Sporting Kansas City interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin
Thoughts on the game…
I think we came up against a very good team today, a confident team that obviously is coming off a big win. I think they brought a lot of their experience and know how into the game tonight. We had a difficult time in the beginning, stringing passes together and finding ourselves in the game. Obviously (we score) a goal against the run of play, a little bit opportunistic goal Dejan was good to get us on the scoresheet. I think we made a few key errors in key moments and we've talked about key moments and being good in those instances. I think today, giving up the corner kick right before halftime, going backwards and finding ourselves 1-1 at half, I think we could have gone in at halftime (in the lead) if we would have managed those last couple minutes of the half a little bit better. I think in the second half we found ourselves chasing, They put a lot of pressure on us. We tried to make a few substitutions to get more attacking players on the field, and we went for it. And to credit to the guys, we didn't stop until the end, so that piece of our game is still intact, but we have to get much, much better, both on the defensive and the attacking side. And final point is LA are very good on attacking set pieces. They capitalized today and they got a heck of a game from Bouanga.
On what the team can do to create more chances…
Well, I don't even think we got close to the goal, to be honest with you. We were trying to connect passes, it's probably the most organized team we played against. They put a lot of pressure on us, our ball movement. We talked about being more purposeful with the ball and I think we just couldn't get ourselves going and creating good chances and for that matter, really getting into the final third in dangerous situations and that carried on for a lot of the game. I know the game was, in a different state when they were up 2-1 in the last 10 minutes. I think we put more attacking players on. Obviously we were punished with the last goal, but we had a little bit more activity there. But on the day, LA were the better team.
On if it’s frustrating to score great goals but not replicate those patterns…
I think we do a lot of good things. We're not at the elite level of the league yet, and we are pursuing that. Tonight we saw an elite team that has been very good in our league over the last number of years. And we got some pretty good feedback. And that feedback is, we need to be more consistent on both the attacking and the defending side of the ball, even better on set pieces, although we've improved greatly. That's our pursuit. Like I said, we got some pretty good feedback today, that we have to be better, and we will be better. With seven of the last nine on the road, we're excited to come back for the home stretch where I believe we have the next five or six. So it'll be welcomed and important for us to get back home in front of our fans. We're going to do our best to be better than what we were today.
On the performances of Jansen Miller and John Pulskamp…
Well, they've been consistent. Consistent how? They've left everything out on the field. Said this before, young players will make mistakes, but veterans do as well. And for them to get these experiences in these kinds of games against the quality opponent like LA, I think is beneficial to both their career, but also beneficial to our club and that we're getting young players in these environments so that as they mature, they'll be ready the next time.
On if bringing on Jake Davis was a pre-planned substitute and thoughts on his performance…
Yes, it was pre planned. Not just to get him on the field but also Memo Rodriguez, who has not been starting, didn't have the ability to go 90 minutes and so we knew that sub was going to be somewhere between the 45th and 60th minute. Jake getting on the field is welcome for all of us. We know what he brings to the game and as he now is integrating himself more in training after the injury, he's putting himself in a better position to be on the field more often and I think him getting those minutes today, he got the ability to get used to the speed of the game again so I think it'll be beneficial for him moving forward.
On if the defense has to get better or if LAFC’s pace was too much…
Both. The other team was faster, they're quicker on the ball. They were playing with a lot of confidence from the recent championship that they had at the stadium and some of those factors factor in but I always think about what can we do right, how can we be at our best? Certainly defensively, we absorbed a lot of pressure. There's been times this year where we've been very, very good. But that's always an aspect and will always be an aspect that we're trying to optimize and at this point of where we are in our progression, we have not optimized it.
Sporting Kansas City defender Jansen Miller
On the challenge of facing LAFC’s Denis Bouanga…
He’s difficult, he's a good player. But I like to play the top players in the league, I feel like people can see that. I feel like I get up for it. It was good, I feel like I kind of showed that I can play with any of the top guys in the league. That's how I felt with that battle.
Thoughts on the game…
It's tough, I feel like we would have liked to go in halftime up 1-0, maybe seeing out the end of the half better. Because it gave them a little momentum going in the second half. It was always going to be tough coming in here. This is my first time playing here, but I knew it'd be hard. I think we showed moments of being able to play. I didn't really feel like we were ever out of it. I think until they scored that third goal, we were right around their box and it was close.
On what Bouanga was saying during their confrontation in the second half…
I honestly couldn't tell you. He was speaking French. I don't speak French.
