Chicago Fire FC head coach Raphael Wicky and defender Francisco Calvo deliver their takeaways from Sunday's 1-1 draw with the Philadelphia Union, in which the Fire secured a point on the road despite playing with 10 men following a first half red card shown to Wyatt Omsberg.
The Fire return will now return home to play three-straight matches at Soldier Field, first of which comes against New York City FC on Wednesday night (7 p.m. CT | TICKETS).
Chicago Fire FC Head Coach Raphael Wicky
On the team’s ability to grind out a point despite the early red card...
“Yeah, great compliment obviously on everyone in the team and it was a great effort. I think we all know how tough it is to play here. We all know how tough Philly is to play, very physical, very vertical (team).
So yeah, great credit to the team, great effort. I'm proud of what they have done because it's not easy, the situation where we are, where last week the results didn't come and then you're coming here and you're winning 1-0. And then you go down a man and immediately concede the draw, the 1-1, so great reaction, and that's something I think everyone showed a lot of character.”
On the red card issued to Wyatt Omsberg...
“I have seen it once. Look, I cannot say much. I mean, look, we have VAR. We have VAR. If they review it on VAR with slow motion, with a lot of people, and they think it's a red card, we need to trust them that it's a red card. But it's very, very, very soft, and I mean it is what it is. I have seen it once. I didn't see what they saw on the slow motion, but apparently Wyatt hit his knee or something.”
If the referee gave an explanation for the red card...
“I mean, I wasn't in communication with the referee. I asked the fourth. The fourth told me that Wyatt was touching his knee or was touching the player. So, yeah, that was it.”
On how he and his family are doing...
“Thank you, yeah, no changes. We're hanging in there. We're praying and hoping that my dad will get better but so far there (are) no changes. He's still in a very, very critical situation. He's still fighting for his life and that's how the situation is.
We hang in there and we support as a family as much as we can - each other and obviously my dad. That's what the situation is. Obviously as long as the hospital people who are doing a great job and not giving up, we are not giving up as a family.”
On what the point on the road does for the team’s confidence...
“Yeah, it's an important point. Every point away is always a good point. I think today, especially, with playing for so many minutes down against a strong team, I think that's something we can build (on); and that shows that the team is alive and the team fights and works together and that's very good now.
Yeah, look, we obviously are going into every away game with the mindset that we want to play like we play at home, that we want to go and win, that we want to go for the three points. We never (go) into a game saying today we are going for a point.
In that year, I don't know how many games I have now as a coach, something over 30 or almost 40. We haven't won (away). But last year, as well, we had points and we were close.
We're going to get there. We have to go away and go with the same mindset and fight and somehow get a win. I am convinced that we will do that. I know by the end of the season, we have a lot of away games, but I believe that if we play and fight together and if we manage our games a little bit better, sometimes, then we can get three points on the road for sure.”
Chicago Fire FC Defender Francisco Calvo
On the team’s effort after going down to 10 men and being able to grind out a point on the road...
“It was a fantastic point. It was a fantastic point for us. I think we make a really, really great effort. We take the point and move forward. I think we need to have Wyatt's (Omsberg) back, and take the point and go home, sleep, and in two nights, we have another game.”
On what he saw in the play that led to the red card on Wyatt Omsberg...
“For me, it wasn't not even a foul on this guy, (Corey) Burke. I mean, for me, the referee made not the best decision. But what are you going to say to the referee in that situation? They are always right, and we can't do anything. But for me, it wasn't a foul -- I mean, it wasn't a red card.”
On the tactical and formation adjustments the team made after going down to 10 men...“Yeah, we keep the five in the back. I mean, we usually play more like three in the back but this time we changed to five in the back, 5-4-1; 5-4-1, that's the only thing we can do.
In the second half, I'm pretty sure you watched the game, we keep the ball, at some point, we keep the ball, we try to keep it, to slow down, try to rest with the ball. But yeah, we just changed to 5-4-1 and we tried to battle the whole game.
On how the team is supporting head coach Raphael Wicky through his difficult family situation...
“I mean, we are with him all the way and with his family. You know, they are having a really, really tough situation, really sad moment. But we are going to keep praying for him and his family and his dad, all right. So he deserved the point and he deserves more, and hopefully on Wednesday we give him a good win.”
On the importance of goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth’s performances...
“Bobby is a fantastic goalkeeper. For me he is really, really underrated in this league. I have five years in this league, and four of them I played with him, and he has always been so underrated, I don't know why.
But I think he always gives us a lot of security in the back. He is in there to make saves, and he usually makes really, really brilliant saves for us. That's part of his job. We try to help him but that's how he helps us.”
