Sporting Kansas City Manager and Sporting Director Peter Vermes spoke to media Wednesday amidst the suspension of Major League Soccerâs 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His full remarks are below.
On FIFA considering the implementation of five substitutes per team when matches resumeâĤ
Itâs something that we were already contemplating here in (MLS), so itâs great to know that they were thinking the same, because itâs (definitely) for the safety of players. Normally speaking, I would probably say know. But because weâd get a real first-hand feel for the implementation of it, I would be very open to seeing what it was like. One of the things about soccer is that less substitutions have kept the continuity of the gameâitâs kept that rhythm. When you see college soccer and club soccer where there are unlimited substitutions, I understand why you do it, but the game loses rhythm. That would be my only concern.
On Sportingâs training program during the moratoriumâĤ
Weâve been looking at this in two-week increments as weâve gone into this moratorium. For example, the first week coming out we created an unloading week, and then we had a couple of weeks in a row that were heavy weeks in the way that we were training the guys. Joey Harty and Alphonso Thompson, our fitness coaches, were leading the charge on that with at least two Zoom calls a week, which had six to eight guys training on Zoom together. They ran them through a program where Joey or Alphonso was instructing it, and that added a camaraderie aspect to it. There was also one yoga session a week. Then there are other individual (workouts) they have to do on the other days on their own. We have weeks that are loading weeks that are really heavy, then we have unloading weeks that are kind of taking them off that. The bottom line is weâre trying to keep them at a good level of basic fitness. Iâve said this before, but thatâs going to be the most important aspect of us returning to play. Itâs not going to be soccer as much as itâs going to be, âHow can we get fit quickly to be able to play the way we want to play?â
Communication remains the same. Sometimes itâs phone calls and sometimes itâs Zoom calls with the whole team. These are a little more difficult, just because theyâre used to dealing with me more on an individual basis. A lot of times when I talk to them as a group, itâs usually not a conversationânot because I keep it that way, but because Iâm usually informing them about something and then we move onto something else. If I have to make an adjustment or (listen) to somebody, itâs usually one on one. Iâm also trying to be respectful, because even during the season, I donât want to be old to the guys where Iâm talking to them all the time. I want to keep my freshness with them, and Iâm trying to keep that space during this time as well.
On MLS taking the lead on a new youth league for academiesâĤ
The first step of U.S. Soccer announcing they wonât be a leader in that space is an important one because nobody is investing more money into player development than MLS. For us to lead that space, it only makes sense. I also think that we have to be very careful. There were some really good things that came out of the DA, and there were also some things that were done poorly. Hopefully we can learn from the things that were done poorly and expand upon them. Whatâs important is that itâs not only about the MLS academies. Itâs about the non-MLS academies and standalone youth clubs.
They also need guidance and assistance, not that they donât have good directors in their clubs, but I think our country is due for a good leader in this space who works with all of the groups in a very collaborative manner. I donât think thatâs taken place in the way that it should have. Thereâs been too much dictation and at times unrealistic terms or standards set. Itâs hard to expect certain clubs to pay for everything. Itâs just not feasible. They have to generate too much revenue, which is not part of their model. There has to be a different way of laying this out.
I also think that MLS academies have to make sure that we continue to have challenging competitions that optimize the potential that we have within our clubs. That would also include international competition for some of your younger groups. I think itâs feasible, absolutely, but I also think MLS doesnât have to be the fastest to the table with a plan. We have to be the group that comes to the table with the best plan. I donât think we have to be quick in putting something together. Itâs about quality and high-level competition for all of the groups, not just MLS academies.
On how COVID-19 has affected MLS financiallyâĤ
We all know that this situation has affected the global economy. Sporting Kansas City and MLS are not immune to that. We do have something that we can at least hang our hat on. We have incredibly stable ownership groups in this league. I donât think any of them ever got in for the short term. I think all of them got in for the long term. Itâs like the stock market. If you look at the stock market over its history, thereâs been times of downturn. But it always overcome that, surpass that and get stronger over time. I feel the same thing will happen with MLS. Regarding players, I think they are as motivatedâif not more motivatedâin that they want to get back on the field as soon as possible. I know there are negotiations between the league and players, but Iâm not privy to those. Iâm very confident we will navigate this environment, and I truly believe that at some point weâll be stronger than ever.
On cities gradually beginning to open up againâĤ
Every market is different. I live here in Kansas City and go out for a jog by my house. Thereâs a golf course close by and Iâm amazed. The parking lot is completely full, the driving range is completely full and there are people on the putting greens chipping everywhere. Our environment is a little different compared to New York. The other thing you have to take into consideration is this: an athleteâs profession is different than if youâre in journalism or marketing. One of the biggest assets they need is to be physically prepared to do their profession. The guys on our team and most athletes around the world are in it because they are professional, and they understand that they have to stay fit for themselves. I believe theyâre very creative and innovative.
