LA Galaxy 1, Vancouver 1
Q. Joe, after this game, what's the feeling in the locker room? What's your feeling on the 1-1 result?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: I think it was a great game, both side. The feeling in the locker room was not what we expected. We wanted this victory especially for us, for the supporters. Unfortunately, yeah, it just happened. It's football. But we just need to raise our head high and just focus on the next game.
Q. And if you can talk about maybe the progress you're seeing in the team, obviously this game and the one against RSL, you guys are really starting to connect a bit more and seeing that intensity and physicality. Are you seeing improved compared to how you started off the season?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, at the start of the season, it wasn't like the way we started with RSL and also Vancouver. I think with the determination and fight and spirit we have now, I think we need to just keep going.
And no matter what now, we need to take each game at a time because it's really important for us to try and to keep -- and to win games now because our aim is to be in the playoffs at the end of the day. We'll see what will happen.
But yeah, I think the boys are really eager, eager to learn and go and give everything. Give our whole body, spirit and soul to this team and to give a hundred percent.
As I said, this is football. You can give everything. They also give everything to also win. So it's a battle between two teams. But the one that makes mistakes and the one that really doesn't start well always end up having a mess-up game.
The mentality of the boys were really good, and we will all keep on doing like that. Even if we are playing away or home game that, is the mentality that we want.
Q. You had an injury early. How are you feeling physically? Looks like you're maybe back to a hundred percent, is that fair to say?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: I'm feeling good. Now I'm having my 90 minutes. I think this is the second 90 minutes, and it's really good for me because I've been having this hamstring injury every season, not because of not stretching or something, but it's just because of what I'm made of, running, running, running, always cause that kind of fatigue. So it's always happened.
Now I just need to know how to good about things and try to always keep fit and it it's not necessary for me to run, I don't dough it any more. But if it's effective for me to run for the team always do whatever I need to do.
But now I'm really fit and I'm really happy that I'm back playing 90 minutes. Yeah, I hope more to come.
Q. You scored a goal and you had Lucas cut a ball off and put you in a good spot. If you can talk about the chance at the end there where Jakob plays you, and you get it over to Elijah and didn't quite pull it off. Can you tell me about both of those?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: The ball that Lucas gave me is something that we learn because we now how they want to play, I think is the same way that we always do play, especially in 2024. Always play and just go to the other side and everything.
So we really like know exactly what they have to do. So all I have to do is just to always be in between the keeper and the center back so that I can just divide the field.
And as the ball drive to the keeper, I have to keep pressing because I know Lucas was also there. And Lucas was one step ahead of the midfielder, and I think that resulted in the goal.
And my position with the pass Lucas pass and with the goal I scored was something amazing. Kudos -- a very big thanks to Lucas for the assist.
And also with the miss from my friend -- I'm not going to blame him for anything. He did whatever he needs to do but it just slipped from his foot. And that's football. We don't need to blame anyone here. We work as a team. We do everything as a team. We lose; we lose as a team. We draw; we draw as a team. No matter what is the outcome and no matter what result that comes, we still keep fighting and look forward to what's ahead of us.
Q. Speaking about the goal, you have a couple since your return, an assist or two. Talk to us about the importance of being able to produce in this moment just before the World Cup, and just before that World Cup team is named, and the importance of being able to show that you deserve on that, to be on that squad?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: For me, I think World Cup is one month ahead. My focus is to focus on the team, give everything from the team. If I'm performing on the team, why not. I'll just give everything that I have to give for this team.
If I have to score, I have to score. If I need to give assist is, I need to give assist. If I need to work for my team for someone to score, that's what I have to do.
Mentally I'm just preparing myself for every situation that will come. If it happens in the World Cup for me to be there, glory be to God. That's what everybody player wants, to be in a big stage like that.
But I wish and I hope it continues like this for me to give everything. It's not only about just scoring goals, but also about your effort also in the game how effective you are. That's what I'm trying to do. I'm more focused on what is now than later.
So I will just be myself and just keep helping the team play each game at a time, even though the World Cup is around the corner, which is really important. I would love to be there, and by God's grace, I think everybody will be possible.
I just need to keep going, the eyes on the prize, and whatever happens later. If I go, yes, and if I don't go, I still give thanks to God.
Q. You guys showed that you can play with a very good Vancouver team today. What does that tell you about this team as it's some kind of vindication after a difficult period?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, I think playing against Vancouver, they are a really good team, and as you can see, we held them really good in the first half. They had some couple opportunities. We had also some couple opportunities, but there's a team that if we keep playing with them, as every year, every last two years, and everything, we will just be ahead of them.
It's just all about just working together as a team. They are a really amazing team, and they did really great coming here. But yeah, we just look forward to playing more games like this because there is more games like this that we are going to face, and we just need to get prepared for that. And this was a good test for that. You see the guys did whatever they need to do and everybody was fighting for these points.
But unfortunately we just didn't played -- get the point. I just give thanks to God. That is the only thing I have to say.
