Sporting Kansas City head coach Peter Vermes was delighted with the way his side performed in Thursday night's CONCACAF Champions League loss to Deportivo Saprissa.
The reigning MLS Cup winners lost 2-0 in Costa Rica which saw them eliminated from the competition based on head-to-head away goals scored after they beat Saprissa 3-1 at home last month.
SKC lost Benny Feilhaber and Igor Juliao to injury prior to half-time which Vermes believes put them on the back foot but he was full of praise for the character and spirit his side showed at an intimidating Central American venue.
"Getting two guys injured in the first half changed a lot of the game, especially going into the second half," Vermes told reporters.
"But they battled. I can't deny that they battled. They tried. They went after it.
"You've got guys on the field who aren't 90 minutes fit, and they're trying to give everything they have," Vermes added. "So from that point of view, it was very, very difficult."
Sporting, who sit fourth on the Eastern Conference table, will now look ahead to their final regular season match of the 2014 MLS season when they take on fifth-placed New York Red Bulls this weekend.
