CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 21, 2021

Raphael Wicky

Press Conference

Orlando City 1, Chicago Fire 0

Q. What's the level of frustrating for you guys that you played so well both sides of the ball but still didn't come out with even a point.

RAPHAEL WICKY: Yeah, big frustration again. Yeah, it's very frustrating because like you said we played a really good away game. I think we controlled a big stretch of the game away a against a good team, a team that normally dominates a lot of games. We had our chances and we get punished by one mistake.

So it is a big frustration, but from the effort, from the way the team played, the way the team works together, I cannot say anything bad to the team. There is not a lack of effort or a lack of tactical understanding.

Yeah, it's from that point that I can't say anything to the team tonight. But it is very frustrating because they were two road games where for sure we didn't deserve to lose both games, but again we are standing here with empty hands.

Q. What did you see on the giveaway before the goal? From your perspective, what did you see on that?

RAPHAEL WICKY: I really haven't seen it after the game plan. I need to see the game again. I need to watch the situation. Obviously, look, there is moments where a center back has to attack space with the ball when there is no pressure. That's something we want from our center backs. But I cannot give you right now the answer if that was a moment or not. Obviously then the mistake comes, so it probably wasn't the right moment. But I have to watch it again.

I think overall, it's game management. Game management is a big part where we especially on the road have to be a little bit better. Have to be better and there is moments in games where you cannot take any risks. There is moments in games where you can do better and do a little bit more and maybe there is moment where is we have to stay more compact and more deep and maybe there's games where we don't have to press as high.

Those are things we talk about with the team we want to improve, and we have to improve, especially, especially on the road.

Q. You've been asked a lot about Robert Beric, and tonight I know he didn't score, but can he build off of that shot that he had saved at about the 84th minute? Because to me that looked more like him from last year, a little bit more confidence than maybe we've seen from him for much of the season.

RAPHAEL WICKY: Yeah, I think he should build from that. I think Robert had a good game in the first half. He was available. He hold the ball. He got some good fouls, and I think he was in good spots in the first half in one or two crosses, where he was nearly there, and obviously he had his big shot which was amazing, a compliment, as well, on the goalkeeper who made a big save there.

I think he can build from that, and he has to build from that. And yeah, at the end of the day, a striker lives from goals and a striker will always probably build his confidence when he scores goals and that's right now missing. But yeah, I think he can build from this game.

Q. And then Alvaro Medrán has been back for a couple games and didn't start this evening. Was that a tactical decision or because of fitness?

RAPHAEL WICKY: Alvaro flew with us on Tuesday down to Miami and has been away from our team the last ten days, and obviously when it's clear that the player didn't train for ten days, or didn't train at all for ten days that he's not going to start these games, of course.

So now he's back with the team. We are very happy to have him back with the team, and I think he had a good entrance today, and we all know how important Alvaro can be for our team.

Q. It was announced Wednesday the purchase of FC Lugano to make them a partner with you guys. What does that mean for the club and what was your reaction to that transaction?

RAPHAEL WICKY: I mean, I was obviously informed before by Georg a couple of weeks before that there is an interest in doing that. He explained me a little bit of things, but to be honest I haven't really spoken with him much about this project because obviously we were focused on our games, a lot of games, and Georg obviously went back to Switzerland to help finalize the deal.

So right now, I cannot really give much explanation or much opinion. I think it's a very interesting project, and I think it's interesting to have multiple clubs and maybe in the future being able to either send players there or bring players over, even maybe like other clubs do it in the winter when their winter break is, maybe some young players could maybe go and potentially train there. I don't know. That's just me bringing it up. I'm not sure if that's the plan. But otherwise, I haven't really sit down with Georg yet and gone over everything, so I really don't want to give a big statement.