CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

July 19, 2020

Raphael Wicky

Press Conference

San Jose 2, Chicago 0

Q. I guess just what's the takeaway from tonight's match? What are some of the lessons learned and how can you apply them going forward starting Thursday morning?

RAPHAEL WICKY: Well, it was the expected difficult game, a hectic game.

I think the lesson is that in these games, you don't have ten chances; you have a few. You need to be clinical through open plays or through pressing and winning the balls, or set pieces when you have a few, you've got to be I think more concentrated and be better in the last 30 yards to actually then take advantage of the game.

But otherwise, it was an expected hard game, physical game. Lots of challenges. For the most part of the game, we were well. We were well-organized, which is a good point. But yeah, overall I think it was too hectic and we need to try to be more calm with the ball.

Q. There was a stretch in the second half where the Fire players got four or five yellow cards within a short period of time. Why do you think that was? Do you think that was something to do with San Jose's pressure, the mental breakdown, or was there another reason that you think that happened?

RAPHAEL WICKY: Of course it has to do with the way that game goes, and we knew it's going to be a physical game. Every time you have the ball, you're going to be in a challenge. So when we don't have the ball, we also want to be in a challenge. That happens.

Like I said, it was a hectic game. There was a lot of screaming. Lots of little fouls. And then, yeah, you get a little bit frustrated probably.

I think that is the reason, and there is, of course, you've got to keep your emotions. You've got to stay focused on what you can control, and to not do yellow cards. Because obviously when you're a defender or a center midfielder and you have yellow cards, you always have to be careful and after, not getting a second one.

Yeah, I think it has to do with the way the game was.

Q. The team started so strong in the first ten, 15 minutes, but then it seemed to get a little bit flat. You've got such a short turnaround to this next game. How do you feel you're going to lift them for this game and get some of the energy levels back?

RAPHAEL WICKY: Yeah, it's true. We started very well. I think they started very aggressive. We pressed him high and made their life difficult because it's a team which has a lot of possession normally, and we were able to steal some balls and make it hard.

We knew it's not possible 90 minutes. Normally then you should keep more of the ball yourself so that the opponent runs. Yeah, I think we were not able to do that good enough to keep the ball to keep them running,.

But yeah, we have now three days, two and a half days. It's a short turnover for all the teams that will play. So it about sleeping well, eating, recovery and then be ready again. Yeah, we have a roster; we need all the players.

Q. When you came out -- when the team came out, it was a really -- I wouldn't say surprising, but it was a real good plan to go and push San Jose, something that maybe they didn't have before, that hard, but it was probably difficult to hold that attitude for the 90 minutes. At some point, you had a plan to change that with the minutes, with how you see the players going physically, how the score goes? What was the plan to play a different way? Because probably playing 90 minutes that way wouldn't be feasible.

RAPHAEL WICKY: Yeah, of course we know that we couldn't play and press as hard as we did in the beginning. So then it's about staying compact. Then you know that if you don't keep the ball, they have the ball, and you keep -- you stay compact in your own half, and then you pick the moments when to press again.

Yeah, I think there were good moments where we did that, and then there were moments where we started to get a little bit stretched, and that's when the danger comes. When a few players go and press or go higher and the others stay, and that's where you get stretched, especially against a team like them who do well with the ball.

But yeah, that was the plan, or that's the plan: To keep more of the ball, which for most of the part of the game we were not able to.

Q. Looking forward to the next game, you still your destiny for the knockout stages in your control. What's your message to the team, not just taking care of themselves off the field between now and Thursday, but just kind of mentally where you want them to be at knowing that you guys still control your own destiny in terms of your future in this tournament?

RAPHAEL WICKY: It's important to keep your heads up. I mean, it's a football game. We lost a football game today. We won one last time. You can't be when you win on the top, and then you lose on the bottom. You've got to keep steady emotions, and it's a football game.

We're going to stand up again. We are going to keep working. We are a very good team. We had good moments today. It's a tight game, very tight with a few details that will decide the game.

That's the message I will give the players. The effort was there, the effort was there for 90 minutes, and that is very positive.

So now we have to recover and we're going to be ready in the next game.

Q. How is Luca after the knee injury in the first half?

RAPHAEL WICKY: I can't tell you that. I haven't spoken to the doctor or to the medical department after the game. So I will go back now and check with the player. Hopefully he's going to be fine and can give an answer to that.