Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes
General comments on the match...
“I think at the end of 90 minutes, they competed with more intensity than we did. There were times when we were competing at a good level and maybe even a little bit more than they did. But I think over the 90 minutes they wanted the game a little bit more. Their goal was based off of a scrappy play, you know? They played a ball in, they won it back, we cleared it, they won it back, and then they served it to the back post and they were doing everything they could to put the ball into the back of the net. Those guys were fighting for it and I think that was the difference in the match at the end of the day. I don’t really think there was anything else.”
On looking towards playoffs...
“It’s a game. That doesn’t even come into my head. I’m glad we have a quick turn around as we play again this weekend. It gives us another game to get us right back into rhythm as soon as we possibly can. I think that’s the good thing about the situation.”
Sporting KC midfielder Roger Espinoza
On playing NYCFC...
“It was a tough game for us. We knew the type of environment we were coming into. We knew the dimension of the field was going to be difficult for us. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. It definitely affected us, but I thought New York competed better than us. More than we did. And I think they deserved the win.”
On having two weekends off impacting performance...
“It’s difficult, but I don’t think it’s an excuse for us. If anything, I think we should have been more energetic. You know, no excuse. I thought we could have done better. It wasn’t an easy game for us. Like I said, the conditions were tough, but you know, we need to do better.”
On preparing for the next game...
“That’s the great thing about soccer. That you have a game right away and you have to forget about the game you just played. You just have to concentrate on the next opponent come Sunday. And you have the opportunity to play well again. I think we’re going to recover from this. We know our identity. Sometimes we have tough games like this and we have to recover right away and do it all over again on Sunday.”
Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia
On Sporting KC performance...
“I think we’re going to be upset when we go back and look at the tape. It was a sloppy game. I don’t think the conditions helped, but that can’t be an excuse. I don’t think the things we’re good at, we executed at all and that led to us losing the game 1-0.”
On two weekends off, coming back...
“It disrupts the rhythm a little bit. But looking at it from a positive perspective, we were able to get guys healthy, shut it down, step away from the game mentally, relax a little bit, which is important coming into the most important part of the season. But then again, we didn’t turn the switch back on when we needed to and that was evident in the game.”
On game breakdown...
“I just don’t think we were as good as we should’ve been in possession. The field is very difficult to play on. It’s choppy, it’s bumpy, it’s soft in one spot, and rough in another…it’s wet, but again it can’t be an excuse. We just have to put this behind us and get back to doing the things we’re good at and executing them in Columbus.”
On preparing for Columbus...
“Forget about this one, watch the tape, see what we did well, what we didn’t do well and get back to being Sporting come Sunday.”
