Sporting KC interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin
Thoughts on the first half…
After the initial start to the game, and I mean right off the kickoff in which we had a good intention, I think we had a difficult time keeping the ball and creating chances. We gave the ball (away) in areas where they transitioned very well and we had a difficult time getting pressure on the ball. I think that was probably the biggest issue in the first half was getting pressure on the ball. We started in a 4-2-3-1 and we had a way in which we wanted to go pressure them and it didn't work. We made an adjustment halfway through the second half, trying to put Manu (Garcia) a little bit closer to Dejan (Joveljic) in more of a 4-4-2. We tried a few different things and it just wasn't working. We were giving the ball away and then we got stretched and they were getting at us. (Jordan) Morris' run for the first goal, we've seen that time and time again and that was something that we were aware of and unfortunately he got to the spot first. That set everything else in motion. After it was 2-0, I think we started to put a little bit more pressure but then a dagger right before half in transition by giving the ball away - which you will from time to time in the box taking chances - and they transitioned right down the field and they scored. So we had almost an insurmountable deficit to overcome. But, as you said, we did come back in the second half. We made significant adjustments in the second half, in which we got close. But on the day, the first half did us in.
On the second half adjustments…
We brought in Santiago (Munoz) and Dejan together to pair them up top and we played Manu off the left side a little bit. He had free reign to come inside, which allowed Logan (Ndenbe) to go a little bit higher. It gave us another number through the midfield and I think that started the trend of us getting more of the ball, playing between lines and now getting into their final third. I thought that was a positive and then obviously with the goal that we scored. That gave us a little bit of life. We brought Mason (Toye) on for Daniel (Salloi) in the 79th minute to put more attacking players on and I thought that gave us even more life. Going at the end into a 4-3-1-2 or a 4-4-2 diamond to really get three attacking players in Dejan and Santiago and Manu in the game, it helped. We were able to play through there. Finally, at the end, obviously Mason, Dejan, Munoz and Manu, that was difficult, I think, for Seattle to handle. I'm not sure what the final tally was on expected goals, and I know that doesn't matter at the end of the game, but I do know that we created a lot of chances.
On where the team stands…
Something that I've always known is that this team doesn't give up. And my gosh, it was all the way to the end and almost the final kick of the ball that we had a chance to tie the game. I'm not sure if I learned something new in that regard. I did learn that we need to be better in managing the game and being braver and more confident in possession of the ball and having the opportunity and the belief really that we can possess the ball and create opportunities. But when you play against the better teams of the league, and in my opinion I believe that Seattle is one of the top teams of the league, they're organized and they're disciplined. They don't give up silly chances and they punish you on the other side of the ball. We've seen a few of those teams this year. It happens week in and week out. If you're negligent against the better teams of the league, they really punish you. They went on the road and they're up 3-0 at halftime so a credit to them that they got the result. But I think I learned that we need to be better.
On the pain of a defeat…
I couldn't be more proud of the players. And I've said this before that this is not a straight line from a poor start to the season and you're not going to have any bumps and bruises along the way. Sometimes you come up short and that's the game. I've said this also to the guys that you can't control the ultimate result of the game. You can control your attitude, your thoughts, your performance and your intention and you give your best shot on the day. We know we're still a flawed team. But in terms of our mentality and our determination, I think we're 10 out of 10 and we saw that again tonight. So from that perspective, I don't want to look at how disappointed I am for them. I'm incredibly proud of them and I know it doesn't feel good on the moment when you come off the field after you suffered a loss, especially at home, and that's something that we'll have to deal with. But it certainly doesn't invalidate the effort that we put in tonight and it doesn't invalidate the progression that we've made up into this point in the season. We're going to come back for more.
