Veljko Paunovic, Chicago Fire Head Coach
On implementing a new formation
“We did some adjustments, we prepared for one game when the game started and I think it worked pretty well in the first half. But the second half we had to do a different setup and different organization. Especially offensively, so we could keep more of the ball and I think after the changes we made, the young players who came in did very well, both Drew Connor and Daniel Johnson. So I think the team responded very well under difficult conditions in a difficult game against a very good team and you know we learned last year how tough this league is and how we have to play sometimes and I think today we played that way. The way that we have to manage the game until the end when its tough, when its difficult, when the other team is pushing hard and has a lot of qualities. We were capable of managing the game and being dangerous also and creating opportunities and almost score the second goal, which was the plan in the second half. So very happy with three points and now looking forward to our next game.”
On the performance of Dax McCarty
“Very, very satisfied with Dax’s performance, I think every time and every game he’s feeling more comfortable and getting in that role that we wanted and expected from him to be the leader on and off the field and he’s really feeling comfortable. We knew that it was going to take some time but he’s getting to that level we saw him playing at Red Bulls and the level required to play on the national team and we believe that he’s doing very well, hopefully all together we can manage to fulfill all our goals and objectives and also for him to play for the national team in the future.”
On McCarty wearing the captain’s armband
“He’s one of the captains, we missed today Juninho so we took this decision because we believed that he’s ready to lead the team so we’ll move forward from here. This is nothing new for him that’s his role; he held the role when he played for different teams so we know that he knows how to deal with that. So that’s why we brought him here and why we value him so much and we keep working together so we build our team. The pieces are coming together maybe slowly, but its important that they are coming together. We’ll push to adjust them as soon as possible.”
On the possession battle
“We wanted to control the game obviously in the second half with the possession but sometimes when you’re not capable of controlling the game that way we have to also know to play without it. So partly during the second half when we did the adjustments we now have to play a more traditional game and try to attack more directly and I think it worked because we created good opportunities playing like that. Also playing 4-2-3-1 as we played in the second half, gave us more opportunity to keep the possession when we were capable of. So also a very important point was we moved Bastian a little bit higher so he can be closer to the goal and create these final passes or even to score which I think it was close and everything is a part of the plan but you also have to admit there’s an opponent in front of you sometimes that’s thing, you have to respond, react, adjust and adapt and its very important to be ready for that.”
On the play of Drew Conner and Daniel Johnson
“Very important to know that you can rely on the young players in a tough game like this when they come off the bench and help the team like they did today. I think both of them were very close to even, I think they replicate and influence the game more and change the game. I think Connor was close, that foul on him was very important to know that the young players are growing and getting mature and more experience in games like this.”
On Bastian Schweinsteiger’s role within the team
“Well we want to help Bastian first, he is still in his period of adaptation and help him to understand the league and understand the teammates still and how he can play. What’s our best way to play, our style but he’s very very important. Very smart and intelligent and he understands that very well and he’s adapting good, so that’s one side and the other side we are working as a team to facilitate him some situations where he can play the way he can play his best. So that means closer to the goal in my opinion, closer to the goal and create his space in between the lines, where he can receive the ball, turn and then connect with forwards. These moments are very important and sometimes it takes time to get everyone involved but like I said, it takes time, with the players we have, I think that time will be reduced so we have to keep working on that.”
On Nemanja Nikolic’s goal
“First on Niko’s goal, I will say that it was actually a goal of the whole team. I think we had patience, in that build up then fantastic pass from Dax and great movement from Niko and then he finished also very well. I think it was very well done from all the team I think that’s very important and that’s something that we were looking to build together and actions and situations like that one and with Chicago Fire being on a roll, I think it’s something we are looking for, we are not afraid of saying we are getting better. We also know that we have to work a lot and become the team that everyone in Chicago wants to root for and everyone is supporting and that everyone wants to watch and that’s what we’re working on. Hopefully we can succeed this year and we are on that path, I’m one hundred percent sure but we still have to work.”
Dax McCarty, Chicago Fire Midfielder
On the match
"Obviously, it was an important three points. A little bit of a different formation for us. I certainly thought we played pretty well in the first half; created good chances, got a good goal, limited Columbus in their attacking forays and had a lot of possession. Second half came out a little bit different, Columbus got more aggressive like we knew they would, they're a good team. Defensively, it was a really strong performance. I thought the back five and the midfield did a good job to limit their really good dangerous chances. I still think they had a lot of possession that didn't really lead to much, but it was good to see the game out."
On adjusting to a new formation
"There were a lot of positives. With Columbus, what they like to do is bring their wingers inside and overload the flanks. When you spread the field like that, it denies their service a little bit. It was kind of a cat-and-mouse game, a little bit of a tactical battle. They decided to keep their wingers wide in the first half, and gave us a little bit of trouble but not much. Second half, they were a little more aggressive. The thing that I think was the most frustrating about this game is the fact that we didn't reward ourselves with a second goal. The chances were there, in possession, in build-up, also on the counter-attack. When you don't kill off teams, that can tend to come back and bite you at the end of the game. We were very good defensively, it was a gutsy performance, I'd say."
Bastian Schweinsteiger, Chicago Fire Midfielder
On the fan support
"I'm just one player. I try to help as much as I can for the club. I'm happy that the fans have come over to our games to support us. It's a really good feeling, after the match, it was a very good feeling. Of course, we won. Last week, we played to a draw, so we lost two points, but today we were very happy about the three points. At the end of the day, that's most important."
On the partnership with Dax McCarty
"He's great to have behind you. He covers a lot, and he also understands the game really well. He knows exactly where to pass the ball, and when to turn and keep the ball. You can really see that he's experienced."
On adjusting to Chicago
"It's getting better. I train hard, I want to improve, I want to help the team even more. These two games were quite intense. I hope, with the game philosophy that we have, to make it easier for everyone on the pitch to control the game better so that we can enjoy playing soccer a little bit more. At the end of the day, it's very important at this moment to win points. I'm happier today than last week when we played to a draw. I thought we should have won that match, so today I am happy that we won the match."
Nemanja Nikolic, Chicago Fire Forward
On winning at home
"For us, this is the most important thing. I think we need to win all of the games at home, and after that, we can see what we can achieve in away games. Of course, you try to achieve the same results in all games, but for us, it's most important when we play home in front of our supporters. In the three games we have played at home, we have played good. Against Montreal, we had just one point in the end, but I think we played good. We fixed the mistakes today against a good opponent. For next week, we need to prepare well."
On early season games against Columbus
"This was the second game we played in this season against Columbus. We also played a good game there in our first game, we achieved one point in their home. Today, we played better offensively, we created more chances than in the first game. I think we need to focus on one thing: when we win 1-0, we need to score one more, because until the end, everyone was nervous on the pitch, off the pitch, supporters and staff also. We need to work for this when we have an advantage. We cannot step back and wait for someone to score a goal. We need to work hard to score another one, because it's the most important one to improve. Every game, we need to try and get a clean sheet, because we have players that can score the goals and finish the game. In front of us, there's a lot of work, but I'm happy how we have played these first five games."
On Bastian Schweinsteiger
"Bastian is a fantastic player. One or two training sessions with him were enough to see what kind of quality he has, and how important a player he will be for our team. Of course, he needs time to feel us, the players and the league. I think he will be a very, very strong point in defense and offense also. He has the capacity to give the ball behind the opponent, the capacity to stay on the ball when we need to keep the ball more. I think he will get better and better. He will give very good balls for the players on the attack. In the first game, he gave two or three good balls to Lucho and also did very good things on the pitch. The most important thing is that he gives us stability when we need it."
