Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes
On Sporting KC’s 2-1 win over LA Galaxy…
LA is by far the best team we’ve faced this year—excellent in transition, just a very good team. What was great was that it played out for a very entertaining game, for the fans and obviously for television. Both teams went back and forth constantly, which I think is great for the league as well. My hat goes off to them in regards to the way they came to play tonight. There is a lot of stuff that we can learn and build (on) from this game. There were things that happened that we got better with. What we didn’t do, we didn’t give up anything of major consequence in the game. From what I understand and what I saw, it looked like their goal was offside. The long and short of it is that was a good three points for us. I thought we did well and I thought that we were pretty organized. We had some very good moments of possession and created some very good chances. We had good opportunities and I think we did a good job managing the game and getting out of there with three points.
On Sporting KC signing Matt Besler and Graham Zusi to Designated Player contracts…
It was a priority because we’ve proven that we’re an organization that knows what we want and we go after it. It’s not as if these were two guys on the outside that we were courting. It was making it understood that between them and us, that at the end of the day, we want them here long term. There’s one piece that wants you here long term because of the player you are, and the other is to make a financial commitment. And the ownership was willing to do that. There are things that we have a clear vision on for the future and we act on it. It was important to get it done because we have a lot of games to play and we want to win. And we want to make sure we’ve got the best players as a part of our organization, and that’s what these guys are. That’s why we wanted to get it done as quickly as possible.
On why keeping Besler and Zusi at the club is so important…
If you look at our team and how it has evolved over the last four years, the same nucleus of players remains here. Don’t get me wrong, there have been a lot of players who have helped us get to this point, but for different reasons they are not here. And for very important reasons, these guys are here with the rest of those players in the locker room. And they continue to evolve. It’s about us having consistency. And consistency is not just going on the field and trying to win games. It’s also about having very important people that have great character, that are incredible professionals, and understand what the ethos and the culture of this organization is. And as much as it is about trying to win everything, it also is a constant pursuit of excellence on a daily basis. And (Besler and Zusi) epitomize that.
On how Besler and Zusi can improve by staying in MLS…
I can’t speak for the other [MLS] clubs because I’m not there, but I can speak for this one, and I’ve said it before. I’ve always said that if a guy wants to go to Europe, then you’re not going to compete with that. He wants to go to Europe and that’s what he wants to do. But if it is centered on being at a place that has great facilities—well, I don’t have to say much. Our stadium a couple years ago was the best thing in the world. And then you start looking at other things. I take a lot of pride in the fact that we are an organization that develops players, and the development doesn’t get to a certain point and stop. I believe it keeps going. And I think that players have the ability to develop all the way through their career, as long as they have the right mentality. The two guys sitting next to me have that mentality. So what I do know is that the competition is getting better all the time here. The players are getting better in our league. The way teams play gets better. So they are only going to get better. You don’t need to go somewhere else. Now maybe sometimes, based on salary cap and things like that, there are certain restrictions financially. And I understand if a guy gets an incredible offer that he has to go. But the other thing is that you still need to evaluate along with that opportunity is if you are going to play. Are you a guy who is going to get minutes all the time? Because if you’re not playing and making money, well, that’s great and good for your bank account, but it’s not good for your career and going forward. And look, these guys just came off the World Cup. They have a great chance of making the next World Cup team, but that has to because they are consistently playing and they aren’t just staying where they are. They are getting better. And there is no doubt in my mind that they have the ability to grow as players here at this club and in this league.
Sporting KC defender Matt Besler
On deciding to stay at Sporting KC rather than seek a transfer abroad…
There were a lot of things in favor of staying at home and staying with this club. I don’t feel that I need to sit here and rattle all of them off, but at the end of the day, the ownership group is a special group. When I had meetings with them, they made me feel like part of their family, and that stuff doesn’t happen a lot in sports. And I feel like I can trust them and they cant trust me. And I am just comfortable moving forward with them.
On being criticized by some media members for not seeking a transfer abroad…
I’m not worried about that anymore. I don’t care really. People can say what they want and they can judge. They can have opinions on where I should be playing, but no one really knows the true story. No one knows what it’s like to be here, to be in my shoes. I’m so confident and comfortable with my decision that none of that matters.
On playing a match right after announcing he had signed a Designated Player contract with Sporting KC…
I didn’t feel much different going out. I wanted to win the game because we were playing LA and we needed a win at home. I didn’t feel too different today.
Sporting KC midfielder Graham Zusi
On signing a Designated Player contract with Sporting KC alongside teammate Matt Besler…
All parties involved knew what they wanted at the end of the day. It did take some time to make the right decision. There were things involved that you had to make sure you’re comfortable with, and both Matt and I are [comfortable].
On playing a match right after announcing he had signed a Designated Player contract with Sporting KC…
When you make an announcement like that, you don’t want to come in here after the game and talk about the negatives. So I think that the win was great for Matt and myself for the situation that we are in. It didn’t change the way we played—we came out and played the same way. It was good.
Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber
On his free kick goal in the 11th minute…
That’s my favorite spot on the field to take a free kick—right up close to the box on the left. It’s just about putting it up and over the wall. If you do that, it’s going to be tough for the goalie to get there. That’s something we practice a lot of times during the week, and luckily I was able to get an opportunity and put it in.
On Sporting KC winning its first home MLS match since May 4…
It feels great. These fans deserve it. We obviously put a lot into winning those road games, but it’s a much bigger pleasure to win in front of these fans against a team like LA. It’s great for us and for the fans, and we’d love to build on this run we have going.