On the team’s wing play…
I think you have to look at the makeup and characteristics of your players. As you mentioned correctly, we've had very good individual wingers over the course of our history. Specifically playing in a 4-3-3, that wing play and that individual capacity to just get in behind and also off of the dribble has created a lot of chances and success for us over the years. As you evolve -- and you have to evolve -- and you become more flexible and you bring new players into the mix, you have to put them in positions for them to be successful. I think we have a No. 10 in Manu Garcia that we haven't had in a while -- a true No. 10 that we need to find the ball to his feet more and that's through the central channels. But again, there's different ways to approach different games in terms of strategy. What I have liked about this team is that we've had moments of wing play, but ultimately the objective is to score goals and be in front of the goal and we've been very intentional about getting inside the box and being really efficient there. Tonight, we had maybe 21 shots with nine on goal. And for me, that's efficiency. That's something to build on. But you have to be multifaceted and for us to evolve as a club and be better as a club, we have to come in different ways. Sometimes with wing play and sometimes through the middle, because I think that's been lacking over the last number of seasons. We haven't been as efficient through the middle of the field. We need to have that capacity and that ability to do that.
On Seattle’s success on the right flank in the first half…
I think in the first half with (Cristian) Roldan in the right back position, he is extremely versatile. He's not a traditional right back and he can cause problems coming in and creating and exploiting spaces. That overload on that side of the field caused us issues with (Jesus) Ferreira coming underneath and then the threat of Morris behind. We just didn't get that right and I would say that from the left midfield, or one of our two holding midfielders in (Zorhan) Bassong, he was stepping out too much in the game, and often late, and that left space behind him. Between (Daniel) Salloi, Ndenbe and Bassong, we didn't have that organization.
On the team’s attack in the first 20 minutes…
I've seen the team, over the course of this season, and it's taken some time over the course of the game to figure out how to break a team down. As I said off the top, I think Seattle came in and they defended extremely well and they got numbers in the defensive third in and around the box. The other piece was that we were a little bit impatient at times in giving the ball away. It was difficult to get through the central channel, in which they compacted extremely well. We tried to open the game, but I think we were impatient. We lacked some movement in behind and it took us a little while to get going. That's a combination of things. Sometimes the opponent does that to you and it takes time. Sometimes it takes 20 minutes, sometimes it takes 70 minutes. But the fact of the matter is you have to manage those moments of the game and figure out ways to break them. In the second half, once we got more players centrally, I think that opened up the game and opened up opportunities a little bit more.
On the return of Nemanja Radoja…
It was good to get him some minutes tonight. Obviously we've missed him in the midfield in terms of the bite and the experience. So that was incredibly welcome, not just in that moment, but throughout the game in which in the first half I think we were a little shy in our confrontations and our duels. That in and of itself -- forget about the tactics of the game -- we just lacked aggression and for that I'm going to look at myself for that and try to understand what the message was and why we showed up in that regard.
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Zorhan Bassong
Thoughts on the first half…
As you guys can see, we were actually struggling a lot during the first half. It's like we didn't really know where to actually position ourselves defensively. We were letting them play. A lot of guys in the midfield had a lot of space to play in between our guys, to play in deep, and it was hard for us to actually find where to position ourselves defensively. I think we're struggling with that. I felt it was really hard and I feel like this is unacceptable. It's not normal that every time in the first half, especially when we play at home, a lot of moments, we're unable to have the same momentum that we have in the second half. And I feel like in the second half, it was a completely different game. Again, we're able to run, we're able to take a step forward. You're able to get the balls from their feet. And as you guys can see, we're able to score two. I know it's two penalty kicks, but we're able to push a lot. I think we have got to be able to set the momentum from the very beginning of the game like that, because we have the capacity to do it, but we just have to stop waiting for that.
On what this game showed about where the team is…
I think every team is different. First of all, Seattle is always a good opponent. They're really good, a lot of good players. It's a team that likes to possess the ball a lot. I think we've got to be smarter in the way we adapt, the way that we actually go to the game. I feel like a team will possess the ball sometimes. I feel like we struggle a lot the way we have got to, like I said before, to position ourselves, the way we have got to defend, the way we have got to step up on the field. I feel like this is a good lesson for us because we're going to put other teams like that. I think this is a good lesson, and we can actually look at that game and build from that game for the next coming weeks and the next opponents that we're going to have for the rest of the season.
On how the team can start stronger…
I feel like we're going to be able to find that mentality, find that strength from the very beginning. Once we're able to figure this out, I think we can be again a team that can cause a problem from the very beginning. I don't know what is the issue right now, but we have just got to figure it out because I think in the second half there's not a lot of teams in the league that can actually do what we do to push a lot and come back. We almost got three at the end with Mason running all those guys in the box, making that last pass. I think we're this close to equalizing that game. I feel like we have just got to keep this spirit and try to find a way to have the same spirit we have in the second half in the first half. I think everything will be all right if we're able to do that.
