NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 9, 2021

Gerhard Struber

Press Conference

NY Red Bulls 1, Inter Miami 0

GERHARD STRUBER: A very good feeling for everyone. I think we invest much energy in this game in many directions. We know that they have especially in the attacking area with Higuaín, and also with Pizarro and some other high-quality players, always the quality to change something.

But my back line, my sixes make a brilliant job of organize the rest of the defense in a very good direction. I think in defending, I can feel the big attitude to hold the clean sheet in our hand, and also our big weapon to come in transition and to score, this makes the difference today. We can see this with our goal.

I think with Andrew we started in the end, with Patryk we realize the space what we want and scored in the end. I think we deserved the win more. Like Miami, we invest more, we believe more in this win and in the end we control the game more.

Q. You mentioned how pleased you were with many different aspects of the game tonight, especially I thought you guys came out and showed application, you created a lot of chances offensively and at the other end, you held them to either no shot or one shot on goal. Overall you have to be very pleased with how the team came out tonight and what they were able to show.

GERHARD STRUBER: Yes, I think we have from the one side, especially first half in possession, the game in our hand, I think we break the lines in the way what we want. Also we break the lines in the center very good, also, with our fullbacks in a good direction. In the end, I think the big weapon to come in transitions in overload moments was not a surprise for us, more for Miami.

We put the other boys in this direction the whole week, and what very good to see at the moment is that we go home with a clean sheet one more time. And I think this give the whole team a very, very good feeling that we are so ready in our staggering, in our structure at the moment with our behavior, how we create our synchronized pressing. I think this makes it not easy for the opponents at the moment and give us a very good confidence in our defense behavior.

Also, I think we can see today we create a lot of chances with transitions, and yeah, we have to be, yeah, sharper in these moments to score the second, the third goal and then everything is done I think after the first half. I think this is -- this is more what we have to speak, but I am very happy today. We won this game. It was a very, very tough game, yeah, against massive quality against us, especially when we speak about Higuaín and his friends on the field.

Q. Yes, they had quality on Miami, but it looked like your boys caused them a lot of confusion. It looked like they were really bee if you had willing Miami, mostly in the first half and that set up the goal for Patryk and Andrew Gutman. How important has he been for you this whole year? I know he's been hurt earlier in the season but how important has Andrew been as he's the one that set up the goal for Patryk and just continued to steal the ball away from Miami?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think Andrew make big steps in our identity. I think the last few month, we work very, very hard in trainings and realize more and more what I expect from him in his role like a fullback or wingback or a center back, and this is also for us a big benefit from him that he can play in more positions and he understand right now exactly what we want.

I think he has a very good timing to step out. He read the game in a very good direction, and his dynamic supported him very well in this direction. And also, with his left foot, he has clean passes. He has in the end, the power and the quality to realize after a good ball win, a good forward action, and yeah, everyone can see that.

I am very happy with him but also very happy with all my boys, what we create today. The investment what we did is in absolutely in the direction what we want. This was a big step I think in the race of the playoffs, but now we have nothing in our hand. I think this was a good start to come back and realize the gap is closer but the next game is for our chest, and have to win, one, one, one, one, one more time and hopefully in the end, with our power, with our energy, with the quality and with the discipline, we can realize our big goal.

Q. Obviously it was a very dominant first half like you mentioned where things were going the team's way and things were going through the midfield, your team's way but in the second half things evened out a little more. Miami came into the game a little more. What do you think changed in the second half that caused some of that and caused some of the difficulties for your team and what needs to change about that going forward?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think sometimes it's not always so easy to hold the control and the momentum in the hand like in the first half. We have to realize which player in Miami are on the field, and I will be fair with my boys. How we can control the game over 90 minutes, I think this is at the moment not over a whole game; I'm realistic that we have everything in our hand.

But I think we can look back on this game with many, many good moments in possession, in transitions, and also how we win the balls in the areas what we want and I think this gives everyone a good feeling and in some moments like the second half, we have to realize, also, with all our power and energy, you come in the same structure and same pressing rhythm, what we had in the first half and I think this was a little bit the missing link to the second half; that we are not with so much control on the field, and we have some topics to save the balls a little bit better in the attacking line.

I think every heading with Sean Nealis, Tom Edwards, they make a brilliant job, and I think we have in these moments to save the ball, especially second balls. Better in our team that we can create a little bit more breaks and for our last line, this was maybe the difference to the first half.

Q. The defense has been one of the higher points for the team over the six-game run. How do you feel about the amount of pressure they have been under with so many one-goal games, and do you feel like they are ready to continue this stretch leading into potentially a playoff run?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yes, of course, I believe in that; that we can bring more constantly performances like that today. I think the last few weeks show us that we have -- or we had seven games in 21 days, and my boys show in every game, a constantly good performance, and also today. And also this gives the team a big power that we come home with clean sheets and we realize games with clean sheets, and we are always good for one, two and more goals.

I think when we look back in this game, how many chances we create, yes, of course, we have to be critical with our receives, but I think in the end, we score one goal and they score nothing, and this is in the end a big win for us, for my team and this give us the right conviction and confidence, and then I think every power in the next game, and this is New York City in our stadium.

Q. Your thoughts on the final moments of the match. It must have been a little heart-stopping for you, and it's all down to Carlos when he really hasn't done anything at all until that final play. Talk about your feelings of the moments before the final whistle blew.

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I can't answer exactly the last words what you mean. But I think, yeah, of course, sometimes when you stay in the coaching, it's not always the best for my heart rate, especially in the end when Tom Barlow in a big transition moment and then has a big chance to score the goal, and in the last second in the same transition moment, we realize against us a big chance that they can realize the equalizer in this moment. This was I think, yeah, for me, my coaching, one more time, yeah, a little bit a powerful moment.

But we have Carlos in our goal, and we know that he's always ready. I think this makes him so strong at the moment that he can bring a big focus, and also when he's not always directly involved in the game, he's nevertheless with his sense, very concentrated in the game, and yeah, in the last second, he show us one more time how he can save balls.