CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 11, 2021

Robert Beric

Press Conference

Q. Thanks for making some time for us this afternoon. Hope all is well with you.

ROBERT BERIC: Yeah, I feel everything is okay. I'm finally back to America and the preseason with my teammates, and yeah, everything's good.

Q. You know, just looking at the lineup for this season, how do you view the attack outside of you? Obviously you had 12 goals last year, had a pretty good season last year. How do you view the rest of the attack and how do you feel -- how confident are you that the rest of the guys are going to contribute some goals to kind of give you some support?

ROBERT BERIC: I consider really positive about that. I mean, even last year, the guys besides me, they scored some goals. So I think we score almost every game. You know, so it's one year we know each other better on the field and I think it's going to be -- it's going to be a good season. I'm positive about that, yeah.

Q. I'm wondering, obviously 2020 was a very weird season for everyone. I'm wondering what you think is the biggest difference in the Fire team and your teammates from last year and going into this year?

ROBERT BERIC: Well, for sure, the biggest difference is that we have one year behind each other like getting knowing each other, getting knowing each other on the field, off the field, and especially for me I have one year of experience of MLS, so this is the most biggest advantage that we have this year that we really will be all together we spend also with new coaches, we spend one year. We know each other better. We know what Coach is expecting from us this year, and we also have now like, let's say, a normal preseason, a normal season. Hopefully there will not be another Corona strike like last year so we can work normally.

Q. On a personal note, you had a very good first season, scoring 12 goals. Curious what did you learn from your first season in MLS and how can that help you be even more successful in your second season?

ROBERT BERIC: To be honest, I have to say that it's really difficult to play in MLS. I saw you have a lot of good teams, the teams are equal. It's especially difficult to play away. It's difficult to travel. So I kind of learn a lot in my first season, you know. So now I know how to prepare a little bit better on the game what to expect from different teams, and yeah, how it's going to be this season.

I'm hoping that I will try to continue to play like I play last season, but hopefully we as a team, we can be better this year and try to achieve something this year.

Q. I know it's been touched on a little bit but with so many players coming back from last season's roster, you have the ability to train together during preseason with that added level of familiarity that also translates. How much does that level of camaraderie you've already established amongst the group translate into performance on the field in your opinion?

ROBERT BERIC: You mean like for the new players who came or what exactly?

Q. Now that you know each other having played together for a year, how much does that familiarity affect things training and playing together on the field?

ROBERT BERIC: For sure it's going to be good. You know how what kind of player is Medrán, what kind of player is Gastón, how he play. I know what he wants me, how he wants to play with me. All these details, I don't know, for with wingers, you feel them a little bit more on the pitch. I know what I can expect from, I don't know, from Herbers, from Frankowski or Calvo or any other teammates. I just understand them a little bit more on the field and that's for sure something what is going to be better this season. It's for sure a good thing for the new season.

Q. So today is March 11th. It's pretty of the year anniversary of when everything pretty much shut down and I think tomorrow was the day that MLS shut everything down for 30 days, at least a year ago on March 12th. What do you remember most about March 11th and March 12, 2020, and what was that experience like for you being in a new country, new team, new city and all of that, seeing the world kind of shut down?

ROBERT BERIC: Not the best anniversary that a human being can have. But yeah, you remember like it was yesterday, like, okay, this is some kind of virus, probably it's going to be gone in one month, maybe two, you know. But yeah, in the end, now it's already one year and I can say that it was a really difficult year, the most strangest year ever and I just hope that that's going to be gone soon and we can go back to normal life and normal soccer and everything normal, yeah.

Q. Since you've been here, you haven't been able to play a home game front of home fans. What will that mean to you?

ROBERT BERIC: A lot. I'm really aiming and wishing that the fans can come back as soon as possible. That means a lot for a player to play with the fans, you know, when you have fans on the stands. It's meaning a lot not probably to me but to the whole team. It's going to be different to play the home field with the fans. Probably we'll have another extra energy and if I'm honest, I really want to meet them, to see the atmosphere and how it's going to be and all that, so I cannot wait.