CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

July 20, 2026

Chris Brady

Joel Waterman

Press Conference

Q. What's it like being a vet at 21? Over the last week as you re-acclimate with the team and have had time to reflect and a bit of news in this team, what's it been like for both of you over this last week understanding that the World Cup has ended but you're now back in club soccer?

CHRIS BRADY: It's been good. When I came back, it was a warm embrace from all the guys and I really appreciated that. It was crazy to gain a different level of perspective on just the game of soccer in general, the different levels, how it's played around the world, and it was an incredible experience.

Coming back, we're just shaking off a little bit of rust in the first few training sessions and it's been clear that the focus was on Vancouver and now Miami.

JOEL WATERMAN: Likewise. Amazing time away. Obviously we both take playing for countdown triers very seriously and it's obviously a huge honor, especially in the World Cup. I missed the guys and the training environment every day and our city and being at home and that kind of lifestyle.

But yeah, you know, like he said, shake the rust off the last couple days in the last couple training sessions and get back to work, and we're really happy to be back.

Q. Joel, you went through this first experience of being part of the Canadian squad on Canadian soil. How was that?

JOEL WATERMAN: Yeah, I don't think I've had enough time to reflect yet what we actually accomplished and what it meant for the country and future generation of sports that will play the game in this country and in North America. It was such an honor to be part of that group and to do as well as we did.

But it's going to be -- it was difficult to be in the moment. Obviously we have a job to do and we have to play well, and you know, in order to have that honor we have to be able to win games and we were able to do that.

But we won't see the effects of what really transpired at the World Cup until probably the next World Cup when all the resources and different things are even better than what they were for us this time around.

Like I said, it was a huge honor to be there again. Yeah, I hope it inspires that next generation, like I said?

Q. Chris, you're the youngest U.S. goalie to go to a World Cup since 1990. Even though you didn't play, what do you take away from that experience of being in a World Cup that you can take to hopefully getting on the field in 2030?

CHRIS BRADY: I touched on it but just the level of expectations and the players are expected to do and how they are expected to perform at a level like that, that's something that I will definitely take into my journey into the next World Cup.

For me, that's the ultimate goal is to play, be a starter, and yeah, I think working towards that is going to take a lot of application of what I've learned over this last World Cup and the camps prior, but also what I do every day in finding a good dynamic and fusion between the two and how I play and my play style.

Another thing that stood out to me was just how powerful this World Cup was. Really growing soccer here. I had a buddy text me, he lives in a rural farm in Indiana and said he went to a bar and saw that during the U.S. game, there was a people -- it was a packed-out scene with U.S. jerseys and it was like kind of unheard of to support the sport in that sense in that town.

It was great to see little instances here. We had Recess here, which was sick. I don't remember things like that in the last World Cup or the one before that. Really cool to see how the sport is growing and happy to be a part of that.

Q. Chris, I was actually there to see your journey at the World Cup and the trainings. You had so much fun. It was so obvious, the way you guys interacted with each other. Tell me, even not getting to play, the trainings and moments you guys had, how did that keep you upbeat throughout this whole tournament, these relationships that you formed?

CHRIS BRADY: Yeah, for me, like that in a sense is also contributing to how we perform, how well I can build the camaraderie and that family aspect around the team is also a big way we contribute to the performances on the field. If the guys who play, the starting 11, feel the support from everybody and the depth of the roster, then it's a -- they can play more free knowing that the people behind them are fully supporting them, and even off the field, how we are brothers, and I think growing that sort of chemistry is, to me, almost just as important as the performances themselves.

So I understood that from day one. Whether or not I played, I think it was an incredibly important thing to be part of the chemistry building. And I think in any World Cup for my team, the chemistry of that team defines how well they do.

So yeah, I think that was the biggest thing for me.

Q. A lot of the world and country got introduced to Jesse Marsch throughout this tournament and his passion and desire that he has. Curious, did you guys in the dressing room throughout the World Cup did, that feed you guys in the locker room, seeing a coach that's so passionate and demonstrative, all those things come out, fighting for you guys literally in the media? How did you take it in the locker room to have a manager like that that's fiery?

JOEL WATERMAN: Yeah, we've never questioned his -- the way he cares about us. We never questioned how much he cares for us, how much he cares about Canadian football as a whole, the grass roots, his coaches, his staff members, and especially us. That's one thing we talk about a lot as players is how much he cares and how we can always give him a call any time and he'll pick up the phone.

So I think that's really important for a manager to have a quality like that. You know, obviously when you're not meeting as much as you would like to with national teams, you don't get to see each other a lot, he's always just one text or one call away. We respect him a lot for that.

Obviously there's people in the media and other things that characterize him as in a certain way. He's a very, very smart guy, very intelligent guy. He knows what's said about him and what's true and what's not, and so we don't worry about those kind of things. He's a great manager for us and where we're at at this time in this country, and we back him fully.

