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REAL SALT LAKE MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 1, 2019

Mike Petke

Harrison, New Jersey

NY Red Bulls - 4, Real Salt Lake - 0

Q. How does it feel now, not just to chose a chapter, but to come back and everyone cheering your name, happy to see you back, and moving on?
MIKE PETKE: The chapter's been closed, you know, as far as me. With the supporter, it's never going to be closed, you know, and it was great to see them. I was honored that they didn't boo me and they had some nice things to say.

Again, I said it numerous times, they are always going to be in my heart and I'm always going to have a good relationship with them.

Q. Can you comment about the game?
MIKE PETKE: Generally, first half, was exactly how we wanted to play it with a couple exceptions. Our organization was good. Our structure was good. We know, as everybody does, exactly what the strengths are Red Bull and they do it very well. I thought we dealt with that -- we had about five -- we had about four to five good transition opportunities that we were a bit sloppy on. They were things that we talked about yesterday.

Coming out the second half, it was a completely different game. Our organization, our structure was off. We left too many goals and gaps. Three of the four goals came down our left side due to either miscommunication or positioning of certain players, and against a team like this, if you're not -- if you're not structured right, they want to make you pay, and they did, three goals in seven minutes.

Q. The goal -- was that just a mental breakdown after that?
MIKE PETKE: I think it obviously gave Red Bull confidence for sure. They got a goal, and then perhaps we left ourselves a bit too stretched too soon, not realizing and not accepting that we have a lot more minutes to play. We don't have to get that tying goal or go for that tying goal and get ourselves stretched out and I thought we got a good stretch from that goal.

I think again, it goes back to our first half structure and organization, and our shifting and our moving. Cutting off certain areas. The young goal is an fortunate thing for the player but it doesn't get there if our structure is a bit better.

Q. But in terms of just a collapse, the three goals game in like six minutes. It just seemed like your team just had a mental breakdown for a short period of time after that goal?
MIKE PETKE: Well, yeah. I guess you could say that. Like I said, I think that immediately after that happened, we didn't take a deep breath and say, there's a lot more of the game to be played, so you could call it mentality, I guess, a mental breakdown, perhaps. I'm not in their heads so I don't know if they had a breakdown.

But again, where the structure wasn't like it was in the first half, it even got a bit more stretched and unorganized after that first goal for sure.

Q. You mentioned it in the previous question, three goals in seven minutes, your team needed to take a deep breath, can you also mention how even as the game progressed there were a couple key changes where your team still had a shot and was still putting up chances; did they finally get that breath towards the end?
MIKE PETKE: I mean, like I said, we knew what to expect coming in. And I thought we played very well in the first half. We did have some opportunities, and we didn't finish our opportunities and they did.

Again, when the first goal happens, and we maybe are searching for that equalizer a little too -- too blatant, I guess you could say -- not too soon; it's never too soon for an equalizer, but just too blatant and too, you know, not in the right moments. It leaves us vulnerable and it leaves us stretched.

Q. Obviously the emotional side of playing Red Bulls the first time, but the tactical side, the big thing for the coaches is whether to play through press or bypass it. It felt like you guys were trying to play through it, and you mentioned the first half you guys were organized but a couple giveaways where the Red Bulls almost scored and it seemed like the second half they were able to break that down. Was that your strategy, to come and try to play through it -- obviously the result itself, but do you feel like you were able to get something out of the strategy you had?
MIKE PETKE: The first half, like I said, our intent wasn't to come in and sit back, but what happens in a team like this is ultimately they drive you back. What we really talked about, in only one day, one day of practice after the MontrÃ©al game, was the waves in transition. Sam, the big thing we are talking about tonight is, for instance, Parker taking the ball and pressing from the side and as soon as that ball is released, whether it's from a pass or it gets through Par, I don't want Sam backpressing at that point. Someone has to step so Sam can step up in a higher position, with just one more center-back back there, and if we can win the ball quick and play it there, we have an advantage.

As well as Savarino, the runs that we needed from him he did in the first half, and Corey, in transition, and again, at times, it worked and it looked okay in the first half. But it's never going to be perfect against a team that's very good in counterpress, you know, and gets so many numbers around the ball. You could see one or two -- no, probably three times in the first half, where we played quick but then there's one or two or three times in the first half we turned without checking our shoulder -- and this is a team that does that.

So those little breakdowns, you know, are things that I'm focusing on.

