Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes
On the game:
"I don’t think the score is indicative of the result, I think if we had 20 more minutes we would have scored today. For some reason we just couldn’t hit the back of the net. We created a lot of great chances, we were shooting but it felt like we just weren’t finishing."
On the result:
"This league is what it is. Maybe 15 or 20 percent of the time you win. Not saying we accept that but we have achieved a few points on the road. We have 3 games left at home, it would be nice to get these points."
On the strategy moving forward:
"Just get points. There is no other strategy, just get points. We don’t need to change anything; we have been doing a lot of good things, just get points."
Sporting Kansas City Midfielder Ilie Sanchez
On what moment changed the game:
"We came here with a plan, obviously because of conditions and the good job that Philadelphia did today, we could not do this plan, so we should have changed that plan faster. I think that once they [Philadelphia] scored it was too much for us to comeback."
On why the plan wasn’t implemented:
"The conditions of the field, the good work of Philadelphia, they closed very well the back lines, we could not get through them. We had to open the game, at the end we had chances but we could not score and they scored the chances that they had and that made the difference."
Sporting Kansas City Midfielder Roger Espinoza
Takeaways on the game:
"Yeah I think we did really well, I do not think we need to do anything else. I think we got really unlucky. I thought we were the way better team the second half. They got a few good opportunities and they finished them. Yeah I think we have been playing well all year and this is just an unlucky game for us."
On if he could have done anything differently:
"No, I gave it all that I had on the field. I got tired at the end. The sub was made, Busio came in and I thought he did really well."
Philadelphia Union Head Coach Jim Curtin
Opening Statement:
"Overall, followed up what you could call our biggest win of the season in Seattle with an even bigger one. I am really proud of the players. Before the game, we talked about what it means to be a true team. I think that, what I meant by that and what I explained in the pre-game talk was any eleven guys that are together, fighting for each other with belief, attacking and defending as one can beat any group of talented players. That is a really good Kansas City team. A top team in the Western Conference and for the guys to have the performance that they did. I could not be more proud. You can go through every man, Olivier Mbaizo to Jay Simpson to the game [Auston] Trusty had. I feel bad even naming a few because there were so many strong performances. It shows that our group is together. It shows that we are confident. It shows that we have used our full squad this year in a lot of different areas and in a lot of different situations. It is not easy, I would be lying if I said the plan went perfectly in terms of how you deal with the travel to Seattle, how do you deal with the quick turnaround of playing a Sunday game against a top team at home in the pouring rain, and how do you have everyone charged and ready to go for Houston. We had a plan in place and we stuck with it, but it is my first time going through it and I would argue to say not many managers have had to navigate that part of things. The players deserve all the credit in the world for the result today. Again, I could not be more proud of the total team performance. Player 1 through player 30 has had a good strong season and that is the sign of a true team."
On Jay Simpson’s performance today:
"I am not surprised he scored. He is a great player. He scores all the time in training and he has been increasingly sharp the past two weeks. I think he has taken an unfair criticism from our fan base. The Philly booing mentality, which I have taken as well. I have a place in my heart for when I hear it directed towards him, so if people want to be critical of someone please be critical of me for not playing him. That is more fair because he is quality. He did great job today and he has done a great job in terms of being a true professional. A lot of things have not gone his way. From scoring in his debut to coughing up blood and bruising a lung to then C.J Sapong stepping in and scoring 16 goals that season. Then you fast forward to this one and Cory [Burke] gets a chance and he gets hot, so things have gone against him. It is professional sports, but if people want to point blame or be negative about Jay. It hurts me because I know what it feels like as well to get booed and they should boo the coach louder and leave the players out of it. I think he had a great response today and I am really happy for him. It shows how quickly everybody went to celebrate with him, shows what we are about."
On the importance of keeping the clean sheet:
"It matters and again you think about that we lose Andre Blake literally as I am doing a chalk talk in here. Someone comes running through the door, one of my assistants, and says that there is a change that needs to be made. You panic, you are losing your star goalkeeper with a group that has not played together already, so you lose some cohesion in there and that nice warm blanket in Andre Blake. Then John McCarthy steps up like a true professional and has an incredible game today to keep a shutout. The entire team defends. We have to be that way and we have to have all eleven guys put in a defensive effort. We dodged some bullets today. Kansas City was not at their sharpest in front of goal. They had some chances. Johnny bailed us out on some big saves, but overall as a team collectively that is a lot of clean sheets. We have put together a lot of wins this year and again it is because of the players and their performance on the field. They deserve all the credit."
On the injury to Andre Blake:
"He was sick. When I saw him in the locker room and there was thinking that he maybe could at least be the backup, you could look into his eyes and see he was not all here. He just did not look healthy. He was throwing up and I am hoping it has something to do with food. I think he will be fine for Wednesday, but at the same time to learn that news that late with already a group that does not have a ton of cohesion in minutes together. Individually they have a lot of minutes together. You look at Fabinho and you look at Warren Creavalle and the job they did, but at the same time everyone collectively had not played a lot together. That was a big change. Johnny seemingly stepped in there and led a young backline to a clean sheet. That matters, but again Andre’s illness was throwing up."
On bouncing back since the Montreal loss:
"I think we have a group of leaders, but I also think it is because of [Alejandro] Bedoya. I think that as head coach you need a voice in the locker room. Alejandro has been that for us this year. Even on a day like today where he is not starting, the advice he gives to young kids like [Olivier] Mbaizo for example, who unfortunately I cannot communicate with because my French is not good enough. He has been our voice in the locker room. You need that. It is so powerful because again over the course of 34 games my messages are the same over and over to point where they get tiresome if someone is not carrying that out and executing that in the locker room. Ale’s leadership has been incredible. He makes two plays tonight that set up both goals and it does it in a very selfless way and is happier for the guys that score. It speaks a lot to his character and it speaks to the season he has had. On the field, I think he has been best eleven, but what you guys do not get to see is off the field, how incredible he has been in terms of growing as a leader and putting his arms around the young guys and giving some of the guys a kick to motivate them a little bit as well, when that is needed. We have a bunch of leaders in Haris [Medunjanin] and him, but he has taken it to a really high level right now and that eliminates those late game collapses, which lead to late season collapses. I still cannot blame that on the Cup Final losses those were just devastating for other reasons, but we have a chance to right that on Wednesday. I think the group is about as confident as we can be going into a final."
Philadelphia Union Forward Jay Simpson
On scoring two goals today:
"I was delighted to get the goals. Thankful of Alejandro [Bedoya] for setting me up on both goals, especially the second one. Just really happy I was able to be in the right place at the right time."
On the praise from Jim Curtin:
"I feel like I am an honest player. I come in everyday and I work hard. You put in the hours and hope to be involved. When you are not, it is disappointing, but I have a lot of supportive teammates around me that help to keep me fine. I spend a lot of time talking with coach. He has helped me a lot throughout the season. He has helped me to stay focused. A day when you come in and you are feeling down, he is always around to help pick me up."
Philadelphia Union Goalkeeper John McCarthy
On the overall game:
"I thought it was a solid performance, I was happy to play. I think the whole group was really happy with what happened. I’m happy for the guys and now am looking forward to the Open Cup."
On his clean sheet:
"I am happy, I kept the ball out of the net. A shutout is your job is a goalkeeper. To get a win on top of that is just key."
