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PORTLAND TIMBERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 10, 2018

Giovanni Savarese

Harrison, New Jersey

New York Red Bulls - 4, Portland Timbers - 0

GIOVANNI SAVARESE: For me it was an embarrassing match because at a point, we had the game in control. I think we could have won this match if we wanted to, and we allowed them to be able to get the better of it because they wanted it more. And when a team steps on the field wanting the game more, they deserve to win. For me, that was the key of the match.

Q. Red Bull is known for that high press. How do you think that impacted the game tonight for the timbers?
GIOVANNI SAVARESE: No, it's not the high press. It's the attitude. It's not the high press. The attitude was better from them.

There were moments in which we looked like we were in control. We were in control. This game we could have won if we wanted to, but at the end of the day, as soon as they scored the second goal, we give up, and that's one thing we need to improve. We have to continue to work and if we want to be the type of team that wants to win a championship, we need to do a lot more work but most of all, we have to have more attitude.

Q. And was that your message to the guys after the game?
GIOVANNI SAVARESE: No, because I thought that we were doing, first of all, the right things, so at half time going into the second half, I thought we had the game in control. We did have the ball in the second half. We could have capitalized, and unfortunately that's the way it went.

So well deserved for them because they wanted it more than us.

Q. Why was it they wanted it more than you guys? They have a game on Tuesday. They played their reserve team; you guys have your starts out there. This game was set up for you guys to come out with a result. Why was it you came out on the worse end of it?
GIOVANNI SAVARESE: It has to do with mentality and Red Bull, the players came in, they had the better mentality, and then you have to fight for each other, they play for the team. At the end, that paid dividends.

Q. How do you get that mentality with Portland?
GIOVANNI SAVARESE: We are starting. This is the beginning of the process. This is when it becomes even better for the coach to make his decision to make more work because for the fan support, the Timbers, this is not good enough. They deserve a lot more and we need to do a better job in order to make sure that we're representing in the best possible way.

Q. You started the preseason looking to instill your style on the team. Do you feel like your message is getting through right now?
GIOVANNI SAVARESE: It's not about style or way of play. It's about attitude. It's about playing as a team, and that's what we need to continue to work on, and that's what we need to improve.

Q. You said it's the beginning. How do you instill this attitude?
GIOVANNI SAVARESE: We've been here before in my times of coaching, and at the end, we just have to make sure that we continue to work and that we guide the team to the right direction and have no doubt that we are going to get into that direction.

Q. You spoke of the team's learning process, your style of play and style of tactics and everything, is that part of why the performance today wasn't --
GIOVANNI SAVARESE: No, I don't think so. I think it has to do with more than that. But we're going to continue to work. We have great players, and we have a team that can represent much better defensive (ph) teams.

Q. You made a couple of changes. Why that decision, why take Andy out of the lineup?
GIOVANNI SAVARESE: It was a decision that we made. We felt it was what we wanted to do more this match and that's why we made that decision.

Q. How will you use the extra time to your benefit to get the guys ready for Dallas on the road?
GIOVANNI SAVARESE: Now we play our third match. We have more time to prepare, so the guys need to be hungry. I can't wait to start working already next practice, and we have to be better. We have to continue to improve.

Q. How is it coming back to New York?
GIOVANNI SAVARESE: It's always great to come to New York. It's a good feeling to see so many good people, people that I know for a long time. This is a club, you know, that I know very well. So it's always a pleasure to come to New York.

Q. You went with the 6-8 combination against the Galaxy, went two sixes today with Guzman and Olum, something you did a couple times during preseason. What was the thinking behind that and what were you looking to do?
GIOVANNI SAVARESE: We felt that we wanted to putt two players that know very well the league that have played together before, and we felt that for this match, it was the better pairing to be able to get a result. Unfortunately it wasn't the case.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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