CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 18, 2024

Fabian Herbert

Press Conference

Nashville 1, Chicago Fire FC 0

Q. How are you feeling after that? So close at the end with the pass from you to Koutsias to Chris. Seemed like you needed it after a tough first half.

FABIAN HERBERT: Yeah, would have been nice to tie the game. Ultimately we deserved it, not because of the chances we created. I think we could have created more. We had a bunch of possessions especially in the second half where we struggled to get behind the back line and to create high-quality chances.

But at the same time, I think we were the more dominant team in the second half. You know, but just, yeah, a couple pieces were missing to get behind that back line. So it would have been nice actually to come away with a tie because Nashville didn't have too much, either. I think ultimately a tie would have been a deserved result, but yeah, you know, here we are. We go home with a loss.

Q. So you know, you mentioned a draw feeling, like a deserved loss. What's the mentality of the group like right now, given that there have been a lot of results that haven't gone your way, and even the play has not really been really lopsided one way or another in games.

FABIAN HERBERT: Yeah, the mentality is to keep going. There's always the next game. We have another game on Saturday and we have to prepare again and try our best the next game, obviously in Montréal.

I think overall, this game was actually one of our better away games. We gave up an avoidable goal collectively that came out of nothing. It was just a high lofted ball into the area. Just kind of a header on target and it kind of gets unlucky over Chris. Collectively we could have, yeah, avoided that goal, and it kind of bumped us a little bit after a good start.

I think, again, it was one of our better performances on the road. I think Nashville didn't have a lot of confidence. We were actually playing pretty well with the ball fighting side-to-side and creating some half-chances and some good opportunities with crosses from Maren and Ariel on the other side, and overall it was a good game. In a way, we can be proud the way we played but ultimately, yeah, we come away with a loss.

So it's a tough result. But again, we have to keep our heads up and go to the next one.

Q. In terms of the risk-taking in the second half, what do you think caused the team not want to take the risk, or is it because it's that one-goal game and there's a chance you don't want to let it get to that two-goal margin?

FABIAN HERBERT: We wanted to take a risk, I think. It's not that we didn't want to. Obviously you have to be a little bit conservative and you can't throw everything forward so they don't counter and get 2-0. We tried but our BP striker is not here. We could have had some creative efforts maybe and with Shaq leaving, guys that have those big ideas could have helped us today. Maybe that little bit lack of quality collectively.

I think the will was there. I think the guys fought hard. We wanted to get the tie. There was a effort from the group but maybe that little guy that can go take somebody on 1v1 and just make that difference, that key player, especially in this league, you know, where it's very even throughout budget-wise, and you know, player-wise. If you have a couple key players that can make a difference that, can help you and that can decide the moments in the game. So I felt like that was kind of missing today.

Again, I can't fault the group. I think the effort was great. It was just that, you know, that little bit of quality, that little spark was lacking in the final third.