RBNY Training Report – Thursday, March 28, 2019
Following Friday’s training at Red Bulls Training Facility in Whippany, New Jersey, head coach Chris Armas, Kemar Lawrence, Aaron Long and Alex Muyl spoke with the media before their road match against the Chicago Fire.
Audio of the full interviews is attached, with select quotes, team news and notes below.
News and Notes
• Kaku (Paraguay), Kemar Lawrence (Jamaica) and Aaron Long (USMNT) all rejoined the team and trained in full on Thursday after their international matches with their respective national teams. Michael Amir Murillo (Panama) returned on Tuesday and has trained in full the last two practices.
• New York will look to avoid their second back-to-back losses in 2019 with a road trip to Chicago. The Red Bulls, who historically had issues playing in Chicago, are unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions at SeatGeek Stadium (3-0-2), formerly known as Toyota Park. New York has outscored Chicago, 10-4, over the last five matches in Chicago, including back-to-back clean sheets. Prior to New York’s 2-1 victory in Chicago on Oct. 25, 2015, the Red Bulls had not earned a win in Chicago since May 14, 2005.
• The Red Bulls finished last season with the second-best road record in MLS at 8-5-4 and were unbeaten in their last three road games. New York is currently unbeaten in their last four league road matches (2-0-2), dating back to last season. The Red Bulls have outscored their opponents, 8-5, on the road in their last four league away games with Bradley Wright-Phillips scoring four of the team’s eight road goals.
• Wright-Phillips, with one goal in his first two league matches of 2019, looks to continue scoring against Chicago. In 13 career matches, he has tallied 11 goals and two assists against the Fire, which includes a six-match scoring streak across all competitions versus Chicago. Alongside his six-match scoring streak, Wright-Phillips has tallied at least one point against Chicago in nine consecutive matches across all competitions (8G/2A).
Chris Armas (chris armas-3.mp3)
How the team has responded this week…
The guys have responded like winners do. They come back to work, they’re professional. We looked hard like we said we would but the guys have a certain standard themselves that they're holding around here that causes them to come in, get back to work. The energy has been good. And, the reminder on the inside, without even saying, is we're a good team and we know who we are. So right away, we look forward to the next game
What Chicago has showed so far this season…
Well, a team that is so good with the ball is bound to have breakdowns and when you're good with the ball, oftentimes it means your spacing the field and committing numbers up the field.
But let's make no mistake about it. When you watch their games, they control games with possession, they can hurt you with switches in the field, they have guys up the field, many options up the field. They can hurt you in many ways. Then out of the back with Schweinsteiger and Dax. Yeah, they can get on the ball in any moment and they can control the tempo of games and they can set the tempo and everything can go through them. So, yeah, you're bound to have some breakdowns. We hope that we have a chance to do some of that against them which is cause them some trouble and maybe they let us press, maybe they go direct, we're not sure what they'll do. We see teams typically they don't stick to what they've done in against other opponents. We've seen it. Even this year, even Orlando last game very direct with the switches and balls behind them. We think it can look like that, that they could set up for a day that we are not able to implement are pressing as much as.
• How the team has responded this week (0:18 – 0:50)
• On Chicago forward CJ Sapong (1:00 – 1:26)
• A possible aggressive, strong start from Chicago (1:41 – 2:11)
• Players coming back from International Duty (2:21
• How Kemar Lawrence feels after 90 minutes for Jamaica (4:01 – 4:39)
• Having Kaku back (4:48 – 5:41)
• The communication between the club and Federations (6:06 – 7:02)
• Kemar Lawrence being able to go the full 90 minutes (7:08 -7:48)
• Kemar Lawrence possibly playing Chicago (8:00 – 8:43)
• What Chicago has showed so far this season (9:00 – 10:19)
Kemar Lawrence (kemar lawrence.mp3)
How hard it was to not be in the lineup…
Yeah, it's funny because you know your body, what you're feeling but you're coaching staff and your medical staff see different players experience different things in different ways and people might feel good, and then they come back and then oh, they're injured. They see that and then they look at you coming back and you're really valuable to the team so they don't want that same thing that happened to you. Sometimes it's great to be a bit more cautious. Sometimes that's the right step and I feel like even doing that for the game that I was trying to play before I went it went away on the break. It was the right move because I play 90 minutes for Jamaica now. I feel really good coming on a lot of fitness in there and everything.
What the Chicago Fire bring offensively…
I haven’t really watched any game for them. I watched a couple of highlights and I kind of know the wingers that they have. You know me, I'm always ready to go. I'm always ready to face your best so bring it on. The back line is ready to go and I think my team is ready.
• Being back with the team (0:11 – 0:20)
• How hard it was to not be in the lineup (0:31 – 1:23)
• How it felt to be back on the field (1:23 – 1:45)
• Whether or not, as a player, he tried to lobby to come back early (2:01 – 2:38)
• What the Chicago Fire bring offensively (2:50 – 3:05)
• How hard it is to watch games (4:19 – 4:41)
• The confidence it gives the team to get everyone back from International Duty (4:50 – 5:09)
Aaron Long (aaron long.mp3)
Chicago’s offense and forward CJ Sapong…
Yeah, CJ’s a tough player. When he was with Philly, he caused us some problems. We know he's big, strong, fast and he can score goals in the air. He's a very good player and with Nikolić running in behind, it's a tough combo to deal with on a day. We don't know their exact line up yet. But CJ is going to cause problems surely so we got to be physical and aggressive with them.
Returning from USMNT camp…
Built a little bit of confidence but it's always good to come out of a camp feeling good and being healthy and getting a win and a tie as a team. Feeling like you took a step forward there and then coming back to this group it always feels good.
• Chicago’s offense and forward CJ Sapong (0:57 – 1:15)
• Chicago entering must win territory (1:22 – 1:34)
• What makes Chicago tough to handle (1:48 – 2:05)
• Returning from USMNT camp (2:17 – 2:29)
• What it means to be a part of USMNT (2:33 – 2:48)
• The mixing of European and MLS based players (3:06 – 3:22)
• Tyler Adams playing right back (3:26 – 3:31)
• Did you tell him that (3:32 – 3:38)
Alex Muyl (alwx muyl.mp3)
On the troubles Chicago has caused the team over the past seasons…
I mean they’re just a team, I think, that knows as well and that we know well. It's never easy when you play against a team that you kind of have some history and you understand the way each other want to play and it makes it more difficult. I think, going to their place first this year is a good opportunity for us to hopefully steal three points at their place and then set it up for a return match.
On having to switch to a brand new position in the middle of a game…
I think for me it was a little bit frustrating because I'm feeling good in my attacking role lately. It's obviously frustrating because of injury to go back and have to play a new position but for me it was obviously whatever the team needed. I was hoping to get a clean sheet on. Unluckily, I was you know a little bit late on that last play but I think a bunch of things broke down that that also led to that goal so it was definitely frustrating but for me. Obviously, a good experience and if I have to go back there again I think I'll have a little bit better of an understanding because by the end of the game I think I was a little bit better at knowing my role.
• The upcoming matchup with Chicago (0:22 – 0:33)
• The fight Chicago is going to bring (0:44 – 1:00)
• Troubles Chicago has caused the team over the past seasons (1:16 – 1:35)
• The physical toll from the Orlando game (1:40 – 1:48)
• Being a physical player in a physical game (1:56 – 2:04)
• Playing outside back (2:12 – 2:18)
• Having to switch to a brand new position in the middle of a game (2:29 – 3:02)
• The play of Chicago forward CJ Sapong (3:17 – 3:39)
