Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes
Thoughts on the match…
I think we tried everything we could. We tried everything. I just don't think we had enough in the game.
On the team being shutout…
Too many guys we have to move in and out of positions and no routine. It was tough from that perspective, but the guys gave everything. I appreciate that.
On concluding a stretch of seven games in 22 days…
It'll be good for us to get a break and get ourselves reset and hopefully get a few guys back. That will help with the rotation of players at the moment.
On the difference in tonight’s match…
We had a couple of chances. They had the penalty kick. They scored. We had a couple of chances, and we didn't.
On what went wrong in the match…
They had a penalty kick and they scored. We had a couple of chances, and we didn't score them. The guys did the most they could based on the situation and players playing all over the place. They tried at the end.
On what he hopes the players get out of the international break…
Hopefully get some rest and we'll start accumulating some points.
On how the players looked after playing the midweek match…
I don't think we were flat. I don't believe we were at all. I actually think we were doing fine. Unfortunately, Uri [Rosell] makes a play and then when he's getting up the other guy is following the ball, gets to the ball and he doesn't really see him, causing the penalty. They get the goal. But we were in the game. I don't know the stat sheet, but I'm not sure if they had a true shot on goal. No, I don't think we were at all. I don't think that was the case in the game.
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia
Thoughts on the match…
We were starting to build into the right direction after the Portland game. We got a win, a tie, an excellent comeback result in the Open Cup and then we let this opportunity slip. We have got to look that in the face. We're down guys, but they're down just as many guys. We're in our own house here. Ultimately, we need to just kind of shut it down. We need guys back. We need to get healthy. But this isn't over yet. We're not even close to over yet. We have so much season left. We have got to use this break to our advantage, get everyone back, and then come out flying.
On what piece was missing in the final third…
Our combination wasn't great, but I think it was a little bit of fatigue for sure. Guys have been running themselves into the ground. Our combination play wasn't great. We weren't putting our attackers in the best situations. We weren't supplying extra numbers coming up in the back. But none of that is important. The thing that we have to do right now is give ourselves a little bit of a mental break and come back flying because we're not out of this. We're not even close to being out of this yet.
On the performances from players who have stepped up this past month…
We can make this so positive because we can come back from this break and start accumulating points, climbing up the ladder and start getting some other guys back. And now we've gotten all these young players really good minutes in stressful situations, which is really good for your professional growth. So ultimately it will make us stronger. We have just got to come out flying.
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza
Thoughts on the match…
It's tough. It was a tough game for us, but we have got to keep our heads up. We work very hard. I wish we would have won, but I'm very proud of the guys for the hard work they're giving. We need to keep working hard. It's a long season and we have just got to keep our heads up.
On Vancouver’s defense after they went up…
They were defending very well. They defended very well and props to them for coming in here and doing that. We were trying to find a way. We created some opportunities and we just needed to finish them. That's how the game goes sometimes, and you’ve just got to keep fighting.
On reaching 300 career regular season appearances…
Hard work. Hard work. Every day, every game, every training, I come and play very hard. Thank you to Sporting for drafting me in 2008. It all started there with them giving me a chance and an opportunity to become a professional. Everything is due to Sporting, and I'm very thankful and grateful for this. I haven’t taken anything for granted at this club from the first day I came here. I keep working hard for this club, and I can only have gratitude for the opportunity they gave me.
