NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

April 19, 2025

Sandro Schwarz

Press Conference

D.C. United 2, NY Red Bulls 1

Q. The team looked a lot better obviously in the second half. What were the changes that have to happen formationally but also in the lineup to get the team the way they needed to play in the second half?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, but before we start to talk about the second half to be honest we have to talk about the first half and we killed ourselves in the moment when is we have the ball.

So many situations where we easily lose the ball, then not the energy in the highest level in our counter-press, our rest defense is not in a good organization, and then the goals which we concede. This is then big mistakes from our side, from the whole team. It's not only individual, from the whole team.

And then we changed a little bit our structure and then to play with two strikers and then Emil as a ten, and then we tried everything in the second half.

But to be honest we have to learn immediately from our first half today.

Q. What happened with the New York Red Bull tonight? I know D.C. United is a tough team, but something wrong with New York.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, that's true, especially the first half. We started, I would say, the first couple of minutes very dominant. We have a lot of situations with the ball but then the final pass, when we were in the final third, we didn't play forward.

And it was not aggressive enough in our runs. It was not aggressive enough in our passing forward. And after that, then to lose the ball, this is what I said directly after the first question, what I answered, and then, it's difficult, then, when D.C. United against a good team, especially in their transition moments and the goal, which we concede the first goal, we can clear the situation very, very clean and very aggressive in these moments. We didn't do that.

Then the second goal, which we concede the second post, and not strong enough, not in the duel in our box defending and this is what we have to learn in general, our principles in all phases, especially, this is what we have seen in the first half, and this, it was not good.

The mentality in the second half was good. Yeah, when we talk about the second half, then we tried everything. We had some moments where we can also create more chances when we are especially on the side and our crosses and our aggressive runs and box position. But this is what we have to learn.

And the good point is that we have next week directly next home game to show our principles at the beginning till the end.

Q. Looking at some past results, loss tonight against D.C. United who has been struggling out of the gate, lost to New England, too. The wins, Nashville, who you guys dominated and they are higher than you and Chicago, you were the first time that they had ever lost on the road. Does New York have an issue playing down the competition?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: No. We don't have an issue about that. We have to think about in general what we need in our principles, what we need in our energy level and in our intensity.

This is what we need, and so this is now our third lost game this season. This was in the first game in Cincinnati, and then we lost against New England, and now first home game we lost today against D.C. United. This is what we have to learn.

The last two games we got four points, but at the end, when we are talking about this game, especially in the first half, this is what we have to talk in general, in general. Not only for this game, in general, what we need in our principles.

Q. Talk about Cameron Harper after coming back from the injury. How is his performance?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, it was good. He's an important player for us, especially with his runs with his speed, and was a little bit unlucky because then the injury of Dylan Nealis. And then we have to move his position then as a right back.

But for the first game now in the starting lineup after his injury, was okay.

Q. What did you say to the team at halftime?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, it was not very emotional at the end to be honest. It was more to change the structure and in our tactical point, to believe; that's also then, important, when you are down 2-0 to believe that we are able. And it was two weeks, three weeks ago against Chicago, it was 1-0 for Chicago, and we changed the result. And this is what our message was from the mental side in the halftime.

But most the of time, we talked about our tactical points, about our tactical structure, which we changed.

Q. You talked about the principles and adapting to them but the last couple games we see the principles fall flat. What is with the team, is it something missing? Is it personnel or mental errors, what ever the case may be? Because for a team like yours, it's obviously better than what you see on paper, seeing the same mistakes over and over again, what do you have to do during your training to translate to what's on the field? I know that's very difficult but for the fans, this is simply not good enough.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, but we have also now to be careful. We have to be careful. The last home game was the first home game which we lost this season.

But I agree we are not satisfied. Especially with the first half. But I don't want to make now a big mistake and only to think about and to talk about now big picture, Oh, we have so many problems or something like that. No.

It's something very simple at the end to change. But we have to talk tomorrow what we need, that's clear. Then the whole training week, but we will practice all our principles during the training week, and they showed the last training week very well.

But when it's match day and you make easy mistakes and then directly to be ready in our counter-press, this is what we need. This is the energy. This is our principle. This is the intensity.

So you can do mistakes. I'm pretty sure, last season, we did do the same mistakes at the end. We did do the same mistakes on home games, on the road. But this is what we directly need when we are doing the mistakes. When we lose the ball easily, and so then directly in our counter-press to be ready, to be very, very aggressive, this is what we need. And then, I'm pretty sure -- and we have seen this in this season, as well in so many games.

But this first half, we are very disappointed. I am very frustrated about that to be honest. And yeah, we know about how important the game was today, and for our supporters, as well. Sometimes that can happen, but we have to come back and we have to come back stronger. That's our job.

Q. Any update on Dylan Nealis who left the game in the first half?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: I don't know. We will see. I will check him tomorrow, and then I can give you an update during the next week.

But now at this moment, I don't know.

Q. The referee in the first half, any comments about the referee performance, did it affect the game or the result?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: No. I don't want to waste my time about that because this was not a reason today. The referee, something like that. We have that talk about our behavior, our principles, but not to talk about the referee today.

Q. I was wondering, you talked about aggression levels and you talked a lot about the first half. At the end of the second half, final 15 minutes or, so there were lots of open opportunities in the middle of the pitch. I was wondering, how can you address that moving forward, the missed opportunities coming from the middle of the the field in front of the net?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Of course when you are down 2-1, in the last 10, 15 minutes, but then you have to play clean and to play very fast. This is what we need, and especially and also in the first half when it's 0-0, when you make the mistakes, what I said.

The last 15 minutes, I would say we had then a lot of moments, especially on the side. And then you have to go with all your confidence then in this one-against-one, or to bring the ball in the box and then to be ready in our box positions to be ready then in our rest defense and when we lose the ball. And this, then, was not good today.

Happy Easter, guys.