Steve Sampson Quotes (70 Quotes)

Marcelo is a proven player in this league. His knowledge of our club and league, when combined with his ability, will give our midfield an added dimension.

It's a dream of mine. I worked very, very hard for many years. But the reality is, it's slow coming ... I think we're still a generation away from that.

We're alive in both cups. We're alive in the U.S. Open Cup, which is very important to our organization. We're still very much alive in league play. So we're very happy that we won Wednesday night. We know that we will meet this team again in league play at our place, and probably in the playoffs at some point. We just hope to be playing our very best soccer when that time comes.

There was one series (on Saturday) that was absolutely beautiful one-touch soccer. That's the type of football that I want to play. It's necessary that we have the ability to attack in the middle channel, that we have the ability to attack on the flanks. So yes, we continue to work on varying the way we attack. That's the only way we're going to repeat as champions.

He not only understood the business but understood the technical side as well, which is very rare in our sport.

We've had troubles all season long and the lack of concentration towards the end of the game. Tonight we didn't show that, we played with a lot more intelligence. Dallas brought everything it could, sliding balls in from every single part of the attacking half of the field. Cobi Jones and Landon Donovan -- their experience led to the victory at the end. The guys played with a lot more concentration and a lot more wisdom than we have at previous matches.

We've very close to being very good but that small measure comes in the way of scoring goals. It is inexcusable to lose the way we did.

I think that if we could've finished a couple of early opportunities in the game, that would have made a difference for us, ... Chris Albright's opportunity, which Scott Garlick saved, was a big psychological boost for them. Then we take the own goal and the two things combined caused some problems.

You don't make wholesale changes with your midfield that worked for you and won a championship overnight. But Landon is the type of player that is versatile. If it's not working for us in the midfield with Paulo and Pete I can put (Donovan) there. We might start with him there next week.

Not give Mark Chung the time and space to send that ball in.

This course is extremely difficult and when you factor in the hot weather all the kids out here from every team, you could just see the pain on their faces, ... You feel bad for thembut it's great watching them work so hard.

These were three very important points for us. It comes at a very important time for us our team has not won on the road in so very long. Leading up to the playoffs it's important that we play better and get results. I think coming out of here with three points against a very good D.C. United team that has won five out of the last six matches, it will give us an enormous amount of confidence going forward.

You can't afford to give up so many of those kinds of opportunities. You have to eliminate the unforced errors and the silly fouls. You have to be very, very careful against a team like San Jose as far as giving away too many opportunities where they can set up free kicks. They're used to this field. They know how to use it.

A couple of opportunities early in the game, I think that would have made a difference for us. I think Chris Albright's opportunity which Garlick saves, psychologically was a big boost for them, and then for us to take the own goal in the first half.

I think this team understands that we have to be able to resolve those issues in the first half and bring more energy to the game, and play more tactfully more intelligently. More players have to have better games than what we saw tonight, ... We have to use this game as a motivator for our upcoming matches and I'm sure that they will. This team will show its abilities, I'm sure in the final parts of this season and I'm sure that they will so our fans get what they want to see in the Open Cup Final against Dallas on Wednesday.

It's going to be enjoyable to have everyone here for the most part so I can rely on some consistent players, ... I'm not going to use it as an excuse, players going in and out of their national team, but I think any coach would like consistency and it has been difficult but everyone's making sacrifices around the league and now we should have our team in place in preparation for these final matches.

Playing matches like this is great preparation for us. We know very quickly the things we need to work on. We're much further ahead this year at this time than we were last year, but we had to be, given the early competition. I like most of what I see with my team and I think we're going to be very difficult to beat in league play.

This is a part of that. Our ability to play well Wednesday night is not only important to winning a cup, but also to gain that form that we're looking for leading into the playoffs. It's part of the process, and it's very important to us.

I think we're concentrating more. I think we're paying attention to details a lot better than we did midway through last season.

Management has never told me that, but regardless of what management's expectations are, my expectations are to win the trophy,

All of that is out of our control. All we have to do right now is sit back and watch and see what happens and prepare for San Jose (in the final week of the regular season).

Kevin has literally played every single minute up until today's game. I didn't want to go into the playoffs without Steve Cronin getting some playing time.

He can tend to make a defense fall asleep, so when he does make his run for it, it tends to be very productive.

The three points is very important to maintain at the very least second place and to try and gain some ground against San Jose. We know we have a lot of ground to make up.

