KANSAS CITY WIZARDS HEAD COACH BOB GANSLER
On the result:
"We played solid, but we couldn't push it to that next gear in the final 15-20 minutes which is something we needed to do in order to put them under a little more pressure. We got some decent looks, but not enough opportunities. Defensively we did fine. We had a reasonably good idea of what they were all about and Jimmy [Conrad] and Nick [Garcia] were solid. Bo [Oshoniyi] made two good saves in the first half and didn't really have to do much in the second half.
On what the team needs to focus on for game two:
"We have got to get a little stronger in terms of our conditioning, that is just something that takes time. For sure we also need to work on getting more chances. We had some good looks at the end tonight, but coulda, shoulda and didn't. You need to create more opportunities and a few will eventually go in."
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS MIDFIELDER CHRIS KLEIN
On his first game after returning from ACL surgery:
"While you are in the game you don't think about it, but before the game I definitely have some jitters. Driving to the stadium, just knowing I was going to play was exciting. I was excited to be back with the guys playing and playing for something that means something."
On settling for a tie:
"We didn't take advantage of our home field and now we
have a clear-cut challenge ahead of us and we have to go down to Costa Rica and win the game. But that is definitely an attainable challenge for us."
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS GOALKEEPER BO OSHONIYI
On the result:
"It was good to get the first [game of the season] out of the way. I just tried to make saves and help the team out. [Ronald] Gomez was a handful, but Jimmy [Conrad] and Nicky [Garcia] did a great job with him. A player of his talent is going to get his breaks, but I was able to make some good saves. We would have liked to get a goal, but overall it was a good result. Now we will have to go down there to Costa Rica and get a result down there now.
On how the tie affects the team's mindset going into
the second game:
"We can't go down there and play defensive or anything like that. We have to go down there and play them straight up, try to get a goal and then try to hold them off like we did tonight. It is going to be tough down there, it is a touch place to play. I think we have the team to do it though, tonight we proved that we are capable of beating them. It should be a good matchup."
