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CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

May 8, 2019

Veljko Paunovic

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago Fire - 5, New England Revolution - 0

Q. There's a lot of talk about this team's future and possibly moving to Soldier Field and maybe even changing its name. What's your reaction to that and does any of that seep into the locker room and how do you deal with that situation?
VELJKO PAUNOVIC: My reaction is go, step on the field and win the game and that's what we did today. I think the club had a statement about that, and we are all happy about it but what we have to do is keep going and we have a game like this that we needed to play and perform in this day when actually everyone was focused on something else. And we were capable of refocusing our guys to what is most important now, is to win games and to win the next game, and in this case this was a great performance from everyone.

I'm very happy with how we played and obviously the result is important, but we also know who we are and where we are, and this is just the beginning of what this team is capable of. I've been saying in the past year in this room and also in the locker room to our players, that we are much better than we are right now, and at this point, I have to say that we don't need any access of confidence, and we have to stay -- we have to know that we still have to fight our -- to earn our respect and find our way throughout the season.

Nobody is going to make it easy for us, and I believe that today was a special day but we are all champions here and we want to win the next game and we want to prepare for that, so just in two days, we have to be ready and then we just have today to celebrate and then tomorrow, come back, recover and prepare for the next game.

Q. You didn't score the last three games. What did you do differently tactically tonight to score five goals?
VELJKO PAUNOVIC: Well, I think in the last three games we didn't score because we missed. It's the execution that we didn't have. But other than that, the team today had a performance where the execution was better, better, because we created much more opportunities, and we could have scored before we scored the first goal at least two goals, very, very obvious opportunities.

But that's football, you know, and while we are creating those opportunities and especially when we convert them, I'll be happy with that, and I'll keep saying that it's going to come.

Today the only difference was that once we found the back of the net and once we scored the first goal, the team got the confidence that it needed to keep going and seeking for the second and later the third goal and other goals.

Q. Two goals from corners --
VELJKO PAUNOVIC: Yeah, finally.

Q. Second question, Nico -- the look in the back, with the window closed, are you pretty happy with where the team is?
VELJKO PAUNOVIC: I think that we got two goals after set pieces. It was very important for the team because we were practicing, really practicing a lot, and we were addressing and we were creative with some offensive plays.

But finally, as I said, when Nicolas Gaitan came here, he is a set piece taker specialist, other than other qualities he has, and that's going to improve and in some points, it's going to click. Now, that was important, and we will keep improving.

I think some games you have to open or even win on set pieces. Look at the Champions League and look how many goals are scored with set pieces. We have to have that part, phase of the game. We have to have weapons and can convert those goals on set pieces.

On the other side, yes, I'm happy with the team, and I said I'm very happy with the team and I'm very happy with the additions we had in the last four or the last few days of the transfer window, and it's important. The guys who come in, you know, you can immediately sense or notice that -- are they buying it or not.

In case of Campos (ph) and case of Aron (ph) came in this year, we were very, very happy with what they were bringing to the table, and their commitment.

If not, it's very simple. And we said in the past, when somebody is not committed, we don't hesitate to move on on that player. In this case, we have a very good group, as I said, we are building the spirit of the team. This win helps. This performance helps. But we haven't done anything and it's just the beginning of what can be a great season of a great team and winning champion teams.

But still, a long way to go.

Q. I just wanted to ask a little bit Brandt Bronico you talked about the group, but I wanted to ask particularly about the contributions.
VELJKO PAUNOVIC: Yeah, great day today. Today we announced he's a new contract and it was a great boost for him, coming in from the bench. He was just on fire I think.

And I remember when he came in, and when he had actually that play, when he got the inside, I was just saying, finish it, finish it. And he has a huge potential. He is the model of the player that we want in our club. He's super-committed. He's 100 percent with the team from the very beginning, and I remember the day when we drafted him, no one knew about him, but we saw a great -- first of all, a great human being, and we saw a great potential in a player that can have a long, long career in our club because he's a great fit soccer-wise and obviously as a human.

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