Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes
On if scoring two goals felt like a weight was lifted…
It doesn’t feel that way. Nothing has changed aside for the fact that we won this game with three points. We had two very good performances before this game. I think in the last game if you look at the chances we had and how we missed them, we were so excited and overzealous that the guys were pushing hard to get it and our timing was off. I think tonight, our timing was pretty good. If you look at the action down the right side when Benny [Feilhaber] crosses to Jimmy [Medranda], if that ball goes into the back of the net, that’s a world-class action. We believe in ourselves. We know what we are doing. We are completely resolute to how we want to play and how we are going to build over the course of the season. That’s the most important thing. If we believe, then it’s everything.
On San Jose’s goal…
I thought we lost concentration on the set peace. I’m not happy with that piece. That’s definitely something we will look at and talk about. We weren’t locked in in that moment. We took our time and almost looking around and not concentrated. This game is funny like that. They almost scored two goals in just a couple minutes. The good thing is we got out of there with three points and that’s a really good lesson to learn because concentration is everything.
On what went wrong after the San Jose goal…
The game of soccer is very interesting. Two teams are playing against each other, the game is 0-0 and all of a sudden someone scores. A lot of times, a gameplan goes out the window for one of those teams, usually the team that gets scored on and a lot changes for them. When you are in that situation and it’s late in the game, you just know they are going to pump it in on you. The thing is, if you are ready for it and everybody is in tune to what is happening, it doesn’t faze you because it is part of the game. But I think we just lost our focus as a team in that moment and we just started to come unraveled in the moment. I would say we woke up at the end and Tim [Melia] came up with a great save.
Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber
On if scoring two goals felt like a weight was lifted…
It felt like we needed to win. I think we all felt pretty comfortable that the goals were going to come. We believe in how we are playing and the system we are playing and that we are going to create opportunities. We had created opportunities, we just hadn’t been clinical in front of goal. Even with the two goals, we could have scored a few more as well. I think we played well. We obviously dominated the majority of the game and created some really good chances. The goals are eventually always going to come. Today we got two and we probably could have had five.
On if he expected to get a call-up to the national team for the World Cup qualifiers…
I don’t think you ever expect to be with the national team. I think you hope for it, but you have to earn a call-up. I hope to earn a call-up in the future, but it didn’t happen for me this time.
Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia
On defending San Jose over the final few minutes…
I think we just have to be prepared for that. This is a team we know is going to send a lot of balls forward. We got two goals which is really important for us moving forward and we just have to perform well at home.
On the final save of the match…
I actually thought we were just going to pull through, get the ball on the ground and control a little bit more. They are a good team and they are able to create opportunities and fortunately I was able to make the save.
On the play of the defense…
They have been huge and we are really organized. I think the tempo and play in the back is really good. We are keeping possession in the back which is really important and we are creating opportunities from the back. I think moving forward throughout the season, we can continue to build off that and get better and better at it. If so, it can yield some positive results throughout the season.
San Jose assistant coach John Spencer
On what Sporting KC did to slow down the San Jose offense…
We planned all week. We watched a couple of the Kansas City games and we knew as soon as the first whistle went that they were going to go and press us high, like we have done to teams at home. I think in the first half, we were a little bit tentative, I think our fullbacks could have got forward and joined in the attack a little bit more. And when we got in the final third especially in the first half, I thought in the second half the game changed a little bit. We started to dictate possession, but as you know possession doesn’t win you games, goals do.
On Benny Feilhaber’s goal…
World class. What a hit. I said that to him after the game. I don’t think he’ll score too many of them in his career. I think it helps the way the modern soccer ball is designed now. It was almost like a knuckleball. But no. It’s a wondergoal and sometimes you get beat with them.”
On if [David] Bingham misplayed the second goal…
Obviously David’s the one that needs to answer that question. I can’t speak for him on what he did. But I think it’s a mistake and the one thing about David is I’ve seen it from a far, he’s saved this team on many occasions. So if he makes a mistake tonight and he holds his hand up, he’s been a wonderful player for this club for a few years now and I think it will be the same this year.
On the resiliency to come back and nearly play to a draw…
I think when we scored the late one, they suddenly got a little bit nervous and we started putting balls in the box and I think [Tim] Melia had a great save on [Simon] Dawkins and that could have tied the game up.”
On Florian Jungwirth’s goal…
I know it was a long ball that got knocked in and it ends up on Florian. He’s got his back to goal and he just hit it over his shoulder and in the back of the net so we don’t expect him to do that too many times this year, but he nearly brought us back into the game and gave us a big lift energy wise and I thought we were very unfortunate not to have got an equalizer.
San Jose Earthquakes defender Florian Jungwirth
On the match…
I think that we were a very young squad today. We made too many mistakes to get points on a road trip. But we were true to the end when we scored and if we could have taken a dirty point with that’s okay, but we had too many mistakes. We tried to press, but Kansas City played very well with [Ilie] Sanchez. It was difficult to defend for our front guys and they had a lot of space especially like the first goal. It was an unbelievable shot, but he has too much space. We have to step out to disturb [Benny Feilhaber], but he was free and we know he is a very, very good player, one of the best in MLS and he can shoot goals like this, and we know that. In the second half, we did it better but we have to play more effective. We had a lot of possession but I think just one shot from Marcos. It has to be better.
On his goal…
It was a set piece. It was a long ball and there were a lot of guys in the same place. I saw that the guy marking me was a bit sleeping, so I ran around him. I think it was Danny [Hoesen], he gave me the ball. It was a little lucky that I got the ball and I tried to shoot it with my left and I hit it perfect.
On not having Dom Kinnear on the sideline…
No, I think in the match, you don’t notice. It’s a very important part of the team. We say every time forward as one but we say it not for jokes. Everyone has the same position here, everyone is important here independent if it’s on the pitch or not. Sure, he is an important part, but on the pitch if the crowd is loud you don’t hear it.”
On importance of rebounding from this road loss…
It’s very important. With two weeks time, we will do video next week to see what we can do better and what we did bad, but I think the first two games have shown that we are good and I’m confident that we will continue that and hopefully we will start in New York with the next road trip game.
San Jose Earthquakes forward Marco Urena
Thoughts on the match...
I think it was a really difficult first half for us especially because they press really high and the intensity was really high as well and we couldn’t handle that. And then in the second half we started really great, we kept the ball and the possession, but I think we played so much wide, we didn’t play enough vertical and this was the reason we didn’t have so many chances in the second half. But then we got the goal, it was an amazing goal.
On the chance at the end of the game…
Yes, at the end of the game, it was a really good save. The keeper did well. We also had a mistake from our goalkeeper, but things happen in football and we just keep our heads up and we are looking forward for New York now.
On looking ahead...
We are strong enough. We came in here with two wins and we’re on the road. It’s not easy to come to Kansas City. They’re a good team with good players. The way they play, they know how to play together, they have a group of players that have been playing for a long time together. So it’s difficult to handle against teams like this, but I think we did great and almost got the draw and now this gives us more motivation for the next game.