On the challenges of playing against LA Galaxy…
They match up really well against us. They are a team that defends and counters really well, and that’s one of the things we try to prepare for and get better at every day. The way we press, sometimes we put too many numbers forward and we give up some space in the back. LA is a very good counter attacking team. We got scored on twice against them last year like that. We played pretty well that game but gave up two counter attacking goals. We obviously didn’t want to give that up today, and we did well to take care of the opportunities they had.
On Sporting KC’s recent run of good form…
It’s no secret that we have a lot of good players back. We also had a lot of injuries a couple months ago, and a few players on international leave. But now we have everyone here. Our team is as strong and as deep as it can be. When everybody’s here, we’re that much stronger. I feel comfortable with us going into this stretch run with everybody here and healthy.
On playing English Premier League champion Manchester City this coming Wednesday at Sporting Park…
It’s an exciting opportunity. Sometimes I think people look too far into (international friendlies). It’s a scrimmage for them to get ready for their league and it’s a fun test for us to play against the best team in England. I don’t think the result will matter all too much, but it’s great to test ourselves individually.
LA Galaxy manager Bruce Arena
On LA Galaxy’s 2-1 loss to Sporting KC…
We started the game with 11 and ended the game with 11. We were just outplayed the first half. We played a poor half. The formation was off without Omar (Gonzalez) and injuries, which isn’t an excuse. We were just outplayed in the first half.
On Robbie Keane and Andy Gruenebaum’s collision in the second half…
I think it should have been a foul [on Gruenebaum]. I don’t think it’s a red card but if a field player passes a ball and a player goes through, it’s a foul. So it’s a foul on the play; it’s a free kick. It doesn’t need to be a red card. But it’s a foul and it has to be a free kick. Like the foul they had that they scored a goal on—those are fouls. And the referee needs to call them. I don’t think it’s a red card.
LA Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan
On LA Galaxy’s 2-1 loss to Sporting KC…
We were lackadaisical when we started. They put a lot of pressure on us and came out with a lot of energy, which they always do at home. We didn’t do a good job of handling that or dealing with it. They deserved their first goal. In the second half we played a lot better. We were in control for a lot of the second half, but giving up a second goal certainly hurt. We did a good job to get back into the game and had a few chances to tie it, but it wasn’t enough today.
On LA Galaxy’s overall performance against Sporting KC…
We played well defensively for the most part. I think we gave them a little too much room and a little too much respect in the first half. We also needed to be better in front of goal. We got into some good spots, but the final shots let us down. All in all, it’s not the worst day.
On LA Galaxy’s adjustment in the second half…
They were getting a lot of freedom wide with the outside backs and midfielders. We tried to put players around them a little more. I think we did a good job getting around their centerbacks and making it a little more difficult on them. When we put them under significant pressure, they struggled. It’s too bad we couldn’t have started with that much energy and concentration. So at the end of the day, that’s where we lost the game—the way we started.
On LA Galaxy’s makeshift defense…
It’s not ideal to play with four centerbacks across the backline. You can’t fault those guys because we don’t really have a chance to practice like that. We knew only yesterday that Robbie Rogers wasn’t going to be able to (play), so you have to adjust accordingly. It’s not the perfect situation, but that’s part of a season. That stuff happens and you have to deal with it. That’s not an excuse, but I think we’re better defensively than what we showed today.
On 17-year-old Bradford Jamieson’s MLS debut performance…
He did pretty well. Getting the header on the assist was good. He had a few plays where he could have done better to have a cleaner touch and maybe get a cross off or make something dangerous happen, but it’s his first game. You don’t expect perfection, but we’re happy for him. It’s good that he got the chance to get the first game under his belt, and hopefully he keeps moving forward.
LA Galaxy forward Robbie Keane
On LA Galaxy’s 2-1 loss to Sporting KC…
It was a sloppy first 15 minutes from us after the kickoff. We started keeping the ball and moving it in the second half, doing better against their pressure. But we still lost the game.
On scoring three goals in two matches this week…
The more I get on the ball, the more I can make things happen. I’ve done that my whole career and the way we play certainly suits my style of play. But at the end of the day, we’ve lost the game. We gave up a good goal, then scored a good goal to get back (into the game). We showed good spirit in the second half and gave a good battle. But when we conceded that second goal, it was always going to be difficult. We maybe could have nicked a draw in the end, but we didn’t. I’m not really sure about their second goal. They shouldn’t have had a corner, if I’m being honest. I thought we kept the ball in play. I’ve been playing for 15 years and I’ve seen that a lot. Someone keeps it in, but a corner is given.
On his collision with Sporting KC goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum after shooting over goal…
If you’d have seen my leg, you’d have thought it was a foul. Seeing the replay, it doesn’t matter if I had an opportunity to score. The fact is if (the keeper) isn’t there, it’s a goal probably. I didn’t think I was going to be doing a cartwheel today, I’ll tell you that.
On 17-year-old Bradford Jamieson’s MLS debut performance…
It was a difficult game for him to come into, but that’s not a bad start for him. One game, one assist. I’ve congratulated him for his first game. It’s always a big occasion, your first game. To set up an assist is certainly nice for him. He’s going to grow in confidence. It’s really nice for him to play in a game like this. I thought the New England game would have been perfect to come on and show what he can do, but this game was a bit difficult for him to get on the ball because we were pushing to try and get the win. But he can be proud of himself in his first game, getting his first assist and getting more confidence.
