SPORTING KC MANAGER PETER VERMES
Thoughts on the match:
“I thought from start to finish we were very good. We controlled the game.
I thought our defensive pressure was excellent. The swarming of the ball was exceptional and it really led to all the chances that we had and that we were pretty clinical around the goal. Scored four goals and then not give up any is a big thing anytime you play away from home.”
On securing the shutout:
“It is good for the team. We talked about it at halftime being up two-nil. I thought it was important for us to leave here without getting any goals in against us because that is a big aspect of who we are, not giving many chances away and the guys were able to do it. It was a very disciplined performance.”
On tallying four goals by four different players:
“We were very hungry and all the chances were created off of our pressure which was great to see and that was something we emphasized all week long and the last few weeks.”
On Dom Dwyer recording his 19th goal of the season and setting a team record:
“Congratulations to him, but more importantly he got the game-winner tonight and he still has a lot more left in him so that’s good.”
SPORTING KC DEFENDER MATT BESLER
On getting a clean sheet:
“It feels great. It’s something that we’ve been talking about for a while and we know that getting shutouts is important for success in this league. It’s something that’s been a part of our team for the last three or four years, they’ve been hard to come by the last 10 games, but it feels great to get back.”
On securing three points on the road:
“It feels good, it always feels nice to win, especially on the road. At the same time, it’s just one game. We’ve been very good at that in the past of taking one game at a time, not getting too high, not getting too low. These three points don’t really mean much unless we follow it up the next game with another three points.”
On the objectives heading into the final phase of the season:
“They’ve always been the same, they haven’t changed through this rough patch that we’ve been on. The guys have not panicked, it’s credit to everybody involved in this team. We’ve stuck with the system that we play and we haven’t lost the goal of winning the [Eastern Conference] and that’s our focus right now.”
SPORTING KC FORWARD DOM DWYER
On scoring the club’s record-breaking 19th goal of the season:
“Honestly, I’m delighted that we won tonight, it was so important. It was a must-win for us and we got the result, we’re pleased. The record comes along with it. I was confident that I would get it today. I should’ve gotten a couple of more. I’m delighted to do it and huge credit to all the guys and thank all of them for passing me the ball, I guess, and giving me opportunities. I’m on a good team. If you play center forward for this team, you’re going to score goals. I’m very happy and ready to improve on it even more.”
On his motivation to score goals:
“I’ve always scored goals, it’s my job and what I’m good at and I definitely pride myself at it. I want to be the top scorer in every team that I play for and every league. I’m never satisfied and I guess that’s why I’m still hungry. I beat the record but now I want more, I want it even more so. We just have to get back to winning ways and I’m going to get chances and we’ll keep winning games and hopefully a championship.”
On the objectives for the final five games of the season:
“Five wins, that’s it. There’s no reason for me why we can’t win the next five games. We have a momentum going now and we should be confident and we should definitely get it done.”
CHIVAS USA HEAD COACH WILMER CABRERA
Thoughts on tonight’s loss:
“No doubt that it’s frustrating. Coming into the game, we talked with the guys throughout the week and we exposed the situation. Right now we were facing Sporting Kansas City who was coming from four games losing, the same situation as us. So I said to the guys, ‘right now it is who has better mentality, who has better strength mentally, and who wants it more.’ Definitely they showed that they have better mentality than us. They were putting pressure, they were running more, and they showed more desire to win than us and they did it. They did it the way where we continue to give away possibilities and goals and it looks silly. But that’s mentality and we need to get better mentally. Today at the end it was a great opportunity to see the young guys because at this point we need to see what is the possibility with the young guys to give them the time to play and to refresh the possibility for them.”
On the physicality of the game:
“I have learned throughout my whole career that when you get pulled from behind it’s a yellow card. That’s an easy one. When you decide not to call those easy calls, those easy yellow cards, the players are going to get confident and they are going to start kicking and then grabbing and they did it. It is sad because we are not that physical. But they’re a good team and they took advantage of the momentum and they came after us and they put pressure and they noticed the referee was allowing those physical challenges and we didn’t react well with that.”
On Matthew Dunn’s performance:
He’s a young kid who shows that he has a good personality, good dynamic, and he’s having fun playing and he decides to play in these type of games with a lot of pressure and he shows he can play. He’s going to be beside a very good player like Nigel [Reo-Coker] that shows character, that he always goes strong, so it was important to him and the same for Donnie Toia who needs to learn that physicality, that mentality and we wanted to see Eriq Zavaleta. He came from the Seattle Sounders at the beginning of the year as a forward but we use him as a central back and to see how it goes. This is the moment to see how we can explore new possibilities because everything that we have tried doesn’t work.”
CHIVAS USA GOALKEEPER DAN KENNEDY
Thoughts on the game:
“I felt prepared. I thought that we were ready to go and we know the nature of Sporting Kansas City. They are a high-pressure team, they have some great weapons in their squad. I thought we really did well and for the first part until we gave the first goal, I thought we did well, we were very much in the game. It was a hectic game, but we knew that was going to be the case with how they play.”
On Kansas City’s first-half goals:
“[Graham] Zusi played a great ball in behind the defense and [Dom Dwyer] put it away. The thing that hurt us the most was giving away that second goal right before halftime.”
On not being able to respond after being scored upon:
“We need to find a way to be able to work us back into games if things go wrong. I definitely think that’s something we can improve on. I think we can also improve in not getting that first goal.”
On the upcoming games:
“Plenty to play for. Now we get a little bit of a break with this Friday night game, and we gotta come back and put in a good effort and prepare. With six games left now, it’s important that we find a way to get something out of them. We are fighting for everything here.”
CHIVAS USA FORWARD MARVIN CHAVEZ
Thoughts on the match:
“We’re in a tough situation. The team wanted to come away with a positive result tonight but unfortunately we could not do it. This is the moment when we need to be more unified, more driven about what we need to do, and above all continue to work.”
On trying to break out of current slump:
“The effort is always there for every match. The issue is that the results are not the appropriate ones that we as a group desire along with the coaching staff. We’re in a tough spot right now, but the important thing is that we have honorable men in this locker room and we are going to turn it around. It’s about continuing to work and continuing to persevere, above all. There are players in here with long track-records who are hungry to turn this club around.”
On the team’s eight-day break from league action:
“I think those recovery days are going to help us a lot. We are going to face that match against Toronto with the upmost responsibility. We are players here that are very professional and today we are indebted with the club, with the fans that have come to support us. We are going to keep our heads up as professionals.”
