CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

July 24, 2021

Frank Klopas

Press Conference

Toronto FC 2, Chicago Fire 1

Q. 31 shots generated, 14 on target, but you walk away with the 2-1 loss. How does that feel?

FRANK KLOPAS: I've been saying the same thing inside locker room with the staff and saying the same thing with everyone here and been saying the same thing with my mentor evaluating for my pro course I'm doing, Vin, I don't know, that's the game sometimes.

I think the tough one for us is coming out and giving a bad goal right away, so you're under the gun already but I felt it was a tremendous response of the team, we pushed and we never lost confidence.

When you look at stats, 14 shots on tar get, 23 shots inside the box, 23 shots to two, so we definitely created enough opportunities. It's just you know, just lacking that ball going the back of the net. You always think if you continue to do this that we will put it away but it is a tough one but at the end of the day is that we cannot give up the second goal. We cannot give up the second goal.

You push the game plan in the right way and then you keep it at 1-0, we had with the chances created, you just felt that at any moment we were going to score, and you know, then you give the second goal and then again, the guys, there was a belief, we pushed the game in the right way, we took some risk also and you had to at the moment but the guys really stepped up and I think they did everything right but just find the back of the net.

Q. If the game had gone differently would we have seen Ivanov or was this going to be a rest night for him?

FRANK KLOPAS: There's no rest. It's not like last game I put him in and I felt like okay, this guy, he's been training now, he needs to get in. That's not, with, any player, they have to earn the right to step on the field and that's dictated by the way they play and the way they train.

This is our philosophy from day one when Rapha spoke to the players. It's about performance, performance in training and that's where we evaluate every day with the guys. Rapha is not here but he does always an excellent job. We go over video with the players. We show them expectations are high, very demanding and that's how it should be.

With Ivanov, his training, he has to earn the right to step on the field and look, every game is a little bit different and might demand something else. That's why you rely on the team. That's why you have different characteristics and different individuals that can bring something different and then based on what we need at the moment, I think we have options to bring it, and so no, if he doesn't deserve to be on the field, he won't.

Q. I know everybody is thinking about Rapha. How involved has he been able to be while he's been away with his family?

FRANK KLOPAS: One thing I've learned as things have changed, we've learned through this COVID situation with zoom calls and everything, so look, like any other club, all video sessions are videotaped and uploaded and he watches every training session and he's able to watch games. We're in touch every day, two, three foals, so he's very, very involved but there is a level of respect and a situation, the trust that he has in the staff, not only myself and Adin Bron, and we have the ability to bring a U-23 coach, and they are all quality people.

So that's the thing; there's a level of trust based on confidence and based on working together. So yeah, he's very involved but at the end of the day there's there is a level of trust when the game starts, you know, I can't pick up the phone and call. I have to make decisions based on what the games needs.

Q. In the first two minutes, one goal, defensive error. I saw a lot of shots but always in the center. Is it lucky goalie or unlucky forward?

FRANK KLOPAS: That's a really good question, you know. That's a really good question. I think when the goalie makes all those saves, you have to say lucky goalie for the night. That's the thing. I mean, but the positive thing is that you create those chances and then also we have quality but also sometimes you need a little bit of luck, also to go your way to get some level of confidence with the guys.

But the thing is that luck goes your way when you keep pushing and you keep trying, and that's what I felt today. The guys really, even though they missed one chance, two chances, when you're a forward and a player on the field, you're always thinking the next opportunity. You know, the next opportunity. That's the kind of mentality the guys have. You have to have a killer instinct and you can miss ten but maybe it's the next one that's going to come.

Unfortunately it didn't tonight but in my opinion, I give a lot of credit to my players, I know we lost the game and it's disappointing always when you're home in front of our fans but our fans very supportive, but if we go in every game with the sense -- with confidence, like we did today, for 90 minutes and push the game, and not be scared and play with confidence and create this many opportunities, we'll get a lot more wins. That's just my belief.