[USA-EL SALVADOR, SOUND OFF] Goalie Sean Johnson said he needs to turn a negative into a positive. Mix Diskerud said he and teammate Freddy Adu were bitten by Salvadoran players and showed off marks as proof. Coach Caleb Porter said he has never felt worse. The outcome confirmed for Jurgen Klinsmann that soccer is a brutal game. And for Eric Wynalda the blame for the USA's dramatic exit from Olympic qualifying goes to U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati.

The Players

"Gotta turn negatives into positives and channel it into motivation. Proud of all my teammates and all the heart and grit they showed."
-- U.S. keeper Sean Johnson (Twitter)

“I’m real disappointed. This is the lowest I’ve ever felt as a pro athlete. This is going to be hard to get over, but at the end of the day, things like this happen. You know, sometimes they make you stronger. For me, I never want to feel this way, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to never feel this way again.”
-- Captain Freddy Adu. (ussoccer.com)

"Part of the game, I guess."
-- Mix Diskerud after saying both he and Adu were bitten by Salvadoran players and showed reporters marks as proof. (AP)

“I’m proud of my team, and for the first time I really felt what it’s like to fight for your country.”
-- German-born and -bred Terrence Boyd. (ussoccer.com)

The Coaches

“No. I’ve never felt anything like this in my life. That’s honest. I can tell you something different but as attached as I’ve gotten to those guys in four months, to see them not achieve -- it’s not about me, and I’ve said that all along. I’ve told them that all along. It’s about them. I’m here to help them continue to evolve as professionals and help them achieve successful results and get to London. For me it’s painful that they have to suffer like this given what they gave in the second half. It’s unbearable. I’ll move on from this, as well. It’s going to take some time. In some ways I’m still in complete, utter shock. It was seconds away.”
-- U.S. under-23 coach Caleb Porter on whether he has experienced an emotional swing like what he experienced. (ussoccer.com)

"The game can be really brutal sometimes. And really I just feel bad for the guys and for Caleb, who really did a good job. They didn't lose the qualification today. They let it slip out if their grasp in the Canada game when they weren't alert enough. And they paid the price today with a goal in the last second. And of course that hurts."
-- U.S. national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann. (AP)

The Pundits

"The truth of the matter is that Sunil has to take the responsibility for this. You can blame the players, you can blame the muck, you can blame Caleb Porter if you like, but I would argue that he had no business being in that position in the first place. Ultimately, the blame falls on the people who do the hiring."
-- Former national team player and Fox Soccer analyst Eric Wynalda on who's responsible for the USA's exit from the Olympics. (AP)

"Finished the game with a 4-3-3. Uh, this isn't bloomington buddy. You made your bed, sleep in it. Or not.
-- Wynalda asked for his thoughts on Porter's coaching abilities. (Twitter)

"Is it a disappointment? Yes. Is it a failure? Yes. Is the sky falling? Absolutely not. Having the Olympic experience would certainly be beneficial to these players. In a different way to look at it, this tournament helped weed out some of the quote-unquote talent that maybe isn't what we thought. And for those players who do graduate to the national team, those few select players, it gives them a harsh but maybe vital lesson in terms of not only recognizing moments and opportunities but not wasting them."
-- Two-time U.S. Olympian and ESPN analyst Alexi Lalas. (AP)