Quotes: Sporting KC 2-2 FC Dallas - August 13, 2016

Sporting KC head coach Peter Vermes

On tonight's game...
Good response by us to get the equalizer, and to get the second goal thereafter was obviously even better. I thought we gave up a soft goal on the second one. I would need to see it again, but from what I saw, the keeper should have just pushed the ball out, that's the disappointing part of it. I thought both teams had chances. They had a couple more in the first half than we did, but in the second half, both teams were going back and forth and to be in front like we were and give up that goal is a little disappointing, but it's good to get a point.


On taking a point away from this game...
They're a good team. I know Oscar very well, and I congratulated him on making it to the finals of the US Open Cup. Obviously, they're in form, but at the same time I think a few things in this league go your way. It's amazing how fast things can turn in your favor, so the good thing is that we are still plugging away and fighting game after game. You can see it in the way our players play, and that's the positive thing on my side.


Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber

On tonight's game...
I think our team came out with a really good mentality. Obviously, Dallas (is an) extremely tough team to play here with the heat, and they just know how to play at home. I know they have a long unbeaten streak here at home. We did well. We could have come out with three points, a bit unlucky, I think, on the second goal. We're happy coming out of here with one point and I think it was a good performance all around from our team.


Sporting KC defender Saad Abdul-Salaam

On tonight's game...
It was a hard-fought point on the road… more of a two-sided game. At times, they got the better of us in the first half. We came out in the second half and started to control the midfield a little more and were able to get forward and get some chances.


On the changes made at halftime...
We changed some tactics a little bit. Come out and get forward, find the seams of the midfield a little more.


FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja

Overall thoughts on the game…
Another good one. I want to highlight the work these guys put in tonight after such a busy week and such a long game in Los Angeles. The team kept pushing the game, playing with heart. For me, that means much more than anything. We keep looking for points and tonight was not what we wanted. We only got one point at home, but we just keep on rolling. Tonight was a good demonstration of good soccer and intensity against a good team, a conference rival. In the first half we found a lot of common things between the two teams: good passing sequences, good players tried to make key plays and both being in front of the goal. We had a few chances that could have been a change in the game.


In the second half we came on strong, but unfortunately we lost concentration in the next 10 minutes after we scored the first goal. I'm going to say it tonight; I'm not going to blame these guys. It has been an exhausting week, but I want to keep highlighting the way they came back to the game because they were this close to winning it. For me, it's another sweet night with just one point.

On Maxi Urruit…
Maxi's role, obviously, is to score goals and Maxi is doing that. Maxi brings much more than that - it's the hard work that he brings into the field that he transmits to the other players. Plus - he scores goals. For me it was a very complete performance by a guy who is gelling with the team every time more and more. He's gaining the confidence to be that guy.


On Keeping the Same Lineup after game against LA Galaxy…
Because we can do it. We have the fitness, the energy, and we have the spirit to be part of this game. We have another week to prepare the next one, which is going to be three games away, but I wanted to give them rhythm and keep playing with the players that have been taking care of the results. Today was important and we wanted to keep the rhythm of the team.


On Success at Home
I don't pay attention much to the statistics, but when I look at the job they have been doing at home, and seeing how they respond to our fans, and the respect that these guys have for the franchise and for the club to want it to be our home, not as a cliché, but a reality, is amazing. We are very proud to have our city, our community and the support that we get from our fans."