# Head Coach Henrik Rydström

***On positives from tonight’s match and areas for improvement this week in training***

“Clean sheet, it was good. In the first half, I don't think they had like a shot at goal. If you look at how we
then concede [chances] in the second half, if you ask them, they probably say that, ‘OK, we had amazing build up.’ I think it's like due to individual defending from our side. Long balls, we calculated it wrong, and
it ends up like a kind of chance. The last situations, that is the things I'm not so happy with that in the
second half, like after maybe 15 minutes, we started to force and we started to play forward in situations where we shouldn't play forward, even if I like that we have the ambitions to play forward. You invite that more open football. Now, (Goalkeeper) Patrick (Schulte) was good in those situations and we could have the clean sheet. I think that we were not calm enough. We didn't stick to the plan enough in the second half or at least the last 20-25 minutes. We were defensively solid, hard to break down. Over time, we need to be better to press higher up and win the ball higher up. We need to look at that.”

***On his reaction to Schulte’s save on the final shot of the game on a counterattack that secured the 0-0 draw***

“We played Portland in the first game, and we got out-countered. There were two goals against (Sporting)
Kansas (City) that we basically… You can lose the ball due to amazing press from the opponent and you
have no chance – they are like boom, boom, boom. Against Kansas, two situations where we just give the opponent the ball, and we conceded. They were a little bit the same in a couple of situations in the
second half. One is where I think it's (Forward) Diego (Rossi) shoots the ball in the back of (Defender Andrés) Herrera or (Midfielder) Taha (Habroune) and then it ends up like a counterattack. The last one is we have the ball under control and instead of trying to go around them and put the ball in, we try to break
through in situations where it's too compact, and it ends up in that situation. The frustration in that is that
you don't really understand how we take those decisions. The good part there is that it's only up to us. Overall, I think it was a good effort in these kind of situations where we stopped them and we could help Patrick to do the saves. We're doing progress, but still we want to take those situations away totally.”

***On the strong defensive effort in the first half***

“We were good in having numbers behind the ball and a lot of bodies behind the ball. Now, we have played three teams here, and we played Colorado and Nashville in friendly games. Teams here, they commit a lot of players in the build up so they have a lot of players outside your shape. The good part with that for us is that they have less numbers up front. When they then maybe try to play into our penalty box, we have good possibilities to defend, and we did that today. The downside with that is that it can be difficult to press opponents higher up. Like I said, we need to look at that. I was satisfied with how we
defended low. Sometimes you just have to take your medicine and it doesn't taste so good, but you will
get healthy by it. We took the medicine in those situations."

***On support from Crew fans tonight during his first home match***

“Amazing, from when we arrived with the bus and maybe like hours before also and then when we arrived and everything from the warmup through the game and then after. That support will help us a lot, and it helps us during the game also when we struggle. Of course, we want to give them a victory. In the locker room, the boys are really, really disappointed. We want to give something back for that amazing support.

***On evaluating the Crew’s first three opponents and his coaching his first three MLS matches***

“Very tactically strong teams. When I compare it with European football, then of course it differs between
countries. For example, when we played with Malmo in the European Cups, even like if I call it the ‘good teams in Europe,’ they don't put so much effort into the build up. They focus more on the intensity and the direct play. If you press them, they go longer and then it’s a second ball war. I think the football had gone in that direction a little bit in Europe. I like it here because it asks you other questions. Like I started with, I'm not happy with – that's down to me – how we organize our press. We need to be better at that. I think
also when you play with a back five, if you go back three years here in MLS, I don't think that teams were
maybe that good because what they do is they pin and they lock five players for us with three attacking players. They put two wide players and then they have a striker that sometimes drops. If we stay with five and they just have two up here, then it's a numbers game and then they have more players than us in the build up. That is something you need to have a plan for and try to [combat]. You could press with like Wes
and Diego are doing an amazing job and take away options for them and then we try to trap them, but we haven't done it good enough so far. That is something you don't do so much in many European games,
but I like it. We will be better and better to press them. Otherwise, I must say it's high quality, a lot of good players. The games are, I must say, fun – fun to watch, fun to coach in. So far now, we haven't won, but it
will come. If you take that away, it's been amazing.”

