KC Reporter

Sporting Kansas City interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin reflected on the team's performance during a recent match, highlighting strategic changes and individual contributions that led to a successful comeback.

Discussing halftime adjustments, Zavagnin noted, "We made two adjustments at halftime. We saw something towards the end of the first half, and dropping Jacob Bartlett into the back line, coming out with three, and we felt like we were getting a little bit more in a vertical game after a slow start." He added that his instructions focused on perseverance: "I asked of them what they've been giving me every day, every week, every game, and that is, don't ever give up."

Zavagnin praised goalkeeper John Pulskamp's role in maintaining the team's position in the game despite increased pressure: "Credit to John Pulskamp, it goes relatively unnoticed because of the two great goals at the end, but he really kept us in the game."

Santiago Munoz was another key player discussed by Zavagnin: "These aren't special performances. This is his norm. He's clever with the ball...and certainly when we brought him on to the game...good things happen."

Regarding Manu Garcia's contribution, Zavagnin commented on his ability to create opportunities despite physical challenges: "He fights through it. He got hit in the face tonight again...that speaks a lot to his mentality and his courage for fighting through getting hit time and time again."

Zavagnin also highlighted positional changes aimed at maximizing attacking potential: "We're at home, and we wanted to drive the game. I don't think from the beginning we were able to be vertical enough for them to have significant impacts."

The coach acknowledged young players' maturity and their development over time: "For being young players, they have an awful lot of maturity...the amount of minutes that these guys have played is going to benefit us for the course of many years."

Decisions regarding substitutions were influenced by player performance in training: "When you have a lot of players that are performing well in training...it gives you a lot of confidence." Mason Toye exemplified this approach by scoring after persistent effort.

On Santiago Munoz potentially starting future games, Zavagnin said, "The competition to be on the first XI is very, very high...he's knocking on the door."

Jacob Bartlett's intensity was recognized as both an asset and an area for growth: "I don't need to work with Bartlett on intensity...if there's anything it's about pulling him just slightly back."

Despite conceding a goal due to positional errors, Zavagnin stressed learning from mistakes as part of player development.

The comeback was seen as boosting morale ahead of upcoming matches: "It does help over the course of these next two games to bring momentum into the weekend," said Zavagnin.

Dejan Joveljic's exclusion from the All-Star Game was addressed by emphasizing his contributions: "Dejan is an all-star center forward. He gave an all-star performance."

Ian James received praise for his instinctive play under pressure during crucial moments.

Reflecting on pregame preparations and lessons learned from this match, Zavagnin expressed satisfaction with how strategies materialized during play.

Sporting KC forward Mason Toye described his role in sparking momentum during critical phases: "I've been working really hard in training...I was able to get one away." Toye emphasized using speed effectively while contributing significantly towards regaining control within challenging scenarios.

Acknowledging past experiences overcoming deficits allowed team members like Toye greater confidence facing adversity moving forward throughout remaining fixtures this season.