Post Match Quotes: Paul Buckle and Ivan Mirković after Sacramento Republic's Loss to OC Blues

Ivan Mirković

On his first time coming back to Bonney Field since joining OC Blues

I was a little bit nervous before the game and I was trying to concentrate and not think about my past with Sacramento. I was trying to focus on my game and my new team, but it was amazing. I really missed this crowd and playing in front of all these people and the Tower Bridge Battalion. I always enjoy it and it was the same tonight.

What the Tower Bridge Battalion gave him after the game

They gave me a Serbian flag from the last three years that they've had, so that was pretty cool. They were nice to me tonight. It doesn't matter that I played for the opposite team they were supporting and it was pretty nice. I'm thankful.

On how he has fit in with his new team

They opened me with open hands. I was surprised when after I played my second game they gave me the captain's band and said "lead us" and I have been doing that since the game against Galaxy.

It's a brand new team. We have fifteen new players from last year, including nine player who have never played in USL before. We still need time to gel together but we are on a good track... three games in a row one zero but, hey, I'm going to take that anytime. Three points is three points.

Paul Buckle

His thoughts on how the game went

It's sometime difficult to get it right here, straight afterwards. I'm not as angry as I was after the last 1-nil... I think the problem tonight was gifting the goal straight away. It was a gift. It's poor play on our part and they capitalized. At the moment that's what's happening, it's a bit like a broken record for us in terms of the goal we conceded in the error away [in Portland], the own goal last week and an error again [tonight].

I think on reflection we have to take ]the loss] on the chin. Every team goes through a rough patch and I suppose I'd rather it now than when we don't have any games left.

I feel we controlled the game, funny enough. I have to give you my honest opinion -- I'll never cover up for the boys, but I thought we controlled the game. And against a team like Orange County where they sit in, we knew what was going to happen. Gifting them a goal so early was the worst thing we could do. I thought we were patient for the rest of the game. I thought we recovered from that, we didn't leave open gaps.

We gave ourselves a mountain to climb with that but I was proud of the way the players kept going. And again, I think the minimum we deserve was a draw out of the game. But to deserve something you have to put the ball in the back of the net, we know that. We are getting chances. we're getting golden opportunities and we're just not taking them.

I was really pleased with the majority of the players tonight. I don't think anybody had a really really poor game... Like I say, against teams here -- we've seen it before -- we have to get the first goal. We certainly can't afford to give the goal away that we did. We had a free kick, we wasn't set when we decided to play and they punished us. And that was something that wasn't good enough.

To be six games in, seeing what I'm seeing from the team. seeing where we're at, if you said 10 things I'd say we've got eight of them that you need to go on a good run and to win something. The final part is around the box. I know it, the boys know it. Obviously we'll be looking to do something about that, of course, to add to the squad. That's what football clubs do if we're not finding the back of the net.

On Kip Colvey's performance and how well he integrated into the team

I think he showed that it's not always easy. I felt that James [Kiffe] needed a break. For me Colvey's really a right back, but he's done a great job with the Quakes at left back so we decided to go with it. He didn't get forward as much as we'd have liked.

When we did conceded the goal -- goals change games. It's a old saying but it's very true and it puts you on the back foot

For me, the game of football is about details. I'm looking for quality and he certainly gave us that. Emrah was struggling with a cramp in his calf so we changed it and brought Kip across to the right. I think you saw with that run, the timing of the run, the ball into the box is whey he's playing at an MLS level. I thought he did well.

We're the ones that are at the moment pressing self destruct at both ends... But like I say, we're never going to go through a season hunkey dorey. We're going through a patch here where we've lost three 1-nils with two gifts and an own goal.

On the chance late in the first half between Klimenta and Stewart

If you look in the first half when Emrah goes through and it's one of them does he go right to goal or square it for Tom. And he squares it and that's that sort of indecision in front of goal which comes when the boys are not finding the back of the net.

I think [squaring it] was a good decision. I think the goalie did fairly well to come out as he did, he read the situation. But maybe it was just a little under pace, which Emrah admitted himself... But it was just that indecision, you know, to really put it across with some pace so [Stewart] just needs a touch on the ball.

On Octavio Guzman coming back to the starting XI

We lost Tavo eight months ago to a bad injury and we've been waiting to get him on the field and waiting to get him up to speed. He's a big player for us, he's a first team player and he showed it tonight. It's not always easy for him to show it in training and I've been waiting and I thought he was excellent. For his first game since September, I thought he was fantastic.

He gives us something different. He gets us up the pitch, he's very good at committing people and that's what we need. Around the 18 yard box, 30 yards from goal, you need someone to step forward... and Tavo did that. He's just a bit off it with his finishing and that's normal because he's not played. I was so pleased with the way he performed.

What do you think about what Buckle and Mirkovic had to say last night? Sound off in the comments below.