I am sick today.
Possibly not related. I'm in the middle of finals week where I teach and everyone is tired and stressed.
It was a nice game with lots of action despite the relatively modest goal total. Galaxy won 1-0.
I wrote a feature for ESPN.FC that will hopefully be posted later today.
I got a few good quotes on my ancient minirecorder that I will post here, though. One highlight was that Herculez Gomez came over to say hi and ask me how I was. It's always nice to be remembered.
Herc had a lot to say, so here's some of what didn't make the article.
Herc
On the number of TJ fans at match
I think it was disappointing for L.A. You can’t claim to be one of the best fanbases and the flagship team of the league and get shown up like this. I’m sure their players feel disappointed.
On if the support surprised him
No, I’m not surprised. I expected it. We’re really popular. People keep saying MLS should go to San Diego, but that’s maybe not such a good idea.
On the Galaxy/TJ rivalry:
I’m sure if the ownership groups and the marketing had their way, it would be huge.
On the game atmosphere:
A few thousand people shouting one way, a few thousand people another way, that’s not a good atmosphere.
On playing in Estadio Caliente:
That’s going to be a good atmosphere.
On the match:
I thought we were lucky in the first half not to be down 3-0. I do feel we reacted well in the second half. We played with a great sense of urgency, but it was too little, too late, especially at this level.
On if TJ was unlucky not to score:
Absolutely, but that’s the way football goes. You have to give them credit for looking for it in the first half. Maybe in the second half they weren’t very proactive offensively, but they did enough to get the result. It’s maybe not the best result they would have hoped for, but it’s still a result.
On importance of tourney:
When I came to TJ., it was made very clear to me that they wanted to win trophies. They wanted to be an international team. They wanted to compete. They loved that I brought that experience, that I’ve been in this tournament before, that I’ve played at the Club World Cup. I immediately took to that and thought that’s something that I wanted to be a part of. I think that’s great. I relate to that.
Is chip on shoulder the key to scoring vs MLS teams in the CCC:
There’s a chip on my shoulder that I didn’t get more time today, that’s for sure. I think you should maybe know your players better. This is a tournament that I get up for. I’ve done a lot of things that have been positive in this tournament. I would have loved to have had more time. I was proactive, I was getting looks, it just wasn’t enough. I would have loved to have done more.
On happy LA memories:
Absolutely. I love LA. They gave me a chance and an opportunity when not many would. I still have a house here.
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