NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 22, 2024

Sandro Schwarz

Press Conference

New York Red Bulls 3, Toronto FC 0

Q. Can you speak about Dennis's performance tonight and how important that goal is for his confidence?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, it's very important for him, for us as a team, and I think we played very well as a whole team. It was a very good structure and very good situation which we create and especially Dennis, his defense behavior.

It's not so easy to defend on the side every time and both ten positions on either side, Wiki and Dennis, they made it very well.

And then it's good that you are very aggressive in the box position on the second post, and it's good for him and good for us to make the next step.

Q. 90-minute performance from your team, and the unbeaten streak extended tonight at home. What makes it so difficult for away teams to get points at Red Bull Arena?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: I don't know. This is not to me. You have to ask the coaches from the opponents.

But for us, it's very important that we play very clean; that we play with the highest intensity in our structure, and I think this was today and it's also then very important that we see this performance from -- it's unbelievable. It's so crazy.

Okay. What we are doing now? It's water break or what is that now? Okay.

It was very good today. We shot some sequences after these seven, eight minutes, because we analyzed his game plan against us. They had some -- especially at the beginning, some diagonal balls against our fullbacks and this was part of the break, in this 35, 40 minutes, this break, to show spaces where we can play in our ball position. This was the main part in this first break.

Q. Forsberg did not dress tonight. What's the extent of his injury, and if, so will he be okay for next week versus D.C.?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, I think there's a high possibility that he can train Tuesday, Wednesday, maybe individual program, and then on Thursday in the team training session.

So I think the chance is much higher than today to be an option maybe starting lineup or on the bench.

Q. On the first goal with Manoel, Noah Elie played the ball from the midfield line. Talk about having a center back with the passing ability that he has and what that unlocks?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, this is our first idea, how we want to build up, how we want to play vertically, to play between the lines to find our good positions with one striker. One striker, yeah, maybe it goes in our last line and it was our ten position to come inside, and this is our first idea.

So when they close, we have to go outside but it was a very good pass. He breaks the lines then from striker six position and then very good touch from Elie and to have also this confidence to take the shot. Great goal.

Q. Beginning of the season, people were talking about the depth of the team. You've lost a lot of guys for international duties and seems like everybody has been stepping up. Can you talk about the character of the guys that are stepping up?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, it's a great character. It's a great character from the whole team. It's a great mentality, and we have seen this since the first day in every training session to work very serious, to work hard, and we need all players.

I said this after the first game when we played in Nashville. I said we need all players, especially in this long season, the regular season, and then we will see hopefully also for the playoffs.

It's good to see that everyone make these steps, and this is necessary for us, not only to look for two, three, four players or something like that.

So we have to grow up as a team, and it's good to see. It's good to see, and we missed, for sure, important players. But yeah, it's good to see then, also, from the whole team as a group that we are able to get points with this performance. It gives the whole team, the whole club, the supporters, all of us, confidence.

Q. Can you speak about the play of Dylan Nealis, especially over these last two games?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Also, great, great performance. He works hard and then especially against Insigne the first half and then Insigne the second half was more inside, but very strong in these two halves and in a tactical, good behavior, in a lot of good moments. And also, this is the next step, and he improved the last two games very well to play forward. And to have these situations to play behind the fullback or wingback of the opponent, and especially at the beginning with these deep runs from Dennis, this is important, and it's great. Great character, as well. So it's very good.

Q. Amaya got a big ovation when he was brought off in 87th minute, not just from the fans but the whole team, the staff and players as well. Talk about what that might mean with the news lately and what that might mean for your midfield next week now that Daniel has been suspended?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: It's now my job to find a solution for next week. So we will see. And now, I don't know how we handle this situation next week.

But Frankie Amaya is a great person. He worked so hard with was his mentality and how he plays. What he has done the whole time here since the first day and also the previous season and other coaches; it's a great person, and he deserves everything, everything.

So it's a great finish for him individual to have these moments, emotional moments in the locker room and we wish him all the best, and for him, for his family, great success with his new club, and yeah, this is the situation now.

Q. Talking about the result tonight, you had another performance where Ryan Mera only had to see two shots. Your back line, kind of like what happened against Nashville was able to lock them down and only allow five or six shots at all. Can you talk about what has been working so well for this defense this season? I know Montréal was tough but there are a lot of games this season where the defense is just, even though they are conceding possession, they are able to keep the other teams away from the final third at all.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, the most important thing is to find the right moment for our pressing behavior; that we are very active, that's clear. We want to play very active, but then it's important that we find the right moment to use some triggers for our pressing behavior and this starts with our strikers. And when they close the center to find the right moment with our ten position, then to make the pressure on the center back or on the fullback on the side, this is very important for us.

And then also to step out with our back four and not stay too deep and that we have big distances between our lines, and yeah, the back four, center backs, the six position, in the organization and the communication was very good today, and Ryan, as well. In all these games he which played now for us in this season, he made a great job with his attitude, with his mentality and with how he leads the team as well in every training session.

So it's good to see.

Q. In these nine matches at home, you've only allowed three goals. How important is that?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, first of all, we wish Carlos all the best with Paraguay and the Copa America. I think he's playing on Monday against Panama the first game. We wish him all the best and great success, and then he will come back and then the situation is clear in our goalkeeper ranking.

But now, Ryan made what I said, played very well in these games, and this is for us very important and it gives all of us the whole confidence.