Sporting Kansas City Manager and Sporting Director Peter Vermes
Thoughts on the match…
I thought in the first half we had a relentlessness to go to goal. We wouldn't stop. It was the desire and the hunger to get the goals. Up until when Johnny [Russell] hit that ball hit off of Michael Boxall and it went in, we had worked really hard to get that goal. Don't get me wrong, we did for the other ones as well, but we deserved more for what we had created up until that. Our relentlessness to go to the goal was just fantastic. We were picking up second balls and third balls and just peppering them. From that point of view, it was great. It was funny because I was thinking in my head, it would be great to get a third goal before halftime and then Willy [Agada] comes in. Instead of the “Beast Mode” in Seattle, it's the Beast Willy in KC. That was a very brave opportunity. There’s only one guy that I knew when I played that would go in for that header and that would have been Mo Johnston who played here. He would have gone for that ball as well, and Willy went in. That was brave but that was a monster of a goal.
On the team outworking their opponent in the first half…
The possession of the ball was excellent. We moved the ball so well and they were chasing us a lot in that first half. It’s just the way our game is, it's a mental thing. You always strive to be better and stronger for it but when you come out in the second half and you're up three nil, you take a little bit of a conservative approach. It's just human nature. I can talk about it. I can do everything I can with the guys to get them to understand, but it's a human nature thing and so now you back off just a little bit. The goal and there were two other crosses in and around the box that came because of a lack of concentration in those moments. That's the thing that we have to learn from. We closed the game out. For us to get the fourth goal really took a lot. It just took the steam out of them.
On if he’s impressed by Erik Thommy’s composure in and around the box…
Yes and no. Because when I saw him on video, he was very much like that. I think I'm more impressed with how he sees the field in the run of play. That's something that I wasn't so sure about, but I am now. He's got great vision on the field, and it helps because he has a really good vision to go forward. That's what you need. You need to put teams under pressure, and he's got that ability with his runs, with his passing and then obviously with shooting as well.
Sporting Kansas City Forward Willy Agada
Thoughts on the match…
Thank you for the birthday wishes and I think it was an incredible game. We stayed disciplined and when you listen and stay disciplined it always comes out positive. Well done to all the boys, I know coach is so happy right now. We just want to say thank you to him because I know how much it is throughout the weekend. Three games in almost seven days, it's not easy. He tried to balance it, so shout out to him and I'm so happy today. I still scored a brace, but I wish I could score a hat trick. But it's all good, big ups to the boys. Daniel [Salloi] got an assist and Johnny [Russell] tried to find me almost like five times there at the end. Thank God I was able to take the last one. It's a good game.
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Erik Thommy
On his goal…
I wanted to shoot, but then I saw one guy in front of me. That's why I took another touch and then the shot with my left foot. It was a great goal. A good ball from Johnny [Russell], and it was important for us. In general, the first half was excellent because they were a good, tough opponent. It was tough to play for us, but we did well and deserved that win.
Almost all game, but of course in the second half, they got in some spaces and created some dangerous moments. Normally, we have to score to get to 4-0 but they got a counterattack and they scored to make it 3-1. But in the end, we scored to get it to 4-1 with Willy Agada. It was a great game for us. Tough opponent, Minnesota did really well. They closed our spaces, so it was difficult to play for us. But in the end, as I said before, we deserve that one.
On his vision on the field…
It's going to keep getting better and better. Sometimes, in talks before the game and they say where to go because every opponent is different. For example, today they closed my space with one more man and that's why it was difficult to play. I had to change my positions as well. In the end, if they have one more guy on my side, then on the other side there is one man less. We will get our chances and if we play like that, we will score many goals and we will be successful.
On the connection he has with Roger Espinoza…
We worked all weekend. There are small things we have to do in the game and Peter [Vermes] tells us every time before the game what we have to do. Roger made a really good run. As I said, if they add one man more, Roger has space and that's why we use it. It was good for us and that’s why we scored a goal.
