CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 3, 2022

Gabriel Slonina

Press Conference

Columbus 0, Chicago Fire FC 0

Q. Start off, overall your team's performance tonight. It's a point on the road but didn't seem like your side was really content with just the point.

GABRIEL SLONINA: Yeah, I mean, it's difficult now. You want to get three points.

The coaching staff put in the idea of a seven-game season so we need to pick up as many points as we can every single game.

Before, it would be nice to get a point on the road but now we want more. It's not good enough for us just to pick up one. So we are going to continue to work and focus on this next match at home.

Q. You personally tonight, that was a nine-save performance, I think your season-high tonight. What did you think of your individual performance tonight?

GABRIEL SLONINA: At the end of the season, at the end of the day, we want to make the playoffs. So I'm happy for that accolade, but it would be better if I made three saves and we got the win.

I think the clean sheet is nice, but obviously like we were just talking, we want to get as much points as possible. So going for the win I think is the most important.

Q. As you start to make the move over to Chelsea, what's been your outlook personally, trying to hit form as the season winds down?

GABRIEL SLONINA: I mean, for me, it's obviously about giving my best every single game and obviously just staying in the moment and doing what I can for my team; so come out and get the three points.

I think I'm just going to continue to focus on every single match at end because I think that will in the end prepare me for what's to come.

Q. Do you think after the three losses, these games you battled, was it a different mentality that you came in with or was it a different team? I know other teams are more difficult every time you face them but what's your opinion about it, the different mentality after the two losses or different team that you want to be?

GABRIEL SLONINA: I don't think anything changed. We always go into a game with the mentality that we want to come away with three points. I think that defensively we fixed a few things, and did what we needed to make sure we were structured and organized.

Offensively, I'm the first attacker, right. So we need to do a little bit of a better job at creating those chances and making sure when we get chances, get goals. I think it's the same. We just buckled down and make sure that we stop conceding goals and then we can work on putting them away on the other end.

Q. I wonder how the locker room is feeling right now after playing one of the best in the league, the Columbus Crew, if you can tell us a little bit how the players are feeling.

GABRIEL SLONINA: Yeah, we are not happy. We want to -- it's a tie but we want to come away with three points; at this part of the season, I think every point, every minute is vital right now.

We are going to see what we can do better and see how we can improve our game for the next match against Miami.