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NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 5, 2018

Chris Armas

Harrison, New Jersey

New York Red Bulls - 2, Los Angeles FC - 1

Q. Did you think what did you think of what Tyler did there, breaking things up and generally kind of keeping their key play makers from being able to do that?
CHRIS ARMAS: I think lots of times, it is won in that midfield area. Coming into the game, we thought the big challenge, we had to deal with six dynamic attackers that can hurt you in so many different ways, and then can we take advantage of our opportunities the other way because we knew we'd be able to create some.

Because of so many rotations that they have and Bella popping underneath, you know, the cleverness of those guys, it was a big job for Sean and Tyler on the day and Kaku and Danny and Marc being tucked in, it's a big test that everyone had to be in on and for the most part, statistically, about nine shots -- it's a great against their dynamic attack.

Q. How proud are you of Michael, outside of the goal that equalized the match, he frustrated Diego all game long?
CHRIS ARMAS: He's an impressive young man. He comes from Panama, and you know, they bring this player in and so much has been thrusted upon him so quickly, a lot of success, he has a World Cup in there, he's an all-star, so I see it all night, really had to defend and suffer a little bit, you know, the ankle, just smile inside and to see him grow in those moments makes you feel like we're making good progress with him. What a great night.

Q. And secondly, we talked to you about this. You've been with Bob Bradley for four years with the Chicago Fire. What is it like to now manage against Bob Bradley?
CHRIS ARMAS: What's it like to manage against Bob Bradley? Managing against Bob Bradley and his staff, we know really well, was preparing against Bob Bradley and his staff.

So on the day, there's little adjustments made and with what they do and some of our pressing, we mixed it up here and there, it was really trying to really understand their team, how they can hurt us and how we can hurt them. There's a lot to their team. You see how far -- he still continues to teach us as we watch his team play.

I think overall with Bob Bradley and his staff, we go way back. There's such a love and respect that we have for each other, so just seeing him before the game was the best part of it. Just catching up for a few minutes, so for me, that was the special part about it. The game itself, you know, I was really focused on the game.

Q. Overall, how important was it to get this win and how your team gutted it out tonight?
CHRIS ARMAS: Well, yeah, look, we didn't get home -- it's a must. You have to win at home, and the guys, they get the credit because they used the energy of each other; the fans start chanting, and you can feel it coming. It could have went the other way but our guys hung in there and they pushed. I think we saw belief that if we can keep putting out fires on one end; that both teams are tired and we created a few chances. How important is that win, that win at home, we just came off a tough loss at home where, in the second half, the guys showed a lot of fight and courage.

When you see some teams lose that game 4-0, 5-0, 6-0, we've seen it. So to see the really good start that we had tonight, and then guys to have to really stay together and push and get the late one, it was great.

Then you see some of the other results this weekend, so we're probably in a pretty good spot based on the three points.

Q. Luis was very aggressive off his line tonight. In part, to deal with a lot of the speed that LAFC brought. Is that something you game planned for or just an adjustment on the fly?
CHRIS ARMAS: Well, with Luis, it's always part of our tactic. We play with a high-back line, it's no secret. We compress spaces forward. We press, so there needs to be a back line that's connected. Usually it's the midfield line or further that we're stepped up to.

So Luis being off his line and connected is really important. So knowing that, and we know LAFC; that they lead the league, if not second, they either lead the league or balls behind, runs behind, slashing runs. So them knowing how we play, us knowing how they play, it had to be there.

And I thought as the game went on, Luis got better and better at that. There was one scary moment in the second half that he's out there but I'll tell you, we told him to be aggressive. When in doubt, be aggressive, Luis, and it's not always easy for a goalkeeper to be in that uncharted territory but he did a great job.

Q. I had the same question as Dan, but there was -- just to add to that. You said there was a lot of familiarity between your coaching staff and their coaching staff, a bunch of you who played for the Fire many, many years ago. If you want to elaborate, feel free. And also, you talked about this love and respect that you have for Bob Bradley. Did the outfit choices have anything to do with that?
CHRIS ARMAS: Well, obviously we planned our outfits. We went shopping yesterday (laughter) Bob looks a little better than I do, I'd say. Still fitter than everybody around and he keeps us honest.

You know, if you start with Bob Bradley, you know, and there's others that, you know, he has even learned from, and you looked at the tree of people who have -- if you looked around the league, we sometimes count, 16, 17, 18, and you look what Jesse is doing, who -- so closely with Bob over the years, and even when he was a youngster.

