Quote Sheet: Kansas City 1, RSL 1

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS MANAGER PETER VERMES
On the game
“I think the guys were ready to play for sure. We had a good performance through much of the first half, and we obviously created a lot of chances. After so many corners, free kicks and everything else, I think they kind of wondered what was going on because we were in there and we were all over them. The one that we gave up in that ten minute span late in the first half, we were kind of out of the game. And when we scored, we had to put the dagger in and you have to put your foot on the pedal. Tonight we gave points away.”

On picking up a point against the 2009 MLS Cup champions
“We should’ve had three points today. We should’ve had three. I mean, it’s good to at least get a point, but we had the chance for three points in this game, no doubt. We gave the other two away. You’ve got to drive the game, and I thought we did that very well in the first half. But then we took our foot off the pedal there, and in the second half we started going at them again. But at that point, they’re just going to drop everything back like they did early on the game.

On Real Salt Lake’s goal
“I think Jimmy Nielsen thought that it was a hand ball, but it was a defensive breakdown on our part all the way around. We had no pressure on the ball. We weren’t effective on the back end, and he was wide open in the box.”

On Ryan Smith’s play
“He was giving a very good spark and taking a lot of guys on. Those actions are what we need, and we need to give him more and more finishing opportunities. He had a few more really good balls into dangerous spots. At the end, where he took a shot and blew it right past the net, I like the fact that he took the shot himself.”

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS FORWARD RYAN SMITH
On his hamstring
“I had a point at the end where I overstretched and stuff, but I have to thank the medical team. They got me fit for this game and props to them.”

On the game
“To be honest I think we’re the best team in the league, we just haven’t gotten the results, but that’s football. I don’t care what anyone thinks in the League. I know that the whole team has to go out and play our game, and when we do, I feel we’re the best team in the league. It was a well played game, but in order for it to be great we should’ve converted more chances. We need to try and carry on.”

On the draw
“It’s frustrating, but at the same time at least we didn’t lose. Hopefully it’ll go our way this coming weekend.”

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS STRIKER TEAL BUNBURY
On the game
“In all honesty, we should’ve won. It’s nice to at least get a point against them because they are a good team, but we should have won tonight. We just have to finish more chances.”

REAL SALT LAKE HEAD COACH JASON KREIS 
on the game
“When you look at the circumstances and how the game unfolded, I’m pleased that we battled back and responded well to a dreadful beginning. It was one of the flattest beginnings that I have ever seen our team have.”

On his team’s resilience
“With a different group of players – a year ago, two years ago, three years ago – that would have been a loss tonight. Our guys responded very positively and showed again their belief in themselves. To get the goal back and battle for the rest of the 90 minutes was important to us.”

REAL SALT LAKE FORWARD ROBBIE FINDLEY
On his game-tying goal
“I think I heard Shavar (Thomas) saying that he didn’t see me back there, and I don’t think the ‘keeper saw me back there either. It was a good ball by Robbie (Russell), and I was able to get my head on it.”

On coming back to earn the draw
“That’s what we wanted to do, at least get a draw, if not the win, and we were able to do that. It wasn’t pretty, we knew it was going to be a tough game, and we got the job done.”

REAL SALT LAKE MIDFIELDER KYLE BECKERMAN
On the game
“The road team always has a good feeling if they get a result on the road, so we definitely went out to win the game, but we wanted to be mature enough that if we got to a certain time in the game, we needed to be mature enough to say ‘let’s take this point and get out of here.’ I though we showed some maturity tonight by doing that.”