Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes
On the mentality of the team after an impressive victory…
I would’ve said prior to the game, and I don’t mean this in a bad way, you never know what the mentality is until you start facing situations of adversity. So having come into a place like this where it’s very, very difficult to play, you add in that there’s another layer in that I think that they’re a very aggressive, high-pressing team and also just likes to play the ball long when you step out to them, it becomes a very frantic game and I thought our players handled it extremely well. I thought the first half they stayed in the game – I thought we started well, we were under pressure a little bit in the middle part of the half, and then at the end of the half I thought we started to feel ourselves. They come out and score, kind of a fluke – good goal, but a fluke the way it got there. The resiliency in the group to come back and get two goals like they did and not fold, excellent. I would say, for the first game, to come back from something like that is just an excellent mentality.
On the difference it made bringing Alan Pulido and Johnny Russell off the bench…
The first thing I’ll say is that I actually thought that Busio was fantastic for us, because I think that he helped us so much in not giving their guys time on the ball, especially for 70 minutes in the game and putting them under pressure. His timing to release, to go, was tremendous. What I would say is that when those two guys came on the field, obviously they gave us experience. It’s on top of what they can do but it’s just experience late in the game, and then you have the hold-up play was tremendous by Alan, Johnny put them under pressure and now they’ve got to think differently in the game – although I thought that Danny (Salloi) was just a lot to handle for them as well, he had great movement off the ball and then look, I can speak about a lot of guys, I can speak about the whole team, I thought the team actually performed really well. I thought both Isi(mat-Mirin) and Remi (Walter), for their first game, great performance and I’m really happy for John Pulskamp, kept his composure, I think he learned a lot today as well – in a good way – not because he did anything wrong, just that playing in a game like this, getting a win and doing the things that he did to manage the game was very, very good for his overall experience.
On Daniel Salloi getting confidence and momentum heading into the season following his game-winner…
It doesn’t surprise me because he’s been doing so well in preseason. He came in, great mentality, fit, he’s worked on both sides of the ball and like I said earlier, his movement off the ball was tremendous today – I thought he caused a lot of problem for the right back because he was just getting in behind him and he was putting him under pressure. There’s no doubt in my mind that Daniel has all those aspects that go with the game and I’m very happy that he got the goal tonight. I said earlier, it was a magnificent goal, just the build-up – the way we got there – we work on that stuff pretty regularly so to see that happen is pretty rewarding even for the coaching staff.
On if the team sending in early crosses was a new tactic for the team or game-specific…
Part of it was a nuance for the team we played, but there’s no doubt that we have the capacity for that as well – to put a team under pressure. I would say that, sure, you’ll see that and you’ll see other things as well. We still have a lot of work to do, but this was a good first step today.
Sporting Kansas City forward Daniel Salloi
On how it feels to score the game-winner in the first game of the season…
You could only imagine, I’m buzzing, this is amazing. Obviously I prefer a team’s win but I needed that goal a lot. It means a lot to me and I’m very happy for it. So hopefully this is how the season is going to progress after this.
On the team’s overall performance in a difficult environment…
It was tough, it’s always tough to play away. First game, away, not everything’s working perfectly yet so I think it’s very difficult but the team did well. I think defensively as well after we scored our two goals, we were very solid and that’s amazing especially when you have a goalie who was making his MLS debut so I’m very proud of the team. This is how we have to play on the road and just progress and get better and better.
On the support from his teammates after a challenging few seasons…
In soccer you have low moments and I think I’ve had some over the years and it’s amazing, the support which is behind me from family, from friends and teammates and staff and I think it just pushes me. They all wanted me to score and get back to the 2018 form where I was flying and I think they’re all happy that I’m one for one and I think this is just amazing – it feels great to me and this is how I want to continue the season and help the team as much as I can.
On his thoughts when his goal was being checked for offside by the Video Assistant Referee…
I have no idea what – was somebody offside or something? Honestly, I was just like ‘please ref, don’t do this to me, give me that goal, I need that goal.’
On how the past two years affected him mentally…
You can see it mentally how locked in I am. Sometimes you need those moments when the ball finds you and you can finish it so we’re going step-by-step. This is only the first game so it’s got to keep going.
On how it felt to have the support of Peter Vermes and the coaching staff…
I want to thank them, this is great for me. I think you always need the coach’s faith in you because he’s the one who puts you on the field and I can kind of thank myself as well, the way I worked in the offseason and preseason mentally and doing everything I can to find myself back in the starting XI. Sometimes you just hope, as I said, that these moments come where you can score and then get away with a win. This is amazing, I’m very happy and can’t wait to play the next game and the next one and keep progressing.
