CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

July 20, 2024

Raphael Czichos

Press Conference

Inter Miami 2, Chicago 1

Q. From your perspective, how did that last goal break down for Miami because it looked like a miscommunication from Chris and Mauri.

RAPHAEL CZICHOS: Yeah, I think that's right. I think didn't hear Chris saying that he's coming, and then Mauri wanted to clear the ball and right to Jordi Alba I think. But that's not good enough. I think when you score here, and when you get the opportunity to come back into the game, then it's impossible that you get a goal or that you concede a goal right after, a minute after.

And then, yeah, these are the things we need to learn. We need to learn fast because we run out of games slowly, only nine left, and we lost another opportunity to get closer to the playoff spots.

Q. Obviously a tough loss to bear. About the communication, how much do you think it's affected? The team has shifted back and forth from playing with three center backs to two center backs or a five- or three-back line to four-person back line. Do you think that's changed the team's ability to communicate effectively on the back line with the goalkeeper?

RAPHAEL CZICHOS: No, not at all. I think we played defensively with four in the back against New York, and we got a clean sheet. In Cincy, we played with five on the back defensively, and we got another clean sheet. So I don't think that was a reason.

But it's been the same the whole season that we give up goals too easy, and that we defend like kids sometimes during the game. Like I said before, that's not good enough. That's not how you are going to get the points that you need, and now we suffer. Now we have a break, and we don't get the chance next week to get the next three points for the week. It's going to hurt for a while now. But it has nothing to do with tactical things we study in practice.

Q. You've been a part of teams on two continents. So what would you attribute the problem to, then, if it's not technical ability or communication during the match?

RAPHAEL CZICHOS: I think we need to be more mature sometimes during the game. Like I said before, we score a goal in a very difficult game against a very good team on the road, and then we have to -- then we have to play like men. We have to defend like men, at least for the next ten, 15 minutes, because that's always a very difficult time. And that's what we, what we didn't do today, and yeah, like I said, now we suffer.

Q. Curious, Justin got his MLS debut. Kid has worked really hard to come back after that spell in Lugano. What have you seen from him when he came on?

RAPHAEL CZICHOS: Yeah, Justin deserves to get a chance. I'm very happy for him. I think the time in Luke an know helped a lot. He came back for mature than he was before.

So yeah, I'm really happy for him. I think now I have to talk to this kid; that he has to keep going; that he has to keep working hard, and that he has to work for his next chance.