	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

May 28, 2016

Jesse Marsch

Harrison, New Jersey

New York Red Bulls - 3, Toronto FC - 0

Q. Jesse, so 11 goals scored and 0 conceded in the last three matches. What are your thoughts on the state of the team right now?
JESSE MARSCH: Yeah, obviously very different than the beginning of the year. Truly feel like we've put that behind us now, and we've made a great push in the last seven games, getting a lot of good performances. Starting to really feel and look like us. So I think we use the hard times to make us better. So obviously very happy with the last couple months.

Q. On Thursday after training you were talking about Bradley, and it seemed almost prescient as you talk about trying to get him involved early and being around the goal. Can you just talk about the run that he's on right now and how dangerous he is when he gets into these streaks that he's on the last couple weeks?
JESSE MARSCH: You know, everyone wanted to talk so much about how Brad wasn't scoring in the beginning of the year and where was he at, and all I just kept saying is our belief in him is at the highest level. And that's not just me talking, that's our entire group.

We see him every day. We see all the quality he has, and it's only a matter of time before he gets himself going. When he does, then the goals start to come in bunches. So here he is now. He's leading the league in scoring. Right? I mean, that says it all.

Q. Earlier this week you talked about the importance of scoring a goal early, especially against a team that looked like it was going to park the bunts. How did things change when you get that fourth-minute goal?
JESSE MARSCH: It now makes them have to think about coming out more, and they can't just sit back and stay compact and then make it hard on us. Then obviously when Giovinco goes out, that also throws out their game plan.

So the combination of their early lead and then losing Giovinco meant that the game was then going to be played at our terms at even a higher level. Obviously the red card changed everything. So then we had to now fight our way through the second half specifically.

But what I loved as much as Bradley scoring the three goals and getting the win was some of the efforts in the back to block shots, flying around to do whatever it take to now make sure that we weren't going to give up a goal and we were going to ensure another shutout. I think you'd start with Ronald and AurÃ©lien, and talk about the effort that they put in. And AurÃ©lien's had a major impact on the team not just from a playing perspective, but from a mentality perspective. I think he's really given confidence because he's so aggressive, and he takes so much pride in his job and making sure that we don't give up goals. So he's been fantastic.

It's great to see our back line coming together, and this will be important for us moving forward.

Q. You look at the way the season started, obviously wasn't the best of starts. But now you find yourselves in the top of the East heading into the break. Is that something you discuss with your players?
JESSE MARSCH: Yeah, I told them for right now we're at least in first place the East, which it's remarkable, remarkable. Given how rough our start was. It felt like a long period of time like where we were just in a dark moment. But we continue to try to reinforce important things, and continue to try to push and know that we were going to use that to make us better and to see now where we're at, it's very validating. But we have to use the time to get some rest, but continue to push it always.

Q. In the second half Toronto seemed to get under your skin a little bit, tempers started to flair. Talk about the game management of that?
JESSE MARSCH: Yeah, I mean, it's a hot day. Both teams are going after it. Toronto's frustrated, so they're trying to throw some things at it. We're not going to back down. I think that's kind of where that came from. But overall I thought our concentration and focus on the game to do what was necessary was at a really high level.

Q. What did you think about the foul that led to the red card for Gonzalo, and how tough is that for him when he's start/stop, start/stop?
JESSE MARSCH: Yeah, it's frustrating. Those fouls are pretty consistent with what's been called, so I don't think I can really point at that too much. Sometimes when guys from other leagues come to our league they have to understand we've gone through that with Ronald a little bit. And now Gonzalo's going to have to know those tackles are going to get red cards almost every time. I know he got all ball, but the refs have been instructed to throw guys out of the game for that.

It's consistent with what we've seen. And for Gonzalo, yeah, it's frustrating. It's frustrating for him, it's frustrating for us. I feel like he was struggling a little bit with fitness, and that probably led to him breaking down in some decision making and doing that. So that's very uncharacteristic like. We don't see that in training at all. It was just a weird moment and a moment that cost him and cost us.

Q. Talk about Luis, a solid match, but of course the penalty that had to be retaken because of encroachment by Toronto and he comes up big on the retake.
JESSE MARSCH: Yeah, I think Luis wanted the shut out in a big, big way. Obviously now they encroach and he gets another chance at it, and I think the second one they encroach too. But what a great save.

At that point it's a little bit of a mind game and Luis wins it, and he makes a great save. So it's great to see Luis being rewarded, because even when we gave up, I don't know, 17 goals, 20 goals, where are we? 17, 20? I honestly don't think Luis was at fault in one of them. So that's just phenomenal. It almost doesn't make sense, right?

So for him to now reward himself more with shutouts and great performances and obviously a big save, I think it's good for the team, but it's also great for him.

Q. You had the lead 3-0 going into the half, but you kept the players out, and you had a discussion at mid-pitch. What prompted that and what was discussed?
JESSE MARSCH: Yeah, I just wanted to say to them that, you know, to have the right mentality in the second half. Like we're down a man, but we can still do everything that was required to win that game. And if we were a little bit better on the ball, we still felt like we could maintain possession even a man down. Just wanted to make sure their heads were straight going into halftime.

Q. It was 17 goals?
JESSE MARSCH: 17? Okay.

Q. But sticking with the numbers, when (Inaudible) and Collin came in, the goal differential was plus-9 for you guys, 12 goals four, 3 goals conceded, before that 19, 4, and 5 conceded. When you head into the break, what are some of the reassessments that you as a coaching staff are going to take to look at your defense to keep this consistency?
JESSE MARSCH: Yeah, I think, like I said, we're going to use the break for some rest. Then we're also going to build up a little bit of fitness. And then we've got a big stretch coming up where we have game after game after game after game. That includes Open Cup. So now it's going to be partly keep the momentum going, but it's also going to require us to call on some of our depth.

In that, we'll get Damien Perrinelle back in training, so that will be a big plus. So now you start to feel like the momentum which was building against us a lot of the beginning of the year is now working toward us.

So it's key to get some rest and now push forward. But it's key to get some rest, but also very key that coming out of the break that we're stronger and better than ever.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297