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper John Pulskamp
On making his MLS debut…
I’m happy. I’m happy to walk away with the three points. I’m super happy with the guys. They helped me a ton. To get it done and to do my part, it’s an amazing feeling. I’m buzzing right now.
On his confidence…
I was not nervous at all really. The coaches do a fantastic job of preparing me. Through my time with Sporting KC II, I’ve built up that confidence in games and I just viewed this as another game that I’ve played since I was a kid. I felt well-prepared going in.
On bouncing back after New York opened the scoring…
That’s life as a goalkeeper, right? The first (shot on goal) happens to be a volley that’s put right into the top corner. You’ve just got to look at it as there’s nothing you could do and have that short-term memory. Whether plays are good or bad, anything behind has got to stay behind you and you’ve got to look forward to the next ball and the next play.
On the team’s defensive performance…
It helped massively. I was super, supper happy with both Nicolas Isimat-Mirin and Andreu Fontas and really the entire team, but those two in particular. They talked to me a ton. They’re both amazing on the ball. They were winning balls in the air left and right tonight. They really make my job easy as a goalkeeper. I think they work amazingly together. Both have similar minds – really good minds for the game. I think those two as a pair are going to be really good this year.
On how Tim Melia helped him prepare…
He’s helped me every day leading up to this point and really since I’ve been at the club in training and off the field. We’re constantly talking and he’s giving me advice about stuff on and off the field. Massive support from him. He’s a great guy. He’s given me advice and he just told me to ‘Go out there and do your thing. Do what you do. It’s a game that you’ve played since you were a kid so just go out there and play it. Don’t worry about the result. Do your part and the result will come.’ I think that’s what happened tonight.
New York Red Bulls Head Coach Gerhard Struber
Opening statement...
First of all, I think the performance was, especially I think in the first half against the ball, absolutely in the right way. We were clear in our principles, we did a good job, we created some chances, created in the second half a goal from Caden. In the end, we missed three minutes of focus and in this three minutes Kansas used their chances, and some luck with the hand[ball] penalty. In the end, I can see our process, this is for me important, but from the result we are very disappointed. We expected victory today and in the end we lose this game, this is not our standard or our expectation. In the end we are very disappointed about the result, but the performance gives us good confidence for the next time.
On the second half and Kansas City’s two goals...
I think we had a sub with Youba Diarra in this moment, and after that we had three, four, five minutes where we lost momentum. We changed nothing from the system, completely the same, but Youba could not play, he was not ready to play further and, in the end,, it was unlucky with the situation with the hand[ball] penalty and then it was three minutes out of order, especially with our positions in the box, against the ball and I think in the end, this was the big punch for us.
The good thing is I can see a team that never gave up, we created some chances, some moments for us and in the end, a disappointing game with this result.
On getting new players integrated...
Yeah, I was happy with Fabio’s working ability, he works so hard, he pressed the whole time. When he played I think he was very reliable, and with his pressing we created chances. I think he must work more on his personal output, he has a very good chance in the second half and in the end with Fabio, very happy with his performance, his attitude on this day, this was a good first step. We need him to score in the end, but also it’s very important that he works for the whole team, and he gives us a very good feeling.
New York Red Bulls midfielder Caden Clark
On the match as a whole...
We had good moments but I think the biggest let down is that we played a good game for 87-88 minutes and they score two quick goals like that is pretty disappointing and frustrating from our end. I think there are a lot of positives to take away from today, though. I think we rose to the challenge today, much better than we did in our final preseason scrimmage against D.C. last weekend, where our level was much higher tonight. The intensity was at a high tonight and you could see that from everyone that stepped on the pitch. Again, from one standpoint we were very disappointed in the result, especially with our lack of focus for a 2-minute stretch.
On scoring his first home goal...
I’ve kept that in the back of my mind, actually, not scoring at home. I really wanted to do that in front of the supporters and it was great to do that in front of the few that were here tonight who brought the noise. When I scored that [goal] the place was shaking and you feed off of that and gain some energy from them. Unfortunately, we couldn’t carry that momentum and let them score right away. I think if we don’t let that happen we could’ve won the game or at least get a draw. It is always a goal of mine to score at home, but just disappointed in the result.
On whether anything needs to change to improve the Red Bulls attack...
I think it could’ve been tonight [in terms of jelling as an attacking unit]. I don’t think it is a matter of time at all. We all know what we are capable of and I think we have a really talented group and team. As you could see, our press was there tonight with SKC kicking the ball out-of-bounds a handful of times just on our simple press. We won the ball a bunch of times as well off our press. I think offensively it was there tonight, just those two-three minutes of lack of focus cost us and lost three points tonight.
