Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes
Thoughts on his team's performance...
My first reaction is that we had an incredible desire to get to the goal. We talked about that we were going to have the opportunity to go, go, go. We just had to get into the box. The fact that we scored two to get back into it was great. To get a point on the road is tremendous, but I really believe we deserved three points. I’m not happy necessarily with the two goals we gave up early. Outside of that, I thought we ruled the game away from home.
On the team's comeback after trailing 2-0...
It was an incredible desire by the group — a good mentality, obviously. They believe in each other. They believe in what we’re doing. They know that we had a really poor first 15-20 minutes but outside of that, the rest of the game was ours.
On Diego Rubio returning to the squad and scoring the equalizer...
As I told him a little while back, my mind is always open. For every player on the roster, as a coaching staff our objective is for all of them to be at the best of their ability. So when he’s coming into a game and he plays well and he does something, I’m the first guy that is going to be clapping for him. I was when he scored. It was a great finish. It was a great play by our team. It’s just a shame, because we should have easily walked away with three points. It was a good mentality by the group.
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza
On the team's play in the second half...
It was great. We talked at halftime that we were going to come out when we knew they were getting tired. At the end of the first half, we had the ball and we needed to do the same in the second half. When one goal came, the second goal was going to come.
On the manager's message at halftime...
He told us we dug ourselves a hole and we needed to get out of it. He did some small tactical changes. We knew we needed to defend better and attack better. That’s what we did. It took a while, but we knew by the end we were going to have some chances.
On returning to play in Colorado...
It’s always great coming here — an emotional moment because I get to see my family. I’m glad that we were able to fight back and fight for the point.
Colorado Rapids Head Coach Anthony Hudson
Opening statement...
I think the first thing I’ve got to do is thank the fans tonight, you know before the game during the game, the atmosphere was incredible. If we get that type of support, it’s just massive for us massive for the team so we need to thank the fans.
To have gone two nil up and concede so late its similar in this last game against new England, we come in and we are disappointed, very disappointed but again as we have been saying this is a process in the sense of so many new players. Joe Mason is still another step in the right direction and certainly a lot to build on for tonight.
On the progress from game one…
I think, firstly, its important because it’s almost we have this cloud around us about scoring goals and there’s a little bit of pressure on there. It’s positive the fact that we’ve not only scored a couple of goals but we’ve probably created as many chances as them and this is a team that scores lots of goals, they have done in the past two or three games. So, look it was a fantastic start, two very good goals it was very good and we’ve created six, seven other very good chances.
For me, close to having a penalty, hit the cross bar. Just before they’re going to score we hit the cross bar in another way that we budget the small post. I think the positive thing, we’re creating chances and if we’d have come in here and won the game two nil we’d still be talking and saying the same things in terms of its going to take some time, the best of this team is going to come in four, five games.
On what specifically he will work on this week…
Like I said if we win the game two nil, we’re still we respect, definitely things we need to work on and our striker up front it’s his first game at altitude. I think the biggest thing for me, the great start was almost our problem. I think we went two nil up and then we just invited pressure on ourselves and it was almost too good a start for us. Again, there were a lot of positives from today.
On Edgar Castillo’s performance and progress…
I thought it was one of his better performances tonight. I think he’s starting to look a lot more positive.
Colorado Rapids forward Dominique Badji
On how he is feeling after the result…
Yeah, a little disappointed, I think we all are. We expected to come out on top after scoring two goals so, just really disappointed after that one.
On what the breakdown was in his eyes…
I think we stuck to the game plan for about thirty minutes and then kind of just threw it out the window, got a little complacent, got comfortable after being two goals up, you know, that’ll get you.
On working with Joe Mason for the first time…
It was good, I like him, like I said before the game, he compliments me very well and we’re both players who want to score goals and we both got on the score sheet today and we plan on doing that for a lot of games coming forward.
