The Chicago Fire were 3-1 victors over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night at Soldier Field courtesy of a brace from forward Kacper Przybyłko and a penalty kick finish from Xherdan Shaqiri. Following the match, Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson, Przybyłko, and Gastón Giménez assessed the team's performance at the postmatch press conference. Read their thoughts in full below.
Chicago Fire FC Quotes
Chicago Fire FC Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson
On this being the most complete performance of the season...
"Yeah, I just told the guys in there, that was probably our most complete performance so far this year. I was really proud of them, the kind of effort they put in tonight, because that's not an easy team to play against. You know, they're a very physical and very aggressive team, but I thought we matched their intensity from start to finish. It's good to see that we got multiple goals again, so that's always good. But all in all, great game by the guys tonight. I was very happy, very pleased with them."
On this being the best offensive performance of the season...
"Yeah, I think so. Even though we did miss some chances again but overall, defensively and offensively, it was our best, our most complete performance. To be able to play like that at home in front of the fans, that's good, you know, that's gonna keep fans coming back. So, it was a very good night for the guys tonight.
You know, it was a rough week for us. We had some injuries, you know, we had some knocks, some guys were carrying some injuries. We didn't know how it was going to turn out. We kind of had to back off training on Thursday. (We) just did some soccer-tennis and stuff, just so guys could recover, because the first part of the week was rough. Coming back from D.C. at 2 a.m. Saturday night, early Sunday morning, then losing an hour. And then we had to get up and train and regen on Sunday. It kind of took some out of our legs. But Thursday, we backed off a little bit and I think it showed tonight, I think that helped. The guys came out fresh and the midfield, I thought we dominated, we were winning balls. That's the way we've got to play. You know, when we don't have the ball, we have to have that type of tenacity to win balls back and then go forward. The speed of play was much better tonight, the guys were running off the ball. So, we were able to find guys in the attack and that's good. And that's the way we have to play every game."
On the traits of a winning team...
"Well, I think for us right now, if you look on paper, we're probably not the most flashy team. But the togetherness and the camaraderie on this team, the unity with this team, it's gonna be hard to beat us. Every man out there is fighting for each other, you know, and that's good to see. I've been on teams where we didn't have the best team on paper, but on the pitch, you couldn't beat us, because everyone was just in tune, and everyone just fought for each other. And that's what I'm seeing with this team. Who knows what can happen with this team, but right now I like the way we're fighting for each other. Good team chemistry is what I can say about this team right now and it's going to get better. The play is going to get better. But it's a good start to have that kind of foundation where there's no agendas. Everybody has the same goal, has the same mindset when we step on the pitch, and that's going to take us very far."
On the play of Miguel Navarro and Kacper Przybyłko...
“Well, yeah, first Miguel, we see what he brings on the pitch. He covers a lot of ground for us, he gets forward, he gets back. He's a very good player for us and he's off to a good start. I think he was clocked as having the fastest run in the league so far for defenders. So that work is there and we need that, we need that from him. We need that ability for outside backs to get up and back, the way we play. And he's been very good at that and helping out defensively as well, which is his primary job.
To see Przybyłko score goals tonight, you know, it's a relief for him. I know he's been pressing a little bit, even in training, because he's a goal scorer. He wants to score. The goals just haven't been coming; the chances were coming but he just hadn't had a chance to put one away. That first one tonight was a classic Przybyłko goal; he put his foot right through it and it was a very good goal. Then he found himself in a good position on the second one, Guti gave him the ball and he tucked it away really nicely. So it's good to see that. For us as a team, we need him to score goals. You know, he was brought in to score goals. To see him get off the mark, that was very exciting for us and hopefully, this continues for him because him scoring goals is something we're going to need on this team.”
On the status of Jhon Durán, and on his St. Vincent and the Grenadines flag...
"Like I said, we took some knocks this week and he was one of the injuries that we took. As far as this timeline and when he'll be back, hopefully by the next game, which is in a couple of weeks. He just landed wrong on his ankle and sprained it. So he's in a boot right now and hopefully he'll be back for the Dallas game, but that's the reason why he wasn't there today.
And the flag, this is my lucky charm. This is my country's flag, so I keep that with me and it helps me (laughs).”
On the impact of Brian Gutiérrez coming off the bench...
"When you bring guys in off the bench, you want them to change the game, be effective. A couple of times now, he's come on, he's done really well. Tonight ended in an assist. So he's a very good young player, he's very talented, lots of potential. So, he is someone that we expect, when we put on the pitch, to have that effect, change the game. He was brought on tonight to do just that. We're very happy with him and we hope he continues to develop and get better. He's going off now with the U-20 National Team, so that will help give him some more confidence and help to make him a better player. So we're happy with a lot of our young players. But we know that they are in their youthful stage, and that they need to develop a little bit more before they are MLS-ready; but he's one of the guys that we feel comfortable putting on the pitch right now, one of the young guys."
On having a week off to recover...
"I'm happy that we have the week off. I think it came in a very good time for us. Except for the wingers, most guys have been playing 90 minutes and it took a toll on us this week. So I think it'd be good to have a break. We're going to give them three days off to recover, you know, get some help with the injuries. We're going to lose some guys to national team (duty), to U-20s; we won't have a full squad next week, so that's good, that we have that slight break. I think it's going to help us to heal some things, so to speak. Gives Carlos Teran another couple weeks to get back fully playing with the team. So all in all, it's good timing for us to have this break."
On keeping Xherdan Shaqiri on the pitch for 90 minutes...
