CARSON, Calif. -- Although the pain of the loss in the MLS Cup Final is still fresh, New York Red Bulls sporting director Jeff Agoos has already put the club's miraculous playoff run in perspective.
"We've got a lot to be proud of," Agoos said. "Nobody outside this locker room gave this group a chance to get here and compete for a Cup. They really raised the bar and we're very proud of what they accomplished."
Agoos also liked what he saw from the Red Bulls on Sunday, especially in the opening 45 minutes.
"I actually thought the first half was one of the best halves we played this year," he said. "I thought they stretched Columbus and Columbus managed it well, but they really put Columbus under a lot of pressure."
Having been in both sides of MLS Cup locker rooms as a player, Agoos knows how difficult it is to deal with a devastating loss in the final.
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"It's never easy. It's never easy to lose, especially when you get this close," he said. "It's very painful and it stays with you for a long time. Hopefully it gives the team motivation to get back here and win it next year."
Boisterous Richards subdued: New York midfielder Dane Richards isn't shy about proclaiming what he thinks to the media.
Earlier in the playoffs, Richards said he was planning to run Houston left back Wade Barrett into the ground and that he had plans on being in southern California late in November even before the Red Bulls stepped onto the field against the two-time defending champion Dynamo.
Earlier this week, he talked about how his team had proved all of the doubters wrong and how he wanted to be celebrating on the field after winning on Sunday.
The Jamaican international was more circumspect after the game.
"I wanted to be on the field holding the Cup, obviously," Richards said. "Unfortunately, we scored one and they scored three. Congratulations to them. They played a good game."
There were regrets for Richards after he created the tying goal only to see Columbus restore its advantage 87 seconds later.
"If we had just kept that tie for five or seven minutes, maybe the result would have been different," Richards said. "We gave up a goal just a minute afterwards. That killed all of the momentum."
Light at the end of the tunnel: No one wants to lose in a championship game. For a New York team that wasn't expected to be here, there was a bit of a silver lining even after the final whistle crushed their championship dreams.
"I'm happy with our team's performance today," Red Bulls forward John Wolyniec said. "The game can be cruel sometimes."
There isn't much time to reflect after walking off the field, but Wolyniec thinks his team will look back fondly on the surprising run that brought them to Carson.
"We had a chance to do something special," Wolyniec said. "At the same time, when you look back, we put in a great effort the last few weeks. It's been a fun ride. You always have that disappointment about not being able to win a championship, but at the same time, there are a lot of good memories."
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