Courtesy of Chicago Fire Communications
New York Red Bulls Head Coach Jesse Marsch
On the team’s effort:
“At halftime, it would have been easy to be frustrated and angry but I just tried to arrange their minds to know that the game was there and that they really had to make a push. And if they made a push the right way, that they
would be able to get themselves back into it. That was my main emphasis at halftime. I think that the push that they made in the second half was really good. I think they went after the game in a good way, we pressed a little bit more, and we were able to be dangerous with possession. Overall you have to look at it as a positive, a big positive. Now it’s a result we get on the road and momentum going forward. Somehow though we have to find ways to cut out performances like the first half and build on performances on the second half.”
On McCarty’s injury and how his injury changed the game for the Red Bulls:
“We’re hopeful that Dax is going to be okay. I thought it was bad tackle. One in my mind was worthy of a red card. This has been an emphasis in the league is cutting out these kinds of tackles. And Dax is big player, an important player. So you hope that a tackle like that doesn’t lead to a really bad injury. We’re hopeful that he is going to be okay. It doesn’t change too much. Sean Davis is a guy that we know we can count on whenever he steps in the games, steps on the field. It’s not a big drop off. As good as guys like Dax and Felipe are, Sean can come into our team and still give the same kind of effort and awareness and confidence and ability. So overall I thought that as much as we missed Dax, it’s still good to have Sean on the field.”
On Bradley Wright-Phillips taking advantage of his lack of touches in the second half and scoring the tying goal:
“I’ve been challenging him to make more plays late in the game. I thought that they did a pretty good job of being hard on him. Every team we play knows that Bradley is important. They focus in on him, they focus in on him and Sacha [Kljestan] and Brad still manages to find ways to get goals. The key was in the second half to keep everyone’s mentality about the next play and not worrying about plays not coming off, the goal didn’t come right away, and just try to encourage them to continue to have a positive mentality to push and push and push. And for Brad to make a big play like that that late in the game, is a big step for him. And obviously a big step for our team. That part was good. I’ll build on that and say, as good as Brad is, we’re trying to help encourage him to have a cutthroat mentality. That even if he doesn’t have many touches on the day, he only needs one touch to make a difference. And so that part was really good. He stayed after the game and made a big play.”
On Robles’ injury:
“He said he tweaked it a little bit on a goal kick and when he hit it with his left foot on the one he said it felt weird. Again he is another guy we hope that will be okay. We have a midweek game, Champions League, so we will have to evaluate where he is at, where Dax is at, and then figure out what the next steps are. We are hopeful that is a minor one.”
On Kljestan having a quiet first half perhaps due to the tactics:
“I’ll take some responsibility because we altered our pressing a little bit to try to address certain things. With Chicago, maybe we invited them in to play too much. So I even said to the team that I will take some responsibility for our lackluster performance in the first half. But I think there’s also part of it that’s about those guys now going after the game with more courage. Once it got to be one-one, I think that all of sudden things started to tip a little bit in their favor and we lost the game. We are lucky not to be three-one down, because they called a foul on that. Overall it’s a combination of the tactics and making sure we step up on the field with courage and belief.”
Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls Forward
On the result:
“I think it would be a good away point. When we move further into the season and we look back it is a difficult place to come in, it doesn’t matter where they are in the league. I had a quiet game, those defenders were tough. It is a decent point but because we were a point up, it kind of hurts.”
On the performance of the team:
“I said last game, I think we showed improvements against NYCFC, the way we played more patient. To come here, we have been in that position and lost a game so obviously we have turned a corner hopefully and we have to keep that form up. We have got a tough one again next Sunday so we will see then if we have actually learned.”
On the goal
“It was one of the rare times that we had space on the flank so when Collin got it my eyes kind of lit up and I knew he could deliver a good ball. I just kind of wanted to get to the front post. I think Felipe got a little touch on it which might have helped my cause but I just tried to get a nice firm touch behind it.”
On scoring the most goals
“Of course, I won’t lie, I try not to think about it but when you say these kind of things it makes me proud, I put a lot of work into what I do and an achievement like that, it makes me feel happy and proud.”
