CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

February 23, 2023

Carlos Teran

Press Conference

Q. I really enjoyed the story about the throw-ins I did on you, I really enjoyed that process. It was fun. But anyway, it looks like you're in a competition right now with Wyatt Omsberg, and possibly even Kendall Burks, for the starting job. How do you view that competition personally knowing that you showed pretty well at the end of last season and Wyatt showed pretty well at the beginning of last season. So how do you view that competition personally?

CARLOS TERÁN: That competition is something that you have to have. It's a good competition, healthy, between friends, between teammates. It's something that should be there. I make them better. They make me better. Together we always have to have that type of competition on a team because it makes us stronger and it makes everyone on the team stronger and from that type of healthy competition, is going to come out a very good starter, a very good starting player.

So honestly we are just working hard, and I'm really grateful to have two very capable, very good teammates that can push me and we push each other, and with that, we are going to be able to further help the club.

Q. The question is, I'm going to ask you the same thing I asked the coach last year about the team, where everyone was still maybe getting to know each other a little bit with so many players arriving in the middle of the season. And now, there were a few players who arrived during the off-season but is this team a little bit better gelled than maybe the team last year with everyone already knowing each other, getting to know each other during preseason?

CARLOS TERÁN: Actually, with this group, every player that arrives or comes up from the academy or from the -- from Chicago Fire to the second team integrates into the group really quickly because we have a really good group and we all get along together really well.

So we make it -- we all work hard and make it so any player who comes in or comes up gets to the team and feels like they can get along with everyone. Everyone welcomes them and makes them feel like they are coming into a family.

So everyone is accepted really quickly. Everyone adapts really quickly, adapts to the style of play, and adapts to the competition. And even the three players that came this season, it has not been a problem. It's never been a problem. It's not going to be a problem. Those players are already happy. They are already adapting and they have already adapted well.

Even with the difference in languages, they are adapting to that. Each one of us shares a little bit of our language with the others, so we all learn new phrases and we learn new words. Honestly, it's not going to be the exception this year. Every player is going to come in and adapt just as well.

Q. Coach Hendrickson spoke earlier about the benefit or the importance of having more than one player competing for each position. So what do you bring to the team? What is your highlight? What do you offer the team at your position in what you do?

CARLOS TERÁN: Well, what I can offer -- I offer a lot of things. I bring a lot of things that have my qualities, just like my teammates do. Every one of us has our own different qualities, our own different style of play, and each one has their own aspect over everything that they bring to the team.

But what we try to do is bring each of our strengths, and with our strengths be able to help the club because that's the important part.

So after we are able to adapt to the style of play that Coach wants us to do and all of the things that he wants us to do and the way in which he wants us to play, then it's up to each one of us to highlight our strengths and our qualities to make the club stronger and be able to move forward.

Q. Were there any words? What are some words you've learned in some of the other languages?

CARLOS TERÁN: In German, "Danke"; and French, "Bon soir," good evening; alé alé, also.

Q. Was there anything in particular you worked on in the off-season or preseason to improve your game?

CARLOS TERÁN: I worked a lot, especially closely with coach about the idea of the game to understand his ideas, to understand the way he wants us to play and to communicate better with my teammates, to be able to understand my teammates better, to be able to play to their strength, get to know their strength, work with each other better so that we can all work together to improve our game and help the club.

And I've also worked personally on other aspects about -- based on taking care of myself because last season, there were some things with injuries and that that had me away from my teammates for long periods of time, so I'm working on being able to keep my body healthy, to keep my muscles strong, so that hopefully I can be with my team during the entire season, and obviously there are other things I'm working on that are a little bit more personal.

Q. How excited are you to kick off the season on March 4th at Soldier Field?

CARLOS TERÁN: It's always exciting, especially when you're at home with your people in your city. It's always very exciting to start the season, and it's also especially exciting against New York because they are a great team. They have a great roster, even though some of the players left that were important for them, the players who stayed behind have done a really good job working together and solidifying that group.

So it's going to be a hard team to play against but it's going to be a great game against a good team, and especially exciting to be at home and we just hope to give the people a lot of joy, which is what it's all about.