When Peter Vermes speaks, we listen.
The Sporting Kansas City Manager and Sporting Director joined Sports Radio 810 WHB this afternoon to discuss Major League Soccer's suspension due to COVID-19, what he believes is a reasonable timetable for return and how the club has reacted to the public health crisis as positively as possible.
In a candid and insightful interview with The Program host Soren Petro, Vermes acknowledged that while missing matches has proven to be a sad and frustrating experience, controlling the devastating impacts of the coronavirus pandemic should be everyone's top priority.
"There was a lot of (preparation) by the players and staff, and a lot of times I feel bad for them just because I know how hard they worked to get themselves ready to go," Vermes said. "It was a good start (to the season) and it was great for the fans. We owed it to the fans to have a good start, so that was great. But we've run into something that's much bigger than our games."
Major League Soccer has suspended regular season play and currently targets a return date of May 10. The league still intends to play its full 34-game slate, although players remain prohibited from training together as a team.
Vermes foresees the MLS training moratorium eventually being lifted to permit training sessions with small groups, followed by a gradual progression to full practices. As he points out, MLS does have the luxury of extending its season into November and December if need be.
In addition to discussing the club's efforts to alleviate the impact of COVID-19, Vermes also detailed how Sporting's training staff has delivered training equipment to players' homes so that they can stay fit and follow daily exercise programs.
Listen to the full podcast below.
