is a game of passion, a game of sweat and blood, a game of everybody giving his heart to the badge. If things go south we need to try to sort the solution, and we are trying everything to sort that solution.
This season didn't favor us. That doesn't mean that everybody is not doing his job. I assure that we are going to come back really strong next season. Let's not even talk about next season. We going to come back really strong in 1st of October. That's really important.
I'm going to give everything. The players are going to give everything no matter what, because this is how I feel and this is the last game of our life. This is a final for us. We play against Red Bull, so we need to just do everything to win this Campeones Cup. That's really or goal now. We have a green light, which is the championship next year. So we have something that we are playing for and now 1st of October we have something heavy that we need to carry.
So I think the guys, my friends, my teammates, are willing to give up everything and I assure you first of October we will all sit here and be smiling together.
Q. You were up at the striker position for most of the game. Greg said they thought that would give you a lot of chances sort of running behind. Maybe it's just me, but you seemed like you were running really free tonight. That you had a lot of speed and they didn't seem to have a lot of answers for you. Did you feel that tonight?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, I felt a lot there was a lot of space, because I think they know exactly what -- if I'm on the striking role they know exactly what I'm about to do.
I think we did what we have to do, the runs and everything. Unfortunately not everything went through it, but I think my team also need to try to also play according to my strength, especially when they have the ball it's not always just to put the ball on the ground and just play, play. Especially sometimes if there is the space, just kick the ball to the space because you know I have speed. You don't need to always put the ball at my feet because sometimes it's really difficult for me.
The most important thing is put the ball in the space for me to have one against one, and we have to keep learning. Like I said, it's a learning process. Yeah, I just hope and pray that I just have my Riqui back and I think things will really fall into place.
Q. Maybe talk a little about Diego tonight. He had? Really good game. Gave you the assists. His 78 assist, so closing in on 80 that's he's been chasing. How much of a leader is he for you guys this year? How does he change things for you guys?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: You mean Diego?
Q. Yeah.
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: He's a fantastic player. Diego is someone that also has the eye to give those kind of balls. Kudos to Diego for giving me the assist. As you can see, he's also someone who's really important in the club. I really respect him a lot.
I think he's someone who also decide things for us. I think he's also doing whatever he needs to do, working hard to try to find the results for us.
So we just, you know, have to do what we have to do. Big respect to Diego for his great performance today, and I know we going to do more. I just think Diego is a fantastic player and we just need to give him -- what we have to do as a team players, to give him more the balls to make that decision for us.
Like I said, we just need to keep learning and find a way throughout the offensive and just look for Gabriel also to do what he needs to do. So we just work together. Win or lose, we just work together and find a solution. No matter how long we have to find a solution. Definitely as time goes on we will find a solution.
Q. You assisted the second goal tonight. I know what you saw on the first one. What did you see during the second play?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, I was about to take the shot. I was about to take the shot when Aude shouted and just told me to give the ball. Normally I would've shot. I had no other option, so I just need to listen to the voice that comes to me.
So I just turn and put the ball -- I didn't know he was there. I just put it there, and what a fantastic strike from Aude. Kudos to him for giving us even the hope in the second half. There was no more time for us to come back.
Yeah, like I said, everybody has task. Even if push in the bench you are really important for us. Everybody needs to raise his head up. It's never a failure for us. We just need to keep concentration and just keep focus and just keep forward and just do what we have to do and enjoy football.
That's what we are built and born to do. So we just do it with all heart and making our family proud and supporters and everybody. Yeah, see what will happen on the 1st of October.
Q. Just a quick question: (Sound problem.) With the club training mentally, do you think about that a lot? Is it a motivator?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, it's always a motivation for a player to be called for his national team because it's a whole lot of millions of players in the country, and you being called up, it's a massive opportunity for you. I've been out from the national team I think almost getting to a year because based on injuries and all these things.
Now I'm really healthy, so I just need to represent my country no matter what. At this moment it's much more important to represent my country and club in the World Cup. The most important thing now for me is sometimes difficult to travel long distance it Ghana, especially going to Ghana with almost 16, 17 hours, and after 17 hours going to Morocco. It's a long flight for me and really tiring and hard for me.
But this is the job I choose, so I just need to keep doing it and try to do whatever I need to do for my national team and for my club. Now even if I really -- we really qualify for the World Cup it's not just for my club it's for (indiscernible).
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports