NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 14, 2024

Sandro Schwarz

Press Conference

Chicago Fire FC 2, New York Red Bulls 1

Q. I know it's a rough result and a little early to think about the coming games but how much pressure do some of these results have been your team's need to perform moving forward?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, pressure is normal. To be honest in, professional sport, that's normal, and especially when you lose games, like today, like the home game against Philly, so that's normal.

But this is what we can influence then is to have this behavior on the field, off the field, and so we start today, I would say, the first five, ten minutes in the game was good. We had big chances to score the first goal, and then after that, we missed some passes.

It was not clear enough, not clean enough in our behavior with the ball, not strong enough, especially against the strikers from Chicago and in the end, second half was the same picture to be honest. We start very well. We score directly the goal, 1-1. We had our moments.

But it's too easy, to simple how we concede the goals and this is what we have to change immediately, our behavior, immediately because it's necessary now for the last five games, and yeah, pressure is normal. It's also when you win the game, and you have also the pressure for the next week. So now we have lost the game today, which is not a good feeling for sure and development needs for us that we have to do everything, everything, forgetting three points, and this is what I missed today in some moments.

Q. As you said, the first half wasn't good. How happy were you when you made the substitutions; they made a difference to start the second half with Gjengaar and Vanzeir?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: For me, to be honest, we did much better when we play in the first half, also, with the highest intensity and also to have clean passes, fast reaction with the second ball, more deep runs than what we need, and it's necessary. We have done these two substitutions, and it was a good behavior from Dante, the assist on the right side, very good behavior from Dennis in the box, and then you have everything in your hands.

But at the end, the set pieces, how we defend in the box, six meet, five meters in front of the goal, in front of Carlos, that's not good enough to be honest.

And then, with this behavior, you don't deserve any points. You don't deserve these points then, and so this is what we have to change immediately, immediately.

Q. Tough result tonight. I wanted to ask about your team's ability on the set pieces, both defensively and offensively, you had more corners on the night but couldn't really capitalize on it.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, that's also kind of confidence, concentration, so to go very aggressive in the ball, and in our offense corners, in our defense, set piece is what we have to defend. It's clear.

For me, Chicago, they had not so many moments to be honest, and especially then after our goal, but at the end, so they have these situations, and this is what we have to learn immediately, and what we have done, also in this season.

But this is what we have to change directly for the next game, and for tomorrow in our training session and the next week in every training session.

Q. It's multiple points that you dropped against teams that are below you on the table. You talked about having to make some changes immediately. At what point does it sink in for the team that while they are in fourth place, you didn't lose any ground tonight but they must capitalize on basically staying there?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: I know. I know now because fourth place and everyone is talking about playoffs, I know. But what we have to do is to do our job, to do our job in every training, and on match day.

This is what we have to do then, our job, to have the focus, clear energy, the whole energy in every duel. This is what we have to change, and then also, we have the quality to win and get the three points and the next opportunity is next week on Saturday against Atlanta.

For me we are talking so many times about development, development, and yeah, we want to develop for sure but at the end we want to see this on the field to do everything to get the three points, and this is also -- and this is my job also to say this in the press conference, in the team, I spoke with them directly in the locker room, it's clear and this is pressure.

This is professional sports; so it's not to come here and to meet a little bit and then to try to play a little bit, no. It's a game. Match day Saturday, and then it's pressure, and then you have to show your quality as a team and to push each other, all these behavior, what we need.

Q. I really want to ask you about the play of Dante, the goal with Dante, and Gjenfaar. Because both of them were second half subs, they came right off the bench and gave that spark to you guys. Talk about that play, and also why you think the team just couldn't keep that momentum going in the second half.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, we had after that our moments. We had also then our chances, but at the end -- and I spoke in another prematch meeting to have had before the game. It's very important. We have seen this last week; Julian Hall substitution, and we have seen this today.

But it's not necessary only to wait for substitutions or what can we change, what can we change. No, we have directly to be in the game at the beginning, and I don't talk, believe me, I don't talk about missed chances. This is the story -- this is the story in the whole season which we have, but I am talking about our behavior in strong duels to go and to make more deep runs in our behavior.

So we had a lot of good moments in our buildup but then missed passes, our counter-movements which we want to see, and this is then at the end, it's too less to get the three points, especially on the road.

Q. Sean Nealis did not make the trip. Was there an injury during training or before you flew over?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: No. It was on Friday, I think. Muscle problems. And this was then clear that we don't want to take a risk, and I think he will be also out for the next week.

Q. Looking forward to next week with Atlanta, how can you prepare your team to try to capitalize on being at home and trying to get those three points with a team coming off a loss?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Hard work. Hard work. Very hard work, and to create the atmosphere which we need on match day, not the atmosphere to create on a good training session on Wednesday, on Thursday, on Friday, and then I have the next press conference on Thursday and then I don't want to talk about the training sessions. But we have to work hard every day then to change also to get our lucky moments for the game. It's very simple, sorry.