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HOUSTON DYNAMO MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 19, 2016

Owen Coyle

Harrison, New Jersey

New York - 4, Houston - 3

THE MODERATOR: Joining us now is Coach Owen Coyle. If you could give us your initial reactions to the match tonight?

OWEN COYLE: Well, I don't think it was any doubt it was certainly an entertaining game. I thought it was two very good sides. Two very attacking teams that were looking to win a game. My disappointment was when we lose a game that you seem comfortable in.

I've got to give credit to the Red Bulls. They got back into the game. But for us, I think we can deal with that later. It's a lot about game management and (Indiscernible). Two world class strikes from the lad for the fourth goal. They have some very good players.

My thing is I think we could have passed the ball and moved the ball better in the second half, and how we could have certainly lessened the pressure that was on us at different times by doing that. Again, the result was just for ourselves because even then, the spirit they have up 4-3, and they could win the game with plus strikes, and we had one chance to equalize and it smashed off the lad's face in the last seconds.

So the disappointment was losing three points, but I give them huge positives for how they went about it. It was exciting, but we certainly don't want to keep adding to the gray hairs I've got. Some fantastic games, but when all is said and done, the important thing is we have to have enough points to push ourselves into those playoffs. And we have new members of our squad that can do that. Obviously we kept Tyler there. We have Jones, Maidana, but we're building a decent squad and decent roster to come and support champions and a great atmosphere in the stadium. And get a lot of big, positive performances and within that performance, understand that there are moments I feel we could have defended better.

So the second goal was only a on errors and resulted in an equalizer, and again, we picked ourselves up and scored a wonderful goal. But we can't go from a shot last week to losing four goals tonight, albeit a couple of special goals within that. The first one I'm not sure if the boy who caught the mark (indiscernible). Regardless we had two fantastic finishes.

So, disappointing, of course, not to get any points from the game. And we'll take huge pointers from that going forward. That's 11 goals in three games, but equally we need to address it regardless of the quality of the opposition we played against.

Q. Just wondering, you mentioned Maidana, do you think his presence and his being out of the lineup, if he was there, would have been able to calm things down for you possession-wise?
OWEN COYLE: I think there is some merit in that. That's not the team we answered from. I never questioned at what rate we had that and how conscientious they are for the group and the club. Of course Maidana has wonderful qualities and particularly when a team doesn't fall and they have to risk everything. I think we could have picked them off, and that was a frustration because whenever I feel passed and you have those defensive areas, and there we attacked for a ten-minute period, and I think Maidana had the explosive piece there as well and it certainly helped.

But regardless of who we had, those players whoever has been asked to take a few they have to see how to get through. There are going to be periods where the quality isn't there and you have to stand up and be brave and show bravery in different ways. And bravery doesn't just come from making tackles. Bravery comes from making passes and possession and being the guy that makes a difference. If we went about that in the second half, I think we could have scored more goals and on probably won the game and been more comfortable. Because we never had a Red Bull team that kept a pressure, truth be told. And often when you do that and you get the fourth goal, it's frustrating. I've been fortunate to work with some very good players and terrific players and any of those players that I work with and play the game I think would have been proud of the two strikes from the fourth goal. Genuine class. So sometimes you have to hold your hand up to that.

My disappointment to that is we unload those areas. Because when that happens, players of that quality can punish you. So for me, we need to get pressure on that area, and we never put enough on it, and allowed them to take the PK and the first one there, just a touch of class.

Q. Owen, first things first. Joe Willis had, like you said didn't get former points. But Joe Willis had most of the match tonight. He was absolutely spectacular.
OWEN COYLE: I totally agree with that.

Q. Secondly, the Red Bulls had three substitutions that were all injured. Have you ever had either as a player or manager where you had to make all three substitutions for injuries only and nothing tactical?
OWEN COYLE: Yeah, I've not had anymore than three because that's the max you can have. But, yeah, you're right. And then, again the disappointment for me from that end is that's when, with all due respect, we should have looked to take more care of the ball. Because all night (Indiscernible).

But, again, that can happen. I think it's not something that you plan for and Jesse wouldn't have planned for that. That's an uncontrollable. Sometimes it's like a genuine uncontrollable, and that's what happened. But, again, you don't win by accident.

I watched both games against Toronto and Montreal, and there are various times in the games and key moments where they could have scored goals and went on to achieve points in the game. So we knew it was going to be a tough game. We're respectful of that. And I think Jesse knew that we needed some. We're moving forward and continuing to get better.

Frustrating tonight, absolutely. And my disappointment is for the group, for the players because they never achieved the positive points and results that we wanted. But I do know moving forward we'll have a an exciting team, and a team we want to watch and a team we can put together and win games and that's what we're looking to do.

Q. Coach, when Ronald Zubar comes off and it's their third sub, both center backs are out for them. At that point are you looking at this game like you guys can blow this open? Are you almost surprised this attack did better than your full squad?
OWEN COYLE: Yeah, I think it's tremendous merit to the question. I do think regardless of what happens it's such a special game that we involved in, the best game in the world globally. Well, you can never go soft because you can see what can happen. I think we exploited that when they were both in the field.

Sometimes maybe it was a blessing, I don't know. Because we got them, we punished them, and so with hindsight maybe it worked out for them. I don't know. My disappointment, to your point, we never passed the ball well enough in the second half that would have caused them more harm. And I think later on we pushed on to the equalizer. That was through more guts and spirit than actually passing the ball really well. As I said before, I know how big the hearts are on the team. What I do is just to add about finesse and game management to them. If we do that, then I'm convinced that we can win a lot of games.

Q. How much different did you see from the spirit of the team this year as opposed to if they had been in the same situation last year going down early on the road?
OWEN COYLE: Yeah, I think that's a very good question. I think they know him as a group. They know they can win games. I think they have that belief. Of course there were things after tonight that we want to make sure we get better at. And there will be different things. We'll go analyze that and look at that.

You're right. They have that belief. And they're growing. There are so many changes from last season, even personnel-wise, and again, we missed some valuable players tonight as well. But we are moving forward. The MLS is a tough environment. Every game, whether it be home or away, you're always tested and challenged because of the quality the league holds. And we have to be ready for that. But I know how gutsy they are, and we'll dust ourselves off and take our medicine because that's what we need to.

It's a shot in the teeth given the possession. But we'll take that and pick ourselves up and be ready to go again, because when people are talking after two games, nothing's to say. Say it was 3-4 we have to make sure all the good stuff that we're doing, that we make sure we improve all the other bits and pieces. If we do that, then we're safe for a good season.

Q. Coach, how pleased are you with Boniek's performance playing in this unusual position?
OWEN COYLE: With Maidana going down, that's a question, forgive me for going off on a tangent, that's a source of frustration as well for me Maidana misses a game due to injury he received last week, and the player was unpunished. I felt it was a red card, and they never did.

So that player is ineligible to play this week and we have a player missing. So that's a huge frustration to begin with. And you're right, because is a special pair, if you want a better phrase, and Boniek does well. He's a clever player, he's a different skill set, but for me, there was no problem. Boniek did very well. He works hard for the team, and he has great ability, as you know. He's a very unselfish player. He plays for the team first and foremost, and those players have huge value. So, no, we're pleased with Boniek.

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