Q. Obviously your speed looks like it's back to a hundred percent. I was wondering about the timing. Because it seems every game since you've come back, it seems better. The goals came today; maybe a couple games ago, there were some chances that you probably would have put away that you wanted to that didn't go in. Do you feel like the timing aspect of it, too, is something you need to get back into and sort of work on, or is that sort of something that clicks once you get on the pitch?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: It's something that has been clicking for us since I set my foot here, not only me. I'm not getting all the joy and everything from me. We have amazing players. Everybody has different kind of qualities. I have my qualities. Gabriel have his qualities. The defenders, everybody has his qualities.
And so me being on the field also adds extra energy to the players, extra energy also with Gab and all the rest. Marco, also.
As you can see, we have decent and great players on the field playing. So me adding my speed to it, that is the only thing what I can give. And for them, knowing what I'm capable of, that's what they have to do, always play according to my strength.
And I think whenever I am in the game, the energy is always up because they know that there's someone who needs to run, there is also someone who needs to also disturb the defenders. That's me.
And then it's just a team play thing. So yeah, I just need to always do my part whenever I'm on the field playing no matter whatever happens, they just need to play according to my strength, and I think that's what they always do.
Q. You didn't get a chance to link up much with Klauss here. Do you feel like now, going forward, they are going to need the offense that -- he was in great form that needs to be replaced, in a sense? Does that give you more push to maybe get those goals for the the team knowing there's going to be more need from more guys to sort of replace what Klauss was doing?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, it's really sad that one of our best striker is also out, which is Klauss. I wish him a speedy recovery.
Like I said, I'm not thinking always about scoring goals. If more for me to score goals and it happens, it happens. For me it's just about the team. If the team wins, I win, and then individual talent always shows.
So for me, scoring goals, not scoring goals, giving assists, I don't really mind. Even though I'm an offensive player, I have to really score goals.
But as time goes on and the team is playing good and Lucas is scoring, Marco is scoring, defenders are scoring; so we have a lot of options. So if I don't score on something, I'm not really worried.
The most important thing for me right now is how the team needs to be and whatever they need to be, the position that we have to be, playing -- being in the playoff at the end of the season and to compete for the Cup, that is the most important thing just to work hard and just put the team where it needs to be.
Q. Knowing how Minnesota -- not Minnesota, the Whitecaps, how much they like to foul, Coach Vanney said you guys were playing a little bit more aggressively on the offensive end. Was that emphasized with game planning for this match, and knowing you had a lot of runs?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, we know what they were coming with. We know how aggressive they are going to be, and if a team is coming in aggressive, the only solution is there's always space behind. So that's what we did.
And as you can see, whenever there is space behind, they always suffer [ph]. I think in the second half, normally they were almost, I think, two-against-one, but they became three because they know if something happened, they will be in a deep problem.
But you know, we were really also aggressive because this is not what we have to -- we have to let it go. We have to be aggressive now. As you can see, the first game -- the last game we play, RSL, we were really aggressive throughout the first half. We had the goal and everything.
And this time, we have to also be aggressive. We did it, also, and you can see, this is what we have to do as a team, being aggressive. We don't have to let anybody just come into our home and just bully us and just score three like that.
The mentality for the boys and the coaches was for us to be aggressive no matter what. If you need to foul, you need to foul. If you need to get the yellow, you need to get the yellow, and that's what my boys did.
Q. Knowing how Elijah missed that late opportunity, what are the words you're trying to give to your teammate to try and keep his spirits up high?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Keep going no matter what. We rise, we fall.
So if it doesn't go on on well, that doesn't mean you are a failure. Just raise your banner high, your head high and just focus on what is next. Because what is now, it's just gone. We just focus on the future. More to come. What if the next game he's going to score three, two goals?
We just wish the best for him. And he is a really amazing player, and he can do more. He can do better. He can do extremely great. We believe in him. Everybody believes in him. Nobody puts any blame on him. Never. Even if someone puts the blame on him, I'm going to fight. Because I don't really care. Even most of the best players in the world miss chances.
So if he misses chances, that doesn't mean he's not really a good player. He's an amazing player. It's just that it doesn't enter, and just he needs to focus on himself and believe in himself and just keep going. That's the only thing I can give him.
Q. With your speed and the way you play, you're one of the most fouled players. I think today you were fouled seven times. Just when guys get physical with you and defenses start hacking at you, how frustrating is that, and how do you deal with getting that treatment from teams across the league?
JOSEPH PAINTSIL: Yeah, they always try to frustrate me. That is the only thing frustrating me is just to kick me and try to make a foul for me to always complain and all this kind of thing.
As you can see, I was really calm today. No matter what just happen, I just keep going. Because the more I get a little bit pissed, that's when I'm really out of the game. So I managed. The coach tells me to be calm no matter whatever happens. Because I know that's what they are going to do, kick and just try to f---ed up with my mind and everything.
But at the end of the day, I just let it go, focus on the game, keep the game flowing and just try to help the team. That is the most important thing for me. Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports