NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 18, 2021

Gerhard Struber

Press Conference

New York Red Bulls 1, Columbus Crew 0

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, right now a good feeling for me and for my boys, and I think today we know the last few games we have good performances but they bring no wins, no points at home.

And today, my boys fight from the first, second against an opponent that they need also every points and they come also with a negative situation to us.

And for me and for my boys, it was very important that we show in every action, more hunger, that we have more determination, we have more desire and we have more power in our pressing and we have synchronized pressing.

And I can see this in both halves many times that we are ready, also the in-fights; also in the area duels, we make a great job today, and this in the end saves our -- saves the victory, and also with outstanding Carlos Coronel. This is clear he was extremely helpful today and also the last few games, he was in a very good important to save this win, and gives everyone a very, very good feeling for the next game for the derby against New York City.

Q. How satisfying was it to get that win after many tries, try to put in a complete performance? Can you tell us about how gratifying it was to finally grind one out?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, of course, this was in the end a belief for the self self-confidence, so, so important that we create from the one side a good performance but also we have to realize in the end three points that now we play at home. We know at home normally we are very difficult for every opponent.

And today, the victory, the three points, and especially how we managed the game gives everyone a very, very good feeling for the next games, and I think this is very, very helpful today that to win the three points and that we realize we can win and not only we can play good football.

I think right now, yeah, this is for every mindset, for every soul, very, very good and give everyone the good feeling. But yeah, we have the next game for our chance and we have to be very professional with the regeneration and be ready for the next game, and have the three points today, they will also be a bigger value when we are also ready on the next game day.

Q. Can you talk about the play of John Tolkin tonight? Seemed a special performance on both sides of the ball and his evolution as you've moved him to midfield, please.

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think the big advantage for him is that he has a very, very good technical ability to handle the moments in tight spaces, with pressure, with our time in a very good way, and I think this helps us him to play in more positions.

And also I think his pre-orientation to realize the spaces around him, he can handle this in a very interesting way.

And I think this is also for me a little bit a surprise that he handled also this position very well and yeah, in the end, the big reward with the goal, and yeah, I think this is very good for him.

I am very happy with him that he help us in more positions, and he -- this is for me and for the whole team so important.

He is a young guy. He's very humble. He's very ambition, and he's very professional. And this is in the end a young guy that shows me he's a role model for many other young players. And this is, yeah, this is very, very good to see, and he is very, very reliable in many positions for the team right now, and yeah, I am very happy but I hope this is not the last goal what he scored.

Q. Curious about the formation change that you made at halftime. You put in Frankie Amaya to join the midfield and shifted John Tolkin out wide. Was that motivated more tactically or giving rest to some players ahead of the game this weekend?

GERHARD STRUBER: This was only a fitness topic for Andres Reyes, and we have to change something.

Q. A follow-up on what you said about John. How pleased were you that he was able to get a goal with all the hard work he's put in tonight and shifting positions, how pleased were you to see him to be the one to score the match winner?

GERHARD STRUBER: The match winner was the team and I think this is very important that we realize that we have a big appreciation for John Tolkin's performance or Carlos' performance, yeah. But I think the whole team makes the day a very good job. And this is in our identity and our style of play, the most important thing that everyone is ready and every suit is ready.

And today, I feel we are very close together. Everyone was together and on the same page, and we can realize points like a team against Columbus. They have very, very good experience player, key players, and I think we handled this the most of the time in a good way.

Otherwise, we realize although we have something to improve in our transitions and our execution when we come in the last serve, we have to be better. I think we miss some good chances. We are not clean enough in some moments, and I think this is also a big topic what we have to improve to be -- yeah, to find a little bit more nervous (ph) moments when we score the second or the third goals, that we are not always bring the whole coaching team in on the last second in a nervous moment. I think this is also that my boys realize, sometimes it's good when they help me also a little bit quick earlier in the game to score the second or the third goal.

Q. How proud are you of Carlos after the debacle of the penalty kicks in Montréal, and he comes up with a bunch of big saves and looks like he redeemed himself. How proud are you of his performance?

GERHARD STRUBER: Very proud. But I think it's always that the end product is the game, but I'm also proud when I see him in the training and how he worked the last time, hard, and he really improved so many things in a very good way.

Yeah, I am very, very happy with him. For me, it's the performance today from him, not so big a surprise. I know him and I know what he can and I know what he can be realized from the performance side and this makes, yeah, give everyone a good feeling and especially for him it's very good when he can help the team in moments like this to save the victory.

Q. Can you quickly talk about Frankie, got some minutes for the first time in a couple of games. Can you talk about what specifically you want to keep -- see him keep improving on to get more minutes?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think Frankie gives our style of play a different note, a different feeling, yeah, and this is in many times very helpful. He's on the ball normally very clean and also his passes, he can change the rhythm very quick and he has in his DNA something that can be very, very helpful for us in our style of play.

And what we want from the other side, also, he must improve something, what is typical key in our style of play, and this is the work against the ball. I can see some good steps from him.

But we have to work, and I think he's right now, and especially in the future, a very, very good player for this team and today he make his next step but we have also many, many things to improve to be ready to be a starter and help the team over 90 minutes.

Q. Just another question about the defense. Obviously this is the first game where you've had kind of a complete group of center backs with Andres Reyes coming back. How important is that to the way the rest of the team plays, giving the team security in the back? And then just what you have to do in the next two days to get the team ready for NYC FC on the weekend?

GERHARD STRUBER: This is easy, okay. I think we have the right drink (holding up Red Bull beverage) and I think with a professional regeneration, we are ready on Saturday. That's it.

Q. You pretty much answered the question by holding up the can of Red Bull where both teams were pushing through fatigue toward the end of the match, and yet it was the Red Bulls who seemed to be a much more fresher unit. Can you take more pride in the training despite not having a proper preseason?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think right now it's important that we find always a good strategy with the suits to find the good notes that everyone in the room is ready at game time and also in this time, he can bring a good performance. I think we have to be creative in some moments but it was a very good feeling today to see my center backs together.

And also we realize in these moments a very stable situation, and also the connection between the center backs go in a good way. And yeah, it's good to bring also Tom Edwards back on the weekend and hopefully everyone is ready.

Also Andres Reyes makes a good job but in the end we have to be careful with hip. Yeah, now we have on Saturday hopefully everyone ready. We know New York City is a very good team, especially with many key players they can create a combination game in a very successful way and for us it's important that we have the right power, the right energy, to give them no hope, no moment to create something, and for that it's important that we have the right fitness.