CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 7, 2022

Miguel Navarro

Press Conference

Q. What's the view around the team of this match, is this sort of like the last chance, the last stand for this team?

MIGUEL NAVARRO: No, we don't really see the game that way. But we know that from now on, it's a final. We are playing in a final, and we know that it's a very, very important game, not only on Saturday but every game from now on. And we've been -- we know that we are going to go out there and play the game of our lives, and this week has been good. We've been feeling good and we've been training well.

It was good this week so that we could recover and recuperate some of the players that maybe had some injuries or tweaked something and now we are just going to go out there with everything to win on Saturday.

Q. What do you expect from Miami this weekend and how hard will it be to keep them from scoring?

MIGUEL NAVARRO: We know that going in, they need the same thing that we do. They need to win, and so do we, we also need to win. I think until the last few games we had a very good defense. Gaga has been instrumental in that. He's had some really good stops and very good saves but the defense as a whole, we have had some very good games, having two shutouts in a row speaks very well and very highly of the games we've been having but for now we have to start from there from the shutouts and how well we have been playing defensively to build that block and transition forward and from there, be able to score goals. So we are not going in to change anything. We are not changing anything ahead of the game but we are definitely going in with more intensity and more clarity so that we can go out there and win the game.

Q. You guys have had 12 clean sheets this season but have only won five of those matches. How frustrating is it to have seven 0-0 ties?

MIGUEL NAVARRO: Yeah, firstly for us as a defense, it gives us confidence going in because we are able to keep the shutout against us.

But it is a little bit frustrating to see that that defensive effort doesn't maybe translate offensively. So we are not completing the opportunities that we are creating and we are lacking a little bit there. But I think that hopefully for the remaining games, we are able to maintain those shutouts and keep going, and then also translate that into goals so that we can score more goals because we know that's what we need to be able to win.

Q. How much has this team missed Gastón Giménez's presence in the midfield, whether it's winning the ball back or linking the defense to the attack? How much has he been missed since went down for the season?

MIGUEL NAVARRO: Yeah, Gastón, we know that Gastón, and not only Gastón, but all of the players are very important for us, and we are missing him. He is missing in the middle of the defense because he does make a big difference in the midfield. But we can't depend on only one player. We all have to be ready and every player that's on the bench or that goes in knows that they have to play the same or even better than the player that's on the field who they are going in for we are missing him. He is important. But we can't just be depend on one player.