Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes
Thoughts on the match…
I actually thought we did a pretty good job away from home. I need to see the two goals a little bit more. I haven't had a chance to look at them since I've come in. I think we were good on the ball. I thought we created some good stuff. Obviously, we got back into the game. I just think giving up the second goal obviously killed us as late as it was. At the end, we tried to move some guys around and get some fresh legs on there just because obviously we've been playing mid week so just trying to get some fresh legs at the end. When you look at it, we were trying to get in and around the box, but they did a good job defending at the end. I wouldn't say that we had a ton of chances. We were maybe a little bit off there at the very end, but I thought we actually played okay.
On losing Erik Thommy to injury…
I think there's no doubt that we miss him. I think we miss Remi (Walter) as well. And don't get me wrong, I thought when Felipe (Hernandez) came on, he actually did a good job. But, I would say he's more of a No. 8. He's not an attacking guy. Thommy’s more of attacking guy in that position and losing that, it for sure hurt us.
On turning things around…
You have got to keep fighting for it. I think the energy and all that is there, but we have got to keep fighting for it. There's no other way to get around it. We have got quite a few games coming up and we have got to try to find a way to defend better and not put ourselves in a situation where we are chasing the game from behind. We have got to be better in that area.
On fighting back from going a goal down…
I don't think you can question that side of it from the group. I just don't. Having not seen the two goals like I'd like to before I comment on them, I just think in both plays – and, again, I'm going off of memory – I just think we can maybe be a little bit more aggressive to the service when the ball is played in. I think we have chances to get closer to the players that wind up crossing those balls over but, again, I need to see it a little bit more. But I don't think it's a lack of trying. We just, in those moments, have got to be so much better in and around the box.
On Portland limiting chances…
I’ll say it again, Memo is not an attacking midfielder and neither is Felipe Hernandez. Thommy is and so when he went out, we lost sort of that attack out of the midfield. Early on in the game, I thought Thommy was very mobile and we were just off a little bit on the final pass to each other in and around their attacking third. You could see it coming. But then when he got hurt and had to go out, I think that hurt us up through the middle of the park by not having somebody that was more like a No. 10. And I think that's the reason why. It was more of that than anything else.
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Memo Rodriguez
On his goal…
It’s a good goal by me with great buildup from the team. Obviously, the result wasn't there. We have just got to keep fighting and keep our heads up. We play well away from home and it's just a matter of us getting over that hump.
On changes in the midfield with Erik Thommy’s injury…
Obviously Thommy is an important player for the team, but we have Felipe (Hernandez) who came in and did a good job. It's next guys up. Obviously injuries happen in the game. Like I said before, we played well. It's just those mental lapses by us defensively and getting over that hump. The effort was there. Playing away from home the way we did, it's just a little frustrating but we just have to keep our heads up and get over the hump. Now we have another game on Wednesday at home so we have to pick up three points there.
