After training at Red Bulls Training Facility in Whippany, N.J. on Tuesday, head coach Sandro Schwarz and captain Emil Forsberg spoke with the media prior to New York’s MLS regular season match against Charlotte FC on Wednesday.
News and Notes
• The Red Bulls have posted a 4-0-1 mark in five career home matches against Charlotte FC across all competitions.
• Captain Emil Forsberg recorded his first career MLS multi-goal game against Charlotte FC on May 29, 2024, at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
• Midfielder Daniel Edelman is one appearance shy of making his 100th career appearance for New York across all competitions. He has tallied three career assists against Charlotte FC.
• Goalkeeper Carlos Coronel has posted six MLS shutouts this season, which ranks tied for third in MLS.
New York Red Bulls Head Coach Sandro Schwarz
On game plan against Charlotte forward Patrick Agyemang…
He's a very good striker, especially with his deep runs behind the center backs. And I think in this situation, we have to be ready when we have not the highest pressure on the ball that we drop back with our line, but it starts always with our pressure, with our intensity on the ball. But he's ready. He's always ready, especially with his deep runs, and in this case, we have to defend very well.
On forward Mohammed Sofo…
Since the beginning of our preseason this year, in our training sessions, in the games, to play with a lot of confidence in a one against one situation, to believe for himself in this situation, in the final third, and to be very aggressive, to play very intensive in our phases against the ball. So it's a very, very good progress. And this is the result from all the coaches, from second team coaches, from our coaching staff. And it's a good result to see him now in our first team, consistently in his performance.
On Charlotte FC…
I would say they were last year also very well. So, it's similar structure, but now with a little bit more individual quality, especially with the winger players. Then [Patrick] Agyemang as a striker is very dangerous in some spots. Clear structure, clear identity. What you can see from their head coach, clear philosophy. So, I would say they were also very successful last year, and similar structure, when I said, and we need everyone, everything in our style of play, it's when we are only playing with 90% and 95% that it's very difficult to win a game in this league, and especially then against Charlotte. So, we need everything in our quality with the highest level of energy.
New York Red Bulls Captain Emil Forsberg
On Charlotte…
The quality they have upfront with [Wilfried] Zaha and [Patrick] Agyemang is very, very good. They have a good connection, and they bring physicality to the pitch. So, it's going to be a tough game for us tomorrow. So, with these two guys being able to create stuff on their own, it's going to be dangerous for us.
On wrapping up busy May schedule at home…
I think it's fantastic that we have the opportunity to do that now, the last two games of the of this month. It's been a hard month, a good month, in many ways. I think we had a lot of bad and good experiences in this month, but I think we grew from it, and we want to end up at home with the six points. Of course, I think that's the most important thing we have to have in our head, that this got to be six points. Two tough teams we start with Charlotte tomorrow. But then we go for Atlanta, but first of all, Charlotte tomorrow three points that's most important.
On building momentum off first road victory…
We knew we had difficulties away, but I think we couldn't see any of that against DC. I think we came out confident. We came out being dominant with the ball without the ball, created chances. So, we have to go out, be together, be a team, play as a team, and when we do that, we are top team. And I think we showed that against DC. And of course, we got to build on that now. We don't want it to be a one timer. It has to be constant, constant, so, but the feeling is good.