I thought it was important to give the new players their debuts at Providence Park because I think it's important for them to sample what it's like to be a Portland Timbers player. I've looked at Cole [Bassett] all pre-season and I think he's experienced now what this club's all about. I think that was really important for [Alex] Bonetig and Brandon Bye as well.
I mean, we have to stay humble and stay home, but we can't get ahead of ourselves, feel too good, and then go on the road to Portland and get stung, which would take away the momentum. We've got humble guys in that locker room who understand, with great veterans that have been around the game a long time and are helping our young players in the process.
"I think in life, sometimes you have to be honest, and I have to take accountability for that performance. I would say it was one of the poorest performances of my whole managerial career, from the first minute until the last minute."
Phil Neville stated that the players are taking pride in maintaining clean sheets, emphasizing that they've lost only one of their last eleven games, contributing to confidence.
The spirit of the guys - they were not going to give in. It's the first time in a while that I heard at half-time, walking out of the locker room and saying we're not losing tonight.
