CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 31, 2020

Miguel Navarro

Press Conference

Nashville SC 1, Chicago Fire 1

Q. Tonight looked like you really controlled playing the second half, but only got a point. Is it encouraging that you were able to control play against a playoff team, or is it frustrating that you weren't able to take what would have been a pretty important three points tonight?

MIGUEL NAVARRO: Good night, first of all. Yeah, we are a little bit upset, a little bit sad because we felt like we could have taken the three points and come away with a victory.

But it does give us a good feeling. We are very happy about having played well. We had a good game. We controlled the ball and managed that well, and we were -- we did have good possession, and so we leave here with a sensation, a feeling that we're starting to play better than our opponent, and that's what our coach wants. That's the confidence that he's instilled in us, and so now we just keep moving forward.

Q. Can you walk us through the second half performance and what adjustments you made at halftime? Seemed like in the second half, you were much better at getting forward and attacking with more success than in the first?

MIGUEL NAVARRO: Well, I think mostly what Coach told us was to control the ball, to keep the ball -- keep control of the ball and manage that well, and that's what we did. We kept the ball. We kept playing. We managed the thread, the rhythm of the game, and we were able to play a good game, I won't say a great game because didn't come away with the three points but that's what Coach told us to do, and so we walk away with a good feeling.

Q. There are many games tomorrow night that have about an impact on the Fire's ability to make the playoffs. Are you a guy that will be watching those and cheering for the teams that can help you, or do you like to stay away from it and see what happens the next day?

MAURICIO PINEDA: I'm the type of person that always says God's timing is perfect. If the time comes and it's time for us to be in the playoffs, then He's going to decide, and in the meantime we are going to put our part and do whatever we have to do to keep working on the field.

Maybe it would be nice for opposing teams to give us a hand or tie or lose where we could use those points but we are going to keep going on the field and playing our hardest and do what we have to do so we can move forward and make it into the playoffs.