On feeling like a third goal was coming…
Oh yeah, for sure, there were times honestly where I thought we’d score three or four, but you know we had those chances, we just weren’t clinical, didn’t take them and that’s the difference between winning and losing games, and going forward we need to make the most out of our opportunities.
On SKC’s less than perfect defense, what they took advantage of…
We knew that they were going to play a high line, as you can see it was a perfect example on Joe’s (Mason) goal, just play the ball behind him and make him run towards their goal, and even on the ball (Edgar) Castillo played me, just getting behind their line, as I said – they are aggressive, they play a high line, so they are very vulnerable in the back
On Edgar Castillo’s assist…
I mean I’ve been practicing with him for months and I know that in the offensive third he’s a good player, and he’s always looking for me, me and him have a great relationship, and I know that’s going to create a lot of goals going forward, but I knew he was going to play that ball, so that’s why printed and I knew I was going to get past the first man.
On if the incident in the second half was a penalty…
I always think it’s a penalty when I’m in the box, so I’d say yeah, of course I thought it was a penalty.
On chances at the end that stood out…
There was one where I think it was Enzo (Martinez) came in, he was in the box and he did a great job of dribbling past two people, and then just that final just shot, I don’t know what happened, but we didn’t get a shot off and they countered off of that, I think when we are in the attacking third, we have to be aggressive, we have to shoot, put them under pressure, because that’s what they did and they got two on us, and so if we had kept doing that we could’ve scored a lot more.
On the game atmosphere and crowd…
It was awesome, there was a lot of fans out there, you felt it on the field, it was great energy, hopefully we can get that for a lot of games going forward.
Colorado Rapids midfielder Enzo Martinez
On starting off to a great start and how the match ended…
It hurts a lot, especially because we started so well in the first fifteen minutes, two goals, we felt good, the plan and style that we wanted to play got us the results that we wanted, and after that - we lost the game little by little, and we needed to put pressure.
On continuing to grow and develop, how does it feel to have a coach who has confidence in you..
I am very, very, very grateful for the opportunity, and in every game, every minute, I have to work and do everything that I can to continue playing, I thank God for giving me the opportunity, and the coach for having confidence in me, I want to continue to do what he likes.
On what the Rapids need to do to get the first win of the season…
I think it’s obvious - play ninety minutes, not twenty or twenty-five. We need to play a complete game, a total game, and the style that we played for ninety minutes, I think we demonstrated in the first fifteen minutes what we can do together as a team.
Colorado Rapids defender Edgar Castillo
On his thoughts of what happened in the second half…
We got comfortable, we sat a bit back, we gave them the ball and they attacked and it was a matter of time before they tied us.
On Tim Howard’s performance…
What can I tell you, he kept us in the game, he took out five or six clear goals, my respects goes out to him, but we cannot have that happen, we have to find the game, we can’t stay at 2-0 and drop back, we have to go finish.
Thoughts on the first goal…
They are a very good team, but we were superior, we were superior going up 2-0, but like I said, we dropped back, and that’s what cost us the match.
Thoughts on Joe Mason…
He’s a great player, he takes all of the balls, and that’s why they brought him.
Colorado Rapids defender Tommy Smith
On Joe Manson’s performance and goal...
He put in a really good shift. Took his goal fantastically well, but we know he’s got range and that’s why we brought him to the club.
On the support from the fans…
It was fantastic, I hope to see that all season, making the same noise and help the players on the pitch. Gives us the strength to get through a game like tonight.
On breaking down after first ten minutes…
I think we stopped doing what made us successful in those first ten minutes. We took our foot off the gas a little bit self-consciously and we paid the price obviously.
On Tim Howard’s second-half performance…
I’ve already said it. Without his saves tonight, you know we probably would’ve lost that game. We know how good he is. I think everyone knows how good he is. He’s been putting up those kinds of performances all year.
On the relationship with Danny Wilson in the middle…
Obviously it’s still early days and partnerships take a while to develop, but we got along well enough to develop. We get along well enough off the pitch, I’m sure performances both personally and collectively will improve going forward.
