Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes
Overall thoughts
I thought for a while there the game was back-and-forth. We gave up two bad balls in critical areas of the field, and credit to Philadelphia, they capitalized on both and that’s what you have to do in this game sometimes. Our biggest thing right now, though, is we need to get healthy and get ready for the playoffs. That’s the big thing. That’s our main goal at the moment.
On playing shorthanded
Obviously you want to win. But at the same time, tonight, I had to leave home C.J. Sapong, Claudio Bieler — and these are guys I wanted to play — Matt Besler and Andy Gruenebaum. Those four. On top of another five guys who have season-ending injuries. And I didn’t want to play Graham [Zusi] because he has a few knocks and pains, and I don’t want him to all of a sudden turn into an injury that ends up being weeks. So, really it’s about us trying to get into some form and get healthy bodies so that when we get to playoffs — at least the guys that are available and don’t have season-ending injuries — I can at least have those guys to pick from to put a team on the field.
On playing better in the second half
Yea we had to move the ball a little quicker and stuff like that. And the guys realized that we gave the ball away and if anything it should have been 0-0 at halftime. But, again I don’t think it was a lack of effort or anything like that. It’s really just about us making sure we got our frame of mind going.
If he worries about seeding
I really cant. Whatever place we wind up going in, you got to go to beat teams and you got to win. So we’ll have to take that when it comes. But again, the biggest thing for us is to really try getting healthy bodies so we can be fresh — not hungry, because the guys are hungry —it’s fresh.
On Sunday’s match-up against New York
The only problem is we play a [CONCACAF] Champions league game Thursday in Costa Rice. So we have a heavy nine days. But we’ll figure a way through it. But Thursday, we just need to get a tie. It’s a very hostile environment.
Sporting Kansas City Forward Dom Dwyer
On what he saw from the game
Obviously it’s a tough result for us. We needed those points. Yeah we made playoffs, but we’re not satisfied. So it’s a disappointing result. We had quite a few calls that didn’t go our way tonight, I’d say. That’s not an excuse. Congrats to Philadelphia. They played well. A couple of errors on our part and it cost us.
On his PK attempt against MacMath
I can’t remember if I’ve taken one against Zac. I missed my last one so I was determined to score this one. And it gets us back in the game but we end up letting in another one so it really didn’t matter in the end.
On any halftime adjustments
Yea, you know, just open up the game. We had to open it up. We got ourselves in good positions but then we were wasteful with the ball. There were a lot of opportunities for a ball through. It was a difficult field to play on — it was just a little bit sloppy. We’re better than what we showed tonight. It’s just a tough one, but that’s what happened sometimes and you have to deal with it.
On what they need to shore up before the playoffs
Yea we need that momentum for the playoffs. New York’s a good team, that will be a tough game, but we’re at home. If we show up and play our best, then we should win the game. It’s a big game and we have to focus on that to pick up some momentum for playoffs.
On noticing any similarities from last year’s team down the stretch
We have a hungry team. We have guys that want to win. I have no doubt about that. I’ll stand and fight with these guys — they want it. They want to win. I think we’re the sleeping giant right now and maybe people are starting to forget about us. That’s a bit different from where we were last year, but that’s how it is.
Sporting Kansas City Midfielder Lawrence Olum
Overall thoughts of the game
It was a hard-fought game for us. Going down a goal, then working hard to get one back and then a tough one at the end. We gave away a goal and they held back.
What they tried to change at halftime
No we just enforced what Peter wants us to do. We competed a lot more and we took it to them and that’s what brought the first goal. We controlled most of the game in the second half. It was just an unlucky goal at the end.
On what the team needs to do before the playoffs
It’s just getting in the right frame of mind. Everybody needs to get with it, you know. We know what we have to do to get to the finals — we did it last year. So it’s a matter of us, collectively, getting together in the last game to make a push to the MLS Cup.
Philadelphia Union Interim Manager Jim Curtin
Opening Statement
I thought it was a good performance from our guys tonight ended the season the right way for our fans and ourselves in a lot of ways. Wanted to put a team on the field that would have another shot to close a game. That came up tonight up 2-1 and the exercise was how do we manage things we wanted to do it from halftime on. Get the critical moments right like get a block in-front of goal and the little things we wanted to get right. Were still evaluating guys going into next season. I felt a lot of guys came up and played well tonight. A lot of effort was put in, missed some chances we could of scored more goals. We limited their chances they had no shots on goal in the first half and I was proud of that. Showed some character (Kansas City) scored a goal and they could of put their heads down, but to our guys credit they put a lot into it and Pedro got a good goal for us. I’m happy with the group, happy for the fans who get to go home happy you know. I know we came up short and the focus now the only word I use around the guys is playoffs for next year. We’re not going to talk about championships or anything like that, we’re talking about the playoffs for 2015 and that’s the goal.
You got seven points off KC this year I know you spoke about parody in the league is that another example of that?
It’s strange you know because they’re the reigning champions, they’re a good team a team that in a lot of ways we’re trying to get like, a team that you know what it’s going to look like it’s a 4-3-3 every time no matter whose injured, whose out, whose away with the national team they look the same every time. They have skillful guys who can pull of a play. They have role players who do their job well. Peter Vermes has done a great job with that franchise, guys I respect a great deal. You know in a lot of ways they’re a mirror of what we want to become.
As a young coach what have you learned, with young players what have you learned through all these bumps on the road?
