NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 17, 2021

Gerhard Struber

Press Conference

NY Red Bulls 1, New York City 0

GERHARD STRUBER: First of all, New York is red; it makes us, everyone, very, very happy. I think we deserve the win, when we look back on the 90 minutes, I think my boys, with our staggering, with our behavior, in our pressing moments, we kill I think from the first second every hope that they can create something.

In some moments, especially remember in the first half in the end and also with the shoot on the crossbar, they have I think two possibilities to score. But in the end, over the whole game, I think we have so much control with our pressing. We have so much good moments with transition. We have very good moments in defending and also I think some good moments with buildups.

I think in all phases, we make the necessary steps to create in the end a win against a team like New York City. We know, I think in the whole league, this other team, they celebrate their position on a very good level, and today, I think they have many, many to-dos and many stress in these moments. My boys make, yeah, from the match plan side, everything in this direction what we want. We expect exactly that what come and my boys I think, yeah, make a brilliant job in every direction, and I think we deserve the win.

Yeah, one more time, New York is red, and this make us happy and give us a very good feeling and confidence for the next big game away.

Q. I felt Carlos Coronel is underrated, he has clean sheets, and just when they did have opportunities, talk about the strength he showed in goal, the saves he made, even when he just collected the ball when the ball came in, and to distribute it and the outset passes he made. Just talk about what he means to this team and his performance today.

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think one more time that Carlos save outstanding balls. I think he has the ability for that, and especially I think his decision making in very challenging moments very calm and very -- in a very good balance to create always in these special moments with many, many stress, a very good decision. I think in the end, he can execute this in a very good way. Of course, I see today, also, the one or other unsexy moment on the ball, but I think he improves so many things in this direction, and also, I think sometimes they make a good pressure on Carlos today. It was not so easy for him to play always with control and break the first line.

What I think for Carlos is for us, a big, massive support in so many moments, and also I think in some moments on the ball, he's calm and he realize the moment very well. Yeah, I am very happy with him right now, and also what he did in the past for us. I think, yeah, he make the necessary steps in this season. It's not a surprise for me. I know he's a big talent and his ability right now, everyone can see this. I think, yeah, he's one of the best keepers in the MLS. I think this realize at the moment, I think everyone.

Q. Seven games unbeaten. What has clicked? What's come together for this team to spark this rise up the table?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, that we are better in our process. I think we remember and sometimes it not easy when you lose games and the questions are coming. And then many people means, oh, this is a phrase from the coach or he's speaking -- in moments, he's searching for reasons.

I have always one big reason why we have no constantly good performances, and this was very clear. This was that must boys, with a completely new game idea, they need time. And right now, yeah, the last few weeks show us. We realize more and more what is our clear identity, and we have so many players, new players that come in the team. And we cannot expect that they play from the first, second in a style of play with so many rule breakers in a successful way. It's always that you have some learning moments and yeah, my boys learn the last few months in a very hurtful direction sometimes.

But right now, we are, yeah, a big step further in our process and this makes the difference. This is the only one.

Q. If I could ask you to play psychiatrist, what do you think caused New York City FC not to play well today? Because it seemed like they were frustrated against your boys; they couldn't tee off shots until they made substitutions. How proud are you of your boys to get New York City off of their game?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yes, I'm very proud of my boys. This is from the one time that we understand more and more our identity. But from the other side, you have always to bring the right energy and power in our identity, and this is what makes me very proud of my boys; that we have so a good focus and so a concentration, and my boys are so hungry.

Yes, and they feel this from the first second, that they have no space, no time, and we frustrated them in a distribution that they have not so fun to play football against us. And I think this was the big goal today; they are our typical rule-breakers, and a team like that with Maximiliano Moralez on top, they hate it.

Yeah, this was in our hand, and my boys make a brilliant job in this way.

Q. Speaking of underrated players on your team, from car loss Cornell, can you tell us how proud you are of the midfield where once it was a sort of consternation and angst, and now putting these strings of wins together has now become a source of strength, especially for this match, you literally attack the ball when anyone in blue had it, and caused turnovers and cut off their lanes. Can you talk about how your midfield core has came together to put up a performance like this?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, you think when we speak about my midfield, we start the day with two sixes and two tens, and I think we understand from the first, the connection together. We understand what is a good trigger to press, and then we come in a very good execution. I think this was in the end extremely hard for New York City that they have no time, and they cannot celebrate something. They must play in the end, also, with many long balls, and I think this is not the special ability for New York City that they must play long balls.

Yeah, in the end, they find no respite against us to create something in a successful way. We are always one step quicker. We are always very, very quick in our brain with all our decisions, and I think the togetherness, the willingness to win this game plan today, yeah, I can feel in my coaching the energy from my boys, and I think this makes in the end the big difference.

When we speak about underrating team, then it's the biggest question: Which one make the rating? I have a big trust in my boys, and I can see today, many, many players, they are on the same level like New York City, or the many players, they are one step further like New York City. I think, yeah, the rating maybe will change in the next time, and my boys go further in this direction.

But we know right now we are not in the playoffs. The big goal is that we step in the playoffs and we have some big to-dos in the next few weeks with big opponents and big battles. I think for right now, we enjoy the moment, but we know this is not the end, and we have to bring constantly performances like that, and then I think in the end we stay in the playoffs.

Q. Curious your message to the team in the second half after going ahead so early; this is a team that's lost a lot of leads this year, what was your message to the players and what you changed to adjust having the team so early?

GERHARD STRUBER: I think my boys understand more and more when it's the right moment to press high and when it's a better moment to wait for a better trigger; that we don't lose energy so much ir not efficient in moments. This is I think a big learning in the last few weeks, and also that we play for the second goal and don't be passive and wait and shift. My boys are ready for the second goal and we have also with Patryk Klimala two big moments we have to score.

Yeah, especially the learning curve the last few weeks gives us more confidence and more conviction to bring points home, and yeah, this is always, when you work with young players, you have always moments to learn, and in these learning moments, you have sometimes strong moments to realize defeats, or you realize losses, or you can't expect always three points.

But what I say in the first time, we are right now a big step further in our process. Many, many players in a very good form, and play very, very successful in his personnel position and create I think always a very difficult life for our opponents.

Q. I wanted to ask about Omir's injury.

GERHARD STRUBER: I think it's not so bad. I have a short conversation with him. I think the mask was a little bit tight. He has many sprints. The load was very high from him. This is what I can see. But his feedback right now is not so bad. I think he's ready to train in the next days.

Q. A few weeks ago, it looked likes team was heading into an early off-season. But now with the excitement from a personal perspective, how do you build after this turnaround; the team is fighting and playing good and the fans are behind you. Also I saw you very, very excited on the field after the win.

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, the feeling is much better, always. I think in the football world when you win, everything is very, very easier, but I think in my -- I'm thinking more always what's going on in the process. Especially when you work with a young group like what we have, and I think then it's sometimes not easy when you realize not the necessary points, yeah, but I can see also in the last few months, our big steps, what we did in our process, in our identity, and progress was always in a good direction. But I can remember in so many games, we are on the lead and in the end, we don't realize the necessary points.

I think right now, yeah, we are a big step further. This is impressing moments and this is also on the ball, and this is also that we are, yeah, very cold in some moments in the box. And yeah, and we are not on the field after a lead like a head less chicken. I think we are right now very clear with a clear blend, cool, and realize our power and our quality especially. Every single player can realize our identity and how helpful is our identity to bring points home.

Yeah, this is always -- you have to feel that from the players side, and for that, you need time. Yeah, right now the feeling is good for me, for my coaching staff, and also for every single player. Yeah, this makes the situation easier.