NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 13, 2022

Gerhard Struber

Press Conference

Minnesota 1, New York Red Bulls 0

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, disappointed moment for everything, the player and for me and my coaching team, the result goes in a different direction.

From the performance, I think we take the rhythm from the first second in this game. We set the tone. I think many, many things go in absolutely this way what we want, from the transitions moments, also from the rest defense moments. I think exactly what we expect.

In the end it was not always lucky today with the penalty, with the one or other referee decision. And on the same time, I think we miss the one or other top chance, and yeah, I think against a team like Minnesota, you cannot create a lot of chances. You can create some chances and we create top chances that we have to score in this moment, and we missed it.

And in the end, I think, yeah, it's crazy for me that we step out without the point today with a performance on this level. But yeah, football is sometimes crazy. We have to be -- yeah, we have to be critical with ourselves, what can we do better.

We have to bring the focus in -- especially in this situation where we have to score. I think we have two top chances where we have to score, and I think from this direction, yeah, we have to improve for the next home game.

Q. There's a lot of talking points for this game, specifically the handballs that weren't called in the second half. But were you more disappointed in the lack of finishing, especially when there was a lot of quality chances when you tried to get your team to at least get a goal?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think this is both areas, one area that we have influence and this is that we use high-quality chances, as I think this is in our hand and we have to do it better. We have to be critical in this direction with Omir Fernandez.

So with Patryk Klimala, I think the expectation is clear, we have to score in these moments. We cannot lose chances on this level every time. I think this is important. I think but on the same team, I know Patryk and Omir have a high standard to realize chances. And today, also, you need a little bit of luck, and today we missed a little bit the luck in these moments.

On the other side is, this is not our hand. This is the decisions from the referees, and I think this is one more time a stable, unstable moment. And yeah, but I think it's not the new one that the referees in the MLS have. Sometimes they overload. I don't know what's going on, the field was outstanding good for him. He was next to the situation with the clear handball inside the penalty area. I don't know what they do. I don't know what the video assistant do in this moment. I don't know what is the process.

It's. From my side, it's crazy to accept that. I have no answer. I have no answer, I mean when a situation is so crystal clear like that. But yeah, it's hard. It's hard for my boys and it's very painful when you have every week, every game day referee decisions that you thinking, what's going on, is this the real world. I don't know. And I am today very hungry in this direction, this -- I cannot accept performances on this level. We have worked so hard the whole week to pick up points. We give everything and every match, when my boys are so professional, and then we have always to do with decisions on this level. And this is -- yeah, this makes everyone very tired in the brain.

Q. Obviously you went with a different tactical look today from the Toronto game where you had more of a 4-4-2, went back to the 3-5 man back line. Can you talk about your motivation for doing that, and how you think the team performed in those roles with even Lewis Morgan playing a new role as an attacker in this formation?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think he play in the ten, Lewis Morgan, like the last game. We play, I think especially against the ball, we have the right setup.

Today they play with very flat fullbacks and we have wingback fullback, I think very good shot from Dylan Nealis, and also from Chema (ph), we have very good infights and we have good setup. And also I think the tens with Patryk Klimala, we have the center completely in our hands and also I think the sixes have one moment.

It was I think very good to read what's coming with this setup and with this system and coming in good transitions. I think we need a little bit more both wingback also in these moments to come in overload situations with more numbers in the penalty box. I think this is maybe the one thing what we have to do better.

But I think the system was -- I think was very good to help us, was a good tool to bring us in good distances to the opponent. Yeah, I think we are flexible in this way. We have the variability also in the second half and we changed back end and back four.

Yeah, I think the boys are completely ready and open for that, and we can see in the end of the game how we create a domination game and many, many chances. We miss it a little bit in the luck.

Q. Tough result, when you said this is a result you can't accept, it also goes towards the visiting goalkeeper who had a blinder tonight. What was that like for you to see the opposite goalkeeper in St. Clair making saves no one thought he could make?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think he had a great day, and this is sometimes crazy what he do for his team. He made a great job.

But from the other side, we have to be with a cold heart in this moment, and give also a top goalkeeper no chance to catch something,, and I think, yeah, this is maybe the missing link that we are not so outstanding cold like the last games, yeah. We have to be clear in that and be -- have the desire to score, and this is I think maybe the only one about what can we speak today, yeah.

Otherwise, I am very, very happy with many, many players today.

Q. Is there a timetable for when Cristian Casseres comes back?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think he has today training with a little bit higher load and feels good, no reaction. This means he can train the whole week with the team. He can start on Tuesday with team training and he's ready, also for Columbus for the next home game.

Q. How much do you believe the loss of the penalty kick in the first half had a negative effect on the rest of the game.

GERHARD STRUBER: Absolutely no. Absolutely no negative effect. I could see before the penalty and after the penalty hungry boys with a clear plan with a clear mindset. And I think this could always can happen a penalty; that we miss chances like that, but the boys was clear and work very, very hard for chances.

I think this penalty, this is no excuse. I think we have enough chances to win this game.

Q. The past two weeks this team has shown that it's going to keep attacking even when it has a lead. Tonight, despite trailing for the first time this season, it seems like in the final ten minutes the team was playing some of its best soccer of the night. Can you talk more about that and what it means to see your guys fighting so hard to get that tying goal?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think this showed me that many players or the full group is ready to win games, and they left everything on the field.

Also today, you need always a bit of luck; this is in football normally. We missed it today. And you need also referees on the right level, and also that was not on this day.

But I think my boys, they are absolutely on the right way especially our team dynamic, our spirit, our togetherness was one more time on this level I expect, and yeah, I feel a little bit sorry for my boys today. We invest so much intensity and strictness, and also some good ideas to break the lines, to come in transition moments.

Yeah, in the end, yeah, it's painful but we have to work with that, and resilience, I think is in this moment a bit of the hour, and we have to work with that, and we are looking forward to work with my group in the next week and prepare the boys for the next big home game.

Q. This being the first game you played from being behind in the score, do you think there is a special difficulty with this team's style of play, when other teams like Minnesota sit further back and give up more possession; that it's tougher to cause some of the transitions that your team thrives on?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think in the second half when they was on the lead, we have also in possession a clear plan and we break the lines in the right areas. We have some very good cross balls. We have -- I think we come always behind the last line with a very good rest defense. We crashed always with counter pressing.

Also the moments I think we had the reel in the hand in more trending in the right directions and this means not only in transition, but it means also in possession in the second half. I cannot remember that they have so much good chances. Of course we go in high-risk in the end with some overloads moments in the last line and make the back four and the back two sometimes. Yeah, I think we have done in the end won one moments or underload moments but we go in whole; we go full risk, for one point in the end, or win this game.

But yeah, I am very, very happy with many, many things in all four phases in the game. Today, set pieces, second phase, this is what we have to do better; that we are always ready but normally my boys in this direction very reliable.

Today, yeah, we missed one moment and we can see a team on this level experienced a team like on this level like Minnesota, they can score and, yeah, we have some to-dos, but generally I am very happy.

Q. Speaking of to-dos any timeline on Fletcher, and how do you take this loss and move forward for the match against Columbus next week?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think with Fletcher, we are in the visa process, so it's not so in our hand. We hope for, yeah, that he's quick here and can help the team.

I think he had or he can have a very big impact with his power and his experience to help the young group in many directions, yeah, but yeah, this is not in our hand at the moment when he's here in New York. FastScripts by ASAP Sports ...