COLUMBUS CREW 1, CHICAGO FIRE 1
COLUMBUS CREW HEAD COACH SIGI SCHMID
On the game:
"I have mixed emotions. I always want us to win and I always want us to play the best that we can play. But on the same token, we've been leaking goals for two weeks and we needed to make sure that stopped. We made two mistakes and they capitalized on one and the other one they hit the post on.
"Defensively we were much, much better. Offensively, it sacrificed a bit of our offensive game and what our guys need to find now is the balance between how to play good defense and how at the same time to play good, creative offense like we did in the first half in Colorado. We certainly want to win our home opener, but we certainly didn't want to lose our home opener either. I know we are going to get better."
COLUMBUS CREW MIDFIELDER SEBASTIAN ROZENTAL
On his goal and the game:
"Every team I have been on I try to take the penalty kicks and I am happy today that I scored. It was an important moment for us. I don't think we deserved to be losing the game. I am happy because we improved in general. We improved compared to the other two games defensively. And I mean defensively the 11 players. Eleven players have to defend and we did it better than the first two games. Offensively we are getting there. We are getting to know each other better and every player is new compared to last year."
CHICAGO FIRE HEAD COACH DAVE SARACHAN
On the game:
"The idea when you go on the road is to come away with points and obviously from the standpoint of points we go one today. I felt we earned three. We really limited Columbus. They posed not a lot of threats against us and somehow when you look up on the board its 1-1. We have a group inside the locker room that's competitive and felt we could have had three today. But again, a point on the road, an important point, and we are going to continue to build on that."
CHICAGO FIRE FORWARD CHRIS ROLFE
On playing in Crew Stadium:
"It's a place I grew up watching games at and aspiring to play at so I think when I come here I got an extra little boost. My family's here. I don't know if that has anything to do with it but I think I am just fortunate to get the chances. It is just a great feeling to come to play here. It was a great effort by Chad (Barrett) and he deserves a lot of credit on my goal."
