QUOTE SHEET | The Championship Race Remains Wide Open

Photo credit: Rob Kinnan/Carolina RailHawks

Indy Eleven secured a big win to move into second-place in the Fall Season and Combined Standings, but both the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Carolina RailHawks boosted their postseason chances with key wins on Saturday night.

Here's how coaches and players reacted to the latest round of results: 

Indy Eleven coach Tim Hankinson on the dominant home performance against New York

“New York is a great team, but tonight was a complete effort and shows that if we can have complete efforts on both sides of the game, we can beat the best in the league. I think part of tonight (Saturday) involved us having a better understanding of how to defend them, and I thought we communicated well. I think we were a step faster than them in dealing with problems, whereas in New York [three weeks ago] we were still trying to figure [things] out and were always a step behind. Big credit to the guys for that.”

Carolina RailHawks coach Colin Clarke on the team’s form heading down the stretch run after a win against FC Edmonton

"The way this team is shaping up and where they are right now, there's nothing stopping us from going on the road and getting wins. “We’re in the middle of a fight and it’s gonna be great to watch from a lot of different angles. It’s going to be up and down and back and forth because that’s the way the game goes, but it feels great to be a part of it."

FC Edmonton coach Colin Miller on a better second-half performance despite the loss

“In the second half we make a change and the youngster [Shamit Shome] came on and gave us a bit of life and played very well I thought. We were better in the second half. We were much more like ourselves and with some luck, could have scored a couple goals. I can’t take anything away from the RailHawks, I thought they played very well, this is a difficult venue to play. I take nothing away from our guys, they fought right to the end, particularly in the second half.”

Jacksonville Armada coach Mark Lowry on falling just short of a win in the draw with Rayo OKC

“They worked so hard on the field. Sometimes it’s not pretty, but they dug in, and they deserved more than that tonight. [Rayo OKC coach Gerard Nus] came up to me and said, ‘You guys were the better team tonight.’ That says it all for me.”

Miami FC coach Alessandro Nesta on his side needing to be more combative after a loss to Puerto Rico FC

"With the subs I made, I was trying to push from the midfield but it did not work. We lost because we didn't win duels, we were late every time."

Ottawa Fury FC coach Paul Dalglish on defeating Minnesota United again

“It's a six-pointer. That win tonight took us above Minnesota in the Fall [Season] Standings. So we have got to take great confidence from that.”

Ottawa midfielder Ryan Williams on the team’s mentality for the remaining games of the year

"You should never ever stop fighting. We are not looking too far ahead. We are taking every game as it comes, but you've always got to have a long-term goal and we're not giving up."

Tampa Bay Rowdies coach Stuart Campbell on getting a big win on the road

"It was a huge game for us not just because it's the Rowdies against the Strikers, but because of the importance to the playoff chase. We spoke about how important this game was and we're absolutely delighted to come away with three points."

Tampa Bay forward Georgi Hristov on scoring three goals

"I feel great about the three points first and foremost. I've always said it's about the team first. I'm happy for the three goals, but it wouldn't happen if it wasn't for my teammates. We had some great chances.”