Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes
On the team's defensive performance...
I thought our game was just very good. I thought the guys stayed really organized. I thought we had some very good counter-attacks out of that organization. I think just all-in-all I thought we had some chances to win it. I thought our organization and our defending was tremendous. It was unfortunate we couldn't stick one in, but we almost could have taken the three points. But it was a good game for us.
On shutting out the opponent with the most goals during the 2016 season...
I'd say it this way — with as many different players as we had to put in the lineup and with not having continuity with a group of guys over number of games, for them to come in and perform the way they did was admirable for sure.
On whether Ike Opara will be out with a serious injury...
He's fine. He's fine. He likes to make it a little dramatic sometimes, but he's fine.
On Kevin Ellis' absence tonight...
Kevin hurt his groin — but a different part of his groin — the day that we were leaving.
On Brad Davis' absence and whether he can be expected back any time soon...
That was a hamstring. I think he'll be back this upcoming week, but he just couldn't go this weekend.
On controlling the tempo...
I think we were just very organized. I think we were hard to break down tonight, and I think because of that, we actually created some chances on the other side. I don't know the statistics yet and how many shots were on goal, but I think we were very stingy in that area of the game. So it was excellent. It's a really good step forward from a defensive perspective. We didn't give anything away. I think we were tough to play against and I think we were hard to break down, and like I said, I think what came out of that was a lot of really good counter-attacking opportunities. There were a couple situations when we could have won — we had some good action in the first half when Dom [Dwyer] broke through, and we're going to get a few more of those for sure.
Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber
On tonight's game...
LA is a real tough team to play here in LA. We knew that we wanted to play really tight defensively and try and counter. Thankfully, we were able to sustain the pressure that they kind of put on us and we had a couple of chances on our own. As much as we would love to get out of here with 3 points, I think we are happy with what we were able to achieve today.
Sporting KC defender Ike Opara
On the team's defensive performance...
“It's one of the things we have gotten better with over the last few weeks, giving up not too many chances. And now we just have to score some goals. I think when we get that sorted, we can make a good run in the second half of the year.”
On if it was the best performance of the season...
“Defensively, I would say for sure [it was the best performance of the season]. It was almost the complete game minus the goals. We had some pretty good chances, we just didn't put one in the back of the net. I think if we had, we could have argued that it would have been our best, so moving forward I think if we can just build on this it will be big for us.”
On how the team is feeling going into the break...
“It’s a good and bad thing. Guys get to get healthy and we get to work on some things, but we wanted to build on this momentum of the shutout and some good work we did moving forward, so that’s a little frustrating that we have a little bit of a break. So it is what it is and we’ve just got to get ready for our next game.”
LA Galaxy Head Coach and General Manager Bruce Arena
On his impression of the game...
“It had all the makings of a 0-0 game. And that’s what it was.”
On Brian Rowe’s performance...
“He played well. He made a couple of good saves.”
On the team earning a shutout...
“I think obviously they had some shots from distance and all. But, for the most part, out of the run of play I think our defense played well. I think on some set pieces they did a good job to create some chance outside the box. But Brian - despite the last game - he was able to handle shots from distance and he did a good job at doing it.”
On the offense’s performance...
“They did a good job dropping their team back and did a really solid job. We got very little out of our strikers tonight. They didn’t play well, they weren’t aggressive enough. I think we want to pass the ball into the goal instead of shoot. Despite that, probably the chance we got with Sebastian Lletget and Mike Magee was a legitimate chance. When we saw the replay it was onside. You’re not going to get many chances against a team like that and we need to be more aggressive throwing in some crosses and looking to shoot from distance and we didn’t do that tonight.”
On the team’s four game winless streak...
“We’re probably going to fold our franchise. If it continues for the rest of the year, we’ve got some problems.”
On if he feels that LA should have been awarded a penalty in extra-time...
“It’s a hand ball, but you know, it’s up to the referee. I don’t know why they’re defender is putting his arm up like that. By the letter of the law it’s a hand ball. But I don’t know if the referee saw it or not.”
LA Galaxy defender A.J. Delagarza
On the team’s performance...
“I thought we did alright. It was our first shutout in quite some time. That’s my role and I think we focused on that as a backline. We limited them in their shots and creating much so in that part of the field I think we did our job.”
On if it’s hard to do well on defense and watch the offense struggle...
“Yeah, but we talked at halftime and it wasn’t just their fault, it was the backline not pushing further up the field. We played too much in front of them and any team is going to bunker in against us and try to keep us in front of them and we played into their hand keeping five, six guys in front of their eleven.”
On Sporting KC’s chance off set pieces and if they troubled LA...
“We don’t mark so it’s a matter of getting your body on someone. It’s probably one of the shortest teams we’ve had in quite some time so…they’ve got Ike Opara who can jump out of the sky and Dom Dwyer’s good. They’ve got guys that are good in the air and nothing dangerous, but I know they got their head on a couple things.”
On Brian Rowe’s performance after last week’s performance...
“Yeah, a good bounce back. He didn’t have too much to do, a couple saves maybe and distribution was good.”
On if he feels the team has dropped too many points as of recent...
“I think we’ve dropped a lot of points everywhere. The ties that we’ve had, the losses that we’ve had…it’s a lot of dropped points and hopefully it doesn’t come back to bite us at the end of the year.”