There are also a lot of things around today that you didnât have 20 years ago. I think our staff has done an excellent job keeping them connected, so I feel very assured that we have taken all the precautions necessary to make sure our guys are in a good place. At the same time, you need to have common sense with some of this stuff. There are some things I think we could do with them that are safer than if they were just out on their own doing things amongst the public.
On Kansas Cityâs famous win over Manchester United 10 years ago at Arrowhead StadiumâĤ
Well, the first thing is that Iâm 1-0 against Sir Alex Ferguson, so thatâs great. On a serious note, it was a watershed moment. That day, a lot of people came out to watch that game who really werenât Kansas City Wizards fans at the time. But then they walked away thinking, âHey, this is pretty cool.â Obviously the best was yet to come when we entered Childrenâs Mercy Park. It was a great opportunity to catch a group of fans that wasnât supporting us and also gave them a look forward to what could be. It really was a watershed moment.
On forward Alan Pulidoâs early-season performances with SportingâĤ
He came to the league as a new player and wanted to make an impression, and he made a very good impression in the first two games. You want that rhythm to continue, especially as a goal scorer, because itâs all about getting into that groove. For him, itâs obviously a little disappointing that we had to stop, but I think we also realized that this situation is much bigger than us and our game. Itâs important to get over this piece first, and one thing I can say about Alan is that he is a winner. Heâs a guy who fights for the team. Because he does that, he always puts himself in a position to play well. I donât think youâll see anything different from him when we return to play.
Alan has a fantastic attitude and a very strong mentality. Itâs one of the reasons we were so interested in him because we felt he would fit in very well at our club with the way we play. I know itâs only two games, but if you take what he did in the preseason and the first two games, heâs already surpassed those expectations. Weâre very happy for him. Heâs also a fantastic guy who has adapted personality-wise to the culture of the team. That has made his transition very quick.
On the process of identifying prospective players to add to the teamâĤ
That never stops, even with COVID-19. Iâve been amazed by the number of players Iâve been presented. Itâs funny because as this (suspension) stretches out, Iâve been getting more and more. I think people are starting to feel like weâre coming out of this. The stoppage has also allowed us to look at ourselves internally even more in so many ways, especially financially. There are so many things that weâre looking down the road onâthe number of teams, the competitions weâre playing in, which kids are making the next jump up within our system. Itâs just giving us a chance to hit a pause button and really take a deep dive into all of the things we have going on.
On MLS and Liga MX collaborating to compete in future competitions togetherâĤ
We have discussed the topic of a connection between Liga MX and MLS in the future. There is no doubt that this would be a powerful brand in the marketplace. I also think that there could be some real synergy between the two leagues, such as the Leagues Cup. Thereâs a lot of interest in that, but I think the potential for that to grow and get bigger is definitely something that all of us see the potential in. COVID-19 has probably slowed the process down, but once we do come out of this, it will be a topic of discussion. It would be exciting for both leagues, for sure.
On the process of determining proper return-to-play protocolsâĤ
Itâs a collaboration with the league. There are some cities that are a lot more open than others, and some cities that will become open a lot more quickly than others. If you had to wait for all 26 cities to open up, you could be waiting for a long time. Weâve talked about the possibility of having (up to) four locations where you could aggregate a number of teams in each of those locations and then play games that would count towards league play. It would be more a tournament style, and as youâre doing that over a certain number of weeks, as other cities open up, you could start to go back to your home cities. Itâs definitely something thatâs on the front burner at the moment and something that has a lot of legs about possible implementation. You also have to realize that youâd be moving mountains to make that happen. There would be a lot of logistics, so there are a lot of people behind the scenes looking to see if that could actually happen. Iâd like to think it could.
I have connected with some people in the German Bundesliga because they are getting back to training. Itâs different there because MLS is a single-entity group and clubs over there are individually owned. All of the teams are doing things differently over there based on that they feel is best, but weâre using some of their information. I spend a lot of time talking to all of the chief soccer officers in MLS, almost on a daily basis. I also speak to a few head coaches here and there. Our biggest thing is preparing for individual workout sessions that we will probably open up with first, then progress to small group trainings and eventually full-team trainings. Hopefully that will come sooner than later.
On Wan Kuzain advancing to the finals of the eMLS Tournament SpecialâĤ
Itâs funny because I could see Kuzain being good at video games. Heâs a very smart, technical player on the field, so I could see him being a really good gamer because some of those qualities probably translate.
