CHICAGO (April 30, 2023) – Chicago Fire FC II played New York Red Bulls II to a scoreless draw on Sunday evening at SeatGeek Stadium. The Fire earned a point in the tie, but New York earned an additional point from the ensuing shootout.
After the match, Chicago Fire II Head Coach Ludovic Taillandier, defender Lamonth Rochester and midfielder Richard Fleming III shared their thoughts on the draw.
Chicago Fire FC II Head Coach Ludovic Taillandier
On being shut out despite creating multiple chances…
“Look, it's a very positive game in the sense that we created chances. It's always about creating chances. As for the chances, again, we don't need to ask, as a coach, the forwards to score goals; they know they have to score goals. The more you miss, the more you miss. There is something mental about it, we need to relax. Like I told them, by experience, I'm not too worried that the goals are coming, because at this level of expected goals, we should get some soon. Starting tonight's game, I'm pretty sure if we keep playing with this ambition to create chances, we’ll score more in the next games.”
On players’ frustration with missing scoring chances…
“They're extremely frustrated. For a forward to not score a goal that he should have or to miss three, four chances, that they will struggle sleeping tonight. I don't need to tell them, on top of the frustration, that they should have scored – they know. It's like asking a coach to win games. If the coach wants to win games, it's definitely something difficult today, to get just one point. We felt we had potentially the three points, we should have. But, you know, that is this game. We keep working and making sure that we are getting better at scoring those chances.”
On Lamonth Rochester’s debut…
“He was growing during the game. He was probably – it's normal – a little nervous in the beginning and then we felt he was growing. A much better second half than he did the first and it's encouraging. It's a big change for him, he comes from Jamaica. We need to make sure that we are with him to make him confident and to grow, step by step.”
Chicago Fire FC Defender Lamonth Rochester
On how he felt after playing his first 90-minute game with Chicago Fire FC II…
“Yeah it was a really good game. I think the team played really good. If we had put away our chances throughout game we would, like, come away with the victory. Yes, but I think we did really good in this game. And in this weather, and the condition on the field, I think it was a good shift for all players.”
On how he felt with his teammates during the game…
“Yeah, for my first game (Kendall Burks) motivated me right throughout the game, you know. He helped me to calm down because I made a few bad passes during the game but he's the one that helped me throughout this game. Yeah, I mean to like, have this really good game, you know? So I have to say thanks to him for helping me throughout this game.”
On handling the nerves that one might feel in their first game…
“Yeah, eventually they did. Yeah, at the start of the game, like I said, who I was playing beside just kept on motivating me, kept on giving me the ball. And that helped me, really, in this game.”
On how he is feeling after being with the team for about a month…
“Yeah, I have to say the coaches have helped me a lot, as well. Just coming into a new system and I missed pretty much like all of preseason. I had to come in right away and hit running, you know, and I had to really impress because I really wanted to get playing and stuff. That was the aim and I think I'm doing really well right now.”
Chicago Fire FC II Midfielder Richard Fleming III
On earning a point tonight…
“I think that was big for us after the last three games. Really, get at least the point, the very least out of this game. I think it was kind of disappointing, the last three games that we played. We were growing as the games went on. We were just unfortunate to not get the result yet. And then finally, to get at least one point on today's game was good, but I think we're hoping for two or three, definitely with chances that we created today.”
On playing as a right back after spending most of the season playing in the midfield…
“Anywhere I can step in on the field, I want to be useful. I want to be helpful to help the team win. I think that this year I've just been looking to play any position that they put me in. Using my versatility to the best of my ability. Being able to go on the right side, I've played it a few times in the past. So they trust me in my abilities to be able to jump kind of in between the midfield and right back and so today, I put in a good shift as the right back and just did the best I could there.”
On earning more playing time as the season progresses…
“Yeah, that's great. It's something that I look forward to. I think it's obviously good for me. But I think anything that I can do to help the team to try to get more points on the road, in the games coming up at home, we need to get three points and that's the biggest thing. So, that's what I'm trying to do as the season moves forward for this team.”
