Sporting Kansas City manager Peter Vermes
On Sporting KC’s 6-2 win over FC Dallas…
I thought our approach was very good. We understood the seriousness of the match. I think we were very focused on the competition and the win. Obviously, you have to win each game, including this game, if you want to get to the next round. I thought overall we were very good, especially defensively in the first half. I thought our attacking prowess and desire around the goal were good. Both goals Dom scored with his head were two huge goals to get it kicked off. The first one takes the pressure off everybody, and now all of the sudden they have to open up a little bit. The second one the goalkeeper comes out, and he obviously beats him in the air. From that point on, everything else was there. He was big time tonight. I said to the bench, “The bull is out tonight. He’s been unleashed.” As a team I thought we played well, and we were smart. I’m a little unhappy we gave away the two goals. They were cheap goals that we gave away and we have to deal with that. The six goals were big for us.
On Sporting KC’s two goals conceded to FC Dallas…
There is a positive and a negative. The positive is that us scoring the two goals showed that we didn’t take our foot off the gas pedal. We came in the second half after talking about it being 0-0 from that point. Our mentality and our approach was right. I think that was really good. The negative is we never should have given up those two goals. We relaxed and it was more defensive than anything else. That’s the part that I don’t like because we have to be better in those situations. I’m a big believer in the killer instinct, and we had that but we couldn’t keep the ball out of the net. Tim (Melia) saves us quite a bit and we have to make sure we protect him as well.
On Sporting KC defending as a team…
I’ve always said here that we are a good defensive team because of the way the front five go about their business. When they’re pressing and doing their job, it makes it so much easier as a defender in behind. Don’t get me wrong: the defenders were great and Tim has come up with some great saves since he has become the number one, but it really starts with those guys up front. I always say this because I played Dom’s position. I played as a single forward and I the effort that you have to expend defensively, and then when you get the ball you’re expected to beat a guy, score and run into space. It is a very demanding job. Then you have the wingers and they have to get up and down, so it’s a demanding job for those five guys. The way that they press, and win the ball back, and go on the counter is tremendous for our team. It really is the start of how we defend as a group.
On the benefits of having the upcoming weekend off…
It’s important to have the days off that we do coming up. It’s important for everybody to relax and go away. This win obviously makes it a lot better mentally. I know Dom is going to Canada (for the Women’s World Cup Final), as well as somebody else on the team. Hopefully they can enjoy themselves and then we can start back up next week to get prepared for our next stretch which is going to be tough.
On the difference between MLS and Open Cup…
I don’t think there is any difference. I think this competition is something we are very focused on and we want to win. The same goes for league play. We truly take every game very seriously. Nothing really changes. We just get ready for the next game and we know what is at stake when we’re going into it.
Sporting Kansas City forward Dom Dwyer
On becoming the first player in Sporting KC history to score four goals in a game…
I’m very pleased to score four goals. We got the win tonight and we’re very serious about winning this competition. We definitely owed something to Dallas. I remembered the PK I missed there earlier in the season, so I was happy to get one tonight.
On the decision for him to take the penalty kick over Benny Feilhaber…
I told Benny before the game that I wanted a PK today. So I was pleased we got one.
On how he was feeling before the game…
You might not believe this but I walked in the locker room tonight and I bumped into Krisztian (Nemeth) and I said to him that I was gonna get five and he was gonna get three. So we were one short each tonight. But that’s why we were laughing on the pitch: we were saying “one more each.” We were pleased to get the result. I know how Krisztian feels when you get two goals and the manager subs you out.
On taking the Open Cup seriously…
It’s the same as it is every game. We want to win every single game. We’re a very hungry team. I think it’s easier to get that focus across to the rest of the team when it’s a Cup game. This is a final. Every game’s a final for us. We want to win this competition and we’re very serious about it. I remember how it felt in 2012 and I want that feeling back again.
On if he reflects on his scoring records for Sporting KC…
Obviously I remember the record last year, and that was important to me. But that’s done now and it’s about setting league records and winning championships, and being in the Legends of this squad. So I’m not going to get ahead of myself. I’ll take every game as it comes. When it’s all said in done, then we can look back at that.
On taking pride in scoring a club-record four goals in a game…
I’ve wanted a hat-trick for this club for a while, so I’m very happy to get one. And I got an extra one, and I finally scored a free kick. So that was good.
On playing alongside Krisztian Nemeth…
He’s brilliant. I’ve said it since the day he got here. I looked at Peter (Vermes) in preseason and just kind of smiled and nodded. He said he was going to bring in a special player, and he definitely has. I’ve learned a lot from Nemeth. He’s teaching me and I continue to learn. He’s just a good player to play with and I’m excited to watch him and see him grow at this club as well.
Sporting Kansas City forward Krisztian Nemeth
On his second goal and if he has ever previously taken a shot from that angle…
I cannot say. To be honest, I don’t know. I just tried to chip it to the second post and it ended up being a goal.
On if it was he and Dom Dwyer’s best performance…
I think so. Dom played really well tonight. For me, he was man of the match. For him, it was a big day after scoring four goals. Congratulations to him, and I hope in the league he can keep going like that.
On his mindset when it comes to helping on the defensive side of the ball…
We try to be compact like a team. We work for the team. That comes first. We put our quality for the team because that is what we have to do. The team always comes first.
FC Dallas manager Oscar Pareja
General thoughts on the match…
As a head coach I have to take the full responsibility for what happened tonight—with a team that allowed that many goals, especially four of them on set pieces. It cost us a lot because that is something that we can control as coaches. We’ve got to move on; we have to leave it there and learn from that. Kansas City did a great job today and they were four goals better than us, especially in concentration and the moments that are key. On set pieces they were very sharp. That’s really the result—not really the game, but conceding four goals from set plays cost us a lot.
On the challenge of playing Sporting KC away from home…
Kansas City is a very good team and I have to congratulate them. It’s something that we have to accept when you get beat that way. No we have to take care of our problems and difficulties defensively and the concentration that we had. Those are the problems when you look up to it.
On FC Dallas improving with two goals in the second half…
I thought it was a reaction, to be honest. I thought the boys tried to get out of the hole that we put ourselves in the first half. We tried to get the game more even, and then we scored. We had some (good) reactions but we kept giving goals on set piece plays. As I said, that hurts a lot.
On the performance of Sporting KC striker Dom Dwyer…
He is a top forward. I really do think Kansas City has a top forward. We have to respect that and give him the credit. The intensity he had tonight was overwhelming for us.
On the message to his team following the loss…
This is a tough league; this is a tough competition. I don’t like to think of excuses or think of problems but we have to move on; we have to solve it. We don’t have much time to stay (down). We try to correct it and bounce back. We’re going to have a game Saturday, and it’s a league game where we can put ourselves in a good spot in the league. So the message for us is to continue with the work. There is nothing you can do other than work. That can get you through moments like this.
On playing three games in eight days…
It’s a tough stretch that we’ve had. I don’t want it to sound like an excuse for us, but I thought the result today obviously was poor, especially the way we concentrated on the set plays. Giving up four or five goals from set plays is tough, as is conceding that there are things you can control there. It has been tough, but that’s the way it is. We will prepare for New England now.
