NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA CONFERENCE

July 19, 2025

Sandro Schwarz

Press Conference

Inter Miami 5, New York Red Bulls 1

Q. Miami seemed to build that momentum heading into your defensive area, and the first two goals counter on are on Mohammed Sofo just for ball watching in that position. Can you go through that decision to give him the start, right wingback tonight?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, we started very well in the game and very aggressive, very intensive, so we won a lot of times on the opponent side of the ball, and I would say in our transition moments, that was not good today that we have to play more clean.

In that moment, yeah, we talked about the ball from Messi then to Jordi Alba about that, but it's not only Sofu to be honest. It's them, top of the box to make more pressure on the ball, and then with our center back, with our winger player with Sofu, this is what we have to defend better.

Then I would say second half, really, really good start, and then to be honest, I'm shocked about what happened today. Not about the performance, but I'm really, really shocked. And what happened today, especially with the fourth goal, that is, for me, tough, tough to accept.

And, well, I hope that everyone is looking to that goal, and because 3-1 is completely different and everyone knows what happened three days ago on Wednesday, but the fourth goal that killed us, and also from the mental side.

Yeah, you have to write it now to be honest. And also, Apple, they have to talk about that to be honest. Because that's unbelievable. And I'm really shocked. I'm really, really shocked. I'm not angry with the referee. I'm really, really shocked about what happened in the game today, and, yeah, everyone could see what happened, especially in the second half and yellow card with Ronny Donkor with a header, it's tough.

Normally, you know me, I'm very really -- emotion, but today, I'm shocked. I'm really, really shocked about what happened on the field with a lot of decisions against us. And we had this against Austin, today, and this is -- and I hope you are doing that, as well, and to analyze the game, as well, and also to watch these sequences. Shocked. Really shocked.

Q. We talked repeatedly about the mindset of the team, dealing with opponents like Miami, things simply fell apart after that. What can you say to the team trying to get their heads together, especially dealing with the quality side like that? And in addition, it seems that it's a repeating process where you don't know what team you're going to have in front of you where you're good one night and inexplicably bad the next. Is it more mental? It can't be physical.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: For me, to be honest, I'm sorry, it was not bad to be honest. It was not bad. It was not bad today. Maybe I'm surprised.

Of course you look to the result, 5-1, you think, what a bad performance. For me it was not that. For me it was not a bad performance. We tried everything. We tried everything. And of course how we concede the goal that, was not good.

Yes, I agree, that was not good in our behavior to make pressure on the ball and then also to defend these deep runs, especially on our right side. A hundred percent, I agree. But look, when you try the second half and then the fourth goal how you concede, of course, that's then from the mental side, how can I then accept, okay, okay, now it's a goal, okay, we try it again.

Before we start talking about the guys today, and I hope you are doing this job as well, and I'm talking with what we can improve, a hundred percent, in our transition and our two, three goals, which we concede in the first half.

But I hope, believe me, I hope, really, that you also write down something what happened today because this is also the story of the game today, especially from the mental side. And, this is, yeah, I criticize me the last Wednesday before the game.

But today, I can't criticize our guys. We have to improve. Of course we have to improve. But from the mental side, I'm really shocked what happened. I'm really, really shocked what happened.

And no one is talking about it. I heard after the game, no one is talking about that. That is for me unbelievable to be honest. That's unbelievable that on TV, it's a live game, and no one is talking about that.

And I work now in a top league over one hundred games coached in a top league. But when something happened like that, everyone is talking about that. Everyone is talking about that. Everyone is talking about that. But here, no? Okay.

And this is -- I'm not angry or sad. I'm really shocked, and I'm really disappointed about that. But this is, yeah, it's tough. Really tough.

Q. Seemed at times the ball got stuck at your center back's feet. Like they didn't really know where to go with it, and there wasn't much verticality in the runs, people into the channels. Kind of got in the second half. Is that tactical? Was it they weren't making the runs --

SANDRO SCHWARZ: No -- I'm sorry for interrupt. Look, look, the first, 15, 20 minutes --

Q. Outside of the first 15. Because the first 15, as you said, was great.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: No, you talked about the second half. Before we concede the fourth goal, hey, we had chances. We had chances. We were in the box. We had our moments and of course when it's 4-1, come on, and how you --

Q. I was thinking more 1-1, 2-1 in the first half, first 15 minutes you were pressing, on top of them and had them pinned back but after you got that goal they pinned you back and it kind of got stuck --

SANDRO SCHWARZ: I agree.