Sporting Legend Tony Meola
On the 2000 team that won the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup...
I think it's a group of guys that kind of came together that year. We used to kind of joke about being misfits from other teams that came in, and that's how Bob (Gansler) built the team, and it was. A bunch of guys with chips on their shoulders, you know, they needed to prove something to guys. So, it was a tight group. It was a fun group, and our boss was great. Bob Gansler was great the entire season. I've said this time and time again, I feel comfortable saying the most underrated soccer coach this country's ever seen and he was great for that group. It's exactly – the discipline, the way you organize things -- just what that group needed.
On moments that stick out…
Game one against Chicago. It was like the switch turned on. We realized after that game, as tough as it was, I think it ended 4-3, the first game. I think we realized we were onto something. Then, of course, you get on a roll, and I think it was 9-0-3 or 10-0-3, something like that. You get on a roll, and you start feeling good about yourself. We played pretty much everybody in that run, you know, that we thought, 'oh, these are the contenders.' We just were a group that believed that we could win.
On how winning the Cup impacted soccer in KC…
I thought we felt it building through the year. I've said everything that was done in the game that year was covered. It was everything that that team did the entire (season), every game, everything was covered that year, and it was great. I think we saw it growing a little bit, and now it's just become a monster of a soccer city, which is so cool to see.
Thoughts on expansions like MLS Next Pro…
Anyone that's heard me over the years, I'm so bullish on developing young kids. I've worked at the youth level, both in the club level and at the national team level. I love that we have so many young kids having the opportunity to develop. There are probably some things you can correct along the way with all of those leagues, but they're doing what they can to give kids the opportunity. We didn't have it back then, so we had to do it in other ways. Hopefully, it continues to go in the same direction.
On leadership…
I'm not quite sure you can have too many leaders in your locker room. Preki was like the old head here. He was the older guy. Peter (Vermes) came in and was the leader of the backline. Kerry (Zavagnin) and Matt (McKeon) did such a great job in the midfield. You mentioned the two Chris's (Klein and Henderson) on either side. They became leaders throughout that season and you can see their quality because they're leading teams. Mo Johnston was just a leader by his actions. If anyone defined that team, it was Mo Johnston with the way that he went about his business. We had so many. I'd throw in Uche Okafor like guys that were in that. Those were leaders in the team. So for me you can't have too many leaders.
Sporting Legend Chris Klein
On how Kansas City embraced the team after the Cup…
A lot has been said about the team playing in Arrowhead and a group that was able to come together. I grew up in the Midwest and it's a team that shows the character of the city. I really felt that our group had that and we could feel the community that came around us as we went through the season. As we look back, that was something that we're really proud of. This is a group that walks into a stadium like this and sees the progression of this club in this city and feels part of it. That's what you want when you're part of an early league is to lay the foundation and the groundwork for others to do bigger and better things than we were able to do. And that's happened here and credit to everyone that's come after us that's been able to do this and certainly credit to our group that laid the foundation for this.
Thoughts on American coaches…
I don't think it's passed. I do think when you have someone like Bob, that not only was able to lead a group and put together a group of players and people, but also be able to lead them. These are not easy guys. There were big personalities. Tony and Mo and Preki and Peter. These are big personalities. It took a big personality to manage that. I think that's what's needed. I hope we have that in our national team now. But certainly Bob, going back as far as we can all remember, he understood the American player and he understood how to win. And the job that he did with us and the job that he's done with soccer in this country is something that should be remembered forever.
On moments that stick out…
The flight home from LA when we were down and everyone had a belief that we were going to come back. I think that was the moment really. A final is a final. But that moment, being able to come back, that was one. Then the run in the beginning of the year when we went unbeaten for a long time. It was really that group that refused to lose. That character in a team is something that you can't replace.
Referee Elijio Arreguin (via MLS pool reporter)
Can you explain what actions Seattle #5 (Nouhou) did to be shown a straight red card in second-half stoppage time?
Nouhou threw a ball at a spectator with force, striking the spectator. Nouhou was sent off for violent conduct.
