Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes
Thoughts on the match…
They're a better team than we are. I mean, you have to admit it when the other team is. They're a better team than we are. They are very hungry when they go to goal. They have an intensity and a relentlessness to get to the goal and they get numbers. The other side is, from a defensive perspective, they defend with everything. They're up on you. They're kicking you. They're all over you. That's how I see the game. Tim (Melia) makes a great save on the penalty kick. It's unbelievable for us to let him down on the rebound. We need more from that perspective.
On what needs to change…
Mentality. Mentality. The mentality has to change within the group.
On Khiry Shelton’s late scratch…
I don't know. I guess in warmups, his calf felt tight or he was getting tight. So those guys decided and coming in they were like, ‘hey, we need to make a change.’ So that was a change we had to make right before the game.
On Joaquin Fernandez’s debut…
I thought he was actually really good. I really do. I think he was really good. He was mature. It’s not easy playing against (Olivier) Giroud. Big body, obviously, incredible experience, great player. I thought he dealt with him really, really well from the very first play of the game. I thought his tackling, his individual defending, his aerial duels, they were excellent. I thought he was really good. Obviously, he needs more time because, as I've said to you guys before, he was coming off of the break because he was on the European window. It's really just trying to get him fit. But it was good to see him get 45 minutes in this game. It was good. It was very good.
On the ideal mentality for SKC…
We've always had it. Part of it is that when you are unsuccessful, I think that the group has unfortunately lost a lot of confidence. At the same time, I think when you play at home, you have got to drive the game. Nobody comes into your place and drives the game. You have to drive the game. That's first. Our intensity in the game has to be at a much higher level. Our individual duels defensively have to be a completely different intensity. You want to win the ball. You don't give the other player any time or space on the ball. Right now we do. I'm being honest. I would say some of that is because they know we're out of the playoffs and it's not there. But I can tell you this, that will not be the case next season.
On the support from the fans…
For our fans to act the way that they did, it was great. They were tremendous, especially in this game and throughout the season. We haven’t had a good year but even tonight, they were trying to push us on. That was great. I appreciate it very much.
Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia
On his penalty save…
It's a million different things. You guys always ask me and I always feel bad giving you the same responses, but we spend so much time on those things. And I also think it's a moment in a game – and they're a very good team – so in that moment, you're probably going to see something a little bit more cheeky. It's very early in the game. You can recover from a missed penalty if it doesn't happen. So that was why I kind of was leaning towards the middle with a player like that who has gone down the middle in the past, but predominantly he'll open up. And he hits the ball so hard that I just don't direct it well.
On LAFC scoring the rebound…
If I direct it out of bounds or anywhere else, I don't need anybody else to worry about it.
On what needs to change…
All the things that you guys already know. There is going to be changes at every level. There should be. We have got to get back to a more disciplined group from top to bottom. And we have got to get back to just kind of believing that we are not an underdog. That team is better than us and at times we play like they are not, and then they hurt us. But I also think if we put in the same effort and same teamwork as we did in the Open Cup game against them, I don't think this is a 3-0 game at all. There's probably going to be massive restructuring and switching things out, but overall, it’s just discipline for me from top to bottom.
