Sounders FC 3, N.E. Revolution 0 -- Seattle player quotes

LEO GONZALEZ, defender via translator

(On getting forward, when Schmid told you to stay back to worry more about Nyassi) "Indeed it was the guidance from the management staff, but the opportunities showed up. I managed to go to offense and thank God managed to score."

(On the goal) "Even before talking about the goal, I want to dedicate this to our friends. Guys like Hurtado and Fucito. Thank God, again, it was a beautiful goal and gave us confidence for the remainder of the game."

(Continued) "It was a matter of getting the confidence to kick and a little bit of luck as well. Thank God and it was good goal."

KASEY KELLER, goalkeeper

(On the result) "It could have been nasty. We could've really ran on 'em. Obviously 3-0, we're very happy with that. Long overdue. I thought the mentality from the very first minute was tremendous. We pushed them. We kept them in their half. We challenged for everything. The work rate was second to none, this season, and the standard has been set. It's great. Anytime it drops, I think everyone can go and watch a little film and say, 'You do this or we find someone else who does it, because you've proven that you can.' I'm just happy. I'm happy for everybody. I'm happy, obviously, for the fans and for ownership and the players because this is what we've been working hard to earn. But we know we've got another game on Thursday. Although we're going to enjoy ourselves, and fans are going to enjoy themselves, we can't do this halfway. We know we've got another game on Thursday that we're more than capable of winning as well. And what a great way to go into the minibreak with six points. It's halftime for me. Now the second half starts against D.C."

(Anything more to be had in the dominant way that you won?) "I, for one, after we scored the third goal, I wanted to make sure we did all the little things right to keep the clean sheet at the back because I think that's very important for us right now. We conceded some goals late in games. We lost our concentration. I didn't want to have that negative thought process go in our head after this game. I wanted everybody to come out of this game knowing we got an unbelievable goal from Leo, a great goal from Zakuani, Fredy did his thing - popped up and banged it - and then to have the defense have that confidence as well knowing they had nothing to lose and were going to push things forward, and challenge for things, and that we could keep that 'zero' in the back. This is hopefully a large, large step towards a lot better things coming."

(Was this the best defensive performance of the season?) "Obviously they're a decent team and they're so dangerous on set pieces. And we've conceded too may goals on set pieces this year, so on that side of it, I'm very proud. The guys did brilliantly I think. Shalrie Joseph is a very dangerous player for them. I thought the combination of Pat and Brad did a great job defending him the whole game. I'm sure he was very frustrated. Just very, very proud of the way the guys battled from minute to minute. I think what I was happy about, is I know that they put us under a little bit of pressure, but in different games we were very slow getting the ball out of the back and just playing really kind of across and keeping the ball. We put it in their half, we put them under pressure and we were rewarded for it. And way they cleared it, we were up their back and headed it back into pressure. I think we've cleaned up a mentality that has been kind of creeping into us this season and now the standard's been set."

PAT NOONAN, forward

(On this being the one to turn it around) "I sure hope so. That was a complete effort for 90 minutes. We got the early lead, built upon it and had a nice lead going into the half. We didn't let up. We continued to create chances. We didn't get another one, but our defense kept them off the board, which is great to see. It was an all-around team effort tonight."

(Boost of the early goal?) "It was good. Obviously coming from Leo, a great finish. It was huge and you could tell it got the crowd into it early and got the guys confident. We didn't look back after that."

(On the second goal) "Just a class finish. Montero, heads-up play just to get an early throw in and Brad got a little thigh on it and flicked it over. It was an all-around heads up play."

(On having fun out there?) "That's when you enjoy what you're doing. We're always enjoying it, but the way it's been lately - not finishing - it's tough. It's tough on the defense too when we're trying to come from behind, or we're zero-zero, and we're not putting the ball in the net. Tonight to get the early lead and get the crowd into it and kind of build off of that, that was for key us. Because we kept attacking, had good opportunities and kept moving the ball and our finishing and getting our shots on goal were first-class tonight."

STEVE ZAKUANI, midfielder

(On the win) "It was important. I think the three points is the most important thing, because we have to win. I think I said on Tuesday, this was the most important game of our Sounders careers so far. We had to win, we just had to win. We've been saying for a while that there will be a game where we're going to break out, and tonight happened to be that night. I think even more than just the result, the performance was fantastic. It was interplay, great exchange of one-twos. On another night we could have five or six, I think that's the only disappointment, but no, it was a good result. Good to give the fans that, and it sets up very well for D.C. on Thursday."

(How important was movement off the ball?) "Oh, it was very important, we were buzzing. I think it came from our defensive effort first. We went into the game not letting them settle. We were on them from the first whistle. You could see guys were making tackles, guys were hustling, and from that you end up getting possession, and we were nice with the ball today. Very clean, very efficient, and it just sometimes takes a special goal, and Leo gave us that. Once he did that, we kind of settled, they were more open, and like I said we could have scored five or six."

(Your goal?) "I had an earlier one, an earlier volley, where I caught it well but I couldn't keep it down. Then I had the one-on-one that the keeper saves, so I said, 'I have to score.' I couldn't leave the pitch without scoring. It's just one of those, you take it. It could either go in the back row or it could go in the top corner, and today it went in the top corner and I'm happy with it."

(Fredy wouldn't let you take the team-high in goals for long, eh?) "No, of course, of course. That's his job. Fredy's our goal-scorer, so when he scores, I'm happy if he scores and the team is happy. We talk about it though, it's healthy competition. But it's good, it's good. It was a great goal as well, there were three tremendous goals."

(On Leo's goal) "He hit it to me, but it was a bit too far. Then Alston slipped so I wanted to cut back, and I cut back too far, and it was good because Leo came in and finished it. I told Leo before the game I'm going to need him tonight because when you're playing against a quick defender you need one-twos and we had that tonight and he was there for it."