Peter Vermes says Sporting Kansas City finished top of the Western Conference on merit as he laid down a marker ahead of Sunday's MLS Cup playoff opener with outsiders San Jose Earthquakes.
Sporting finished the regular campaign with three successive victories without conceding to earn the status as top dogs in the West for the second time in three seasons.
However, with the coronavirus pandemic having a huge impact on the fixture list, meaning certain teams did not face each other, some have attempted to downplay Sporting's achievement.
Vermes insists his side deserves its status as a No.