2021 MLS CUP: PORTLAND VS NEW YORK CITY

December 11, 2021

Santiago Moreno

Portland Timbers

Postgame Press Conference

New York City 1, Portland 1

4-2 Penalties

Q. You stepped up to convert a penalty in the shootout today? What was going through your head stepping up to shoot that penalty and during the penalty shootout overall?

SANTIAGO MORENO: So through my head I was just thinking about making that penalty because I knew how important that penalty was for the match.

Q. Could you just take us through the goal at the end of regulation and how you saw it. What was your perspective on the play and what your emotions were like when you saw it go in.

SANTIAGO MORENO: So that was an undescribable moment for us since we fought throughout the entire match to earn that goal. We felt we deserved it. We fought hard for it.

Q. Coming into the game later on in the match, needing to get a goal to come back into it, what was that like for you stepping up after Blanco had to come off?

SANTIAGO MORENO: So my goal has always been to do my part for this team for the win. In general I'm thankful to God for getting us to this point, and our vision for next year is to do better.

Q. Talk about accepting the right back, what was that like, were there instructions out there, and did you know you would come on in the first hour?

SANTIAGO MORENO: So as I mentioned before, that moment of the goal was undescribable. It was an undescribable moment, feeling our hearts beating so fast. It made us very hopeful of winning the game and then we just, you know, feel very sad with the result.

Q. Did you know going into the match that you would come on at that hour-mark?

SANTIAGO MORENO: So, yes, at the moment when I came in, the game was extremely tight. It was very hard. I understood from the coach that if he had brought me in at that moment, it was to help out with the team.