Minnesota 2, L.A. 1
THE MODERATOR: Questions for JT.
Q. It seems like you were somewhat in control of the game then all of a sudden the ball is in the back of the net. Simple mistakes. How frustrating is that being goalkeeper and in those positions?
JT MARCINKOWSKI: No, obviously it's frustrating. I think it's a frustrating game in general. I thought we had a pretty good sense of control in the game and a good tempo especially in the first half. I thought we looked really solid in the back.
Just a few mental lapses. It's not just one person. I think it's all 11 people on the field. It's making sure that we can stay locked in for 98 minutes. It's key.
Obviously we have a lot of games in a row coming up. They're really simple actions that for the vast majority of the game we do really well with. It's not like I'm having to make 10 saves on the night and keeping us in the game.
They had three shots on goal and two went in. As goalkeeper it's super frustrating because I feel like I can do more. I think I always try to look in the mirror first, then evaluate off of that.
Q. Marco was talking about what the veterans are trying to do, keep everybody calm. As a veteran, you've had ups and downs. How do you keep everybody from letting this spiral out of control? Getting off to this start doesn't put you in the best head space.
JT MARCINKOWSKI: Yeah, think we can be frustrated tonight, then when we wake up tomorrow morning it's back to work. It's a really long season. I think if we get too ahead of ourselves, very doom and gloom now, we probably have 30-something games to go.
It's up to us in the locker room. It's not just to the veterans, as well it's everybody. Everybody showing up to training every single day and putting the effort that's required. That's what propels us forward. That's what propels us as a team.
I think that's what we can hang our hat on at the end of the day is the effort we're putting in consistently day in, day out is what's most important.
Q. What are you seeing in front of you in terms of when things are not going well? Tonight's goals, both of them a little bit soft. What's not happening?
JT MARCINKOWSKI: Yeah, I mean, I think the first one is just a ball over the top. When they're not pressuring on the ball, as a group we all have to be on the same page. I think the worst situations that happen is when one person does one thing, another person does another thing, a third person does also something else. I think it's just the consistency of moving as a unit.
Like I said earlier, it's not just the back line. I think we're moving as a unit, as 11. I think defending starts in the front and trickles down all the way to me in the back.
The second goals starts with a buildup, an awkward ball in the middle that turns over. We have numbers back. I think we have plenty of numbers behind the ball. The guy just kind of dribbles down the line. I think I can do more, as well, in the second goal. Potentially cut it out, do my part, rather than letting him just play the ball across.
Yeah, I mean, I think, like I said, I look in the mirror, I start with myself. I think we have amazing coaches that can talk about everybody else. I really like to focus on what I can do to help the team win and what I can do to improve my performances to make sure that I'm not having to save 10 balls a game. It's crucial that the two or three that I have to make that I do make.
Q. I think as a team both goalkeepers have given up more goals than they made saves. That's just a stupid stat. It seems as if the defense is limiting the shots on goal, so when they could give up a shot on goal, you're in a terrible position. How does that stat come about?
JT MARCINKOWSKI: I think stats in sports are a little bit tricky. I think they can be overblown. I think it's telling that we've had a very limited amount of shots on goal I think a very limited amount of chances. It goes to show we're defending well as a group for the vast majority of the game. I think that's what that stat shows to me.
You can dive into it or you can kind of make stats whatever you want. You can conclude your own outcomes regardless of how I might feel on the goal or how somebody else might feel on the back line.
I think for me that shows that we're doing really well collectively. I think it's something we can build on. I think it's something that we don't have to get frustrated over. If it's one save versus one goal, obviously for me I'd love to make zero saves and have a shutout every single match. That would be ideal.
I think when I look back at this game, when I look at the tape, I think it's just how can I make those three saves 'cause they only had three shots on goal. If we keep it zero, we obviously win the game.
Q. This season we've seen a little bit of back and forth between the goalkeeper position. Earlier Greg said he's not committed to one player yet. For you, why do you think you should be the starter for rest of the MLS season?
JT MARCINKOWSKI: I think we're lucky here that we have a really healthy competition between Novak and me. I think Brady as well. I think the three of us with Kevin work really well together, push each other. Nobody is guaranteed the role. Nobody's given the role. Just because I played this game doesn't mean I'm going to play on Wednesday.
I think it's coming in every single training session and being able to maximize amount of effort in, just show up for the team, do whatever I can to help the team win.
I think I possess great leadership within the locker room. I think I can help the back line with my communication. I think at the end of the day it's just about making saves. It's what I talked about in the last question. As a goalkeeper, that's what you're paid to do, that's what your role is, is to help the team and to make as many saves as you can to make sure we can put ourselves in the winning positions.
Q. You got to Los Angeles off the end of a pretty long injury. Now that you've earned your place, is this the best you've felt since that injury? We heard some displeasure from the crowd tonight. Do you have a message for the fans about the performance?
JT MARCINKOWSKI: Yeah, I'll start there first, your first question. I think I feel better now than I have in my entire career. I'm in an amazing spot physically. Mentally I'm a lot better than I was even before my injury. I'm super proud of that, just the work that I've done regarding my own mental game, my performance. I'm super proud and very pleased where I'm at.
I think to your second question, obviously we're just as frustrated in the locker room. We want to go out there and play well, perform in front of our fans. They're the fabric of this club. We know how much effort they put into being here. We know how much effort they put into coming game in game out on the road, at home. I think in the locker room we feel it just as much.
I think as a fan base, what you're going to get from this team is a bounceback, you're going to get a team that's extremely committed to one another, extremely committed to winning.
It's an incredibly tight-knit group that just because of one loss, we're not going to let it deter us for the next six games. We have to come back Wednesday with a winning mentality, with a positive mindset, and we go from there.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.
JT MARCINKOWSKI: Thank you. Appreciate it.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports