Peter Vermes, manager of Sporting Kansas City

So you secured the victory with one man less …

It was good to make it 2-0. We’re one man down. It’s a combination of two things. You have to keep the field really compact. We have to form almost two lines. It’s not three, it’s two. And the wingers have a big task in that situation. That means they have to become full-backs when the ball is weak. I think we really clogged up the middle and it was great that we counterattacked like we did a couple of times. From kick-off the team fought great. We shoot straight after kick-off and immediately go up and press. All that was part of the intensity. It’s definitely a repeat of what’s happened in the last few weeks and also the way we’ve been training.

How to win the game with one man less…

I’ve coached a lot of situations like that. I’ve never been on the field. So the players go first. You get kind of electrified in those moments. You’re upset that your player got sent off and suddenly you want to prove to the referee and everyone else that they can’t finish you off. And the guys had a great attitude about it. They covered each other. The guys ran back with good tackles. That was very smart of us. We did a great job a couple of times and kept the ball in the corner. I think we managed the game really, really well even though the referees tried to push us. Why, I don’t know. Because we never changed our tempo. They changed their tempo. They were slow in the first half. And now suddenly the score changes the game for some reason. It doesn’t make sense to me that that’s happening. We played the same tempo the whole game.

On Daniel Salloi’s goal…

The thing about Daniel is he’s got goals in him. He probably doesn’t get a lot of credit for that. He’s got a very good work ethic in the game. He really does that — and he’s learned that over the years — on both sides of the ball. We talked about getting to the back post, especially when you’re on the weak side. Because there was one goal in the first half, another one that he could’ve gotten but didn’t. But he was good. He was really in the box in the second half when Johnny (Russell) kind of broke through and the guy scraped the ball off the line. He was right there. A lot of it has to do with the commitment to get to those spots. That’s why he scored and he had a really good game. Defensively he was very good and very disciplined when we were a man down.

On the inclusion of Benny Feilhaber in the Sporting Legends …

When we brought Benny in, we needed something on our team. That was when teams started turning their backs on us and we didn’t have anyone who could break down the defense. So Benny became a big priority in 2013. So we brought him in the offseason and I think he exceeded expectations. It took him a while to get there though. It was a little bit painful for him because he wasn’t able to play on both sides of the ball and so he had to learn. And sometimes the bench is the best coach, but he got it. He realized he had to be a lot fitter than he was. But once he got it, he became crucial, especially in the playoffs because he got the game-winning assist against New England to win that series and also the same assist against Houston to finally get to the finals. He was a very important player during that time. He had a good attitude and always wanted to win. And Benny has another quality that is hard to find in guys these days. That is, he loves the game. Some people play the game because they’re good at it and they play it for a living, but he loves the game. And I think that was one of the main reasons why we got maybe even more out of him than he gave himself credit for.

On the mentality of the team tonight…

I think there have been moments like that in a lot of games before the last couple of weeks. But I think in the last couple of weeks, whatever you want to call it – whether it was a timeout, a little mental or physical break, whatever – they’ve played with a different energy. There are moments when certain things happen within the team, and I’ll give an example like today with Jake (Davis) and (Zorhan) Bassong together in the midfield. They were workhorses. And because they do what they do, it helps everyone else in the game. Those two guys were a big part of our success today.

To rotate the lineup …

As I said, we put a team out there tonight that wanted to win and we did that. Also, you have to understand that we normally play Saturday and then Wednesday. We play Saturday and then Tuesday. Tuesday’s game is incredibly important for us. We want to get to the final. You don’t get to the final if you don’t win the semi-final. And you have to manage the players’ playing time. There are a few guys who are a bit older and I think some guys have put in a solid performance. One example is (Erik) Thommy. He has been very reliable for a long time during the season and he is a guy who could last 60 minutes. Stephen (Afrifa) is a young guy. He can last and put in the effort. So it was good to give those guys a bit of a rest and give us the opportunity now to make sure we have a good line-up again to try and win on Tuesday.

Sporting KC striker Daniel Salloi

To reach 100 goal involvements for the club…

This is incredible. I always put these stats up and I wanted to achieve this sooner, but I’m so glad it happened. I want to keep going and go down in Sporting KC history. This means a lot to me. This club means everything to me. It’s just incredible. I hope to keep going and get a few more this year.

When I blocked the ball, I just ran and ran. I hoped the ball would find me. As soon as Jake (Davis) played the ball, I called Erik (Thommy)’s name. He turned around, saw me and passed the ball to me. It was a good finish and I think it was necessary to win the game, so I was very happy about it.

I took a short touch on the ball to slow the game down and since the goalkeeper usually wants to read the far post, playing the ball deep at the first post was a good option.

About the goal as number 10 on the evening when Benny Feilhaber was inducted into the Sporting Legends …

First of all, congratulations to him because it’s incredible that he got on the wall and it looks great. I wish he was more in the middle but it looks great. Yes, I definitely felt his spirit. I’ve always said that I think he’s the best number 10 at this club and I could feel his presence today.

On the intensity of the team …

The league is very crowded and when you have a run of bad luck you can get a little lost in it. I think the break has done us good. A few of us went out of town and tried to switch off a little bit. Then you’re a little hungry to get back into the game. I felt that from the team today and we looked fresh. We looked good. Tuesday is a big game for us. It’s the most important game of the season so far and we have to get to the final. That’s the goal.

Peter always said that if you’re doing everything but not scoring goals, the bare minimum is to strengthen the defense to help the team. I think I focus on that every year, but especially this year. I wish I had more goals and assists this year, but hopefully I can help the team more from now on. That goal was a great feeling and honestly it’s a nice achievement for me.

I think the team has grit and we fight for each other. I have to watch the game again. I don’t know if it was a red card or not. I have to watch it again, but it’s tough. It’s tough to go down. When they score early straight after that, you get way too caught up in defence. I thought we were very strong when we finished the game and then scored a goal at the end. An incredible goal from Remi (Walter). It’s a great way to finish 3-0. A great win.

Defender Zorhan Bassong of Sporting Kansas City

On the game in midfield …

The last time I played in an official game there was actually in Romania, so it’s been almost a year. For a couple of weeks in training, he’s been trying to use me as a midfielder, especially since (Nemanja) Radoja’s injury. I think I’ve done well. I’ve shown some good things. Jake (Davis) and I in particular are playing a lot in the midfield. I think that’s what the coach wants. So I think he gave me my chance today and I’m happy we won. We won 3-0. I think it’s one of the best games we’ve played so far this year.

About his partnership with Jake …

It’s funny because I know Jake used to be a midfielder too and he played right back at the start of the season. It’s funny to see two full-backs playing together in midfield, you know? We’ve been together a lot in training recently. We talk a lot. We always try to support each other. When one goes running, the other tries to cover the other. I just think we need to build on that and the more we play together, the stronger the bond between us will be.