NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

May 28, 2022

Gerhard Struber

Press Conference

New York Red Bulls 4, D.C. United 1

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think right now before we go on the international break, it's always easy -- not easy. It's fine, you can celebrate the win, and we can see what we have to invest in this game in the end that we celebrate the win. I think I think the first half, we can see many, many battles. We can see many, many in-fights, first, second-ball fights. High aggression on the field. Yeah in some transition moments with we are not, in the first half, I think the big killers in these moments. But we changed this a little bit in the second half. I think it was very clear we play also high combination today.

And I told the boys, we have to do it again and again. I think that they go under the carpet, so that the message in the first half, we can see they struggled with our tempo, with our combination, yeah, I think with our style of play. This is I think in on-ball moments but also how we create the rest defense. We give them no breath, no space and no time to create something.

Yeah, I think in the end, we deserve the win, and yeah, I am very, very happy. I think the tape will show us we are close to the pick, and also, we had the Open Cup in the quarterfinal. When I look inside about my principles, what I will see, I think we improve many things in this direction. What I want, I think from the time line, from the goal timeline, we are in a very good place in the moment.

Yeah, looks nice. Looks good. But we know we stay humble. The league show us how close is everything, and what you have to invest in every game that you can create in the end a win.

Right now, we have some days off, relax a little bit, and then we come back and prepare the next phase of the season. Especially Charlotte, we know this from the Open Cup game, especially possession, is a big power, and we have one big time to prepare the boys exactly in a direction that we can also be successful in Charlotte.

Q. The game turned on its head when you put Fernandez in the match. What did you sense that the team exploded with goals at that point?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think we can see the influence and the impact that Omir has in the moment at the time, especially with Luquinhas together. This is an unpredictable pair, and they can find a solution in high combination passes, and also very simple with very good forward runnings and with dribblings. It's very difficult, I think you can manage a game against them in this moment. I'm very happy for that; that we have in the end at the moment more players on board. They are very, very unpredictable for many teams, and especially in the ten.

And also my strikers, especially Patryk today, I think he made a great job. He works so hard and I think he bring especially the center backs down and under the carpet, and this was his personal goal today.

In the end he create for the tens many, many times big space, and they was in many times the profiter (ph), especially when you come from the six-year blocks (ph) in shooting moments and one goal was better, like the other one. I think it was crazy to see today Luquinhas goals, how he score, which power he have in the end to make the first goal and what we invest.

And then the second goal directly, I think was a special picture what I see, and then Lewis, again with the dream goal, I think was also very good to see for our fans, more goals at home. The first big victory in our stadium gives everyone a very good feeling.

Q. It's been very rare that you make a sub directly at halftime, and today with Long coming out, was that more of a tactical decision or was that because of his upcoming work with the national team?

GERHARD STRUBER: This was a clear plan in the last week. We have to be careful with Aaron. I think we spoke yesterday in the pre-match training, also, what is the right load today for him. Yeah, that he stay healthy and he's ready for the next big goals this season.

I think everyone knows his injury in the last season, and we are very, very happy that he can create a load on level on this moment and also performances on this level.

We played on turf against Charlotte in the middle of week and now this game, and I think, yeah, we have to be careful and this was the clear plan today.

Q. So fans were excited to see Clark coming back on to the field. Is he doing everything according to plan? Can you talk about his minutes today and what he's doing for you and what you're looking for and going forward?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think we know that Caden has an injury over a long time and right now he's back. He made the last 14 days team training on a good level but we cannot create at the moment one or team trainings. We have so many games on the road and this is more game regeneration.

This was today I think a good moment to bring him in and give him more game time, and we can see especially when we look at the fourth goal how he create the last pass and how quick he reads the moment. I think this is -- in this moment, you can see his talent, and also, how he decide, and from the technical execution, how he did it. You can see, yeah, he's ready for that. And we have to bring him now back more and more in a good shape, and also that he's from the physical side ready for more minutes.

Q. Obviously like you said before, it's still very close in the Eastern Conference, and this win only brings up to fifth. How important is it to secure every point for the rest of the season in such a situation?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yes, of course, this is very, very important that we secure points, and we can see how close is everything and every team I think has quality. Every team has some special keys, and I think no one in the League I could say, this is so we have to win or a must-win. You have to invest everything that you can win against everyone.

I think my boys understand this right now; that we have to come in every game on our border, in the end, I think it's very difficult against us that you can beat us. But first of all, we have to realize what we have to invest that we can win games, and the league show us that it's very close, very, very interesting to see how many teams has a big leverage. Also to be in the end of the table in the playoffs. And we speak about secure, yes, of course, every point is important, especially at home. It's a must-have that we win games like that.

Q. You currently have six players on the injured reserved list. How much will the international break help to get them back up to speed?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think the international break help us a little bit, especially with -- I hope that Ashley Fletcher is back in the next game. I hope also Cameron Harper is back. This looks not bad. Also Carmona, he makes big steps that's in the team training in the Charlotte week.

Then we have to see, Andres Reyes, I can see him running outside, but also with an injury like that and this term that he has, we have to bring him back also carefully. We know this from the last season, how he comes with problems after injuries with a new one, and I think we have to create also for him when he come back the right load.

Yeah, it's a long-term project, but we bring him back of course and everything looks very good around him at the moment. Yeah, I think international break helps, especially forward, June, July, which games are coming, we need everyone.

Q. Can you speak on Luquinhas's performance today?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think I saw this also the last few days, weeks, I'm very, very happy with Luquinhas in so many directions. His responsibility and his ownership he takes in every game show us that he's a big win for me, for my team, for the club, to create in a moment when it's so 50/50, with him, different situations. And he can create with dribblings in overload moments. He can create with his passing moments, with his intelligent position, special moments what is not protectable and also he surprised me sometimes when he comes towards and he goes forward and how he works against the ball, I think this is not the typical Brazilian player sometimes what I feel. He's in so many directions so reliable, and of course, he scores. His scoreability and his ability to make the final pass.

And this is on the same time with Omir Fernandez, he is also on a very high level at the moment. He can score and he can create some overload moments and especially both together at the moment show me very good picture. Also, Lewis. I think we can see also lieu I can with play the ten and he can play wing back. He is also for the team very, very important to create with his dribbling ability, also his overloads with his cross-balls. He's so smart and clever in the position.

I think at the moment I have more tens, hopefully Caden Clark is also in the next few weeks more and more ready to be a big key player for this team, and then my strikers, Patryk, Tom, they are working very, very hard and especially Patrick showed me this week also, score ability and many, many good moments. Yeah, we are on the right way, the whole team, and especially in our principles, when I look back, Sean Nealis make big, big steps and Tom Edwards, the crazy man from England always with pain but no one can see it. He is outstanding, ready and help the team in rest defense moments, in area dual else. I am at the moment with many players very, very happy but this is on the same time a mission to do it better, again in the next few weeks.