***On how the Crew can convert on the chances created tonight, especially in the first half***

“It's always difficult when you haven't seen the game again, but this feeling I have right now is that up to
maybe 55-60 (minutes) we had like great [chances], but maybe it was like in the beginning of the second
half where we should have scored. We could win the ball and we could attack, and when we had them deeper down, I think we may have been a little bit tender with how we moved the ball. They were close a couple of times. Maybe we crossed [too often]. We looked a little bit like a Championship team in England
– we crossed the ball a lot. With Wes, you want to put the ball in, but it's also decision making. Should we
put the ball in every time? We created enough to be in the lead. I believe that you need to capitalize on those situations; you need to score when you have that kind of situation. Then we got a little bit tired and
then they could control the game without creating anything. That’s the pressing part. I would like us to be
able to push up more, to be a little bit more brave when it comes to taking a step forward and to not stand with five in the back line. I have to give the backline [credit] that they did their part when the opponents tried to break through us in the low block really good. I'm not happy, but, sometimes, as I said, you have to take the medicine… We didn't create enough the last 20 minutes, but up to that point, I think it was
good enough to win the game.”

***On the decision to use one substitute in tonight’s match***

“It's a lot of like trying to calculate, ‘OK, we do this.’ How we thought about the situation on the bench, the
coaching staff, we could also have changed and start to play with a back four and put in like (Forward) Jamal (Thiaré) and to play with two strikers and go for the victory. Basically my decision, maybe I was a little bit safe there because I believe that we controlled it defensively quite well on our own half. When you change, the dynamic also changes. That's what you look for, but it can go in the wrong direction, also.
Player wise, you want to have Wes and you want to have Diego. That doesn't mean that we don't have options, but I chose to keep them because I also know the quality they have. Of course, that could also maybe be the reason why we looked a little bit tired in the end that we didn't put in [substitutes]. I don't
know how many changes they did but a couple of more. That was the reason behind [the decision]. We put (Midfielder) Hugo (Picard) in to get this injection and then drop Taha, but we didn't get anything out
from that.”

# Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte

***On his takeaways from tonight’s match***

“Yeah, obviously it's my job not to allow a goal but I'd rather win a game than keep a shutout, personally. I
think this team, that's our goal, is to win games. Obviously, shutouts, it’s nice and all, but we'd rather
come away with a win.”

***On continuing to gain chemistry under the new head coach***

“Yeah, I think, you know, we've taken steps forward in doing what he wants, but I think we've taken steps
forward in being united and playing the way he wants, in terms of going forward.”

***On being back at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field after the first two matches of the season being on the road***

“Yeah, it's amazing, obviously, spending a week at home and not traveling after preseason and everything, and then being in front of these fans, they're amazing. I think that's how we were able to come away with the point. All 95 minutes plus, they were with us and pushing us forward.”

***On what went through his mind during the save he made at the end of the match***

“Yeah, honestly just trying to do my job, just trying to stay as calm as can be in that moment, as hectic as
it can be or can get, just trying to stay calm, because knowing that I was going to have to come up with a
play potentially to keep the point was the main focus. But, you know, not trying to let that get to my head,
and just trying to be composed through those 10 seconds, whatever it was.”

***On tonight’s defensive play and what was working***

“Yeah, I think the big thing was we were really good at tracking our runners. They [Chicago Fire FC] were
looking to play balls into the channels and behind us. We were very good about following our runners, putting a body on a guy and then picking up second balls. I'll take a half like that every time, every half. But you know, I know that eventually I'm going to have to make some saves. But the guys did really well
in front of me, just tracking our runners and staying as a group and moving as a block.”

***On how the team can move forward from tonight’s result***

“We wanted to come away with three points and the win, that was the goal. But I think just sticking together and knowing that there were positive moments, we did have a couple chances. How can we
create more? As well as keeping the ball in their half and not just always going in transition.”

***On how the team can bounce back in their next match being at home***

“Yeah, obviously it stings in the moment right now, but all we really can do is look forward to that next
match and what we can do better. Like you said, it's at home again, so with our fans, which is going to be
awesome, you cherish every moment that you can get and play in front of these fans. Looking forward to it, but obviously, right now, in the moment, it's kind of reflecting on this game and not trying to look too far
ahead, because we do have some work we have to do.”

***On how nice it is to have a home match after having to travel for preseason and two away matches to start the season***

“Yeah, I got a new bed, and this was the first time I got to sleep in it five nights in a row. So, I was always
excited about that. And obviously, just to be in your home environment, to be in the facility all five days,
be on your own schedule and not have to worry about flights or anything like that. You know, eating home
cooked meals is awesome, as well as playing in front of these fans and having them behind you and not
against you.”

# Midfielder Taha Habroune

***On the difference between the first half and the second half when it comes to shot creation for the Crew***

"Honestly, the first half, I think we were a lot more static. There wasn't as much movement to move them
[Chicago Fire FC] around and create space. I think that's kind of what we changed going to the second half, to just move and circulate the ball, and eventually they'll break apart. And you know, it was working for a while, but we have to get that goal when we get the chances.”

