NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 22, 2022

Gerhard Struber

Press Conference

New York Red Bulls 3, New York City 0

GERHARD STRUBER: We are, right now, of course, very happy to realize the goal and the goal was clear, to go in the next round. The competition, the Open Cup for us, is a big point in our season, and my boys, I think especially this game and over the whole game, yeah, more than New York City we wants the victory in the end more and we can feel this also from how we play forward, how we want to come more and more in our box and with many numbers.

Yeah, with I think a good setup against the ball, and I think the aggression, the intensity brings over the whole game time New York City more and more down. We work for that very ambition to bring New York City, in a situation that they have not the most fun to play football. And I think this is important that you bring high-quality players in a situation that they don't with a the feeling, this is my might.

And especially today, I think you can see this in many moments, aggressive, intensity and synchronized pressing was the big tool, and I think, yeah, the big trigger to go in the next round. I'm very, very happy, very proud of my boys, how we go this way today and how we create our typical game. We work very, very hard.

Right now, we are in the semifinal, and yeah, this was today the big goal.

Q. Toward the end of that match, Edwards got a red card -- and won't be able for the semifinal game. How much will the impact be going forward?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think I am not happy that. This is clear, on the same time, I would say, the big dominance over the whole 90 minutes, this makes also a difference and reflect many, many other players, how he go with his mental side in this game and how he create a special mindset. I think in the end we can see after the game between the heart and the brain, the heart, the emotion wins the situation. This is not super.

This is I think -- but in the end we have to look and see how high was the provocation against him in this moment. I don't see it, and I have no clear picture from this. But of course Tom Edwards is a player that we need every, every single game in our starting 11. He has a big impact, and with him we have a big level, which we did today.

Q. Edwards wasn't the only one that managed to get under the skin of the NYC players. A lot of them were able to get into the psyche of NYC. How did that come about?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, this makes me happy. Especially when he look in our young group and on the same time we can see the high, high quality players, and what New York City invest in every season, and my boys, yeah, near the end, a team with outstanding quality, they can see this in the League in every game, yeah, what they did in the past.

Yeah, but one more time, I think our basis, our principles are togetherness, especially the mindset, today was so clear and so close. And I think in some moments, you can see one plus one is not too, it's three. And I think especially today you can see the big bands between the players and I think the big connection to our game plan and our principles. We don't leave only the principles. I think you can see so many overstatements today how we have two-versus-one moments, how we play forward, how we have in the right moment with a good timing the right forward runs and also the setup to be the rest defense with the center backs always on the right high.

Yeah, I think today, the game makes me happy. The result, we have a next round, and the boys are happy. And yeah, the big goal now is a good recuperation and fly to L.A. and have a big game on Sunday.

Q. Luquinhas, another game, another great game, scored another goal. But after the game ended, he left not walking properly. Is it a concern for the next game against LAFC right now?

GERHARD STRUBER: I don't know exactly what's the level of the injury, or if he had a hit against the ankle. Of course we can see also the last games and also today that they try it, to bring our key player out of the balance with some bad ankles, and this is also a big responsibility, I would say, for the referees right now in the future to protect players from this level and that in the end they don't know about this injury. They didn't realize that, it's always difficult for us a big disadvantage when we lose player that can make the difference, and he can make a big difference. We saw it in the last games and also today one more time.

Yeah, I hope it's not so bad, and I hope he's ready also to play the game against LAFC.

Q. Three goals that your team scored tonight, one was a set piece, one was from Luquinhas. For a team that had a scoring lump earlier this year, what does it mean to see your boys connect like this? What does that mean?

GERHARD STRUBER: I would say we start also the season with many goals. We made some in Toronto. I hope and trust that we can score on a high level. We have many different players that have the ability to score. Today we can see Luquinhas again, and also that he take the situation in a very good direction without disappointment to play in the starting 11, come on the field and use the game plan.

Same with Patryk Klimala he is also a big impact in the end and also Cameron Harper again when he come in the game, he has some very interesting, quick wins. Yeah, many, many good moments. And of course, this is very, very important.

And when we see the next young boy with Steven Sserwadda, he comes in the game, and also he's 19 years old. He's played with a big confidence, yet big conviction to play in our typical style of play. He played forward. He was also -- the last minutes on a good way, he stepped out. It was a question, you can see one situation against Maximiliano Moralez in a good invite.

This makes me also happy that we have in the end a bigger group that can realize big performances, and yeah, makes me happy and proud that we have developed in the last few months players in a successful direction.

Q. Just on the subject of substitutes, again, you remarked last week that you valued the five substitutes; do you consider adjusting the team in the second half as part of your game plan and did you see that play out again today?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think we spoke about the situation in the first half, if the over is the right high with the wingbacks, and I think this is something not so easy, especially when they find us wide with wingers and we find always the right trigger and also that we are brave to step out.

In the second half we create a little bit different and easier to come on the fullbacks and make pressure -- in this direction, I think many good decisions to step out. Yeah, and also, Magno coming in the game he has an outstanding quality for New York City.

It was also very good to see how our setup works, and also the players create very, very good decisions, and Cameron comes in and he is ready. On the one side they are clear and ready for the game plan but also free to create personnel gain. I think attack area, it's good when they have a free heart and mindset to create something and not feel with the match plan and the system over placed. I think we had a good balance from the match, every player, his frame was very, very good.

Q. How impressed were you with the defensive back line, both in keeping its composure and keeping a cool head in that red card situation and overall play in this game?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think not so super sexy the first half, yeah. I think when you have 15 moments, he was not always good distances in this direction. I think especially, when we have not the right starting position, the wing backs, they played also very quick long balls in our shifting moments to find always the right inner line and a better position was not top, but competitive in the second half. Yeah, I think the halftime helped us a little bit to speak about that with some clips.

But it's also important to see the boys are learnable and coachable to improve something in the game, and yeah, also this direction, I would say the back line one more time. We have a clean sheet against a top team, and this keep us also a very, very good team for the task and what's coming in the future.