NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 10, 2022

Gerhard Struber

Press Conference

New York Red Bulls 2, New England 1

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think we deserve in the end a win with outstanding attitude, with a big belief in everything and I think we dominated most of the time.

We can see how much power they have in transition in some moments and also how clean they can -- when someone is not ready to shift in the right moment. Yeah, this is one time and we can see what can happen. But I think also, after the situation like that, Cristian Casseres our prototype from the pro football, he make a magic moment how he bring us back with the equalizer. And then I think was a little bit of a kickoff to believe more and more.

I think we get so much pressure on the last line from them, again and again. It was a situation of the time that we realize the second goal. And yeah, I am very, very happy with the attitude and mindset yesterday and in our meeting today, the mindset especially against New England was also for them a do-or-die game.

I would say I'm very, very happy and very proud of the boys, how they take this game and realizing in the end that big victory, we know we don't clinch today the playoffs but I think the day must come that we jump out.

It's also the first step but now is not the time to relax. It's more we have to regroup and we will win, then it's clear we will clinch the playoffs and we will have also in the end a good slot on the table. We want the home game. We will play for our fans and we will fight for a good position in the table.

This is right now the next step that we hold our attention on a high level and yeah, especially New York City is always not only one more game, but yeah, this is a game which club further in the process and which club is the No. 1 in the city and this is crystal clear that we will win the next game.

Q. This was pretty satisfying despite the fact that you've had some issues winning some games at home. That said, and you also mentioned this is taking care of business against the home fans, and next week it's very interesting against City. What is the attitude looking forward to that match?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think first of all it's always a mental set up, a very hungry mental setup for the next game, and all the tactical things we executed on a higher level. And I think this is very, very important that we are also very extremely ready before we go into the international break to realize the next points, and forget any players with the mindset like New England, and especially even against New York City; in our situation, we have to give them a big mission in this game.

And we prefer from the mental side, of course, we know we need a clear match plan and we know how -- to take the power from them.

Yeah, we have to do everything this week to prepare our setup in a direction that we can win.

Q. It was a game obviously where you guys controlled more the possession and made more passes than New England. Do you think that winning these types of games is a sign of growth for your team, that they are winning in somewhat different ways?

GERHARD STRUBER: Of course, I think this is not the first time that teams, they come in and they play very passive, very deep. I think sometimes we play against a big wall. Sometimes they have six, seven players in one line, and this is not easy to break the line. Really patient and you need a good position and need always very, very good timing that you come in the right moment behind the last line. And in this direction, of course, we grow.

We can see our weapon is in a different direction, and whenever we lose our weapon, and we come in heartbreak in moments. We have everything on a half-level, and we can not bring an opponent in that situation.

This means our biggest power in our setup is very clear. Welcome always with transitions in top moments and can win games but possession help us, also, to save sometimes energy for the next good pressing moment and also today we can see when a team is so passive like New England, we need possession and we need also good circulation and high combination on our ability how we create moments and how we create chances, it's not easy, yeah.

But on the same time, we have to be also ready rest defense and focus because we know how good they are in transitions. In this direction, we grow but also in this direction, we need to be more better to change the rhythm in possession that they have in the end always again and again, problems, also, against us in this phase of the game. But I'm happy how we create this today.

Q. Talk a little about Elias Manoel, it seems that he's very comfortable in the mix with the team and he's getting into spots offensively. He also got an assist with Casseres. In your view, how close is he to making a really big impact for the team down the stretch?

GERHARD STRUBER: Yeah, I think for every new player, it's not so easy to come in our world of football, especially from the physical standpoint and also to be on line the whole game time, it's for the new players the biggest jump.

But I think first of all, I think when a new player comes in the equation, is first of all the most important thing and he's a nice boy and everyone in the dressing room has a very good feeling of him. He's learnable, he's coachable, which is easier and I can feel how he grow, as an intelligent boy, make everything a little bit easier. Working quicker in this direction; I am happy for the steps he did. Of course, I see what we can improve; that he is in the end a player with over 90 minutes with a big impact.

But today, of course, the way he did, how he create the layup, you can see in moments like that, the quality. And also I think in some moments, the timing when he go in forward runs, and also how he use his body. You can see one moment, he's a little unlucky that he shoot on the header moment and he was a little bit surprised.

But yeah, I think he worked for his goal, and hopefully, yeah, he has success.