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PORTLAND TIMBERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

July 10, 2016

Caleb Porter

Harrison, New Jersey

New York Red Bulls, 0 - Portland Timbers, 0

Q. How did you think your side did today? I know it's been a rough start to your season. But Gleeson did a very good job in goal tonight against a pretty good Red Bulls team?
COACH PORTER: I thought it was a good game. Both teams were organized. Neither team was going to back down or give in. We knew it would be a little choppy at times because of their pressure. I thought at times we could have managed that better. We were extremely organized the whole game. I thought we made it difficult on them.

I thought we had situations on the counterattack especially. I thought we could have done better a few times. We allowed them to get numbers back. We didn't capitalize at times in the second half. I thought there were several times we could have pulled the trigger, played an extra pass.

We were a little unlucky as well on a few. First half, good save by Robles. Alvas hit the crossbar. And they had a few as well. Jake made a good save on the one time they got behind us really all game. He came up big. So probably fair result, two good teams again. And that's six results for us on the road.

So that's equal to two wins. And that's seven games unbeaten. So we're doing real good. It's two clean sheets in a row. I told the guys obviously as you reach this stage of the season it's important that you buckle down, defend well, because games get tighter and oftentimes it's one goal that unlocks it. We weren't able to find that goal but neither were they.

And if you can't find the goal on the road, you buckle down, you get the point. So put that in the bank. And that puts us level with, I think, three teams. And like you said, slow start because injuries but we're in a really good rhythm right now and we're right in the race, firmly in the race.

Q. When you talked about the team's organization, (indiscernible)?
COACH PORTER: Yeah, I mean, any good coach will tell you you're only as good as your players. I'm a really good coach with really good players. So with Reggie in, he's missed over half the season. So these things get lost in the shuffle. Darlington missed six, seven games. Diego Valeri has missed four, five games. We've not had a full squad. We lose Darren 30 seconds into the game.

But ever since we signed Liam Ridgewell our overall track record defensively has been outstanding, and he's a big part of that. His ability to lead the line, communicate and just his quality in general.

Q. How big a loss was it -- the speed of Mattocks early on, what adjustments did you make?
COACH PORTER: A big part of our plan today was to play in the break. We felt through Mattocks and Luca we could find some space.

So we lose one guy that would have brought some of those things. So kind of changed a little bit our effectiveness, but Lucas still found some time on the counter, some space on the counter, sorry. We thought Grabavoy came in and did a good job, gave us a little bit of a different look in terms of keeping the ball. I thought when we moved him inside underneath Adi and shoved, and slid Darlington on the left we really were dangerous and I thought we would get the goal.

Like I said, you have to give New York credit. I thought they were really good at defending the counter, and there have been some games I've watched before this season when it hasn't been the case.

So, really, it's a credit to their defenders for putting out those fires on the break. They did a nice job of that. I thought Perrinelle coming into the game was a nice addition. He's a smart player.

Q. How do you feel (indiscernible) get back the national break? And what do you think he's improved or what he's learned from that experience?
COACH PORTER: I think anytime a player goes into the international level, they're thrown in that ocean. It's a new ocean, and there's new sharks that make you play a little quicker and run a little faster and think a little quicker and I think his game improved. He's always been an extremely talented player.

But I think going into play with the best players in our country probably opened his eyes a little bit how good he is. Because no doubt he fit right in. And then coming back he's still getting fit again because he didn't play.

But he's really confident. He's a great player.

Q. Can you talk -- I know you mentioned -- can you talk a little bit about (indiscernible) how far they've come?
COACH PORTER: Really it's all 11 guys. You defend from the front and last two games we've been picking teams up more in the middle third. Really worked a lot on kind of pressing in that middle third. There's basically, the way I see it, three ways to defend. You can press high, middle or low. And there have been times when we've dropped off two deep and invited pressure. And I think it was a happy medium for us on the road is to kind of squeeze in that middle third and we wanted to defend narrow and look to trap them wide and take away their middle because they're pretty clever the way they play with little wall passes and combinations through the center of the park.

And I thought they were able to get through us a little bit but never really unlock us for that pass to spring guys in except for the one.

I thought we did a really good job taking away their middle and making it a game where they had to serve and we gobbled up the crosses. So it's a credit to the guys how they played. But it's not just the four or the six, it's the 11, the 10.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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