***On what the energy from the home crowd felt like***

“Yeah, I mean, the fans never fail to disappoint us. You know, it's always amazing, like I feel like they get
better every time I step on this field, and we're super, super grateful for them. And, you know, we're honestly not happy that we didn't get to give them the result they want, but you know, there's next week, and we have another game, and we want to get a win for them.”

***On what the Crew needs to do to convert their shot chances into goals***

“I think we just have to be a bit more ruthless, you know, to take the chances when we get them and kind of put our body on the line.”

***On how his confidence is growing with earning significant minutes early in the season***

“I think it's different for sure. Honestly, you know, coming from preseason, and then starting in the middle
of the season. You know, everyone's kind of starting at the same time, and we're all at the same speed,
but you know, right now we're trying to get up to the speed we left off at.”

# Midfielder Sean Zawadzki

***On what it was like playing in front of the home crowd for the first time this season***

“Oh, amazing. I mean, the fans are incredible every game, and it stinks we were away for the first two games, we didn't get to experience it. But I mean, they always top themselves. The energy from when we
walked out for warmups was amazing, and we're really grateful for their support.”

***On balancing the concern of not scoring a goal in tonight’s match with the accomplishment of pitching a
shutout***

“Yeah, I mean, looking at the game, it's always, always frustrating when you don't walk away with three
points at home, but looking at the bright side of things, we didn't concede a goal. So, first one of those at home, it's even more special. Now it's how can we turn that into creating even more chances and scoring goals, putting the end product to it, and giving the fans that joy that they get to experience.”

***On orchestrating the defense from midfield to ensure the other players were tracking their man
defensively***

“Yeah, I think we stress how important is to just fight for each other. At the end of the day, we’re on the
field working for each other, fighting for each other, doing whatever needs to be done. So, it's the back line picking up the runners, and then it's on us midfielders to track the cutbacks. So, it's doing whatever we can, making that last ditch effort to get back in there and to prevent that. And I think everyone did that.
They [Chicago Fire FC] had some chances, and Patrick [Schulte] made some phenomenal saves to keep us in the clean sheet.”

***On the difference between the first half and second half when it comes to ball movement and creating scoring chances***

“Yeah. I mean, I think in the first half we were dominant, created chances. The counter pressure was good to win the ball back, and kind of prevented them from going on the counterattack and being
dangerous. And I think you saw in the second half, we had kind of a flurry of chances early in the second half that they did well to defend. And then I think when they made some changes and had some fresh legs in there, it kind of opened up the a little bit more for them and allowed them to dictate a little bit and
how could we manage it, and albeit we defended well in the lower block and did well, but they had their moments in the counter attack still, and it's something we'll watch, and how can we limit those, those
chances even more, and to put together a full 90 minute performance that we can be proud of.”

***On what needs to change to convert the Crew’s scoring chances into goals***

“I mean, I think first we played three games, we scored four goals. So, the ability to put the ball in the net
is there. Now it's putting together that full performance and have the confidence that it's going to happen.
You know, we've done it before, it's there, it's possible, and doing the defensive work to keep them at
zero. Now it's getting forward and getting numbers around the ball, numbers in the box and to score.”

***On the benefits having two straight weeks at home after two road games to start the season***

“Yeah, it's huge. You know, we went from preseason to two away games. So, you don't get to really build the rhythm of being at home and all of that. You're at home for three-four days, and then you're traveling and you're traveling, and you're in a hotel for a night. So, kind of getting your rhythm of being at home, sleeping in your own bed, and being around the fans is always, always important. Having the fan support
and all the energy that they bring, it gives us a little extra boost that you feel in the game and allows you
to go even more.”

***On what it was like to wear the captain’s armband for the first time at home***

“Oh, it's a surreal moment for me. This Club has been everything to me. I joined the Academy when I was
13 years old, making the sacrifices that my parents made to drive me down here and to be a part of this
club. To come back after college, sign a Homegrown deal and kind of be here for this success that we've had the last couple of years. And now to have the armband and be a captain of this club is a special moment for me, and something that means a lot. And I hope I continue to be a big part of this club and
continue to show the city that that they mean everything to me and to this club.”

***On next steps for the Crew to piece together the positives from the first three matches***

“I mean, I think it's continue to watch back the games and look at the good moments we've had. And how can we string those together? Obviously, look at the moments where they were dangerous to us. How
can we prevent those attacks from happening? And putting it all together and hopefully something good
will happen.”

Columbus Crew Post-Match Quotes vs Chicago (Rydström, Schulte, Habroune, Zawadzki)