CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 15, 2023

Gaston Gimenez

Press Conference

Q. How is the atmosphere within the group? How do you feel after not really being able to demonstrate and be at 100 percent during these first two games, first because of the injuries and then because of some ejections. How is the group doing and how is the group feeling?

GASTÓN GIMÉNEZ: The truth is that it's difficult when you don't have the squad at 100 percent and not everyone is 100 percent available. Despite that, I think that in the first two games, we demonstrated some very good things, some things that we have been working on.

In the first game when we were down during the game, we really went out and fought really hard and looked for the result. We showed really good character and we went out and we proposed our game and were looking for the comeback, and I think we did a really good job with that.

In the second game, we played a very good first half. It was very difficult. It's always difficult when you play a man down. But we really showed what we've been working on and we really showed what we've been improving on and we fought hard until the very end.

So I think that we are on the right path. I think that we are barely starting off, this season is barely starting, so we are going to continue to find our game and to improve on our game and hopefully you'll be able to see that, and this coming weekend will hopefully be the first win and at home.

Q. What's the reaction in the dressing room to the news of the practice facility, looking like now it's a real thing and that it's coming in the next couple years?

GASTÓN GIMÉNEZ: Yeah, the reaction in the locker room is happiness. It's great. Everyone is really happy with the news. It really looks like a wonderful project.

On a personal level, I'm really happy about it because obviously we want and we need a training facility, a performance center like that for everyone who loves the club, and it's a great project on behalf of the club.

So it's really wonderful. I was looking at it, and it looks great. So hopefully it's something that will happen soon. I know it won't be too soon but hopefully it happens soon, and it really is wonderful.

Q. Just what kind of advantage would that be for the club to have something that nice and that modern and state-of-the-art?

GASTÓN GIMÉNEZ: It will be the advantage of feeling at home. Feeling that's something that's your own and that you belong there.

I think that when someone comes home, you really feel happy to have something like that. I think that the people who have been here for a while, to have something like that is really going to be fantastic because you're going to be able to feel really proud of the project and to have something so wonderful and so nice.

Because when you go out and when you come home and to see something that nice, you really feel happiness and that will be really the main advantage for us. I think that as far as all the benefits as a club, to have something so spectacular, is going to be amazing because as I understand it, the project is really something that there's a lot being put into it, and it's going to be really top.

So when it arrives, at the moment that it's here, we're going to really take advantage of it and enjoy it and take care of it, as well.

Q. You've been with the Fire a few years now and it feels like every year is somewhat of a restructuring year. How do you see it from the inside? Do you feel the same way about that?

GASTÓN GIMÉNEZ: That's a good question. I think this year specifically, we kept our base. If you look at it, few people left, more people came, and we were able to keep our base. And the players who came, came to really add, and add a lot to the team.

So I think that with this base and with the players who came, we're really going to be able to do a lot of good things this year and hopefully to reach our objectives that we have set for ourselves.

So I don't really want to compare it to previous years, but I do think that this year with the base that we have and with all the players who came in and really joined the team and felt like we were right at home right away, those players came in and they came in to add to the team both on the field and in the locker room.

I think that this year is going to be a really good year for the Fire. I know you haven't seen it in the past several years, but I think it will be a good year to reach our goals and we are going to do everything we can to get to that point and reach our objectives.

Q. We heard that you were being called up or were on the preliminary roster for the national team; is that true, and if so, when do you travel? And on that same note, players like Cubas, Silva and yourself being called up to the national team, do you think it's because Guillermo is at the helm of the team or is it because the league growing?

GASTÓN GIMÉNEZ: I think it's a little bit of everything. It's very, very clear that the league is growing. I think that you see it very clearly and each time, each year, it's growing more, you see more players coming, you see talented players, you see younger players coming to this league. So I don't really have to say too much about that because it's very obvious that the league is growing.

I know there are many Paraguayan players around and Guillermo knows the league and he knows the players. Surely he's watching, and it's a given that it's growing.

As far as going with the national team, nothing has been said at this time.

Q. We heard Coach mention earlier about you playing only 60 minutes in the last game in the last couple games. After seeing you last season finish out the last few months with crutches, talk to us about your adaptation and your adjustment, is it something that's more physical or something that's more mental?

GASTÓN GIMÉNEZ: Well, this is something that's clearly physical. It's hard to come back after such a long time. It's hard to find your rhythm after being out. But first, with the surgery and then after that with vacation and the off-season, but I've been working hard and I did a good preseason and I had a good recovery so far. I feel like we're wanting to bring me back in little by little so that we don't over-exert it and we can bring me back slowly.

I'm feeling well. I feel a little bit better each time. I'm still lacking just a little bit but I feel like I'm getting better, and I'm going to be able to really compete and give the best of myself for this team.