USL Sporting Kansas City II

Swope Park Rangers USL Cup Playoffs Update

September 28, 2016 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Sporting Kansas City II News Release


REGULAR-SEASON RUNDOWN

The Rangers enter Friday's playoff opener as one of the hottest teams in the USL, having won six of their last seven games, including four in a row to close out the regular season. After a slow start to the season that saw SPR go 3-5-2 in their opening 10 games, the Rangers have led the Western Conference in the 20 games that followed, posting an 11-5-4 record and claiming 37 points - only matched by Western Conference regular-season champions Sacramento Republic FC. No team in the West bettered SPR's tally of 14 wins this season.

PATH TO THE PLAYOFFS

SPR clinched a playoff berth with the 3-0 victory over OKC Energy FC at Taft Stadium on Sept. 18, before winning their final two games against Tulsa and Seattle to claim home-field advantage in the Western Conference Quarterfinal. The Rangers are one of six MLS-owned or operated USL teams to qualify for the postseason in their first attempt.

HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE

The Rangers' went 10-4-1 at home in the regular season, picking up 31 points from their 15 home contests - meaning the side finished with the second-best home record in the entire USL. In addition, the Rangers have scored 26 goals in Kansas City - only Friday's opponents LA Galaxy II (28) have scored more on their home patch in the West.

QUOTES

Swope Park Rangers head coach Marc Dos Santos

On making the playoffs in the club's inaugural season:

"It's great because it was a common objective from the start. When we were speaking about objectives for the season, when we were back in Arizona (during preseason), it was quite coherent that the team in the first year wanted to make the playoffs. We always stayed very, very coherent in what we wanted to do. So to make the playoffs in the first year, it's not easy, but we did it. That was objective one, objective two was to play home when we saw that the opportunity was there."

On closing out the season with four consecutive wins, and six in the last seven:

"It gives us confidence, but what we spoke about with the guys today in the locker room was that it doesn't count anymore. You could even win 30 games in a row, be undefeated in the regular season, and then you have one playoff game where things don't go your way, or you're unlucky or you have a bad day and you're out. Are we a team with confidence today? Absolutely. Are we a team that is aware that everything that happened now doesn't count? It's the reality, as cold as it may seem - we have to be very cold analyzing and understanding that it was very good the way we finished, very good the way we get to play at home against LA - but the reality is that what was done, it ended on the field against Seattle (on Saturday) and now everything is new. Now it's a game where if you lose, you're out and we're very aware of that.

On facing LA Galaxy II on Friday:

"We see from LA what we've seen from them all year. It's a very technical team, a team with a lot of talented players - young players. It's a dynamic team that can hurt you a lot when they win the ball higher on the field, a team that's aggressive in their pressure, a team that has a good cockiness on their side. It's a very hard and tough opponent to get right from the start. Again, one of the things we spoke about in the locker room was that if you want to win the league and want to go all the way, you're going to have to beat the best teams in the league. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. We know we're playing a very strong opponent, but they also know that they're playing a very strong opponent."

On if winning the previous meeting against Galaxy II (Aug. 27) gives his side an edge:

"No, the reality is that every game is different and it doesn't matter the results that you had in the past. I'll give you an example - we beat Portland here (March 26) and then went to Boise and lost 2-1 (June 4). We lost 4-1 to RGV (May 21) then won 4-0 here (June 8). I just think that every game is different, every scenario is different, but what I believe in is that the way the game ended against LA and the little adversity and little fights - that set the table to what could be a very intense quarterfinal. We felt that game against LA had much more rivalry than maybe games against Saint Louis. We've played Saint Louis four times and we didn't feel the rivalry like we did against LA where the game ended and you had center backs going at our forwards, their midfielders going at our midfielders. The game ended pretty much setting the table for what could be a playoff game and should be a very good one.

Swope Park Rangers captain and midfielder Christian Duke

On the pride he takes from guiding the Rangers to the playoffs in their inaugural season:

"I take a lot of pride. Coming into the season, that was our first goal - we got to that position and we had the opportunity to push on and get home-field advantage for the first round and the guys did an excellent job going on the road, picking up six massive points and then finishing the job here. So to be playing our first playoff game at home as an expansion team, it's just an honor to be a part of it."

On the importance of playing at home in the playoffs:

"Being able to sleep in your own bed, get a good night's sleep before the game, training full-on the week before, being acclimated with the weather, not traveling - I think that's huge on the body. Our home record this year (10-4-1) has been outstanding with the support of the fans, the coaching staff, everybody around has done a fantastic job in getting home results. I think it's huge for us."

On what to expect from LA Galaxy II on Friday:

"We stick to our game plan and be disciplined - worry about what we have to do, the rest will take care of itself. They're coming in with a lot of creative players, but if we stay as a unit, stay together, I think we'll take care of business."

On scoring his first goal in three years in the last meeting with LA on Aug. 27:

"They came in and went up early, but we stuck to our game plan and got a couple back. We held on to the game and I think we controlled the game for the rest of the time that we were up. I think we're all confident going in and we should be, especially with the run we've had the last couple of games."

Swope Park Rangers forward Kris Tyrpak

On the team's confidence after ending the regular seas

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 28, 2016


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