“The last two results here I might coach for 50 years I don’t think I’ll ever, I hope knock on wood have a tie and a lose quite like those two in the ways that they happened in big spots and big moments you know. I’m going to throw up right now thinking about it now. Again you look back on that one and they had a centerback standing at midfield and a young kid they were basically conceding the game against Columbus and they scored he pulled those two back and then the scramble. I don’t know why I’m reliving that now but off on a tangent. With our young guys and as a young coach you try to learn from every moment. There’s so many things that go a long way. Brian Brown is a kid now who is 21 years old doesn’t have a great first half, but at least sticks with it and gets the goal in the 44th minute. So again those are messages when things get hard who are the guys who roll their sleeves up and who are the guys who bail out. Tonight we had a lot of guys who stuck with it. Was it perfect no, we didn’t play a perfect game we had some rust some bad passes from the young players to the old players the mentality to stick with it and get a result.”
On the win
It helps, it’s a relief a little bit. Winning is contagious you know it’s a feeling that you have. Looking back to summer months when things were going good, you wanted games to come up, to play every Saturday or Wednesday just because it felt good. We were on a good roll, then you have a tough stretch with some draws and some bounces that don’t go your way the tough Open Cup than you know, you long for those 3 points. It’s a relief for our guys they work so hard, closing out a game is something that we’re learning and it’s been something to build off of that’s for sure.
It’s your first off-season to look at the roster are you going to revert Pedro back to his normal position or are you going to keep him at forward?
I’m excited for my first full off-season to be honest the process of a draft and to bring players in. I am excited for that opportunity if given. And again I think I can do it the right way I know what works in this league. Pedro is a guy who I’d say is playing out of position he’s not a true forward or no. 9 he’s better underneath and he’d be a lot better because he can pass, to have a guy in the attacking spots that can run and stretch the field and get behind and that gives him more space too by giving him a speed option up there so that’s something we’ll look to. We do sometimes use two forwards with a Casey and a fast guy running off him. But I do see Pedro as a guy whose better suited physically sized wised whose not the fastest that’s not a secret but he is a soccer player he can make a final pass, he can get a goal, he can shoot from distance something that we to be honest lack a goal scoring midfielder. He can maybe be that instead of a no. 10 type pigeon hold him one way or another. He can play underneath a forward who can maybe stretch the field.
On Brian Brown’s goal
Yeah it’s a confidence builder he scored twice against Kansas City, I joked with him saying you always score against Kansas City, he was kind of confused I think, just because he hasn’t played a ton. He’s good with the minutes that he gets and that’s an example of a guy you know we threw him out there with one of our better lineups and you know and he’s kind of the lone guy, it was new for him. He struggled I’m not going to say he had a perfect game I yelled at him at halftime a lot I said I don’t care that you scored the goal there’s a lot more movement and running and work that you have to do defensively and offensively to be an option for guys. He understands that he’s a young player got to grow. That’s a real team he’s going against Collin it’s not going to get much harder he’s going to kick you, he’s going to grab you, you’re going to have to earn everything against him. If you look at the play it’s 3 against 7 for him to get wide than move again to get in a spot in-front of goal and to get a good finish with his right foot was impressive, two left footed guys make two good plays on their right foot. But again we were out numbered 3-7 and Brian makes a play, that what he does, he scores goal. He didn’t get the chance to do it as much as he would have liked. I think the future is good for Brian.
On Cristian Maidana
He’s an important piece, he’s a guy who can change the game, a guy going to make the special play. I get on him all the time for the blind flicks and tell him if you are going to do those they better come off sometimes they still don’t. It can get frustrating but he’s special he sees the game differently than a lot of players. A guy who can make the final pass, actually got a good run in on the goalkeeper would like to see him finish there, but yeah I’m happy with Chaco.
Philadelphia Union Midfielder Pedro Ribeiro
On getting his goal
This is something that I have been working a lot on in practice; this is my first year as a forward, so I am trying to get into the box and make things happen. There was good ball played to me in the box and I was fortunate to get my foot on it and put it away.
On physical match up with Sporting KC
A lot of center backs are physical in MLS, like [Aurelien] Collin. He’s a strong guy, their back line was very strong and we worked in [practice on how to combat that].
On what getting these three points mean
It’s huge for us. It’s good us, it’s good for our fans. I thought we had another packed house and I was surprised because I knew fans were upset about this season so it was nice to see them all come out. For us to get a win for them in the last game means lot…they were outstanding all year and today was no different.
Philadelphia Union Forward Brian Brown
Thoughts on the teams in MLS
It’s a pretty good league, lots of good players. There are a lot of physical strong guys.
On his first season in MLS
I would say it was a very good season, I learned a lot and I feel like I was able to help this team stay strong all the way through since I got here. To be honest, I know I scored tonight, but I don’t even think this was one of my best games. I want to be a good forward, so I just have to keep working hard.
Philadelphia Union Goalkeeper Zac MacMath
On the match against Sporting
I just wanted to play my game and be confident in my abilities whether it was coming off my line for crosses or trying to make a big save, I just wanted to do anything I could in this game to make sure we got the three points.
On the physical nature of game
We’ve kind of made a little bit of a rivalry against Sporting KC, I think everytime we play them it’s tough. There are a whole bunch of yellow cards, and scuffles in the game. But that’s kind of the way you have to approach Kansas City, you have to be aggressive with them because they are a very aggressive team.
On confidence from win
Right now, we are just happy to give the fans three points at home. We are looking forward to our last game against Columbus next week, but really this is more for guys who are playing for jobs and playing for contracts for next year.
