NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

July 16, 2025

Sandro Schwarz

Press Conference

New York Red Bulls 5, New England 3

Q. Congrats on an unbelievable win. You guys are down 2-0 at halftime can you talk about what you saw and what ignited such a scoring outburst in the second half?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: I said in the locker room directly after the game, I am responsible for the first half, that's clear. That's not a tactical point. It was not a tactical point the first half but everyone could feel it; that we were not free from the mental side and we were not aggressive enough and we dropped back. Didn't find the right words, that's clear.

Yeah, in halftime, only to give the guys confidence to believe in that what we want to do, how we want to play, was also not directly at the second half but then we changed a lot. We changed only the position from the winger. Then one goal was Danny Edelman, we talked before the game, maybe that he has a chance today to score, and it was a really good moment for us.

And then great, great, the response from the guys, the behavior of them always to believe in the second half, and this was for the whole group, very, very important. We can learn a lot and now everyone is talking maybe from the second half.

But me, too, we can learn a lot from the first half and when we feel free and we are from the mental side ready, we have the quality, it's good. And then also that we had today this feeling to come back like we did in the second half, it was great.

But the first half, my responsibility, clear.

Q. Can you talk about Ronny Donkor's second half, he seems like someone who might have benefitted from that method of just having a little more freedom, a little more flexibility. He had two assists.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, Ronny, to be honest, was the best example today. When you compare this to the first half and second half, but again, it's not Ronny Donkor. It's me, the first half, what the guys played. And second half, he was top, top and first of all, as an eight, and as a six in our buildup and the connection and to feel free in our forward defending, to feel free when we lose the ball, not to think too much about mistakes.

I think that's, for us, for our group, very important because we don't have time in the game to think too much when we are doing mistakes or when we drop back, then we are not compact enough.

And Ronny was really, really good. And he played, also, in Philly after his substitution. Second half, great. Minnesota, great. Now he was ready and he showed his quality, especially in the second half.

Q. You got four goals from your two big star players in the second half. How important is their leadership, especially in moments where your team is behind, and talk about how they pick up the team in those moments as well?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, you need, then, these guys on the field in these difficult moments. And for the final pass, and when you have the chance, then, also, to have the quality then to score, and these guys how they lead the team, especially in the second half, was top, top.

The team, the second half, which is very important for us to have this experience, and also, then, these two guys with all the others together on the field but the guys outside, off the field, everyone was then ready and not to think too much, okay, what can happen or the mistake or something like that. Great, great guys today, and yeah, again, second half, this was our real face at the end.

Q. You keep saying "the first half," "the first half." So last game, first half, what turned it around, and what does that really lead you to believe for the very near future games?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, what I said, this is always to believe in our quality and our mentality, and we can talk a lot. We can talk a lot.

But at the end, it's also important that you feel it on the field like we did it all together with our supporters, with you guys here in the stadium. That's really, really important for the development of the young group, and everyone could feel it not only to see because of the goals.

But you can feel it in the energy from the whole group which we had in the second half and I'm really proud of the guys how they respond after first half Philly game; and then also after these two days, three days, after Philly game, between now, the game today and the first half -- or first 25, 30 minutes, I would say, last, ten, 15 minutes were also some chances today. But it was good.

Q. After this big win, this Saturday you will face Inter Miami and Messi. Are you ready to win another game?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: If you ask me today if I am ready for Saturday, to be honest, no. But we have two days' time, so we start preparing tomorrow, the game, and then we will be ready.

But if you ask me today directly after this game, it's not possible directly to think about, okay, what are we doing on Saturday.

It's really boring, my answer, I know.

Q. We have a saying in American sports that a two-goal lead is the most dangerous lead that you can have. Do you think in the second half your response caught from New England and how important was it to keep laying it on so you don't give them a chance to recover? There were a couple moments at the end of the game where they got the two goals. How important was it to keep going?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: It's always important. We had this issue, our home game against Minnesota, and on the road against Toronto, and this was, as well, our topic the last couple of weeks, to continue and not to think about, okay, now we are 1-0 up, and hopefully the game is ending very quick.

So this is the clear focus, clear energy every time, 95, 97 minutes today. That's important for our energy and this is now what we have to show on Saturday against Inter Miami, a hundred minutes.

Q. A match like this, especially what happened with Chester, now going up against a quality side, how do you keep this going going forward from here? What was a very good win against New England, you're going to be facing a tougher team.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, it's clear that we have to show a picture, some sequences from the game today, tomorrow, to our guys, but it's not only the sequence. It's now because the guys, they feel it on the field, okay, always to think and to believe that we are ready to come back.

As a coach, assistant coach or the whole staff, we can talk a lot but at the end, you have to feel it on the field and this is the most important part today; that the guys held it today, especially the second half, and of course, we have to continue that, and so first half Philly was not good. First 25, 30 minutes was not good.

But now we have to keep going and clear focus, and clear energy level for Saturday. Then Saturday in a week is Chicago, and then three Leagues Cup games, and after that, we have nine games.

Q. How much was this five-match winless streak weighing on the shoulders of yourself and the players and at the same time when Daniel scored that goal to make it 2-1, did you feel a sense of relief that came off everyone's shoulders that you were able to dominate the second half?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, you need then, these moments, it was a little bit lucky the way we scored this goal but also you need this luck in some moments and to build up the confidence, everything, and I don't know the goal which we scored was 50 minutes, I think, so a lot of time, then to go.

And, also, then to change offense, offense, offense, and not hopefully to think about, okay, is it possible to play 2-2 or something like that.

Yeah, it's normal. Also, guys, this is your job as well, when we didn't win the last five games, then it's normal. But for me as a head coach, my job is then to look at different picture and not to analyze, then, all the games, okay, these five games, we didn't win.

So our job is then more what happened in all these five games why we didn't win. Minnesota, for example, was a really good game and then Toronto set pieces, Philly was not good, we talked about that.

And of course, every result is important for the whole group, and also for you that you don't write now again six games without a win.

It's also better for you. Come on, it's also better to write about this game today than another way when we are losing or something like that.