Head Coach Sean McAuley
On approaching this week with ‘Decision Day’ looming and international duty…
“It’s really difficult. We’ve got to approach it on an individual basis because everybody is on a different travel schedule. But in reflection, we also have to prepare our team. We’ve done a lot of work, even last week, in managing what we think will try and get us a result this weekend. But obviously we’ll have to wait until everybody gets back in on Thursday and take it from there.”
On seeing more life in the group and taking momentum after the victory into this match…
“We hope so and credit to the players because they got that result [5-1 victory] last weekend after such a bad result and then they bounced back. We need to keep that momentum going, and that’s the responsibility of us as staff: to keep that confidence and momentum going. The players deserve the credit for what they did last weekend. My message will be to them: if they make a mistake, it’s mine as well because I’m deciding to do what we need to do. And if they’re successful, they should get the credit.”
On getting a result at a historically difficult place…
“We try to forget about all of that but it is there. What we’re going to try and do is approach it a little bit differently just so it doesn’t feel the same. Things that don’t change from our game against the [LA] Galaxy is it’s 11 versus 11, there’s referees, there’s their [Sporting Kansas City] staff, there’s our staff, the supporters are in the stadium but they’re just wearing a different color. Everything else is the same. That’s the way we’re going to try and approach it.”
On thwarting the offensive threat presented by Kansas City…
“We’re going to reflect on that game through the videos because we had a lot of chances in that game. Like I said, momentum can happen over a season, it can happen over a short period of time and into the playoffs… who knows where it takes you. It can also happen in games. I feel as [though] if we had taken a chance, it might have been a completely different story. The front three of them [Sporting Kansas City] are obviously a threat, and they do like to control the middle of the field with possession of the ball, so we need to manage that as well. The big thing will be that we’ve got to bring our own style and identity to the game to be able to put it onto the opposition.”
On a tactical shift with Emanuel Reynoso to open up the wide players…
“Yeah, we need to continue that but that was a tactical thing on that one game. We’ll have something else that we’ll want to do tactically [for this game] but on a similar message will be the rotation and the movement of the midfield players along with our front players is vital to getting the opposition into their own half and defending. What we don’t want to do is have two players in the same position, in the same space where one of their defenders can manage both of them. The tactical shift will involve a couple more players but the philosophy, the reason for having it is to create more space for everybody.”
On having the power to determine the future in the hands of the team…
“I think so, and on the other side of it, the three teams that are above ourselves and [Sporting] KC do have another result that could get them through. That could put a little bit of doubt in the mind or a little bit of ‘it’ll be okay if we do this.’ So we’re going into the game with nothing else other than winning. Nothing else. I don’t need to keep an eye on the results, I don’t need to look at the results. It’s basically ourselves against KC. [It’s] one game, try and win it. Cup final week.”
Midfielder Emanuel Reynoso
On how the team is feeling ahead of the match against Sporting Kansas City…
[SPA]: “Muy bien. La verdad que nos venimos preparando esta semana que no jugamos. Nos preparamos duro para afrontar este partido. Sabemos que va a ser muy difícil de visitante contra toda la gente. Sabemos que es un rival que juega muy bien. Nosotros confiamos en nuestro grupo y en nuestra confianza. Si damos lo mejor, podemos sacar un buen resultado.”
[ENG]: “Really good. Truthfully we’ve been preparing this past week that we didn’t play. We’re working hard to approach this game. We know it’s going to be difficult on the road against this team [Sporting Kansas City]. We know they’re a team that plays really well. We trust in our group and we have confidence. If we give it our all, we’ll be able to get a good result.”
On developing a relationship with Teemu Pukki…
[SPA]: “Poco a poco vamos agarrando confianza y vamos agarrando afinidad en el entrenamiento, en los partidos. Él es un jugador que es muy inteligente, tiene muy buen movimiento. Creo que no le han llegado bastante situaciones para que él pueda convertir pero las pocas que le han llegado, las ha hecho muy bien. Nos ha ayudado en el último partido; ha hecho muchos goles. Ojalá que venga de la selección así y que deje todo por nosotros también porque sabemos que lo hace siempre. Ojalá que pueda convertir el sábado.”
[ENG]: “Little by little we’re getting confidence and we’re getting affinity in training and in the games. He’s a very intelligent player, has good movement. I think there haven’t been enough chances for him to convert, but the ones that have, he’s done really well with. He helped us in the last game; he scored lots of goals. Let’s hope that he comes back from the national team like this and leaves everything out for us as well because we know he always does. I hope he’s able to score on Saturday.”
On getting a result at a historically difficult place to play…
[SPA]: “Si, sabemos que es un partido muy difícil pero confiamos en nuestro grupo, confiamos en nuestros jugadores. Sabemos que tenemos un gran grupo que juega bien al fútbol, y ganamos el último partido de nuestra casa con nuestra gente. La confianza de esa también aumento al máximo. Vamos a seguir a ganar que es lo que queremos para cumplir el objetivo que es tratar de poder llegar a los playoffs.”
[ENG]: “Yes, we know it’s going to be really difficult but we trust in our group, we trust in our players. We know that we have a great team that plays good soccer, and we won the last game at our home with our fans. The confidence from that game as well raised our level [of confidence]. We’re going to continue to win, which is what we want in order to complete our goal of trying to make the playoffs.”
On the offensive dynamic…
[SPA]: “Muy bien, la verdad que siempre tratamos de ir para adelante, siempre tratamos de asistir al delantero. Tratamos de hacer goles todos, eso es lo que queremos. Es una competencia muy linda. También está Fraga [Franco Fragapane], están varios… Mender [Garcia]. Hay muchos jugadores afuera que están peleando ahí para entrar. Siempre están trabajando día a día para poder jugar, entonces eso para los que están jugando es muy lindo porque saben que los de atrás están peleando para jugar. Se formó una competencia muy linda y sana. Estamos muy bien para afrontar este partido, y ojalá que podamos ser justo, merecedores y ganarnos.”
[ENG]: “Really good, truthfully we always try to go forward, we always try to help the forward. We all try to score goals, it’s what we all want. It’s a nice competition. There’s also Fraga [Franco Fragapane], there’s multiple… Mender [Garcia]. There are many players outside who are fighting to get in. They’re always working everyday to be able to play, so that for those who are playing is nice because [the players] know that the others are fighting for their spot. It’s formed a healthy competition. We’re ready to face this game, and let’s hope we can be just, deserving and win.”
Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair
On how the team is feeling ahead of the ‘Decision Day’ match…
“For us, we know it’s a must-win game. It’s about starting that playoff mentality early that every game is a must-win moving forward. It’s about shifting that focus into giving ourselves an opportunity to play where everyone wants to play, for the MLS Cup.”
On getting a result against a historically difficult opponent…
“It’s about shifting the mentality because the last time that we went there [to Sporting Kansas City], in a must-win game for both teams, we came out victorious in the playoff game. We can do it again.”
On the takeaways from the two previous matches against Kansas City this season…
“We know their [Sporting Kansas City] style of play, but it also benefits us that they need to go in and get a result too. Their fans are going to be pushing them as well. If we can manage the early parts of the game, it’s going to be important because they’re going to come out strong. It’s about having a full performance. Last time we played them at home, it was a late goal that put things on. It’s about having a full 95 minute performance for us.”
