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PHILADELPHIA UNION MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 1, 2016

James Curtin

NY Red Bulls - 3, Philadelphia - 2

JIM CURTIN: Obviously disappointing end to a road trip like this. A lot was on the line tonight. I thought it was two teams that got after it. It was a fast-paced game. I thought we had a good start, got the goal, and they raised their level a bit and came at us, scored. We were 1-1 at the half.

Upset with the start of it at the second half. I thought that the first goal we gave up was just a straight ball by Dax that was clipped over the top. Didn't defend it well. So they'll make you pay. From there, showed great character, got back in the key and responded, raised our level again, and we get the equalizer. Disappointing.

We talked a lot about not conceding shots when you're out of the box because they're dangerous on set pieces. I don't know if it's a foul. I'll have to look at the tape. Doesn't think so. Sacha clipped the ball and then we lost track of the guy, of Dax, so a dangerous guy in the air.

So all in all, again, an exciting game for the fans. Disappointing for us not to get points out of it. We put a lot into the game, but Red Bulls were better on the day. So we come out with nothing. We look forward to getting back home. We only have two games now to the end of the year, and we need points.

Q. (Inaudible)?
JIM CURTIN: Yeah, not good. Wasn't really responsive when he came off on the stretcher when I went over to him. It's going to be obviously some form of a concussion. I don't want to speculate. I don't think it's -- hopefully it's not anything with his neck or anything too severe. He is standing upright and walking around now. He was definitely out of it, that's for sure.

So anytime you have head injuries, you have to be very careful. A guy who's pretty proactive in getting guys off the field, it wasn't something of even a question of him continuing. But, yeah, his health comes first. It's bigger than the game. This was a big game and losing him hurt, safety first, and with head injuries, for sure, it's critical to treat those the right way.

Q. Just talk about Andre. Obviously (Inaudible). He seemed to have held on to the starting role, but he's been fantastic for you guys. How important has he been?
JIM CURTIN: Yeah, yeah, I would say that he's been excellent this year. He made some big saves for us tonight. Did a great job keeping us in it. We're having a very young back line, and I would say he's still a very young goalkeeper. This was his first full year, and he's done a great job for us. Yeah, again, we gave up some chances and he bailed us out a little bit tonight. He made some big saves for us, kept us in the game and gave us an opportunity to get back in it. And we pushed and pushed, but weren't able to get the goals in. They were better tonight.

Q. (Inaudible) how much was it when he came out of the game?
JIM CURTIN: Yeah, I think with Josh coming out, anytime you lose a teammate, and the visual of going off on a stretcher, I think that takes a little bit of the air out of the group, for sure. Red Bulls seemed to push for those next 15, 20 minutes and really pressed us and kept us pinned in. Josh's is a leader and that's evident. He's a great center back and (Indiscernible) did a good job. That's a difficult situation to come into a game. He stepped up and did well. But, yeah, we missed Josh, no question about it.

With Mo, I thought he had a great week of training, and he's pushing out to a level where he's covering ground and he's right where we want him to be for his position that he plays for us. Just a situation where coming off a great game in Toronto. Brian Carroll played well there too.

You know, Mo is pushing and knocking on the door, but didn't want to dress all three of them. Little too defensive. Hindsight now, you lose your center back to a concussion, and all of his eligibility, we got beat up a little bit tonight. So maybe could have used him, but at the same time, you don't want to go into a game with three midfielders.

Q. (Inaudible)?
JIM CURTIN: No.

Q. In terms of the intensity?
JIM CURTIN: Intensity, yeah, certainly. For sure.

Q. How do you think your team responded to that?
JIM CURTIN: Yeah, I think that was a fast tempo game. You talk with Sacha and Dax walking off the field. And they said, yeah, that was a real game. It was. It was end to end, it was fast. They had chances. We had some chances as well. But, yeah, tempo-wise, that was as fast as the game we've played in, good atmosphere from the crowd.

But, yeah, it had the look and feel of a playoff game where the weather gets a little cold. Things get ramped up a bit. Every inch matters. Every play matters, and they're a team that plays a high-pressing style. We do as well. And we saw how open-field position battles where they played a little bit after and we played a little bit after, and tried to pin each other in, but they got the better of us today.

Q. With results going the way they are, how is there now more into the -- after tonight, to make sure you have the six points?
JIM CURTIN: It's clear what we need to do. We need to win a soccer game. We have two at home against Orlando and this New York team, which is a good team. Both teams are good. There are no easy points in our league, so it's clear what we need to do. We need to win a game. Could have been tonight. If we win tonight, it takes care of things.

But you see the results. Obviously teams are pushing in the Eastern Conference, but we still control our destiny, which is a good place to be in, and we need to get a win.

Q. (Inaudible) how frustrating is that?
JIM CURTIN: Yeah, disappointing in big games. Set pieces are critical. Yeah, we've been a team that's played pretty well on defending set pieces in terms of statistically how many goals we've given up has been a pretty decent number. But in the biggest spot, in the big game, we came in small.

They took a short one, and, again, made them put a few passes together that lost track of their most dangerous player in Sacha in the box, which is unacceptable. And then the second one where Sacha cooks it in, we need to do a better job of being closer to guys. So the situation is what you already have with ten guys behind the ball. It's just a matter of winning the individual battle and not wanting to get (inaudible).

But we're young, we're young. A lot of guys this is the first time they're going through what I would call real games, and this is a real game tonight and we came up a little short.

Q. (Inaudible)?
JIM CURTIN: Good. Injury, I won't speculate because I'm not 100% sure. But he took a knock pretty early in the game, and it just gave him to where he had to come out of the game. I've never subbed him out of the game like that, but just something we looked over and they said he couldn't go. So difficult, disappointing. Again, not how we wanted to use them, but plans have to change quick.

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