NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 23, 2024

Sandro Schwarz

Press Conference

New York Red Bulls 4, Inter Miami 0

Q. Can you please explain what happened between the night in Ohio and today's game?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, it's very simple. Different opponent.

So today was more transition game from our side, and we know about the quality of Inter Miami, especially in power position with Busquets, and they had also most of the time the ball, I think it was 63 percent of the whole game, and it was more transition situations, and this was the main difference between these two games and our transition moments, this was the better than last week.

We also had some winning balls against Columbus but we didn't solve the situation so well like today and this was the most different.

And also, to start with a top feeling, good emotions, and then you score with the first attacking situation that gives them also confidence for the whole group, for the whole team, and also with our young players. I would describe this as the main difference.

Q. A lot was going against the team today. Obviously the weather, missing so many players, what did you take away from this experience and from how the team performed?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, I said this also to the players after the game in our locker room. It's very important and not only for the result, also to have this emotions, this feeling with these young guys, and then also very important for us, every player, the whole season is a very long season, and they showed today a great performance, all players as a group.

And it's also not so easy then when you miss some players and you don't know how the opponents will play with which structure, who will play, and what we said in the press conference two days before.

But the mentality was top, and the defense structure was very good the whole time, and also on the first half, and the best moments after winning the ball, we had our transitions, and ball-strikers made a great job. The first step is in the defense, we have to close Busquets, and also to have a good connection in the transitions, and yeah, Dante assists four goals, I think is the first player in club history who assists with four goals, and Lewis scored three times.

But the whole team, very good connection, and the whole team was very well. The whole training days was good, the behavior, the atmosphere was good, also, in the hotel today. It's good that you have then also this feeling on match day.

Q. If you could expand on not just the output from Vanzeir and Morgan, but how they connected with each other and wore down the back line and you brought in the 15-year-old in Julian Hall and 17-year-old in Serge Ngoma. Talk about turning to two young talents at the end of the game.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: The first question, the ball-strikers, it's very important, and also in our principles this they have a good connection that they are also very close together in defense and also in offense, and this was great in most of the situations after transition, Dante had good movements, and one player make the deep run in the deep space and then another player comes between the lines. This was a very good connection. This was the main part with these ball-strikers the whole training.

And yeah, the second question, also, this is our way that we need development from individual players, and this not depends on the age. So Julian Hall was good in the training session, as well, and also in the preseason, and Mitchell and Rani (ph) comes in, and we need all players.

It's not the question of the age. It's more the question of the quality, and they have the quality, for sure. We see this every training session, and then today was the time then, also, to give them some minutes.

Q. Can you first talk about Peter Stroud who was more in his natural kind of No. 6 position, but talk about his willingness to talk on that kind of advanced midfield position he has been playing, and then Sean Nealis back into the lineup, can you talk about what it means to have him there? He seals like the rock of the defense leading that line?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, Sean Nealis, also very good job with Andrés, the back four, to push up, not to stay too deep against these ball-strikers, very good quality, also, of Miami, with these ball-strikers with Suarez and Campana, and very strong duels.

Great in his coaching behavior, also, and last week, he had some problems with the hamstring, and this was the main ran that he didn't start in Columbus. But he's very important for us, and also his character, his mentality in every training.

The first question with Peter Stroud, yeah, Peter Stroud, end of the preseason, he played then many times ten position and this was then also the main reason for us because in the preseason, he made us very good in this position but we know the best position of him is then the 6-8 position, but in our ball position, also when he played winger or ten position, then he comes also more inside in the red zone between the lines. But he's physically top. He can run 12, 13 kilometers without some problems, and this is very, very important for us then also.

Q. What's there to improve on next game and what are you looking forward to in the next game?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Let me watch the game tonight on video, and then I can say to you next press conference. But you have always to improve something.

But first of all, also, last week was for me very tough, very hard, not only the result in Columbus but the way to the result and I watched this game two times. It was not so funny for me.

Today, it's more fun to watch this game, and yeah, but you have always to improve. But it is also important not only in sports, also in life, to enjoy the moment and we will do that, also.

And yeah, in every phases, every period of the game, in built-up situations and transition and defense structure, we will show also some sequences tomorrow what we can do better, but I would say most of the sequences will be very positive tomorrow.

Q. Are you planning to use the same lineup or different lineup than you used today? They were strong and didn't play Suarez at all. How do you feel about this lineup that you used today, both Nealis brothers, Reyes and Duncan?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Back four or when you play with three centre-backs, when they defend very strong and when you have this connection, also on your defense behavior together, the distances to the side, but also to the 6 and 8 position. And that gives the whole team confidence, the whole team when you have strong centre-backs, fullbacks and they can defend this situation, one against one. And when some player make a mistake that could also happen, and the next player is shifting on the side and very strong in this duel, and the back four was very good.

I said this the whole time to my team, or to our team: Back four is very, very important for the development, not only the offense players or 6 position, because many teams, they have very good DP players in the offense.

So then you can make the difference in a lot of situation when you also defend against this quality, and both centre-backs, fullbacks was good, but when I come back to the question, this can also we can also improve the next days.

Q. How does it feel to win 4-0 against especially Inter Miami?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: No, it's not only -- it's not only now the better feeling because we played against Miami. For me it's the best feeling to see my players and to have the focus on my players, on my team, and that they have this reaction after this Columbus game.

But not the main reason now, okay, it's a better feeling because we played against Miami. No. It's good to see with this group and with these players, we are able to win or we are able to have, first of all, a very good performance and when we have this performance, the probability is higher then to win these games. But I don't have a better feeling now because we win or we won against Inter Miami.

Q. You talked about your team's performance. Can you talk about that performance without Forsberg, your main creator in the lineup and getting four goals and talk about car moan attacking his chance with Forsberg out.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: I know the next question on Thursday is if Emil able to play^ .

The situation is clear. Emil is our captain. And he left, also with the national team. What I said is Wike is not only very good training this week, but also week before, very good in his ball position behavior and his fast steps also in defending forward.

But, yeah, we will see now the next training week what will happen with the starting lineup, and let's talk about Carmona because he deserved this also, today, it was a very good performance especially from him on the left 10 position, and I'm happy that he can also then to have this feeling with the goal because he deserved this because the last weeks was good for him. Carmona.

Q. Wanted to touch on the play of the left back, Duncan, he sometimes gets stick from stance that he may not be performing as much but can you touch on his performances of the night that were very, very impressive?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: What I said, also, the whole back four was good, but we can also improve something with Duncan after winning ball to find quicker solution in small spaces.

So I think this is for him the next step individual, but I don't want to criticize now too much after 4-0. I will do this individual with him in a conversation also with the sequences. Very important player for us, for the whole team, and he showed us, also. You have another word for "important"? I said so many times, "important". You have another word for "important"?

Q. Significant?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Oh, significant. Oh, that's great. Sounds good. That sounds good. Significant. Significant. No, I said, important, important, important (Laughter).

Q. Two home games coming in and of course the fans brought a lot of energy in the building. It seems your team seems to feed off of them. What does it say about the fans that's able to do that tonight against a significant squad like Inter Miami?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, it's very significant for us to have these supporters. Yeah, the weather was not so good the first two games but to have this feeling then, also, for our supporters, to have these emotions, to be happy when we scored after the game; that we win together and this is also the reason that we make this round all together to say thank you.

This is significant, and yeah, it's good for all of us for the whole club, for the employees to have this feeling. Yeah, we enjoy this today.

Q. Did Scotland make a mistake not calling up Lewis Morgan today?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: I don't want to talk about now about Scotland, about the head coach, and he analyze his squad.

And so don't forget, Lewis Morgan had also a long-term injury. But when he make these steps, and when he continue this performance, I'm sure he will get also a chance for the national team in Scotland.