NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

April 26, 2025

Sandro Schwarz

Press Conference

New York Red Bulls 1, Montreal 0

Q. I know you mentioned the importance of set pieces, but it seemed that a little bit lethargic in transition moments and in open play, and curious if you had anything you saw out there or anything you'd change next week?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: And I said this on last Thursday in our press conference, when you have seen the last four games of Montréal, it's so difficult to play against them.

So in their high press, they have a lot of man-marking situations with the center backs step out against Emil and one center back, and they are very physical and one center back, the other center back is against Choupo. So it's very difficult to find the space, and it's not a typical game, maybe like we had this season when we have a built-up situation and then you know. Maybe you can create three against two, one against -- two against one situation, but in this game, it's necessary to have these deep runs behind the center backs of Montréal.

And we had good moments but sometimes, and this is normal, because you have not the best feel, especially after D.C. United. But this is normal, our transition moments was much better than some games before, and this is good. That's what we need.

Next Thursday, we can talk about Inter Miami, they are playing on Wednesday against -- I think it's on Wednesday against Vancouver. So yeah, it's clear how we have to defend against Messi. But a little bit of time and then we can talk on Thursday about Inter Miami.

Q. Curious, what was your reaction to the first half? You've been commending Montréal since Thursday and today again. What were they doing right to keep you guys from getting shots on target, just disrupting your offense?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: In the first half, I would say after ten minutes, 15 minutes, I had also a good feeling. We spoke in the halftime. We showed poor sequences from the technical point, one situation in our defense and in our pressing that we can stay more in a higher position with Wike at the left winger and then our transition moments, we stay a little bit wider with our wingers and the build up, what I explained right now, to have these counter movements. To have these counter movements, and yeah, this was the main part. This was not on an emotional side or something like that because my feeling was that we were in the game, also, in the first half.

It's clear, with a young group that you don't have now the best feeling directly in the game after this last game against D.C. United because it was very tough, especially Sunday and Monday after the game.

But the reaction in the game, and I don't want to talk about the reaction of the last game; the reactions when we made mistakes, and this is what we need.

I'm very proud of the guys how we handled these situations today.

Q. Can you just talk about the center back partnership between Sean Nealis and Noah, how important is that partnership for the team?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, today was good. It was good. The whole back four. But we played, also, with Tim Parker and against Chicago very well, Hackie played very well a lot of games.

Today this was this decision, also a little bit from last season, they know each other, shifting moments, these situations, to help each other. It's not only the center back, as I said, it's the whole group, how we support when we lose the second ball directly to have this quick reaction to run backwards, when we win the second ball directly to run forward. For sure in these situations, we have to play cleaner in these moment, especially when we have the ball in our transition moment. This is the next, now we have to collect points, points, points in our situation with some injury, and players are coming back and that's it.

Q. You mentioned you're relatively a young crew but we are not talking about game-to-game, especially after this one, consistency is the thing I'm looking for. Is it that much of a challenge for you and your group, trying to string wins together, especially when you are trying to translate what is on the training pitch on to the game itself?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, but I'm pretty sure that every coach in this world want to have this consistently every Saturday, every Sunday, to see in the highest quality of performance, and that's a topic for sure. That is what we want to improve, what we have to improve, why we are working so hard every day, but -- and the expectation, and I can understand it, and I said this in our broadcast, my broadcast interview on Thursday and in the press conference, as well, the expectation is now higher, that's clear. Because we were very successful last year -- and last season, we had after ten games, do you know how many points we had last season after ten games?

Now I give the question. We had 17 points. We had 17 points. But the feeling was a little bit different, like we have now. Now, it's 15 points, two points less than last season.

But it's clear, consistently is the main part, and we are working for that.

Q. (About expectations for winning the Championship this season.)

SANDRO SCHWARZ: The expectation -- come on, it's a long season. It's a long, long season and I don't want to talk now about the championship, about the final or something like that. In each competition we want to be very, very successful and this is our target.

But it makes no sense end of April to talk about we want to be a champ or something. Come on. When I say this is, very easy as a head coach to say, we want to be a champ.

But Tuesday is the next training session this is what we have to show. We have to train like a champion every day. That's the first step, and it is a big step when we are doing that and when we are playing then game by game especially next month, very tough. This is what we need.

Q. Please talk about how happy you were with Kyle Duncan's performance going the full 90 after coming back from the ACL injury?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Oh, you had a big celebration last week on your birthday. We had this question. We had this question five minutes ago.

Q. It's not my fault that somebody didn't activate the Zoom right away.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Hopefully I answer the same now. He played very well, and he worked very professional during his injury time. So yeah, he did it also this season in his defensive behavior, very active and his offensive behavior, some good moments.

He played very well.

Q. I just wanted to ask you, a bit on what you touched on before, the reaction of your team. We've seen every time that the team loses at home, they have come back with a win and this is three times in a row this has happened. Can you comment on that aspect of your squad and the resilience of having a short memory and delivering a performance on the next game?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, but so when we prepare the next game, normally when we start to talk about the opponent, the next opponent, we start most of the time on Wednesday, and about match plan in terms of defense, offensive transition.

But then it's not the topic, okay, we have to show the reaction because we lost the last game or home game or something like that, no.

So then the clear focus on our next target, next opponent. This is our focus. And yeah, next game, Inter Miami, big game, it's clear. Big game there. But we have to prepare very serious, and then let's talk next Thursday about the match plan and everything else, what we want to do against Inter Miami.