NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

May 11, 2024

Sandro Schwarz

Press Conference

New York Red Bulls 4, New England 2

Q. Wanted ask you on your thoughts on the success your side had without the ball today. They had less possession overall but they did seem to really manage the moments that they did have and find those goals.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, thank you, first of all, for the congrats. We controlled the game in our defense behavior most of the time especially with our fast line when we start our pressing and we had a lot of good moments, good ball-winning situations, also in the opponent's half. We had some good transition moments, especially in the first 20, 25 minutes, and then we scored, also. I think it was very good.

After that, we lose sometimes a little bit the control with the ball in some situations and with the first attacking situation from a New England, they scored after the cross situation.

But second half, the same picture, we were very good the first 15, 20 minutes. It was very important that we scored again, and yeah, at the end, good reaction after 3-2. You never know what can happen in the last five, six minutes, but it was then very good reaction and I'm very happy that two players from the bench came in and that they scored.

Q. Are depths constantly being questioned, people saying we don't have enough depth. Scored two off the bench, so how are you feeling about the bench today?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, it's important. It's important to be ready on match day that we have this concentration, this energy, also, from the bench, and this is important when you have some difficult moments in the game. Eli had some good runs. He scored an important goal. Cam Harper, he trained the last weeks very well, and I'm happy that he also had the situation with an important goal today.

Q. Seemed to me that your team seemed to step off the gas a little bit letting New England into the game, and it's been happening throughout the season. In many cases you're still able to get victories but why do you think that is? What is with the focus that you're losing at the end of games, the matches that you should have won, and try to close them out? Can you try to explain that a little bit?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, this was the one situation at the end which they scored then the second goal and this is very difficult after that, and it's good to see then that we have directly the reaction with the fourth goal from Cam. I think it seems a little bit today also in some moments that you didn't win the last games, to be honest; that you play three times in a row, draw, and you have the second half in Miami. It's also human to have this behavior to have not the whole confidence the 95, 96 minutes, and I'm very happy about the result today and also about the mentality.

Q. Today was '90s night. Do you have any soccer '90s-related memory that you remember, like your best memory of the '90s, soccer related?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Ladies soccer?

THE MODERATOR: Best memories in the 1990s in soccer, your career.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: I'm not sure that you want to know this now, my experience (laughing) I don't know to be honest. I have a lot of experience but I think it's not good when I say this now, official.

Q. This is your first home win in over a month. Talk about what it means to get this result, especially with the two derby games coming up?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, what I mentioned before, very important. When you -- now these three draws in a row with the last two home games with these red cards, it was a similar story, and this was then very important that you get the confidence back in your style, how you want to play, and this is because it's difficult. Every game, every weekend is very difficult to win. And you see it, also, today against a good opponent. They have quality, very good players, especially in ball position, in the attacking situation.

So I'm happy for these results, and it's a short week now. Wednesday, next game. We need now a good recovery to prepare then the next game.

Q. First on the defensive side, seeing New England push their fullbacks very high which caused struggles with wide overloads. They were able to get numbers behind your two attacking mids, Wike and Emil. Can you talk about the struggles or kind of the difficulties of going up against that type of system compared to your system? And then on the offensive side, it seemed you guys went a little more vertical, a little more direct from your center-backs, as well as Daniel and Frankie in the midfield. Can you talk about that kind of switch system-wise?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, it was today not typical ball position game from our side. It was more what I said before. We controlled the game most of the time in our pressing, and we need -- when we start our pressing behavior, we need them in our forward defending good fullbacks; that they don't stay in the back line too deep. And then you have some problems. And you see this when we stay too deep in these situations, then they have the quality, then they have a lot of cross situations, especially on left side. And second card was more on the right side.

What we said in the halftime, also, is that we have to work very hard for our transition moments. When we win the ball; that we create these chances.

Q. Obviously with this being the first win in as many as five matches, what do you feel that your squad did differently to come away with all three points today?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: It's difficult to compare the other games. We had two red card situations in the home games and today the mentality was created. The pressing behavior was most of the time was very well, and so especially the first 25 minutes, 20 minutes from both halves was very good.

But they can also create some chances where they can score first half, and this is what we have to improve.

Q. Both teams had VAR decisions go their way tonight. I want to ask you about the second one with New England. I know it was in stoppage time, but with that possibly turning into a one-goal game, how important would you say Cameron Harper's goal was to keep the momentum on your side?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Very. Very important today. After that he played, six, seven, eight minutes, I don't know. But it was very important that we have this goal.

And what I said, I'm happy about that Cam Harper scored because he trained the last weeks very well, and so very important goal for us because you never know what happened in the last five minutes, six minutes when they scored the second goal.

Q. Noah Elie is back from his red card. How did you think he played in this game and what do you think of the combination with him and Sean against New England?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, it was a good combination today. We talked with Andrés. The reason was because of some built-up situations with Noah and his passing quality, and the decision was then to play with John and Noah.

And now we will see how is the decision on Wednesday. It's another game like today against Benteke, and he scored today three times I think. So it could be that we changed something, but we will see now the next days.

Q. You brought up the schedule crunch this weekend with games on Wednesday and Saturday. Bento Estrela was on the bench for Ronald Donkor who is dealing with an injury. What have you seen from him in training, and could we maybe see him get some minutes going forward?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: If nothing happen hopefully, then Danny and Frankie will play, and it's good that we have these young players in the academy which are training with us. So it's good.

But I can't say now that he's playing now in the next game. So we will see what happened. Hopefully Frankie and Danny can play, and maybe as a sub, so we have to look.

Q. Is that how Dylan Nealis rewards you after you reward him with that brand new contract with that beautiful assist to Lewis Morgan for the first goal of the match?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, it was a main topic. It was a main topic this weekend that we need our fullbacks in the last start in our attacking situations when the center is closed from the opponent; that we need in our fullbacks on the side, and it was good. Good behavior. Good reaction after he signed the contract, that's good to know, and yeah, we are very satisfied with him.