CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 5, 2021

Ignacio Aliseda

Press Conference

Q. How would you evaluate your 2020 season, and what are some things that you think you have to improve on in 2021?

IGNACIO ALISEDA: My 2020 season wasn't as good as I wanted. Maybe I had my expectations set too high. I had few goals and few assists, and it really just wasn't the way I wanted it to be. But now I think coming into 2021, I have renewed energies and a renewed desire to improve, and I think we can see that with everyone where everyone has renewed desire to make the group better.

Q. Last season, you and several other players came in like right after the season started, and then right after you got here, it stopped. What do you think being together now entirely at the start of the season is going to mean for the team?

IGNACIO ALISEDA: You know, last year, I didn't have many training sessions with my teammates. We didn't train together very much before we had the bad luck, COVID. When we got back to training, we didn't know each other very well. I think maybe there were like seven training sessions or something like that, and also, last season I wasn't there for preseason training and I think this year, it's important to start together and everyone be together because you could see it from the beginning how hard everyone is working. I really like doing preseason because you can see everyone getting to know each other and working hard and then during the season, you can tell how hard everyone worked during the preseason.

Q. We saw you play last season both on the wing and in a central role. I'm just wondering what's your preference and has Rafa or any of the coaches given you an indication of where they want you to play this year?

IGNACIO ALISEDA: Yes, last season I played in two different positions. I think I feel better playing as a No. 10 than on the wing on the outside. But I like both positions. I just feel better as a 10. So I haven't -- we haven't had that talk yet, but I will be out there and play wherever he puts me, and whatever position he thinks I should be playing.

Q. Related to the challenges that you faced when you arrived last season, obviously you were acquired just as a 19-year-old and then were thrown into everything, new country, the pandemic. How much more comfortable are you feeling in the States in MLS off the field and how does that affect your performance on the field?

IGNACIO ALISEDA: Today I'm feeling much better. I did have some issues last year just from being the first experience I had away from my country, away from my family, and now that you can say I've gotten used to it a bit better. I'm doing much better, I'm much happier and I'm ready to play.

I think people have a lot of different motivations and for me, my family something that motivates me on the field when I play, I think about them and that from far away, I can give them a little bit of happiness.

Q. Last year, other than Robert, there wasn't really a lot of dependable scoring on this team. Where do you think that will come from this season and how important is that to have for a team to have more than one dependable scorer?

IGNACIO ALISEDA: I think last year we depended a lot on Robert on him to score. We just depended a lot on his capabilities, and the other forwards we -- we didn't have the capacity to support him and to be scoring those goals at that time.

But I think personally, I'm feeling very good this year. I'm feeling much more confident and now this season we're all playing together, training together, and if we are all together in this, then we are all going to be able to support each other and get more goals as a group. I think sometimes goals are a little bit of luck. Sometimes you go on a lucky scoring streak, but I know this year we are going to give a lot more both as a group, and me personally, I'm going to give a lot more.

Q. It's a very young roster entering the season and from what we can tell you look super close on and off the field. What's that dynamic like? How would you describe it and how are you all pushing the veterans in camp so far?

IGNACIO ALISEDA: I think we are very young, some of us, and we have a really about relationship both on and off the field. I think that's great and really important. This is a team. You don't play by yourself.

With the older players, it's very important, as well. It's great because they are out there and they are making us better and they are trying to make us better at the same time and that just helps everyone. It's very important for us young players to listen to them and what they have to say, and for them to listen to us, as well. I think it's important when they talk, listen to what they have to say and don't try to be rebellious and think that, you know, you know better. And it's important for them to listen to us because we give a different perspective sometimes, and from them, you know, learning from them every day, day-in and day-out, seeing how hard they work, it's important for us as a group and it's going to help us just improve.