Houston Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle
Thoughts on the match
It was very simple. I thought they were outstanding tonight. They dominated the game. I don't think Tyler Deric made one save during the game. Sporting Kansas City are a very good team. I say they looked well placed to make the playoffs. I thought we dominated. We made many opportunities with only 10 men. I though it was very harsh on Boniek, that I thought was outstanding tonight. That level of performance has got to be the same every week. When we get a full component of players available, we've stood tall with the best. I feel confident. DaMarcus Beasley coming back in, he's the best right back in North America. Raúl Rodriguez coming back. And Boniek can operate. Deric was never really tested. Giles is playing through the pain, because he's willing to give everything. I thought everyone was outstanding. That's got to be the level. That's got to be the standard. That's how we want our kids to play, not just the passing and the moving of the ball, I mean in terms of the application, the desire. And it was so evident as far as I am concerned tonight. Down to only 10 men. The grit, and the bravado they showed. We never felt we were going to be breached, because we were big, strong and organized. We scored a very good goal. We were really threatening all night. It's a brilliant three points, it really is because it's been a horrible two weeks. We didn't play particularly badly against Salt Lake, but we defended poorly. We had to respond tonight, and show and play for our supporters, because that's who want to put a smile on their face. That will be a glimpse moving forward, and certainly in the next season as we continue to rebuild. We're moving in a very good team that's for sure.
Owen, what was different tonight?
Tonight was different. Tonight I never felt threatened. They have very good players. Top, top players. But I never felt threatened. I felt very comfortable tonight and that was even with 10 men. Because we looked solid. We looked like we had a real purpose. And my question to the group is that's what it's gotta be every week. It's when you lose a game that's when you're analyzing, and sometimes you over-analyze. When we got our best players then we get some very good pieces. The challenge tonight was coming back from two losses. The challenge tonight was to pick ourselves up.
Houston Dynamo forward Will Bruin
How much did the team feel like their backs were against the wall tonight?
We were right up on the wall. I don't think the wall had anymore bend in it, but we stick together. We hear all the outside noise. We know what's going on, we know where we stand. But you know if we let that separate us as a group we're all going to fall. We win together, we lose together, we got to keep that camaraderie going and I think tonight was a prime example of that, and we'll enjoy it tonight, but it will be even better come Sunday if we have six points from these two games.
Houston Dynamo defender David Horst
So after a couple tough results—Salt Lake and then Philly, how does the team feel after pulling off this one off against Kansas City?
You know we're pretty happy after this one. Kansas City is a pretty big rival and we needed to come out and play well and show that we wanted to win. Once you show that, you go out there and play the way you should, you're going to go out there and win the game. I think we did that tonight.
On the defensive end, you guys really limited their chances. What did you guys do tonight?
The defense starts up top with Will and goes all the way back to Tyler. As an eleven tonight, we pressed together, we dropped in together. We played defense as a team and not as individuals or groups here and there and I think that was the big difference—having a group mentality that we were going to get behind the ball and be hard to break down and we showed that tonight.
Short turn around after that last loss into this. Does that get your hopes up for going into Saturday's match going up against Colorado?
Yea, that's the nice thing when you come off a loss—you have a game right away to get out there and show yourself. And now the good thing is we have another game right away in a couple of days to keep the momentum going and to go out there and do what we did tonight.
Sporting Kansas City head coach Peter Vermes
Can you just talk us through the game—coming into Houston. How did you guys prepare and how did you guys adjust at half time?
I think they had most of the game—they were the better team. I think we were reactionary tonight. Yeah, I just think they were better. We were reactionary; we didn't really have many solutions around the goal. We weren't very dangerous and we didn't deserve any points, so for us to walk out of here with none is a fair result.
Any adjustments at half time you told the players?
No, just normal things you would do at half time, but really we were just reactionary. We weren't anticipating stuff, we were on the front foot sometimes, but outside of that, nothing special.
Sporting Kansas City defender Seth Sinovic
Can you give us your assessment on the performance tonight for Sporting Kansas City?
It definitely wasn't a pretty game. I thought it was really choppy and it was kind of hard to find a flow to the game. It's kind of what games with Houston and Sporting seem to have been over the last few years and tonight was no different and unfortunately they got a goal and we didn't. So we have to regroup and get ready for Sunday.
This kicks off a stretch of four games in eleven days. You're getting towards the end of the season in playoff position and the Open Cup final is next Wednesday. Can you talk about the team and where it's at in the season and the approach is going forward?
As cliché as it sounds, we try to take it one game at a time and we've got a big stretch of games coming up here, every game is just as important as the other. We've got the playoff push, we've got the Open Cup final, so every game is just as important as the next, so we've got to be prepared for Sunday.
Sporting Kansas City defender Kevin Ellis
[Regarding the loss]
I think we're all frustrated. I think it took us too long to really get into the game. I think we were too comfortable hitting the ball forward and hoping something would happen instead of playing our style of the game.
Houston and Kansas City always seem to have close game. Each one won this year and there were a couple of ties, as well. Can you talk a little bit about the matchup between the two teams and how it's progressed?
Yeah, it gets better every time. Guys stay around on teams longer and longer—the games start to get bigger and both sets of guys really get up for it. It's become a really good rivalry. We always come to expect a tough physical battle from them and they expect the same from us.
