NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 20, 2022

Gerhard Struber

Press Conference

New York Red Bulls 1, Cincinnati 1

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, very short opening statement from me. I would say the first 50 minutes in a very good way, every situation on the field makes click, and in one situation in set pieces was surprised, yeah.

But I think in many, many other direction, all facets of the game is going absolutely the way we control many things, we create chances. We have very good transition, and also in position game, a better output. I would say this was in a very, very good way.

And then I think after 60, 65 minutes, we bring our tempo out of the game. I think this is always crazy. Then we slow down with many longs balls that is not necessary, we have so much space with the sixes. I think we could create better opposition. We could have better moments in the attacking area much better. And then we have no patience to create these moments with the sixes and with the tens. We played too easy and too quick long balls, and have absolute no preparation for that, and lose a little bit the control, and also the belief. In the end, yeah, I can absolutely not live with 1-1 today. This is very disappointing. I think we crashed ourselves today with not the performance over the whole game, and then in a direction what is necessary and also what we could do.

But not everyone was hundred percent involved in the match what I want until the last second.

Q. Like you said a lot of positive things in the first half and you didn't want a draw, but do you think this is a more positive draw and do you think the team is stabilizing the last couple weeks in a game like this?

GERHARD STRUBER: I think we have to look very clear critically this game. I would say 55 minutes, I am happy, yeah. But I think we have to very criticize in many distributions the football. The output was not good. The chances, we create one chance in the end with Dan Edelman and we find no addresses. We have enough numbers.

We have I think moments when we come in at 1-1 in the right areas. We have to create great the better output. This cannot be our standard that we have not the right urgency in every direction and the desire what we want.

In this game, I have big respect for Cincy and how they work and what they did in advance but today I think it's absolutely only on us that we create not the three points. I request not feel at the moment so much good things. I think today we respect things points and we don't realize that, and this makes me unhappy. Very unhappy..

Q. You voiced frustration at home with how the team is performing. What do you do with that frustration and how do you turn it into something positive?

GERHARD STRUBER: It's a difficult situation, of course. The feel is not from me, and I can also feel disappointed for the boys, but now it's a situation we cannot change. We had 90 minutes time to go in a direction and win this game, and this is a frustration feeling.

It's not a question of quality or a question of talent. It's a question of discipline (ph) and a question of how ready I am to left everything on the field. And this is not only starter players. This is also when the subs come in, how ready they are to work and pitch in the game, in the match, work in position (ph) in his personal role and find good moments.

I think today this was not on this level of what we could expect, and I think this, yeah, makes me angry. Especially when we was on the same page 90 minutes, all in, then I think it's crystal clear that we have in the end a victory.

I can absolutely not be happy with that.

Q. You mentioned that you're not happy with some things but it seemed like you were getting down the planks and you were creating pressure and Kyle was getting involved, but do you think it's a matter of positioning, that maybe you guys are not in the right area in the final third of movement? What do you think it is that you weren't able to create more chances and finish the way you wanted to?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, but we cannot be only happy when we have good ball reads in good areas and also we cannot only be happy when we win the 1-1 duels outside. We have to find a clear address inside. This is the main topic at the moment. We have enough numbers in main moments, and of course I think in some moments when we go 1-1 against the goalkeeper, that we have to be clearer, and with a cool heart. I think this was, of course, also the day not the reality. I can remember with Cameron Harper in the first half, but he played an outstanding good game and also with Dan Edelman in the six, I think he was many, many times outstanding, reliable in his game, also a top chance in the area.

Then we cannot expect always that we have in the end expect it always from 1.5 or 2.0. I think in some moment, you have to realize chances like that and then you get a little bit more space, and then you can develop the game a little bit easier. So the in end, I was happy with a point today and make I think a compact situation.

But on the same time, it was so many times that we crashed the last line and then we find not the clear address, and then in this direction we have to work and develop. Of course, with a little bit the smarter position in the box, and then we have to use chances. Then the game gives us a little bit more space.

Q. In your opinion can you talk about what Cincinnati did to really adjust to your team and your guys? You said the first 15 minutes you seemed to have the edge and they had the possession. What does this night do to counter that?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think what they did was they stayed very compact and they give us not the space in the centre line so often.

But in these moments, mainly we have in the center line, our decision-making was we plain again outside and don't use to be vertical. I think in these moments we could crash them so easily to play vertical to crash the center backs. But we was a little bit too -- yeah, I can not feel the desire in this moment to stay in the center line especially when they take it for space. The only one that they do it, they stay compact but maybe move from one side to the other side and we create always enough space for us that we could come in the center line very directly in the last line with a high-speed combination.

But I think we have in some moments not the right decision in this direction, and then we play and then cuts. Yeah, this was easy for them. And when there were counter moments, and then against Vazquez we can see how difficult he is to defend. And also the crossballs that they create was always dangerous with clear presses and from this perspective, we was not sharp enough, especially the last 25, 30 minutes to crash Cincy in our typical manner of football. Yeah, this is today the big problem.

Q. Taylor Twellman from ESPN said you did not shake Pat Noonan, the Cincinnati manager's hand after the game. Any comment on any issues there?

GERHARD STRUBER: No, I was not -- in the first moment, I forget a little bit the situation, and then I searched for him but I cannot find him. This was the problem. Normally it's absolutely normal one, to make a shake hand with the coach. But hopefully I have the chance right now.