We talk about defenders taking responsibility. The players that missed clear opportunities also have to take responsibility. That's how you win ball games.

He wasn't showing any signs of illness. The team doctor was with him and suddenly noted that he was sleeping in a very strange position. When he took a closer look he realized that he was not breathing and immediately began resuscitation.

(Cronin) got invaluable playing time tonight and I thought he played very well for his debut.

I'm disappointed at some of the chances we gave in the second half. These are the things we have to tidy up, ... Don't get me wrong. I'm very pleased with the result but we have to play better team defense going up and that's something we're going to work on.

His passion was the Galaxy. In retrospect, it's fitting that we won a championship for him this last year because I think he was so passionate about this team and loved every single player and the organization.

I like the way Cornell Glen finished his chances in the second half. He was very down on himself at halftime and the guys picked him up. He wanted to make a statement in the second half and I think he did.

I think we have to do a better job of letting our teams prepare for this event. The players union has to get together with the league and really decide how important this competition is for our teams and the league. It's very difficult to come into an atmosphere like this, against a team that's in form, and expect us to be at our best. Our league wants to win CONCACAF championships, and we're good enough. We have to give ourselves a better chance.

Overall, I was very disappointed with the end, but not disappointed with everything we saw tonight. I thought we put on a good enough performance to win if we just finish our chances.

I thought that Tyrone Marshall leaving the game was a big loss for us because I think he was holding the middle of the defense quite well for us. When he left we lost the middle of the defense.

When he's happy with himself and he's contributing, ... it's only going to help his confidence.

We're the only undefeated team in the country, ... We're the No. 1 team in both polls. We felt Virginia had to come in here and beat us to take over that position.

Only after we've had the opportunity to play at home and play away, will you really be able to measure the differences between the two teams, ... I look forward to them having the opportunity to prepare ideally for the next match and for us to be able to prepare ideally for the next match and to see where it lies after that.

We know that after this match, both teams will get on with the business of trying to do well in the playoffs and win the MLS Cup, ... So, both teams have an opportunity to win two cups going forward, and I think it's a great opportunity for both teams.

This man, I talked to four or five times a day. Philosophically, we knew where we wanted to go with this team. I'm going to miss those conversations. I'm going to miss his leadership the players are going to miss his leadership.

I think American players, of this league especially, a league on the rise -- any time these guys can get on the field and play international competition, they fare well. I think our all stars are going to do very well. Unfortunately it is not the most ideal preparation, but once they get on the field and see the environment I think they will step up and play respectfully.

My guys did what they're supposed to do, ... They held their positions like I asked them to. We just took care of business.

One thing that I've truly enjoyed about this team is the great leadership. Every single time this team's back has been against the wall, the leaders managed to come through. Now is no different.

He is a young, smart and quick player who will continue to develop and improve.

Obviously (Lee) is an exceptional player. It was pretty obvious to me that the Koreans were trying to find him. The first touch that he made on the first goal was in my estimation brilliant.

Our players have had the challenge of, like every other club in the country, to meet the physical challenges of travel and on many occasions, Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday games,

The only thing a coach can do is to continue to train, build players' confidence, continue to believe in them, or make personnel changes, ... Players with the kind of experience that we have should be finishing their opportunities...that's what they're paid for, that's what they're here for, that's what they're on the field for.

I think they have to respect the game, and they have to respect the opponent a bit more in these types of situations. Obviously we're going for the win, but you have to keep your shape and your balance in behind the ball, even when you attack. Foul a player at a key time. That would have been a moment to foul someone, even at the expense of taking a yellow card. Even at the expense of taking a red card at that moment.

Sometimes that's even more difficult because these are the guys on the bubble as far as making the World Cup squad for Korea. They're going to be fighting the hardest to win a spot sometimes they're the most dangerous teams to play against.

We had the majority of the match -- we dictated most of the play. They came to get a 0-0 result -- they did their job.

It's not as if we're friends that play poker every Sunday night, ... We're colleagues, and there's mutual respect there. Certainly, he understood the challenges of the '98 team I understand the challenges that he's had and what a good job he's done with the team. The growth that soccer has seen over the last 10 years - he's been a big part of that. We don't have any problems.

At the beginning of the year, the message is very clear, ... There are two cups we want to win. One is the U.S. Open Cup, and the other is the MLS Cup.