"It's really hard to take him off the pitch. He's such a good player and he's a very effective player. And when games are close like this, you don't really want to take your star player off because he just brings that extra quality to the game and helps unlock defenses for us. But we know he can't play every game at 90 minutes, but so far he's been doing well and, you know, I don't think he would want to come off if I did try to take him off (laughs). But I haven't found a need to take him off yet in any of the games that we've played. So that's why he stayed on. It's the same with Przybyłko, even though he wasn't scoring, we kept them on the pitch because we know that he has that type of quality that could give you that goal at any time. So you've got to be careful when you make those kinds of decisions to take guys off because they could change games in a negative way for you. So we're very careful about that."
Chicago Fire FC Midfielder Gastón Giménez
On the team’s strong start and why they’ve been performing so well…
“Well, each year has been different. I think that this year, the truth is that we're doing well as a group, both on and off the field. And even if maybe in previous years, we felt the same way, that we were doing well on and off the field. The results weren't coming. And today the results are different. So in previous years, we've always worked the same. We've always worked really hard to put the Chicago Fire on top, but the results maybe didn't come and we didn't have a good season. But now things are going well. We're starting off strong. The work is there, the results are coming and we're enjoying it as they come. And the results are coming more and more and it's a welcome time for the Fire.”
On the emotional boost of starting the season so well instead of chasing from the get go…
“Well, yeah, it's a good start. It's been a good start. And I think when you have a good start like that, when you're starting without getting any goals against and starting strong, the emotional confidence is obviously very high. But we also have to have a balance because it's only the start. It's a long road that we're traveling and it's something that we're only starting. In any sport, It's always better to correct things during the week when you're playing well and when you're winning in any sport in any event, and any thing that happens. So obviously now we're all very happy. We're enjoying this start and emotionally, we're feeling very good. But we also have to remember that we have to calm down because it's only the start and in the meantime we're enjoying it very much.”
On the feeling in the locker room, and the feeling amongst the team…
“The truth is we're very happy, very happy. Every time that one wins you celebrate. So everyone starts celebrating and is really happy when you win as I had mentioned before, it's always better to correct things when you're winning. It's a lot easier than to have to correct things when you've been losing. But the atmosphere and the energy is different. It's another one, it's happiness. So yeah, there are people who are still coming. Everyone who came to the team that's new, came here to add to it both on and off the field. And so there are some people that are coming, and we're waiting for them with open arms, and we know that they're going to come and continue to add to this team. So right now it's just a lot of happiness.”
On the rainy conditions and effects on the pitch, and potential national team duty…
“I'm always wishing the national team the very best. And in regards to the rain, well yeah, it was raining but it wasn't such that you it was unplayable with the rain out there. It wet the field in such a way that you could really play with the ball and speed up the play. Sometimes when it gets dry the game slows down but for us it actually was better for us. We like to play quickly. So out there it was something that we liked. We were comfortable with this climate.”
On how his role changes when he plays with Federico Navarro or Mauricio Pineda …
“With Mauricio, I think we have very similar characteristics. I think that he can both attack and defend the same way that I can both attack and defend with Fede. He does a little bit more of the defensive work and I tried to do more on offense. Of course at the time or when it comes to defending we all have to defend together but I think, and not only that, Fede also has a good touch, he has a good foot, he can help the team move forward. And he's a very good player. So I think we have a really healthy competition in the midfield. It's a competition where we all help each other and we all get along really well. So at the end of the day, it's really the coach who's deciding who's going to be playing.”
Chicago Fire FC Forward Kacper Przybyłko
On how great it felt to score after three games….
“Amazing feeling. It's always great, you know, for your own confidence. But I'm just more happy about the team that you know we started the season with, actually very well with the clean sheet. Today unfortunately we conceded a goal. But you know, we're undefeated. And that's what I'm most happy about. You know, taking the confidence with my own goals, but also, you know, the victory for the next weeks.”
On if there are similar traits between his previous teams in Philadelphia and this team…
“This season I see so much quality in the team. I had an amazing three years in Philly, but that's now the past. I'm looking forward and seeing what we are doing now. Recently, the past games, it's amazing. So I'm very happy being here to help the team. I think we're doing a great job.”
On what he has built on in previous games to have the opportunity to score these goals…
“I think in the beginning, you know, when everyone was questioning us like why weren’t we scoring I think, in Miami I take that also on me. We had our chances, we just didn't finish them off. I think it's just the beginning of the season and then right now I can see that everything that we are doing you see the connection, the chemistry in the team. And that’s what we’ve been missing, obviously because Shaq at the end of the preseason and Rafa even also like snuck in at the end of the preseason.
Right now, it's about the chemistry, you know, getting to know each other a little bit more. And the great part is that we play soccer, we play soccer, we try to collect the ball very fast, to create chances, you know, get the space to create the gaps. And that's what we're doing at the end of the day. We created some chances at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately, we didn't finish them off. Now we're doing it. So it's amazing that we are winning right now.”
On how the team built their chemistry this season…
“That's a very good question, because I just remember my first day here. I was welcomed so well, since day one I feel so comfortable here. So comfortable. Everyone just, you know, came to me like they welcomed me so well. And even the team. I think the chemistry was already here. I think what it needed was I think probably like a big victory. And you know, some goals, some happiness, with this happiness, the more wins we get, the more happiness is going to be in the team and this is what we're seeing right now.
We did a great job being very positive. I came here even the coaches have been telling me like, that's great, you know, like even if something's not working, you can see that I tried to push them but positively and the other guys are doing that well. If there's something negative, we always like, you know, we talk about it right away, it's gone, next situation, and this is the great part and always keep everything positive.”