Q. You both grew up North America where soccer isn't the biggest sport. You got to be there with the teams and such a big part of the experience and around that whole environment. What was it like seeing both the United States and Canada taken over by soccer, like you couldn't walk into a grocery store without seeing ten soccer balls before you make it to the check out?

CHRIS BRADY: For me, it was an absolutely incredible thing to see the amount of support and the amount of rallying people did behind us. Things like going to a team dinner, we have two or 300 people just chilling outside our hotel expecting us and it was manage that was very surprising to me but I was happy to see it because that level of support I think is what's needed for the growth of soccer in this country and on this continent. Yeah, that's what stood out to me.

JOEL WATERMAN: Likewise. I think those are the coolest parts about the tournament was seeing the streets filled jerseys in red. I had friends in downtown Toronto filming from the 20th floor of people storming the streets and walking to our games. It was incredible. People waiting outside the hotel like Chris mentioned, those are the things that we want to see in our country, and those are the things that are slowly going to make our countries football nations.

We've had all this talk about us, Canada hockey, NFL, different sports; I don't think we are trying to be better than other sports. We just want to see our sport be as big as it can be and grow as much as possible and for that next generation of kids, like I mentioned. And seeing those things were the best part of World Cup for me and how much people care.

We want to grow and grow the fan bases; grow for people who may not know the game very well who may want to watch it for entertainment, we don't care. As long as they are a part of it and part of something, that's all that matters.

Q. We've heard a lot about the cultural impact that this tournament had on your respective nations but from a competitive angle, for Canada, historic round of 16 and U.S., what was the general sense in the locker room and camp after elimination as far as this next competitive cycle? Is there a sense that this was a step in the right direction?

JOEL WATERMAN: Yeah, I would say for Canada for sure a definite step in the right direction. Like I said, first time making it out of the group, first time making the round of 16, first win at the World Cup, so many records that we set and so much history that we made.

With that said, we are also disappointed with how we exited that tournament. I believe you saw in that first half against Morocco, we were very, very good, and then obviously their quality and talent took over.

So we are not at that place, yet, but we can definitely get there with how much work we are doing and how many different things we have going on at the grass roots level and all the quality coaching and resources and all that stuff.

From a competitive standpoint we are very, very proud of what we accomplished as a team but in the same breath a bit disappointed of how we went out because we are competitors. We want to win and go as far as possible, but I think it's a definite step in the right direction for this country.

CHRIS BRADY: Yeah, no matter where any player on that roster is in their National Team career, I think every single one of them felt like this was a step in the right direction.

As Joel said, we had done things in this World Cup that we had not done at all before. And I think a lot of guys use that had to fuel the belief of how far we can go in a World Cup and how we stack against national opponents and what's to come for the future.

We had quite a bit of young talent on the team performing well, and I think seeing that take form on the world's biggest stage just gives added belief to the fact that, yeah, this is 100 percent a step in the right direction, and yeah, I mean, it's incredible to be a part of that step.

Q. Obviously the big news has been the pending departure of Hugo. We've seen him score goals and how hard he works on the field. What has he brought to this team off the field in the time you've known him as a teammate that you have to replace in the locker room that you would miss besides seeing him put the ball in the back of the net?

JOEL WATERMAN: Sorry, could you repeat the question again?

Q. What has Hugo brought to the team off the field as a teammate?

JOEL WATERMAN: Hugo has been here for two and a half years, and we even talked about it today, that first day, he brought that competitive spirit both on and off the pitch. His standard, every day, I think his professionalism off the field that you guys don't get to see, the work that he spends with the trainers and extra time in the gym and his rehab, prehab, all these different kind of things, every day this guy came to work.

I think that set the standard for the rest of the guys to do the same. You guys obviously got to see amazing goals and the amazing play that he put on the pitch but that's because of the preparation he's done behind the scenes. He will be missed a leader on the team, and he's an amazing guy.

Obviously these transfer windows are tough for teams and individuals, obviously, because players come and go. It's probably the hardest as a professional to say good-bye that people that you played with and have become really close with, but that's the nature of football. But what he did for this club both on and off the field is amazing.

CHRIS BRADY: Off the field, I'm really appreciative of the leadership perspective he's brought over the last two and a half years, but Gregg mentioned it in our meeting this morning. He shows it in a really unique way, and oftentimes, it's in a lead by example kind of way. I really assimilate with that.

I think over the two and a half years, a lot of guys began to look up to that sort of leadership silent knowing that he was going to give a hundred percent, knowing that he was giving a hundred percent in training and every game. Like Gregg said this morning, you knew what you were going to get out of him every day. We can't thank him enough for all that he's done for us. Yeah, that's kind of my two cents.