CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 9, 2021

Fabian Herbers

Press Conference

Q. I know you went to New Orleans and some other teammates got away before training started again. Do you think that this break has been a good thing for the team that can help get things turned around or has it not been?

FABIAN HERBERS: Yeah, I mean, the break, it's just what it is. We can't really change it. We had a couple days off there. We had three days off. Me and other teammates that tried to make the most of it, some are in Europe to get their green cards and whatnot. Everybody tries to make the most of that break, and yeah, me personally, I went to New Orleans.

It's good to get away a little bit, especially after a frustrating loss against Montréal where we felt like we deserved definitely a win there. But yeah, mentally, it's good. It helps to get free again in your mind and then, yeah, I'm back to training again. Even though we don't have games right now, training has been sharp and everything. Yeah, I do think a break like that helps you mentally, as well, and to get fresh legs again.

Q. On the football side of things, what has been the specific focus for you guys in the few trainings you've had since the break started?

FABIAN HERBERS: I mean, it's tough right now to really train tactically because a lot of guys, a lot of the starters even are not there with Francisco, with Gastón not being there and then Luka and then Beric are gone right now. Tactically it's not really been sessions where we just stand around and Rafa explains certain things, but rather, it's been physical.

Right now you can really work on the physical side of things, in the gym, the lifts have been a little heavier and the trainings outside have been a little longer. They try to push us to gain the fitness back after a couple days after, as well. It's been physically straining a little bit but it's been good. Training has been sharp, and, yeah.

Q. I don't know how much you've sene of the plans for the new training facility. Have you seen them and what are your thoughts on them if you have seen them, and what would that mean for the fire to get a new state-of-the-art training facility or the franchise?

FABIAN HERBERS: I haven't seen them to be honest and I mean, it's just good, obviously, to have your own training facility somewhere close to the city, you know, where you feel like a second home for the players. We have a safe space where players don't want to leave and where you can use your own fields and you can dictate your own schedule kind of where here, you know, it's not bad by all means. It's good, but you know, having your own things, your own training facility is always better. But I haven't seen anything of it, so I couldn't really tell you any details of what I like or what I don't like about it.

Q. What are some things, though, that a player really values in a training facility? What are some things that if they came to you and said, hey, we need your help designing this thing, what would be some things that you would ask for?

FABIAN HERBERS: Probably like a good field. A field is always the biggest aspect I think; that you have good, even grass field. Even probably two or three fields because when you train on one field a lot, then it can get a little bit bumpy. But yeah, that's something I would ask for.

I mean, just, we do have everything here. We have a good gym. We have good treatment room. We have a hot room. But I mean, there's always like certain things that can be a little bit better. But I mean, I'm the last one to complaining because I've trained in smaller locker rooms in Germany and wherever, but it's good. It's good that the club has that vision that we get those training facilities I'm excited for it.

Q. Really enjoyed watching you play since you've comeback from injury. Glad you're playing regularly because I think you've helped increase the level of play of the squad and given that you have a solid point of view given that you've been on the field for the last few games, where do you think the squad has done well over the last couple of matches? Because I think the squad has improved their performances over the last two to three games, so given your point of view, where do you think the squad has done well and has improved? And, yeah, can you just speak to that?

FABIAN HERBERS: Yeah, looking at those last, yeah, three games, if you include the D.C. game, I feel like we have been more compact. We have been more -- especially those two games at home against Miami and Montréal, we really didn't concede any big chances against these guys. And overall, I think the creativity and the flow and the attack has come a lot better because I feel like in the earlier games in the season when you look at the Red Bull game, the Philadelphia game where we didn't really create all that much, I feel like we created a ton of chances against Miami. We had the possibility to score against Montréal, as well, so there were times, myself, too, I had a big chance.

Yeah just defensively we are overall more compact and then just the flow, the dynamic up front was better, as well, I thought.

Q. Following up on that, where do you think the squad needs to improve moving forward?

FABIAN HERBERS: At the end of the day, it comes down to scoring goals, right. Like I said, I had a big chance against Montréal.

I could have done something different there to score. Other guys had bigger chances, as well, and we need to put those games away. Possibly in the first half where you score like one or two, maybe even three goals if you have big chances, and you know, just to put those in the back of the net in order to really, yeah, don't give the other team any hopefully more to come back. I think it just comes down to being sharp in the box and then really put away those chances that you do create.

Q. I've been listening to the podcast every week, I feel like you're getting better as do you it more and more. Are you enjoying it and what have you learned?

FABIAN HERBERS: Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it. I, too, do agree that we do get better with the time. It's just repetition, repetition. It's obviously something knew for me and Julian, but I do enjoy it. We do enjoy it. It feels like kind of psychological, you know, where you can talk with somebody like openly. I mean, although it's still recorded and you still put it out there publically, but it's fun to talk with a different guy for like 45 minutes just about soccer and just about concerning things going around the league.

Yeah, I've been enjoying it, definitely. Hopefully we can keep growing our listeners and yeah, just go with it and just do it as it is fun for us.

Q. This break for you, how is your fitness? How are you feeling from that little stretch of games you had before the break, and does this break help or hurt you in your recovery?

FABIAN HERBERS: Yeah, I feel good. I feel healthy. Those games were good. I mean, I was happy to come back into the games and just wanted to keep the momentum going because I thought the team was doing well, as well, and myself, as well. So then, you know, having a three-week break is a little bit of a downer where you don't prepare again for a new start.

But yeah, physically, I feel good. I thought the team was doing well. And, yeah, what was the question again?

Q. In terms of the break, how is the break helping you in terms of your recovery back to 100 percent fitness?

FABIAN HERBERS: Yeah, it's obviously something you can take advantage of. I mentioned earlier, we had harder sessions where you can push a little harder in the gym and you can build the body up to a little bit of soreness where it doesn't matter because you don't have a game on Saturday. So you have a little bit longer recovery times.

So it does help having the break. Other than if you have like three games a week, obviously then you can't really push that hard for fitness and whatnot, so it does help. But I'd rather play than just train, if you asked for my preference.