CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 18, 2024

Frank Klopas

Press Conference

Nashville 1, Chicago Fire FC 0

Q. Just thinking about the results, seemed like things were good in the first 30, 35 minutes offensively and then kind of fell off in the second half after the goal. Curious how that went from your eyes.

FRANK KLOPAS: Yeah, I mean, I think they got numbers behind the ball. We pushed, tried to put a lot of attacking players, guys that can break a position, guys that can get in between the lines. You saw them, basically brought everyone behind the ball and they just looked to transition.

We made, I believe, the right moves with the players that we brought in, and then our ability, we had it move the ball quicker. We had to get crosses in. We had to take guys, when you get one-on-one opportunities in the low block, you have to switch the attack, get guys one-on-one, take shots on goal. So a lot of ball possession. But I felt we missed opportunities to be more dangerous. Tough to do with two forwards.

Q. Was the idea with Allan to maybe get that more speed with him coming off the bench? It seemed like he was more and more attacking.

FRANK KLOPAS: When we made the changes, we wanted to bring Maren up the field to get pace behind. Maren is also good picking his moments to come underneath. Allan is a wingback and we needed him to go further up the field and push, and that's what he did. You know, we pushed the game. We brought Allan and Maren and Chris. And we all got tired. A moment like that, too, you have to see how guys are in games. You know, fatigued, and we brought in some fresh guys. But like I said we couldn't get the goal. We didn't go enough to be more dangerous when we had a lot on the ball.

Q. There were a number of absences, tonight, Sam on the goal for Nashville was basically able to play a header over Arnaud who is significantly shorter than him. How much do you think that played into the result and the way the team played?

FRANK KLOPAS: The goal? I felt it was a soft goal. It has nothing to do with Souquet. We have three center backs. You know, when you play with three center backs, you know, I think the outside guys have to be at times be able to play center backs and right backs because they are wide covering the channels. So they rotate it.

We talked about guys staying with guys in the box. The ball rotated up in the air. I think we could have done a better job, all of us as a team, to do better on the play. I don't point fingers at anyone. But you saw the goal. They scored the goal but we still had the whole second half to dominate. We had the ball.

But the speed of play had to be better. When you have ten guys behind the ball, and then you have to move the ball quicker. We put guys that are better with the ball, we have guys that are better taking guys on in 1v1 situations but then they needed to do it in moments where they get those opportunities. We needed to get crosses in. We needed to get bodies in the box.

So yeah, it's always difficult when you're on the rode and you give up the first goal, but look at the whole game. I think we could have done much better all around as a team. We had our moments. We didn't take advantage of it.

And then it's always, you know, difficult with the team, especially like this that's more of a transition team with the new coach, trying to be a little bit more of a built up team. But once they got the goal, they sat back, they changed the way they were building up. We also adjusted so we could put more pressure on them. But we didn't find a way to equalize today.