KANSAS CITY WIZARDS INTERIM HEAD COACH PETER VERMES
On the game
“I thought it was a great sign that our players were arguing with the referee after the game, saying that he shouldn’t have blown the whistle after the final corner kick. We would have had a two versus one going the other way, and they were right. Our guys wanted to get the win, and from that point of view it was a good mentality.”
On his time as an interim head coach
“If you just look at the last couple of games we played, the guys just don’t give up. Before sometimes when the other team would score, our guys wouldn’t respond well, but know we’re fighting back. On the negative side, when you’re at home and you go up a goal or two, you have to be able to lock the game down. You can’t let the team back in the game, and that’s something we have to get better at. It’s a mentality, and that’s something that we have to get. I also think that we created a lot more chances than we had been here in the last 12 games. I think we’re a much more committed team going forward.”
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS FORWARD KEI KAMARA
On his goal
“It was a good free kick. I just dove in and put my head on it. It feels good. I didn’t want to come here to Kansas City and play the rest of the season without scoring a goal. It felt good to score in front of our fans.”
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS GOALKEEPER KEVIN HARTMAN
On becoming the first MLS player to have played 10,000 consecutive minutes
“I’m really proud that I have been able to take care of myself well enough to be able to play that long, and to be able to play at a high enough level that a club wants me out there participating on a week in and week out basis. I always feel like I’m working hard and trying to make myself an asset to the team. The fact that I’ve been able to do that for 10,000 minutes straight is kind of amazing to me. It’s definitely something that I’m proud of and is something that I share with the trainers, the goalkeeping coaches and the players around me.”
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS MIDFIELDER DAVY ARNAUD
On the upcoming off-season
“It’s not an easy thing to think about. Nobody wants to be done on the last day of the regular season. We’re going to have a lot of time to reflect and come back a very determined group. We need to get to where we’re back in the playoffs, and not just squeaking into the playoffs, but going into the playoffs with some games in hand towards the end of the season.”
D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH TOM SOEHN
On the match
“It was disappointing obviously. We had the chances, but didn’t put them away. We could have assured ourselves a playoff spot. The injuries come off guys who played Tuesday. That certainly took its toll. We hit the post a couple of times, so there’s not much more you can say about that. I didn’t see Fred’s penalty. The ref made a quick decision, so I assume it hit his hand, but I haven’t seen the replay.”
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER BEN OLSEN
On the match
“Obviously we’re disappointed. We were gearing up for a playoff spot unless we get in from other results. But I’m very proud of the guys. It felt good to be able to come back and almost get that win. Soccer can be cruel sometimes, and a little bounce here and there can break your heart.”
On the late penalty kick
“If it’s a handball, and if it keeps it from going into the net, then it’s a good call. If it’s not a handball, then it’s not a good call.”
On potentially missing the playoffs
“This organization’s not used to that. If that’s the case, then we’ll handle it. You know, take part of the blame. We lost this organization some points out of this year, and we’re in this together and move forward. You can’t make it every year, but two in a row is alarming, and we’ll certainly look to coming back next year.”
D.C. UNITED FORWARD CHRIS PONTIUS
On potentially missing the playoffs
“We’ll see how the results turn out. It’s frustrating playing a game being up 2-1, thinking we’re going through. So yeah, it’s tough to sit and watch the results when it’s out of your hands.”
Broadcasting and P.A. Request: When speaking of the organization, please refer to the team as either “D.C. United” or “United,” but not “the D.C. United” or “the United.” We appreciate your cooperation.
Doug Hicks,
dhicks@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5448,
Boris Flores,
bflores@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5452,
Kyle Sheldon,
ksheldon@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5450 or
Cristina Cruz,
ccruz@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5440
