Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes
On Sunday's game...
I think it was a very, very, very difficult match for both teams. It was a hard-fought match. The difference for us is our work ethic was exceptional tonight on both sides of the ball, and I thought we showed a real hunger in and around the boxes, which was really good. I think it was the difference. Both keepers played very well, obviously both made a save on PKs. Tough game, but I think work ethic and two guys to give credit would be the goalkeeper, Tim Melia, and Khiry Shelton. I thought Khiry was a handful up front.
We talked about it leading into this game, we can't afford to spend a half hanging out. I don't necessarily think we played all that well in the first half, but we worked, and I think that was the difference for us in the game and the result.
Sporting KC defender Matt Besler
On Sunday's game...
It's a big result for us. Three points at an important time of the season. We go home, have a day off, and get back to it. We still have one more game. They're all big games and we just got to keep moving forward.
On the difference in results from the last meeting...
We always know when we play this team that it's going to be a difficult game because they're a good team and they complete and play hard. We believe we're a good team that competes and plays hard, too, and over the course of the years we've had some back and forth games with them. They won earlier in the season, and today we managed to get the result. It's three points, anything more than that, you're not going to get anything more from us. We're going to keep our heads down, head back home to Kansas City and keep moving forward.
Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia
On Sunday's game...
I thought Seth Sinovic and Khiry Shelton were just phenomenal today. Their effort throughout the whole game. I think Khiry's ability to battle up top was so supportive for the whole group, and Seth shutting down one of the most agile wingers in this league. All in all, everyone had a good performance and we've got another game coming up, so we'll get ready for that.
On his penalty shot save...
It was difficult to see the sun was in everybody's eyes when it was coming from left to right on that side. It was an awkward ball in the air that lead to the penalty, and I was just fortunate to be able to put it around the post.
FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja
General thoughts on tonight’s match…
I want to start with just showing you my feelings. When I see the statistics of the game, I just bring the memories especially of the first half when I saw a team very solid, a team that was always having the initiative, a team that created many chances, a team that put 3 or 4 times our forwards in front of the goal and then if you don’t have that resolution, consequences through the liveness that we showed through the last minute of the half, we walk off the field 1-0. The PK that Kansas City missed in the first half, also in the competition that we have but overall the first half I like it a lot. I thought we played very well, and our fans should be very proud about it.
Second half, we have the chance to equalize the game in the PK, I thought the attitude of the team was very good and we come off very lively and we had the chance just to get the equalizer and we missed it. After that I thought the game became a rollercoaster, sometimes we have not just the energy but we have the creativity to put our players in a good spot, but there were many times were we started losing patience and with the modifications that we made also I thought it was more desire than ideas and the half just became unorganized and some part of it probably after their second goal.
So we just start reacting and we tried to make some changes and see if we can find a different way together there but we didn’t have that resolution and we didn’t have that clarity and patience and Kansas City played well in that part, you know they have good players too and I think their initiative to just wait and see if there is something else that you can do in the game and take advantage as they did in that first goal especially.
You can use some balance the team, but I want to tell you have our objective in our heads and we’re not going to leave on these circumstances, we’re going to move on, we’re not going to stay there. This team has done a great job so far and I believe in these guys and we have the qualification to get the second spot at least in Colorado and we’ll fight for it.
Mentality after two loses…
The finishing wasn’t good in the last game also, and I thought we all saw a team that create many chances and we were maybe a team that lack of that resolution and lack of the goal and today it happened again. How are we going to fix it? We’re going to keep working on what we have because this team has gotten to this point and I’m proud of that. I believe in this group mentally, I believe in the forwards that I have these guys because they are doing a terrific job and I’m going to back them up every single minute because they have brought us a lot of joy. We have to right to fight for the first and second place which is the next objective. We need to score goals and we all know that but at this point we just keep believing that we have not just the players, but we have the team to accomplish that and in the end of the season we will see.
FC Dallas defender Reggie Cannon
General thoughts on the game…
It was an unfortunate loss. For me personally, I didn’t play my best. Just defensive mistakes and not putting does offensive chances away. It’s tough playing against the best team, or one of the best teams in the West, and holding that number one spot is always tough because you have a target on your back. It was just a tough game overall, but we’re going to bounce back and get ready for the next one.
First half, we definitely dominated the game. They only had one chance and they put it away. They’re a lethal team once they get that momentum, it’s just the way those teams are, they get the momentum and they score two or three [goals]. It’s tough because we start getting desperate and throwing players up and taking advantage of that space.
On back-to-back losses…
Everyone’s frustrated. It’s football, you have to keep going. Everyone’s coming back from national team and it’s tough to get that chemistry again and you just have to figure it out. But I have no doubt that FC Dallas will bounce back, and we’ll be ready.
FC Dallas defender Marquinhos Pedroso
On what did the team learn from today…
That we can’t lose too many chances. With these big teams, it’s like in playoffs, if you don’t score, they go there and in once chance they score. I think that’s what happened today, we had no volume of the game and it in the first half we missed a lot of goals. But it’s like in playoffs, big teams, if you don’t score that’s what we have to work on this week. We have to there in the front end and finish the game. Score one or two times and then finish.
FC Dallas midfielder Victor Ulloa
On the tempers in the game…
I think when the opponent is saying stuff and they’re up 3-0 our players don’t take it well, it’s normal. I get mad, I’m a human being, but we tried to keep it calm. The most important part of the season is coming up, the most important game is next week and then into playoffs, so we need everybody if we want to make a run for that cup.
On the rivalry with Sporting KC…
You see the intensity of the game. We both played, and we don’t give each other an inch. We’re on top of each other and you’ve seen that rivalry throughout the past three years. We had a great result at their home this year, and they came and did their part against us now. Soccer always gives you rematches and revenge, so we’ll just wait for the next opportunity to face them.
On how to deal with this result…
I think that’s the most important part of it, the mental aspect. We have to keep our group and keep our heads up. We’ve had a hell of a season and it’s no time to put our heads down. It’s time for playoffs and time to make a run for that Cup that we much deserve.
On if the team ready for playoffs…
Are we ready, with the loss today? It’s not what we wanted but it’s good that it’s happening to us now before. Like I said I think we had a tremendous first half, unfortunately we couldn’t get on the board. In the second half early, with that PK, if we’d scored it, there would’ve been a different story. But we learn from our mistakes and we learn from those experiences and take them into the playoff run that we want.