One day, if not now, Bob must be proud of what's going on, but it's not an accident, right. Bob picked a heck of a group of people early on, and then -- who are all doing great things and he involving and growing and I think he has to be proud of that, you know.

So yeah, that staff with Ante Razov, Kenny Arena, Mike Sorber was a teammate; a lot of respect, a lot of relationships there. It goes back many years.

So I think it's incredible that Bob has affected and influenced so many people in our organization here, Denis and me and CJ, and if you look around, one day, it will be really talked about, how incredible, the influence he's been.

Q. Carlos was pretty limited tonight. Can you speak on how the game plan -- maybe to prevent him from getting on the ball as much as he tends to do, and maybe how Tyler and Sean helped corral him?
CHRIS ARMAS: Yeah, he's a world-class player. We've gotten to see it time and time again. So these guys are difficult because they stay in blinds spots. They find spaces. They pop up where you're not, and it's just a feel for the game that players like him have, so it's not really a one-man job. We can see that, you know, at half time we talked about it and even looked at some of the clips where he's just finding space. It's just difficult.

So is it that the certainty backs have to be connected or is it that Tyler and Sean have to move into the game a little bit more, or is it the outside back's job all of a sudden, or other times, it's Danny and Marc really compressing.

So we just have to outnumber them on these areas, so if he's on the ball, quickly we can take time and space away, because you see with time and space, good players can hurt you, and for the most part, we I think did a pretty good job, and he had one really good look in the second half. I thought for sure it was in the back of the net. But our guys did a good job not fouling, running at the ball and taking that away.

Q. We just watched the ceremony for Brad. Be tough not to ask about him. We know about the goals and humility, but for you, what is your favorite thing about Brad and what is your favorite moment with him as a coach or something he's done on the field, off the field, that sticks out to you?
CHRIS ARMAS: Look, every so often, a guy like this comes around and you can only be so fortunate to spend some time with a player and a person like this.

So for every young player, either in our academy and comes through, and first-team player, how for fortunate that they can watch a guy and remind guys -- and I tell players, watch this guy: Watch how he shows up every day and watch what real work looks like. Watch how he interacts people. Watch how he takes to Nancy, the woman who prepares our food. Watch how he deals with the bus drivers, and it goes on and on and on.

He gets it. He gets life this way. And you watch him with his family and then you really understand, and as Denis said earlier, what he does in that second goal, he's knackered at that point, right, but he's fighting and he knows he's going to get a chance and sure enough, in his fashion, he passes it perfectly.

That's the gist of it with him. And I'll tell you, in all the years, there's not so many guys that have such an ease around. He's a superstar, he really is.

We should all be fortunate that we're watching a guy, that we get to see him up close and me that gets to work with him for these four years and he has such an ease. How is it possible for an 18-year-old, he roomed with Cristian CÃ¡sseres this last trip and it works, he can do that. He speaks and people listen. Again, he has shown the way. What a legend. So today, to see him have to suffer a little bit after the game in that ceremony, I think, as they said, enjoy the few minutes.

A special moment with or for Brad, I'm not sure (laughter). You know, tonight was one of them, just seeing him have to sit back and accept the recognition for once, because he never wants it, and we forced it on him. I told him before the game, it's not our fault. You scored the hundred, not me, you know what I mean, so you've got to take the recognition.

Q. You talked so much about the goals that he scores and he certainly could have taken a shot on that spot there; he's alone inside the 18 there. How fitting is it that he rolls out a perfect feed to Daniel? You touched on it a little bit, but just the essence of that?
CHRIS ARMAS: I think Denis said it. It's perfect. It's better than him scoring. You know, he's going to score lots more goals for this team. He does it consistently.

But to see it -- the run, to stay on-side, to know his chances are going to come. He had a couple looks tonight, put himself in good spots, he stays patient, he knows he's going to get the chance, and before the game, every knew that the most important thing tonight for Brad tonight was three points. It was said.

To see it end that way, it's great. The game-winning play he makes, at sift, I think it's really fitting that he puts it in a really good way for Danny, but I think we can also appreciate the running, the pressing, the coming back into the game. I'm watching him sprint down the field when he sees Kaku is out of the spot and he's just a giver this way.

Again, in our world here in professional sports, you don't always see that; the superstar, the guy, the goal scorer, to work and work so much and run so much for the team. It's a thing of beauty, really. Congrats to Brad and for the three points and for the recognition that he received tonight. So deserved.

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