CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 25, 2021

Miguel Navarro

Press Conference

Q. How much different do you feel this season as opposed to last season coming in as a new player here? How much more comfortable are you this season?

MIGUEL NAVARRO: Thank you very much. I feel good. I feel very good. I'm really happy to be here. I've said that from the moment I arrived. I'm really happy to be back. I think last year was a year where -- it was a year to gain experience, to gain confidence with the club and with the league, and this year there aren't any excuses. We have a good team. We have a good group. We're ready to get out there and do good things this season.

Q. I don't know if you got a chance to look at the schedule too in-depth that came out yesterday. The first half of the season is filled with home games, the second half is mostly road games. Is that a good thing that you guys get a chance to get a good start at home, or is it kind of unfortunate that you're going to have to finish the season on the road playing some of the biggest games of the year away from home?

MIGUEL NAVARRO: We know the responsibility we have with playing at home. We know that at home we can't drop points. We have to do our best to win every game at home if possible or as many as possible, and we also know that we have an account pending with our road games. Last year we didn't get the points that we wanted to on the road, and like I said before, this year we're ready. There aren't any excuses. We are focused on having a good season, and we are ready to go. We know that this year there aren't any excuses for not getting into the playoffs.

Q. What did you learn about MLS in your first season? And on a personal note, you moved to Chicago at a pretty young age. Just kind of curious what your adjustment to living in Chicago was like and was there anybody in the club that helped you with that adjustment period, especially during the difficulties of the pandemic?

MIGUEL NAVARRO: I think last year what I learned was a lot of experience, I gained a lot of experience about what it's like to play in this league, to play these types of games, which it's a quick game, very fast, very physical, and I didn't expect to play so many MLS games in my first season with the club, but it was a great experience, and now it's something that I've adjusted to and adapted to.

And related to the city, this is a gorgeous city. It's a beautiful city, and I think that the people who helped me to adjust, to adapt, were my teammates, the coach, the club directors and people related to the club, and also there was Mario, who really was taking care of me when I first got here and has been on top of helping me with anything that I need from then on.

Q. What are your goals for 2021 both at the club level and the national team level?

MIGUEL NAVARRO: At the club level, our expectations are very clear. We want to win as many games as possible. We want to go as far as possible. We want to have good games and to get to the playoffs. As far as the club goals, they are very clear.

At the national team level, it's always an honor to represent my country. It's something that I really enjoy, and so I hope to be playing at a good level and be able to represent my country again in 2021.

Q. I'm just wondering with so many young players on the team, yourself included, how are the relationships, how is the energy in camp and how are you pushing each other collectively to take the next step further this season?

MIGUEL NAVARRO: We know that we are a very young team, but we have a lot of hierarchy. We have players who are very young but they're national team players, and we get along great. We get along with each other very well, and that makes it possible for the competition to be really good, so it's very competitive when we're out on the field. We are all playing for our lives in every training session because we know we have to fight hard to be in the starting 11. I think that really motivates us as young players because we all know that we want to -- we're coming here to do our best and to make the Chicago Fire a winning team.

Q. How do you feel about the league and the club since arriving in Chicago, and what are your goals and expectations for the season?

MIGUEL NAVARRO: The expectations are clear, to get as many points as possible, to win our home games and to get as many points out on the road. We have that account pending with our road games where we didn't get as many points as we wanted to last year, and so this year we want to win on the road and add up points so that we can get to the playoffs, and then from there on, have a good campaign.

Ever since my arrival in Chicago, everyone has treated me very well. Everyone related to the team, the club, the staff, and that really helped me to adjust and to feel comfortable in this city.

Q. Is the Chicago Fire a team that is younger or more experienced in your opinion?

MIGUEL NAVARRO: I think that we are a young team with experience at the same time. As I mentioned before, last year really helped all of us to get a lot of experience, and that's just going to help us this year moving forward so that we can have a good season and finish strong.

Q. I know you love baseball; if the pandemic allows, are you going to try to go to a baseball game in Chicago this year, and if so, Cubs or Sox?

MIGUEL NAVARRO: Obviously if they allow fans into the stadiums, I wouldn't think twice about going to one of the stadiums to watch a game, and I obviously root for the Cubs.