Chicago Fire FC head coach Raphael Wicky and defenders Wyatt Ombserg and Boris Sekulić discuss the Fire's 1-0 defeat to CF Montréal at Soldier FIeld.
The Fire next travel to Columbus Crew SC for a 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff on Saturday, June 19.
Chicago Fire FC Head Coach Raphael Wicky
On where the team goes from this point forward...
"It's like you said, it's very frustrating. I think overall we controlled the game well. We were, in my opinion, clearly the better team. In the beginning, we gave up two easy balls where Montreal had two chances. But, after that, I think we controlled it very well and created lots of moments. It just doesn't enter and then there is this one cross where there are two strikers in the center and the ball just goes over Wyatt (Omsberg). At the end of the day, we have to defend that cross better. It's frustrating. It’s disappointing going into a three week break with this result, especially when you see that this is a game where we were the better team."
On thoughts of the last play of the game...
"I have not seen the play. I was asking who was offside. I was asking why he (the referee) went back so late. That's it. That's all I asked. I was told that Chinonso was offside. I haven't seen the play so I cannot give my opinion. It's obviously very, very hard when you score at a minute 96, you celebrate and you're all happy. I'm not sure if the game started again, if he actually whistled the start. Montréal already looked like they played and then suddenly you stop. It's frustrating but I don't want to judge the call because I didn't see the play."
On the Fire grinding to get a win when the game doesn't go the team's way…
"That's something they (Montréal) did. We obviously, last year, didn't do that away. We didn’t get the wins but we obviously grinded results as well. We had good results away where we didn't win but in some places had draws. What more can I say about Montréal? I don't really want to talk about Montréal. It's something we need to try and do better. When you don't have good games, I can't say we didn't have a good game today, we were the better team, we had chances then you just have to score. When you don't have a good game, which can happen in this season, then those are the moments you just have to say 'okay we maybe don't play well, we don't create much, but we need to somehow just keep a clean sheet and get a result - a point or something.' That is not happening for us right now, but today was the opposite. Today, I feel like we dominated the game for a large period of time. We created, we just (didn't) score and that was our problem today."
On if the result is because of a mental block or low confidence within the team...
"I can’t give you this answer. I don't think the team looked like they had low confidence, not at all. I think the team looked good, looked sharp. I think we pressed well and we had some moments where we covered balls and we created stuff. I don't think the team was low on confidence. It's just for some reason we had these big chances and we didn't score on them. We have these little moments, these half chances where the ball doesn't go in. Why is that? I cannot give you the answer. At the end of the day, the reality is we need too many chances to score a goal. That's the reality."
On what the schedule is for the next three weeks...
"We are going to give the team a few days off. That was planned and we're going to give them a few days off. I think it's good now to be with families and then come back and then we will start training again after a long period of time with no competitive games. We will try to keep working. We have guys coming back- Nacho (Aliseda) is coming back. Fabi (Herbers) is getting back and hopefully Elliot Collier will be back at one point in these three weeks. Carlos Terán is now getting back. Hopefully, we can use this time to give the players who were injured some more training sessions and some more rhythm to be ready for the next game."
Chicago Fire FC Defender Boris Sekulic
On his perspective on the late goal conceded…
“I don't remember exactly how it started, it was on our right side. So for sure I could have done more to stop this cross. Their striker is very tall, so he got the ball and they scored by first actually establishing this cross. And then the box defending was a problem. So that's it about that goal.”
On the mood of the locker room following today’s result…
“Well, for now we are all disappointed and frustrated. It's pretty, pretty quiet. I think we are all angry. Now we have two, three weeks to analyze things and to try to get in a better mood and to start winning.”
On how frustrating the result feels leading up to the extended break…
“Yeah, for sure it's very bad. If we won this game the mood would’ve been great, because last week we won, so we would have six points from the last two weeks. Unfortunately we lost again, so always, before these breaks it's bad to lose but it is what it is. Like I said, you can not go back but we have to think about the future. Next game is Columbus away so we have three weeks to prepare for this game.”
Chicago Fire FC Defender Wyatt Omsberg
On his perspective on the called back goal and the performance of the team…
“The called back goal, obviously tough. I haven't seen what happened. From my point of view, I didn't see, but apparently someone was offside before the cross came in. From the group it was a really solid performance. In that second half we were the better team, creating chances. Yeah, the one chance that they get, they score. Maybe they had one or two so it's disappointing, it's frustrating. And you know we got to be better in both boxes. We got to score our goals, you got to score our chances and we can’t give up a goal like that. That's on me, that's on us.”
On the frustration level of the group after not following up last week’s performance with a win…
“Yeah, I think it would have been huge to get another win. We had a lot of momentum coming off last week and I think going into the break, we were saying, two wins in a row would be huge for us. So it's definitely frustrating, especially when you feel like we play well, we do the right things. We prepared well, just didn't go our way. So, yeah, it's frustrating. But I think the group knows that we have the quality, we just need to be a little bit better, just these little details need to be better, and we'll be coming out on the right side of these games.”
On the team’s approach going into the break…
“Yeah, I think we keep going, we keep training the way we have been. We have to be better, everyone. So I think we train even harder than we have been and we get ready for our next game. I know it's a while away, but the next couple games are going to be really important so we gotta get ready for them and we'll take this time to make sure we are.”
On if there’s a mental block that prevents the group from winning results…
“I don't think it's a mental block, I don't think it's anything mental. I think, like we said, we just need to keep doing the right things. I think we keep working hard. We just need to be a little bit better all around for little details. But I don't really think it's a mental thing, or a physical thing, we're doing the right things. We just need to be just a little bit better and it's frustrating.”
