Sporting Kansas City 2, LA Galaxy 1
THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by midfielder Erik Thommy. Questions.
Q. Maybe talk a little bit about just how you felt in this game. Again, I think another start for you going a little bit deeper into this game, but I think after the Wednesday game you said you needed more time to feel more connected with everybody. Did you find that that improved this game?
ERIK THOMMY: Held it together, first of all. No, I feel much better today, honestly, personally. I said it three days ago. It takes obviously time because I'm with the team since probably two and a half weeks now training fully with them. It's different to train with them instead of training on the side.
But for me, it was much better, energy-wise better. The connection between the guys was better. Obviously not the result at the end. That's something else, but coming back to your question, yeah.
Q. Just looking at obviously missing Joe and missing Gabe and that's a lot of creativity. Greg was talking about that, but do you feel like the team out there today had the creativity to win that game?
ERIK THOMMY: I mean, if you look at the stats, more shots on goal, more possession. I think we control the game over almost 90 minutes and gave up almost nothing. So just the one situation of (inaudible) where he scored was a great finish, but that's it. In the second half we need to find solutions. We need to finally get some between in there.
We had opportunities. Like I said, I think 20 shots on goal or whatever, and you need to finish them. Then the game looks completely different.
At the end I'm sitting here and try to find the right answers for you. Also, hard, tough for me, but we need to look forward and pick up the good things what we have done today, even if it's hard after a result like that. Yeah, the next game is coming in three days, four days. Five.
Q. In a few days. You guys had more of the game. They were a little more efficient. Some of that was Dejan being Dejan. Finding that efficiency for you guys, you guys have been going game to game to game to game and not had as much time on the training field to work things out, especially at this part of the season that you would like to. What are you guys missing from not having that time on the training field?
ERIK THOMMY: I can tell you what's missing. Obviously the training sessions. Even now it's all about recovery and going to the next game, finding maybe the right formation, the right players on the field. It's always challenging for the coach. Also for us as a player. Then you need to travel six, seven hours to get another country, different time zone. That's obviously hard.
That's not an excuse. It's like that, and it's part of our job. It's on our side also great because we love to play, and it's better than to train. But obviously, if you just look at me, for example, I'm with the team since two and a half weeks. I'm getting used to the rhythm, getting used to the players. It takes time, and we don't have that time.
Like I said, we are professional enough. Also, today if you would have won the game, everybody would have happy and would be completely different. Yeah, we looking forward for the game in Jamaica, and the good results will come. If you play like that because, like I said, the stats were good, we had a lot of good things in the game, and we just need to finish them better.
Q. What was it like for you going up against your former teammates right away after joining this team? What did you see in them that you felt very familiar with having played with them?
ERIK THOMMY: I mean, some guys stayed. A lot of guys left already, but I think the entire organization is completely different. New coaching staff on the sidelines. I could see a different team, a different Sporting KC, a much more organized one. I'm happy for them, but today I think we deserve more than zero points.
Q. Just looking back on the current results, the zero draw with Miguelito and then the struggles the other day against Mt. Pleasant and then the loss tonight, is there a feeling perhaps that the team is playing down to the opponent at all, or are the inabilities to get going offensively more a matter of execution or personnel perhaps?
ERIK THOMMY: I think from a different perspective. I think we need to pick up the good stuff what we did. We gave up almost no shots on goal. We created a lot of good things in the left third. These are the good things.
We showed it already that we can score goals. Sometimes, you know, even Joao, he scored three goals in one game. Today he couldn't. Sometimes you have games like that.
We need to keep going, need to pick up the positive things. The goals will come again. The execution, we will find them. I think we found them today as well. We just couldn't finish them.
That's the question before. It's also hard, because you have no real training session in between where you can figure things out. It's game after game after game after game, and travel in between. It's always not easy. We will get there, for sure. I'm pretty positive.
Q. We've seen you so far out on the wing, but we know you can also play through the middle as an attacking midfielder. Where do you feel most comfortable in this system?
ERIK THOMMY: Almost everywhere, to be honest. We have great players also around me who can play also positions. You said it before. I didn't mention it. Obviously we're missing Joe and Gabby, great players, individual good players, who can create something, especially on the wing.
When it comes to my position, I can play almost everywhere up in front. So wherever Coach needs me, I'll be there.
Q. Erik, I don't know if you saw after the game Dejan got a really nice reception from the fans going into the tunnel. You being here new in a sense, what does that tell you about the fan base that the legacy of this organization that they showed the love to now an opposing player, and I thought Dejan also showed respect by not celebrating. Does that show you something about this fan base that you are learning quickly and this organization that they have this respect for former players, and once you've accomplished something here, you're someone always for this organization?
ERIK THOMMY: I mean, Dejan played here for several years, and he won a championship. He had a lot of good games, a lot of good season. He deserved it. He shows respect to the fans also when he scored, he doesn't celebrate. I think from both sides, it's really nice to see.
I'm happy for him, especially in KC. He has great guys around him. He's the captain of the team and shows that he deserves a lot. His performances were and are good. Yeah, it's great to see.
As player, it's not given. If you are here, you need to perform. You need to give the fans something back to get the appreciation from them. I think it's from both sides.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports