CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

July 7, 2024

Paulo Nagamura

Press Conference

San Jose 1, Chicago Fire FC 0

Q. Curious how you thought your side fared in that match? Seemed like you had a couple chances, both early on and late but just weren't able to get that goal.

PAULO NAGAMURA: Yeah, look, honestly I thought overall throughout the night, it was a pretty even game. Not many chances for both teams. I think beginning of the game, we lack a little bit of urgency to go after the game the way that we talk and the way that we plan.

But anyway, we come at the half, 0-0. We adjust a couple of things, and one play. One play that we are out of position. We slipped for a second there and they score.

Then after that, I think we tried to push the game. We tried to put numbers forward. We tried to be -- we played with a little bit more urgency, like I said, and did not score an the last few chances we created.

For us, it's a lost opportunity to get closer to the playoff line, and we now put our heads up and work for the next game playing at home.

Q. San Jose, coming into the game, not in a great position, last place in the League, just their fourth win of the season and their first shutout as well. How does that impact the group goof when you do that have missed opportunity?

PAULO NAGAMURA: We talked about it, how many missed opportunities we had throughout the season. And we have to do a better job playing on the road I think, like I said, with a very, very even match throughout the 90-plus minutes, and the game was decided on little details.

Again, for us, I think it's another missed opportunity because we felt coming into the game we had a good plan. We knew San Jose was struggling to get results, so they are going to come after us.

But again, that doesn't affect us. We've got to be strong mentally and we've got to be ready for the next one because as you know, the Eastern Conference is very close, and if you can put one or two results in a row, you can jump the table really, really fast.

Q. Tough, tough loss. But what has happened this season where when New England came in earlier to Soldier Field, they were at the bottom of the table. Here we go to San Jose, they are bottom of table. These are missed opportunities to pick up points against lower tier teams on bottoms of tables. What do you think is going into games that you guys have given life to teams that are struggling and help them awaken, at least in New England's case, they were doing well but what is it about the team that when you play the bottom-of-table teams that you can't get those three points?

PAULO NAGAMURA: I don't think it's related to that. I just think that we have to be mentally strong throughout the 90 minutes. It doesn't matter, I think with the experience that I have, any team can beat any team any given weekend. Doesn't matter if they are bottom or top of the table and we've just got to be concentrated and fully engaged with urgency or the full 90 minutes. Today, for me, it was one play that we let off, and they score a goal.

So I don't think that's something to consider. It's just a matter of us internally making sure that we mentally focus and mentally concentrated no matter who we play for 90-plus minutes.

Q. Tough loss. So the team, it seemed like started out with momentum. How do you think the team responded, though, after going down 1-0?

PAULO NAGAMURA: Like I said, after we -- and we talk about it, right. We came with the mentality that we want to throw the first punch and go after the game right away. And I thought that we waited to get punched first and then react. We had no urgency from the beginning. And I think that was the difference. After they scored, I think we came with a little bit more urgency and going after the game and create a few chances, play more on their half and play better than we did.

It's something that internally we have to fix it and something that it can't happen because like I said previously, any given week, you can beat any team in the League and that has to be a given for us. In order to compete and in order to get results on the road, you've got to be fully, fully engaged for the 90-plus minutes. Otherwise, you'll never get the results.

Q. Another quick question. So about that; bringing on substitutions in the 63-minute, you brought on Fabian Herbers and Tom Barlow. Later on, you brought on Koutsias. How do you think they performed today? Did they provide the energy that you think that you expected from that?

PAULO NAGAMURA: Yes, I think so. I think right on when Tom came into the game we had a couple of chances. Fabi came on well.

You know, it's the third game of the week. So it's difficult in the summer and we had to rotate a couple of guys. And Koutsi at the end, he had like five, seven minutes to make an impact.

But I thought the guys that came on, they came on with the right energy. We were just one play away from tying the game.

Again, I don't think that we deserve the loss, but that's how games go. When you are not fully engaged, not fully concentrated for 90 minutes, one little mistake will punish you, and I think that was the case tonight.