NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

April 5, 2025

Sandro Schwarz

Press Conference

NY Red Bull 2, Chicago Fire 1

Q. You guys started the game a bit slow, gave up the opening goal. Second half or the second half, guys get those two goals, one from Serge and one from the penalty spot. Talk about where you saw the biggest difference in the half for you guys.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: I would say the first 15, 20 minutes, we started very well to be honest. After 20, 25 minutes, we lost sometimes easily the ball, and then we lost, also, to control the game.

This was the main part in the first half, but great reaction. And it's also not so easy then when you lost and when you had this performance last week against New England, and then you concede the first goal, and after that, it was a very, very good reaction. Very, very good deep runs, very, very good box positions, how we scored the first goal. And also the situation with this deep run with Dylan to go in the box with a lot of high numbers in the box.

And yeah, second half, I would also say it was okay, first, 15, 20 minutes, and then we had chances to finish the game with a third goal with some chances which we had.

And then at the end, it's normal against a very good team with high quality, especially in their offensive line, then, that you go a little bit more deeper. More deeper, that was then the main problem, especially the last half, the 15 minutes, but I would say in the end we deserve it.

Yeah, I said last week, we deserve it; and to lose this game New England. And today for me, from my side, we deserve it, as well, to win this game, too.

Q. I wanted to ask about Omar Valencia, curious what you've seen in his development the past few weeks and what you thought on a big performance for him tonight.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, great. Great. He had two, three moments in the second half where we, as a whole team, struggled a little bit in some situations, but how we made the assist to our first goal to Serge was top, very deep run. And in the second half with his mentality, always to defend forward against a very good player is also not so easy.

But great, great development. Great progress of him the last couple of weeks. And it's good now, and it gives him also then confidence when he's playing like today but the main part is we won this game today. That's important.

Q. A common theme we've been hearing a lot this season is the team has struggled to close out games. Tonight against Chicago, second half, I think they had something like nine shots, five on target. They were pushing to get that equalizer. Would you say the team controlled the game, or would you say they struggled to close it out and gave Chicago too many chances against Carlos?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: First of all, we have to look to the numbers of Chicago. I think they won all the games on the road. But I agree, we struggled the last 15, 20 minutes. But when you didn't finish the game with the third goal and we had these chances with Choupo, with Emil, some good moments where we were in the final third. Then, of course, with the quality, then more offensive players come in from Chicago, then it's a little bit human, it's not good, but it's human.

And this is what we have always to step forward, to step out to defend forward, and especially then I would say it's not only the defensive behavior, it's more our behavior after winning a ball, our offensive transition moments. And I think this is the main part what we have to improve.

Q. Late in the game, Carlos came up with some very, very big saves. Can you speak a little bit about his performance in this game and how important it is to have someone like that when the defense late in the game is a bit tired?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, it's always important to have a great goalkeeper, especially at the end when it's so close, the game. We had yesterday a short conversation on the training field. I criticized him, a little bit of the performance in the training session.

But now his reaction, he's so important for us, and we did it today very well, and also the whole season at the beginning, he made great saves, and you need these close games against a very good opponent. You need especially at the end the goalkeeper, and he made it very well.

Q. Can you talk about the formation change when you were closing out that match? Looks like you brought on Sean Nealis to solidify that 2-1 win and get the three points at home, and the first few minutes from Victor, what did you see from him?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: It's not so easy to come then in the last couple of minutes when the opponents, when they make pressure and they have a lot of ball possession, it's not so easy, but it's good to get minutes, minutes, minutes every weekend. And now yeah, today's decision, we had some new players today in our starting lineup. It was not Sean or Hackie or Wike. It was more to see also Tim Parker on the field in his portion, in his communication. And for me, he also did a very well job with Noah a center back.

And the reason why we changed for this game today was that we have more players after transition, and that we have also some players on the field now with more speed, especially deep runs behind the back four from Chicago, and that was the reason.

And Serge, yeah, he did it last week very good after the substitution the whole second half, as well. And this was the reason now. Now we have to think about what is the best solution next week in Orlando.

Q. Speaking of Tim Parker, he had his first start tonight. How would you rate his performance? What I've seen in many occasion, he was very close on the ball.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: First of all, he's such a great person, such a great guy in our locker room, and with his mentality, every training session to try to give the best, and this is what I have seen today in his performance. And it's then for us, the whole coaching staff, for me as the head coach, important to get a feeling for Tim Parker, 90 minutes or 95 minutes. Because when you are only looking for the training session, it's very well.

And I said this in our prematch meeting today to our guys, we need everyone, we need everyone, and this is the best example now, you have to be ready when the time is coming in the starting lineup. This is very good from Tim, and also Serge today, first game after his long term injury in the starting lineup, that's great. But we have to do the same to keep going.

Q. First a question, how do you see Carlos now being called to Paraguay and not playing in Paraguay. What do you think about him?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: What can I say? I can't say something about the National Team. This is the decision of the head coach on the National Team. But what I can say is he brings his performance consistently, last season and also this season. But at the end, it's not my decision. So this is what I can say.

Q. You already spoke about Tim Parker and Serge getting the start. Felipe Carballo also gets his first. Had dealt with fitness issues. 76 minutes today. What do you think of his performance so far?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: It's the same. It's very important to come in the rhythm for the whole season, and these injuries, we had some issues especially in the beginning in our preseason with some injuries.

But now it's my job at the end, and also to bring all these players in the rhythm because we can't play every weekend only with 13, 14 players. That's not possible.

So right now we have more options, that's important, and Cam Harper is coming back, Kyle Duncan, all these guys, Raheem Edwards hopefully. Sometimes I'm thinking in German and I want to answer in German, but I have to answer in English. Hopefully he is coming back as quick as possible. But it's important, and also now that Felipe is coming, and the rhythm, it's good.

Q. You guys have 10 out of 12 points to start the season at home. Just talk about your home form to start the season.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, but we have to look, loose, how many points we collect on the road, and I see the big picture and for sure, the first four games now in our home stadium, it's good to collect ten points but now it's the job also to collect on the road, the points.

I was last week very angry about our performance and now it was good. But now we have to continue. Now we have the chance next week on the road in Orlando, and also to collect points, points, points. That's our job.

Q. How grateful is it that you have not just two but now three confident penalty kick takers when Lewis Morgan comes back from injury as well as Forsberg, and Choupo-Moting, he's now two for two at the spot and Emil is one for one at the spot. How gratifying is it that they have been confident at the spot converting chances for you?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, but only one player can shoot. That's also the rule.

Yeah, it's great that all these guys, what you mentioned, that they have the confidence to take the penalty, and then also then to score. It's good. The quality of Choupo to take the responsibility, it's also to take the responsibility of Emil.

But for me, it shows more the mentality of the whole group to be honest, because I was also a player, and I had also sometimes an issue that sometimes it's trouble, who is shooting now.

But now there is a clear rule, and this is great. For me, it's more important that these players with this quality, that they are not only looking for themselves, also to look to each other. This is for me to be honest as a head coach, it's more important for sure. It's good that they score but that we have this behavior on the field, that's great.