Sean Davis, New York Red Bulls Midfielder
On coming into the game for Dax McCarty
“I mean first of all it is tough to lose our captain, Dax. We don’t know the extent of the injury but I really hope he is okay because he is obviously our leader, great player, great guy to have on the field so that was disappointing. The message to me was try to get to half time, try to fight with the group, defend. It was a tough first half for us in a lot of ways I would say but I am really proud of the way the group responded in the second half and I thought we got a well-deserved point.”
On being down at half
“Well the message at halftime was to go after it. If we lose the game we lose the game but let’s go for it, let’s leave it all on the field, let’s empty the tanks, let’s give it everything we got. At the end of the day, I think that is what the group did and we were pushing that whole half and finally found that goal. I thought, again, we deserved it so we maintained that momentum going forward now.”
On getting his chance to play
“You never know what is going to happen and it has taken a lot of patience, a year and a half with the club, rightfully so because there is three great midfielders that we have and that I think are the three best in the league. The most important thing for me is to work hard in training, watch those three, and be ready when my time comes.”
On the busy schedule
“You know, we got to take care of our bodies for sure, do whatever we can to rest and recover to give ourselves the best chance Wednesday and go to LA on the weekend. We definitely can’t overlook that midweek game, Champions League’s really, really important to us so we are all looking forward to that.”
Veljko Paunovic, Chicago Fire Head Coach
Thoughts on the match
“Losing these two points for me is tougher than any other defeat we have had this year. It is very difficult for us after a great response from the team and Matt obviously with the goal. When we tied the game and then took the lead of the game was a great response. We have to get better; it is still the same issue with conceding goals in the last minutes of the game. I think that maturity and mentality comes in play and I think that we did most of the things very well but we have to learn how to win games. Positive side is that we came back from the early goal against New York. That is the positive side but we have to learn how to manage the game and keep that result or even increase the lead so we move forward.”
On what was discussed with the players after the match
“We still didn’t talk. What I am going to say is we gave our best. Today we played tough which is a part of our identity. After having to react to a negative result in the first half we have to learn to either score the third goal which is something that we were looking for in the second half. Starting the second half that was our goal but then you don’t concede, you have to go and keep the score especially in the last five or ten minutes you have to.”
On conceding a late goal
“Yeah, that is why it is so tough.”
On the injury to Joao Meira
“We have to see it. It looks like a muscle strain, a hamstring strain so we will see it tomorrow, we don’t know yet. Hopefully he is going to be ready for the next game but we don’t know now.”
Matt Polster, Chicago Fire Midfielder
On allowing a late goal
"I think it's obviously disappointing. Going down a goal, giving up an own goal by myself is unfortunate, but I thought we did well to battle back and go up 2-1. Obviously, to give up a late goal is not ideal. To have three points right there in front of you, and to lose them is disappointing."
On the own goal
"Sean and I talked at halftime. It looked like Sean was going to have it, but then I looked and it kind of hung up there, so then last second I went for it and just a little miscommunication. I didn't hear anything, but I also should have just cleared it myself. I think sometimes you just have to take it into your own hands and just do it. I second-guessed myself and that's on me."
On the team's answer to an own goal
"Right when I gave up the own goal, the whole team kind of told me, 'it's fine, we're going to get it back, and we're going to win this game still.' To have that feeling and have those teammates and the support around you, to tell me that we’re going to be alright, we're going to win, gave me a little bit of energy to just try and bring it back around and help the team out. For the goal, David made a big switch and I realized everybody kind of shifted over, so I just went back post. Goossens played a great ball in, and I headed it home."
Johan Kappelhof, Chicago Fire Defender
On the late goal
"We had a couple of corners against us, and on the last one, we didn't clear well. They gave it directly in and we were two men down. It's a disappointing game, we wanted to win this one. It's very disappointing that we drew."
On the mentality of a close match
"First of all, we have to be focused 90 minutes long. Second, if you score and it’s 3-1, it would have been much easier for us, because when it's 2-1, they will come, they think that they can draw the game. It's difficult to defend the pressure all game long, so if we score to make it 3-1, it would be easier. We have to finish our chances. I think in the second half, we had two 100% chances, and those have to be goals."
On changes from first to second half
"First half, we kept the ball better than the second half, and that's why they got faith to score the second goal. I think second half, we need to be smart and keep the ball and save our energy, but we were defending all second half. That was not so good."
