History made in Texas
The Houston Dynamo won two MLS Cup in 2006 and 2007 and lost the final game twice as well in 2011 and 2012. But for the first time ever they are crowned US Open Cup champions after they beat Philadelphia Union 3-0.
Houston coach Cabrera on the win:
“It feels good definitely. it feels rewarding for the job that all the players, all the staff and of course, the ownership group who made it possible. We want to honor the city, we want to honor the fans.
This city, this club knows how to win and it was important to remember that. For us it was an opportunity to bring happiness and pride to the city so that we can continue being competitive. This is a big step for all of us.”
“It was a very good final. Very good championship game against a great opponent, great team, the coach – Jim Curtin, and all his players. They were excellent, very professional. And as always, in order for you to be a champion, you have to beat a great opponent and we had a great opponent tonight.”
“All the sacrifice, the pain and the difficulties that our players are going through, but it’s a reward for them. It’s a reward and it’s something that they needed because the team, since the year and a half that we have been together, most of the team, the staff and coaches, we’ve been able to work for something important.
Last year we were able to accomplish reaching the playoffs, but not only the playoffs, but we went all the way to the Western Conference championship. And this year, despite all the difficulties, we played the two tournaments, the U.S. Open Cup and trying to do our best to reach the MLS Cup.
And now we had the possibility to win a title that the club hasn’t reached until today and the players can be rewarded for the sacrifice. It hasn’t been easy. It hasn’t been easy. But now we can say that we know how to win, how to win a title for the city, for our fans, that they were thirsty for more.
They were waiting a long time, so it’s important for us to bring that back. And also for the ownership group that believed in us. They believed in our staff, believed in the players that we brought. So we can continue with the project and we can move forward.
And now we can touch it and we can say we are champions and that changes our life, changes our mentality. But it also gives us the possibility to say that we know how to win. And it’s important for you as a professional in any sport to say that you know how to win and you have won something.”
Philadelphia coach Curtin on the loss:
“First and foremost, congratulations to the Houston Dynamo and Wilmer Cabrera, a deserved result on the night. Difficult for us.
Obviously going from the emotion of thinking maybe we had scored a goal into conceding, never really rebounded from that. Our mentality maybe wasn’t there on the night. Listen, we win as a team and we lose as a team. As hard as it is to lose a final, it doesn’t dismiss the entire work that’s been done this season. It’s still a very good Open Cup run, it doesn’t end the way we wan. Only one team is happy at the end of this thing. Everybody has to stick together and in the hard moments.
We had a couple mistakes all over the field tonight, every player made a mistake tonight. Our response to those mistakes maybe wasn’t strong enough as a group. And again, credit to Houston on the night. Over the course of 90 minutes, they outplayed us.”