Q. Apologize for going back down -- but for a guy like who you has played with and managed Thierry Henry for those two years you managed this club, what have you brought RSL these last few years?
MIKE PETKE: It's a completely different organization. Completely different structure, setup, all of those things. If you're asking from a player/management standpoint, obviously you know, I'm a bit more experienced in dealing with big-name players that we have here is going to make it a bit easier to deal with the young players that I coach in RSL.

Q. You had those great moments with him, but did you transfer that to those kids right now, these players right now, that are playing for you?
MIKE PETKE: I don't know if I understand quite your question. The experience I have with --

Q. Exactly. Your experience, yeah?
MIKE PETKE: I don't think I've ever brought up in two years 2 1/2 years in RSL when I coached Thierry Henry or when I coached Tim Cahill, I'm pretty certain I never did that.

I just think that maybe, you know, the experience that I gained around players like that, makes me a bit of a different coach than my first year, and hopefully for the better, you know, and I'm able to relate to players. I hope that answers the question.

Q. Coming off of three straight wins, and now you have two losses and especially a big one tonight. Is a break coming at the right time, and how do you prepare the team with L.A. as your next opponent?
MIKE PETKE: They are going to have some days off which they need, mentally and physically, and obviously we're going right back. We have an open Cup game right after that and we have to figure that out.

But after these three games, good time to take a break and relax and team a deep breath and focus on L.A. like you said.

Q. You said leading up to this game that this was just going to be a game for you; it's a business trip. But I did see after, you did make a pointing to over to the Southport --
MIKE PETKE: Of course.

Q. That was something important for to you do this time around for you?
MIKE PETKE: Well, I went over to their office first -- we had about 110 people here from my hometown here, my family. My wife and kids flew in and I wanted to see them. I always go to Southport, going on 20 years now, so the respect I have for them, and that's what I meant when I said, this is just another game, because it's been five years, you know. Got to move on at some point. I've moved on, certainly, but with them, I'm never going to move on. They will always be special.

Q. Obviously you mentioned that you moved on in five years, but for you, though, what is it like to come to this building and face this team and knowing that when you left, that they were sort of starting in this new system; they were starting to build something, and now you come so many years later at this point where they have built it and they have become in a way this new club, what is that like for you?
MIKE PETKE: It's actually good. It's great. You know, I was a part of those conversations for about six months leading up to January when I left. So there was a lot of discussion about that and I was excited about it.

You know, it's good, and again, I enjoy watching them play and they have a system. You know, comes from Europe, and they have adopted it and it's enjoyable to watch. The little bit for me that I was involved in those initial discussions, both with people here and over in Austria, so I kind of get what they are doing. Yeah, it's interesting to watch and it's cool to watch to be honest with you.

Q. When you said you had six months, they radically changed the way this club operated from everybody to Roberto to Thierry, and then they went to a system where they use their academy. How do you look back and see how the club has changed what thoughts do you have? Again, you saw part of it, or at least saw it coming.
MIKE PETKE: Yeah, like I said, something had to change based off of how the metrics are in Red Bull, the previous 15 years or so, were doing things, it wasn't working. It's not about one or two.

Q. (Inaudible.) -- is that what was driving that, because of the Cup?
MIKE PETKE: No. I think discussion -- all discussion that I had was just a global belief from Red Bull about this is what's working here, we have a plan, we have a vision. You know, it relies on young energetic kids that are good with the ball, as well, but fit a certain system of our play. I was a second-year coach then, so I bought into it and I was excited about it.

So I think that when you say, I -- Supporters' Shield, I didn't win it; the organization did and the players did. I think this is the way that I prefer. We're, again, a very different organization in RSL but we are very academy-driven. Very youth and homegrown. I think that that is if you get the right people in like they have here, then you have success, if the system is the most important thing, which it is here.

Q. What do you take away from this game as you move forward?
MIKE PETKE: Like I said, the first half, we knew what we were going to be under the whole game. It's the way they play and they are good at it, but I thought we managed it pretty well in the first half. We had three or four opportunities in transition, which is where we knew we were going to get the bulk of our opportunities from.

The second half, it just kind of collapsed, you know, from many different aspects. So what I take away from it is if we carry on from the first half to the second half; am I saying that we would have won? Perhaps, if we had given ourselves a better opportunity to win. But for whatever reason, which is falls on me, and I'm going to go back and watch the film, talk to people, talk to players, the whole basic thing you do after you lose, and figure out where -- why and where that happened.

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