Q. Turnovers happened.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: I agree, these goals with we concede in the first half we drop back and they have the switch, then we drop back and not to step out to defend, a hundred percent, I agree. In that case, a hundred percent. And then they have the quality to play the final ball, and then -- a hundred percent, this is what we have to improve, I agree.

But from the mental side, nothing, nothing what I can criticize the guys, nothing.

Q. Over the last three games, this team has allowed ten goals. You're trying different shapes each game. Can you talk about that process and what you're seeing from this group, and a follow-up question is: What would your message to the fans be after tonight?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, it's tough. It's really tough to lose 5-1 and look, now we are talking about ten goals but we have to see this in a different way. We have to see in Philly how the goals which we concede was not good, especially the first half.

So against New England was three goals, yeah, and then the last goal in the last second, so now we are talking now about the big picture, ten goals. Of course is two enough, of course, a hundred percent and this is what we have to defend better.

But today, look, we are talking now about that, we concede ten goals. But the way, today -- and I agree a hundred percent in the first half how we concede, but the momentum, the second half, we can't analyze the second half. It's not possible. You can't analyze the second half. I'm shocked about that. If you see the line, this is unbelievable.

And no one is talking on TV. No one is talking about it. This is for me -- I can't understand. No one is talk on TV about the situation. No, we are talk the celebration of Lionel Messi, he's a great player, everyone knows had. He's a great player, he's the best player in the world. But come on.

Q. Do you think the presence of Messi and the large away crowd affected your team's performance?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: No. Messi is a great player, what I said, he's a great player. But the first goal, which he scored, look. Now I have to commend these moments -- but look at it, when you're doing your job, you have to write about the first goal. When you're doing your job, you have to write about the first goal.

Q. You already alluded to it, but first 15 minutes were great, the press I think had Miami pretty cornered in, the keeper looked visibly nervous and as the game wore on, the press went back. Was that more that it was impossible to sustain that level of energy for five minutes?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: No.

Q. Or was the first goal deflating your team a little bit?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah. That's a good, but I'm pretty sure that we can play this level, also, with our intensity in 95 minutes or 99 minutes after going up 5-1, nine minutes' stoppage time. No.

But I agree, the goal -- after the first goal, then directly the second goal, and this is then a little bit also from the mental side, okay, that is then tough, against a really good quality.

And in these situations, then we make the big mistake against a really good team, when you give them space, when you press high but then in some moments you drop back and then open the space, they turn and then were able to pass deep and then it's really, really difficult because you want to stay high but then you need in these moments pressure on the ball and this was the biggest mistake in these moments in the first half.

Q. What's your message for the players to recover mentally and move on to the next game, disregard this game, or see the benefits of this game? Like you said, the first 15, 20 minutes of each half were great, but how do you recover from the mental side?

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, we analyze the first 65, 70 minutes before we concede the fourth goal. So we analyze, of course, the situations and then to keep going. Come on, we lost. It was tough and to keep going. And then this is the message to our supporters okay, keep going; that can happen.

But the last 25 minutes, 30 minutes, I will not analyze this game, and I hope other people other people will analyze what happened in some moments before the fourth goal we concede.

Q. After this game, started off great, how are you going to prepare these guys for the busy schedule that's about to come on, two different tournaments, and you have the makeup game, a lot happening in a short period of time with your group of guys.

SANDRO SCHWARZ: Yeah, first of all, now we are only looking for the Saturday game. So we have now a regular week. So enough time for recovery after these tough games now which we had in the last week.

And now normal, regular week, and then to be ready in Chicago and I'm pretty sure that we will also then show our quality. This is heads up and to analyze very serious what we have to improve and not only to talk about -- this is our job we have to analyze. And we will do that and then keep going, Chicago and then to be ready on the road against them.