NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 4, 2023

Gerhard Struber

Press Conference

NY Red Bulls 0, Nashville 0

GERHARD STRUBER: Hello, yeah, I will begin first of all with a big thank-you for the fans for the atmosphere today. I think we had a great support today. I think the atmosphere was good, and I think the fans deserved more today, especially from our side. We played on a good level. It was a tough game against the opponent; it just wasn't from the physical side, the opponent, they make it not always easy.

Yeah, in this direction, I think a little bit too quick on the cards from them. We played too quick and too early with long balls. I think we have to create always when we had some control or we play quick on the ground, they struggled and we could create another good chance after that. I think we have to learn to play also quick in our build-up, setup. I think in some moments, it was too slow and we create not an overload in the right areas.

This was the biggest issue in the first half, but of course, I think the big chance from Sean would be very helpful to come in sometimes, even in a different situation, get a little bit more space.

But in the end, it's an equalizer, and I think we deserved the win today. It was not good enough but in the end, the chances, what do we have to create at home, and also, of course, we have to score. We have, again, I would say three good moments, but in the end, not the killer moments what we want. I think this is the biggest expectation for me and for my boys in the next time that we create a different set. I was very, very happy with Cory in the second half when he came in. We can see that he was not 100 percent ready. He was not always integrating this week, we could see that, and Luquinhas made a good step in this game in a very good direction. Again, Cameron Harper on a high level.

Yeah, I think I'm looking forward but at the moment, it's not so easy to score. This is the reality. We have to come in better moments. We can see the difference between the friendly games in the preseason and now the competition games.

But I'm looking forward. I think again, a very, very good organization team, how we create our defense structure and our behavior, was also not easy to create something, but in the end, especially at home we have to score and we have to win games and I cannot be very happy with that.

Q. Can you talk more about Cam's play? He really has been a revelation for these first two games. Can you give us a little bit of status?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think Cam showed us also in the last -- or showed me in the last two years, always again and again good moments in the training, but he was not constantly on a good level. He was always injury topics and then -- or sometimes also a topic with the form. He switched between second team and first team. But I think in the last season, he came more and more in a good situation. Also his personal expectation is growing.

We realize in the MLS some games where he can see he can have a big impact, especially with his mobility, his technical power is very difficult to handle and manage a setup against him. Also today I think he was in many, many moments very, very helpful to create something in tight areas with some good cross balls with, some good one-to-ones, and also some good high-speed combination moments and it's exactly what we want, especially at home, the opponents play deeper and with a long block; and we have to find players like him in spaces and moments that we can create chances and that can have a big advantage for us in our upcoming season.

Q. You mentioned how pleased you were with Cory's performance. Seemed like he brought a different element to the match. What were you most satisfied with him about?

GERHARD STRUBER: I think how he create his personal moments, he was very ruthless many some moments when he gets the ball and he saved the ball, and not only in layoffs, he played forward, he was I think very difficult to handle.

And also, he showed me the first time also from the fitness level a better shape, and yeah, I think with performances like that, it's clear that he get in the near future also -- it's very important for us when he has attitude and output like that today. I think in the end, also, when he play forward, in the end, he's in a box, and he's in the final moments removed. But I think for us today, that shows me a very, very good moment and I'm looking forward with him for the next game.

Q. You said that you want to see more but over the first two games, your team has not surrendered a shot on goal yet. How impressed are you with the back line so far?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, we speak about the back line, but the whole behavior, I would say from the team against the ball is very synchronized. It's also very difficult against us to create chances.

In this direction, my boys, I think, yeah, this could keep us more -- we can go with a little bit more brave and risk moments in the offense. I think we are so stable, this could -- inaudible -- yeah, we can go in more risky moments in the offense and can handle more moments in the rest defense; Andres is on a very good level, Sean is reliable. I think also the sixes with Frank and Cristian are monsters.

Yeah, I think we have to work more, how we bring our power in the opponent's box, how we can be in these moments, also cleaner, and also like Reyes (ph) today in the end, he had a lot of good moments, especially I can remember the last one before he comes out -- one moment, we can see his power, and then I think the goal we give him a very good feeling and he score. He has to work for that but I have the feeling he is close, yeah.

And also, Dante makes the first step. He is a hello for the fans, and we can also he give us a little bit different picture in our game in offense moments. Also, I am looking forward with my boys in the next game that's coming, also, not easy there but I think we are growing.

We know what we have to do for more output, and this is exactly what we want. My boys in the dressing room, nobody is laughing. They are also very disappointed about only one point. But at the same time they realize today, we was not sexy enough in the taking area to create something.

Q. In your opening statement, you said that you thought the team wasn't fast enough on your breakaways. Could you talk a little bit more about that because especially early on in the game and after Dante came on, felt like some of your best chances and attacks were on the breakaways. Can you talk about what you think the team needs to do going forward?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think when you know an opponent like Nashville, they are so organized, then it's clear that you have to move them. You cannot blame one side and go, I think in these moments, we have to -- we spoke about that the whole week, how we create a setup that we break the line, and of course sometimes you need the six between fullback, centre back, but you have to create for the six the space in the right moment, and you need in every pass, speed, pace and a rhythm, how you break the line. Because we brave one side, we go very quick, and we realize, no space. Then you go backwards, but without a tempo and pace, and then they can move easily. And I think this is the biggest one we have to change. Then we recycle our game from one side to the other side because we have a completely different tempo and the right time to go bring the six, also, in our buildup moments, especially with Frank and Cristian with a lot of power, that they can create and break the lines on the ground with tempo, with a tripling, and also with a sharp pass.

I think in this direction, we have the biggest improvements to do in the upcoming week, especially at home and they stay in a lower block against us that we find quick spaces. We work for spaces that we can use this in the end in a different direction, and always, today, when we was quick enough, when we break the lines more and more, we use also Cameron Harper on a different high to come in a one-one like a fullback and then overload Luquinhas with Harper, or with -- and with Cameron Harper in the right areas and they can we can see also how we crushed an organized team, and then we have to work.

Especially with fans like that and support like that, we are close to three points home. But we know what we have to do, and what we have to train and realize more.

Q. You only had Dante for 15, 16 minutes tonight but what have you seen from him?

GERHARD STRUBER: I think what we can see very quick on him, he has when he start, he has a move that he direct players to the first moment a little bit on him and then he has a super timing to come in an interesting space behind the last line. And he can gain a little bit with centre-backs, with fullbacks.

This is what we see, and also, he's clean, because in our training, when he's on the ball, and in the box, then you should ask Carlos and Ryan Meara. They give always the ball from the net. This is what we need. I think he has abilities in this direction but we have to bring it, also, with more domination in the near from the ball and score, if we can use him more and more.

We can see also from the fitness levels he has some topics at the moment, without training six weeks, but he will come. And today was the first step in our world of football, but I am looking forward with him, and I have big expectation, but we have also to be very fair with him and in a good balance, maybe bring him in from the timing, from the plan, from everything that he is in the end in the next few months for us always a way.