Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes following Saturday's 4-3 loss at Austin FC
On what went right in the first half and what went wrong in the second half…
It’s not what went right but wrong. It’s just very special actions in the game: three set pieces, three goals. The third one was complete laziness on our part, the tying goal. Whichever group is last is supposed to get up to the top of the box and keep the (Austin) players offsides. He would have been offside and it wouldn’t have been a goal. We don’t get out, he’s free and he gets a free shot. First, we don’t get out. Second, if you don’t get out, at least go win a ball in the air. The guy lets the ball come over his head and he hits it side volley. That means the ball is about three feet off the ground. We don’t have anybody that can’t clear the ball at that height.
We just lose our concentration on the three set pieces, which puts us in a tied game. That’s basically it. Then they score their fourth goal because again, we’re sleeping at the backside. Unfortunately, it’s a lack of concentration on big moments in the game.
On Sporting’s concession of the third and fourth Austin goals…
It's not just the backline. The third (Austin) goal is a set piece, so it isn’t just the backline in that moment. I would have to see the play again, but I don’t know who all the guys were who kept him onside, but it’s not just the backline. On their fourth goal, it’s not just the backline in that situation.
On the performances of Willy Agada and Erik Thommy…
There’s a reason why we scored three goals. Those guys were directly related to them. That’s the positive, but again, I’ve said this before. You have games where you score goals and you have games where you give up goals. Today we scored goals, but we couldn’t manage the moments that we had to, and it’s lack of concentration.
