Minnesota 2, L.A. 1
THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for Marco.
Q. Marco, we talked a lot about this team needing to come out for faster starts in terms of just the start of this season, how important that would be with all the competitions that you play in. You haven't gotten that so far. Is there concern this looks a lot like the beginning of last year, not a progression into 2026?
MARCO REUS: Honestly, I don't care about last season. Honestly, it's not in our heads. But the start was not good. That's a fact.
We have to change simple things. If we can do it, it would help us during a game. We are struggling at the moment.
I mean, even the loss against Kansas, in Portland, they're just small things who makes a big difference. Sometimes we are not aware of these things in difficult or in some situations.
We are not (indiscernible) the game. Then we can't see the goal. We are a bit in a rush, yeah, to come back. Even when we are come back, we have the momentum on our side, but then suddenly it goes in the other way. Yeah, it makes it even harder for us.
Today it was really frustrating.
Q. What are those simple things? How do you change that?
MARCO REUS: I mean, it's simple basics in soccer. Helping each other in difficult moments. Even when you don't have the confidence on the field on yourself, but just to show up to give an option for your teammates if he's in a difficult situation. Then things are going easier if you're helping each other. You're going forward. You build momentum.
If we are not doing this, and most importantly if we are not stopping to do mistakes because it costs us everything in the moment. It was last year the season was the same.
Yeah, we should really be aware of these type of situations like today. There was not really a danger from Minnesota today honestly. I know they was not creating that much chances, but I was quite sure in the second half we will build more momentum our side, then the goal will come.
But you never know in soccer, in football, what happen. Yeah, it's frustrating.
Q. There seemed to be a time in the game when you decided, I don't know if you got frustrated, you were going to try to win the game by yourself. Obviously you can't win the game by yourself. You said you don't want to talk about last year. Parts of what's going on so far feel like the beginning of last year. You as a leader, what can you do? Do you talk to guys, try to show it on the field? What can you do to change things.
MARCO REUS: Yeah, I'm not a guy who needs to speak every day. I'm not that guy. But if I speak, then everybody should listen. It's not about like who is saying it. I don't care, an 18-years-old player can say something, too. I don't care, as long it's a good decision and it's positive.
Sometimes you have to try to, yeah, wake up not only the other guys, including me, but it starts with... Honestly I hate losing. I hate losing so much. It pissed me really off today. The other games, too, when we are not winning.
It starts for me in training that you have to show. It doesn't it's two against two, three against three, four against four, you have to love winning and to give everything in this moment.
That's simple details makes a difference. At the moment we are little bit struggling with these things. The good thing is on Wednesday we can turn around things and we come back on Monday with new energy, new positivity, then we go to Toluca and try to show a different game.
Q. Greg was saying that one of the issues is that on attack there's this desire or emphasis to get to goal as fast as possible rather than letting it develop in a more organic manner. What's happening with that? What do you see?
MARCO REUS: Yeah, sometimes I see the same honestly. I mean, it's quite hard sometimes to understand the situation because as a forward player you always want to go and attack and try to create chances.
But of course it's really helpful to understand also the situation even, I don't know if it makes sense, to go now in a two-against-one or three-against-one situation, or just to keep the ball, make them a little bit tired, to play from side to side.
These are always things that we are trying, but sometimes someone have another idea. It's not bad if someone have an idea, we just have to follow them and help him in the situation.
But yeah, even today we was trying honestly everything, yeah, to create something up front. We had enough chances, for my opinion, in the second half. Not so much in the first half. Then it's about, yeah, to be clean in the last up front.
Yeah, I think that's what we have to learn, that we have to stay clean in the last section.
Q. In the lead-up to this game, both Greg and Justin spoke about the importance of getting off to a successful April with a win. Now that that hasn't happened, what is the mindset like going into a very difficult game in Toluca?
MARCO REUS: Yeah, I mean, every game is difficult. I don't care if we play against Toluca or against Miami. Every game you have the chance to win. With this group, you have the chance to win.
At the moment we are struggling to put everything together. We have to work so hard to, yeah, win a game. Sometimes you have the feeling the opponent, I don't know, we are doing one mistake, we are 1-0 down, then we come back, again mistake, 2-1 down. It's hard. Then it's coming to the mental thing.
I'm always trying with the other veterans just to keep calm and go again, go again. But back to your question, I don't care about really... On Wednesday it's a good team. I'm happy to play there. I love to play against good teams.
We are Galaxy. We are capable to win every game. Yeah, it's not long until May, until the break. We have to win games. It has to start now.
Q. You're talking about not reading situations right. Do you feel this team is just maybe a bit too slow to read attacking moments or maybe a bit of selfishness from players where somebody wants the glory?
MARCO REUS: Yeah, I mean, that's a part of the game when you have the situation to go one on one or two against one. Sometimes you have to try it, you should. Sometimes you have to pass the ball.
Of course, sometimes you are frustrated. It's part of the game. We are all in this all together. I mean, we have a good squad. But like I said, at the moment we are struggling to put everything together and to win a game.
Like I said, the last three games was completely unnecessary that we couldn't win one of these games. We lost already eight points then. It's frustrating, yeah.
Q. I know you said you're pissed off and losing isn't great. It's a difficult evening. With that said, what positives can you take from today? What did you see that you think it's not all doom and gloom, we can work on this?
MARCO REUS: Honestly a lot. I mean, I see the boys every day. I see the quality in training and everything. But like I said in the game, it's quite hard at the moment to really, yeah, get the advantage in the game, I don't know, to be in front 1-0, to get the confidence. It makes it easier for us maybe.
I mean, we are creating chances a lot in the games. Not so much in the first half, more in the second half in the last games, I would say. But we are there.
Like I said, it's just small, small details at the moment. We are on the edge of getting in front. But then we have to show more the mentality of, yeah, doing it, the killer instinct inside of us.
Like I said, I said to the boys, it starts with me to help more, to score more goals, to give more assists to help my teammates, then in the end we'll be more successful with the team.
Q. And the message from the manager and the voice of the manager is still very much a positive thing for you in the locker room?
MARCO REUS: Yeah, I mean, at the end you know how the game is. Of course, when you are losing always the head coach is the first one. But it's part of the game.
Honestly, we are the guys on the pitch. The coach can always decide something and change something, of course, but at the end we are on the pitch and we make the decisions.
That means that we have to be more focused on us, on our game, and that can be always only if we are doing it together. We are not that team who is shouting against each other. It's very important that we stay positive. We still have good chance. We have to start winning, of course, yeah.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports