NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

April 27, 2024

Sandro Schwarz

Press Conference

NY Red Bulls 1, Vancouver 1

Q. It looked like a very frustrating match. The first question I have to ask about Elliott, what is the first thing you thought when you saw the ankle and the ball glanced off his hand?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: That's a red card to be honest. It's clear when you are in this situation and you take the hand, and then this situation, it's a clear red card; and it was the best moment in the game when we came out, the beginning of the second half, we scored.

So we made a lot of pressure and was very good situations. We created a lot of good moments and then the red card game and this was not the best moment for us.

Q. I want to ask you about your game plan after the red card. Two weeks ago when Andrés Reyes got a red card, you made a conscious decision to take out Dante Vanzeir and focus on defense in the second half. Tonight later in the game, you lose another defender, and five minutes later, you take out someone like John Tolkin and bring in another striker later on. What were you going for in that second half?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, it's different, because Chicago played with two certainty backs, the back four, and for us it was more the situation to play 4-3-2 against Chicago, and today was different.

Vancouver plays with three center backs and two six positions, and also on the shied with the high wing back. So for us this was more important than to play 4-4-1. Kyle came in for John because of his performance. This was the reason, and Cory, because of his physical, that we have maybe one situation transition or set pieces. So we had one moment with Cory, and was a little bit unlucky.

Q. Seemed like tonight, one of the longest showings we've seen from Dennis January gar. Wonder what you saw from him tonight?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, I saw of him some good moments and at the beginning of the first half, we had very good moments, especially after transition on the right side, and I think the most problem was today that we don't have the consequence on the side in crosses, and this was the main part in the first half.

The beginning first half was good, and the second half, the first 20 minutes till the red card was the best moment in our game and controlled the game. We create this situations on the side, two-against-one moments, but the red card kills the moment.

Q. Tough result, 1-1. Three points in three games, and going into Miami next weekend, are you expecting to change anything leading up to that game, with Messi scoring tonight, looked like they may have a bit of revenge on their mind with the last game how it went out.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: We will analyze this the next days. Tomorrow we will start to analyze the opponent, Inter Miami, and then we will find for us a top solution in how we can win this game.

Q. I saw the cards being issued. How much of an impact did it have on your game between your game plan players not being as aggressive, possibly switching off and bringing in other players?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: The main part was in the first half after 15, 20 minutes when before we create a lot of situations, I think in the first minute or the second minute we could score. The main problem was we didn't play forward. So we played them very slowly. In some moments, too many passes back, and to find the right moment for the switch. Then we are on this side, to have the consequence on the side with flat crosses or back passes, and this was the main problem, especially after 15, 20 minutes in the first half.

Then we changed a little bit in the halftime our structure to play with our buildup with one six position and two eight positions, and with Emil and Wike in the center, to me, this stopped them the first 20 minutes until the red card. We had the moments and create some chances, and we had corners and we scored after set pieces. We had the situation with Noah with the red card.

Q. Three matches in a row and three draws, the performances have been good and the three points have been there for the taking, but now with the injuries and the suspensions starting to pile up, this team is going to stay the same until the summer at the earlier. How confident are you the standard can stay this high and the team can stay at the top of the Eastern Conference without some of those players available?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Our focus is to think about the next game but not the summer. We have these injuries but it's okay. We have also to analyze the difference between the two games before, the home game against Chicago and then LAFC was very good, and then today, after 20 minutes was not good in the first half, and this is what we have to analyze and we have to improve very quick; and in some moments to have this consequence to play forward, to play forward very quick, and some moments to have more deep runs to create more situations in the box, in the opponent's box, like at the beginning of the game.

Also, the second half, beginning of the second half, we had these moments, and this is what we have to improve them and to continue to play forward to find the right moment for the switch, and then to create on the side these two-against-one situations, and then to have this consequence in crosses. This was not good enough today in some moments.

Q. It did seem like your best moments were when you got the ball out wide and spread their defense out and you were playing direct down the middle. Just seemed like that opened up opportunities. Do you feel like that was when you were able to create some chances I know those were your best moments on the attack.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, we talked before the game, before the game also, we play with three center backs and high wing backs in their pressing, so we need the space on the side, and especially there on the left side was with Luis was good some moments, but we need then also our fullbacks to create on the left side to create more situations and to play with more dynamic in some parts of the game.

Q. Can you just talk to us about the left side; it was more aggressive on the Whitecaps right side, and what you wanted to do after that red card.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, I said. And then the reason was for us to play 4-4-1 to close the side because they play with three center backs and with offensive wing backs, and this was the decision that we play with two players on the side against the ball after the red card.

Then the idea of the game, and it was also clear, during the game you saw this, that we have to own the space on the side. This was because the center was very close, and it's a very good team in that structure, Vancouver, and you saw us have a close very well the center. We need to improve these attacking situations on side.

We had the best chances on the side when we create these moments, one-against-one, two-against-one. This is what I said before. We have to do this more, to repeat this more and more and more, and in this game today, this was not good.

Q. After your first couple chances in the first half, it seemed like the guys were overpassing and not taking shots, especially against their goalkeeper that was loose with his rebound patrol. Did you think the testimony was too passive in the first half leading up to the red card in the second half?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: No, I'm not sure it's passive in these moments. We had these moments and we also had our pressing behavior and we had then simply sometimes the long ball. Vancouver is very dangerous in transition moments. In these positions, we had some problems, especially against White, the striker and then they have options to the ten position and then they can switch those moments. Yeah, this was the game plan.