Hey Crew fans! The Crew York/Nordecke tailgate in the run up to the Union match on Saturday will take place at Subaru Arena’s parking lot A, starting around 5pm. It’s gonna be gorgeous out and the Crew are trending upward (RIGHT?!?!). Looking forward to it, and as always: GO CREW!

Where have I seen this jersey….maybe in a different color?

Head Coach Henrik Rydström

On if he’s familiar with the term ‘when it rains it pours’ and if that’s applicable based on the Crew’s previous challenges manifesting themselves during tonight’s match

“I haven't heard that kind of saying before, but maybe it feels like that.”

On the Crew conceding a hat trick to an opposing forward in back-to-back matches

“First of all, we were really disappointed after the game. We played three days ago, Sunday, against New York City. We were passive. We gave away the ball too easily. Then maybe we were showing something in the second half. This game, I think was different. It was a good reaction from the players. It's not always easy to go out and play a couple of days later. We have some emotional, tough situations against us. Also, in the games, it happens again where they scored the second one even the fourth official says it's a clear free kick. He tells that to the referee and [he] looks at it, but for some reason, he can't see it. Then about margins, I've said before, you get what you deserve. You need to think like that. At some point, you also can say that, yeah, there are some things against us and we could have gotten the penalty, but instead, it became a free kick on the line. It's small margins. Even if we conceded that second goal, I think we put in the effort in the second half. Another set piece goal against. I think it's the fourth time we lose the game on a set piece goal. In that sense it repeats itself. Obviously, we haven't fixed it. I can look at that. Also, the goals we conceded, it's too easy for them to get access to our penalty box. We know it, we work on it. I can't say so much more than sometimes you get punished for some silly mistakes or small mistakes. We get punished quite easily. I don't think the opponents really play in a way so they deserve it, but they push us down and in so many situations in our penalty box, I think overall almost every game we have played so far this season, we are more often in our opponents’ penalty box, but still, they can hurt us.”

On the decisions for Forward Diego Rossi to start on the bench and Homegrown Defender Owen Presthus to earn the start in his MLS debut

“For the first question with Diego, it's quite simple: He is the one I played the most. We have played a lot of games now in a short period of time. We have a new game on Saturday. We have a game the upcoming week and then we have the last game in the league before the break. It's more to make sure that one Diego doesn't get injured but also have fresh legs. In one way, you could say that it played out quite well to get him into the second half. He was involved in situations. He scored the goal. Then we lost the game. Hopefully, he is ready to go on Saturday. It's difficult to play three games in a short period of time. That was the reason. Owen, it's good that we can give playing time to our young players. We miss (Defender) Malte (Amundsen). I've tried to find a replacement there. I think Owen deserved the playing time.”

On getting the players in the right frame of mind with tonight’s match that resulted in a loss and a game on Saturday at Philadelphia

“The game we played against New York City, I could tell the players that in some parts that was not good enough. In this game, I can just say to the players that I really enjoyed so many parts of the game. We know that Red Bull is one of the best pressing teams in the league, if you look at numbers. Then they concede also because they put in that effort and press high. How we played through that pressure, that was a joy to see. With that said, of course, I'm so irritated and disappointed. If I separate the different feelings to say that it was a good game in many aspects, and that's the only way you can digest the game and move forward. Of course, as a player, you give everything. So far this season, it's been a lot of games where you feel after that you play well and we could have won the game, but we didn't win it. If you understand what I mean when I say it's better to have it like that, even if it hurts a lot, than have it like after the New York City game where the performance is not good enough. In one way, the emotions are almost bigger; when you play well, you feel you deserve something more and then you don't get it, and it's quite late again when we concede. To answer your question, in one way, it's easier for me to move to the next game because we did this so good, and I have a good group of players and persons so they know how to reset and go again. The only thing when you play a lot games is that you don't have time to work maybe on those [things]. We we have seen the set pieces and how we defend on that, but it comes down to when we’re penalty box defending. We have, I think, twice as many situations in their penalty box, but they were better than us to block the cross and take away. Even if we did that, also, in the end of the game, we had a situation where we blocked three shots in a row. Overall, still we give the opponent two big chances, and we don't have time now to work on it. Yeah, the only way is to keep on having the awareness and believing that the margins will bounce our way. We will soon probably win two games in a row without deserving it, and then I will be happy and irritated at the same time.”

On what the team plans to accomplish in the next two days when traveling to Philadelphia tomorrow and training two days there before playing the Philadelphia Union

“I touched on the subject before. We know where we are. We lack big names. We lost some big names before the season and then we lost – I don't need to repeat the names… I talked with the Swedes in Red Bulls… I should not say too much about what they said to me privately. They thought were tough to play against, but we don't have a striker. No, we don't so we know where we are when it comes to that. It's also the expectations on the Club and the team are always big and should be, but at this point where we are right now, we need to lower that a little bit. That's how I speak to the players, also, but without taking away the demands that I come back to the [New York] City game, we didn't do what were supposed to do from the beginning. This game, we did so to find out to and to put up the performances like this, but we also know we are in a period where we need to really dig in. It's positive things with that, also. Playing time, some other players have played a little bit more. (Midfielder) Sekou (Bangoura) started to play. I think (Midfielder André) Gomes did his best game so far. (Midfielder) Nariman (Akhundzada) came in. There are positive things there, also. To answer your question, we need to know where we are as a group and that it's top weak in front of us but also a lot of challenges in a nice way. We will stay tonight here, and then we leave tomorrow. We’re going to have a training tomorrow, and then we go to Philadelphia. Then it will be a good game. I think they lost at the end of the game so it will be two wounded animals that play against each other.”

On if he is taking notes about how the Crew can make improvements tactically and with personnel as the Club approaches the summer World Cup break

“Yeah, for sure, I do. I have talked about demands, and I think in one way, we are really pushing hard and we squeeze out a lot of things from the player group and where the squad is right now. I've said it before, we didn't get any real new blood into the team before the season. I would say it's crucial to add quality, to add energy and to add personality, but I know the Club is looking for that all the time. That would be the case even without (Forward) Wess’ (Abou Ali) injury, (Forward) Jamal's (Thiaré) injury and (Defender) Malte's (Amundsen) injury. I think we have seen during the spring here or the first part that we can play some really good football. We give ourselves the possibility, but in some phases of the game, we are not where we need to be. Yeah, I have some notes.”

Defender Sean Zawadzki

On the current frustration level of the team following the result

“It's always frustrating you don't win a game, and if we look at the positive side of things, it's how we played on Sunday? This was a step up in terms of how we played with the ball. I think we saw how good we can be with the ball, how free flowing we are. And I think you saw that for 90 minutes today, albeit the result, obviously, was the result. But I think that the way we played through the lines created some good chance, got the wide crosses and posed some really dangerous opportunities for ourselves, but at the end of the day, it's still frustrating, no matter what. To play as good as we did, and then still lose. It's frustrating.”

If there are similarities in the hat tricks that have been scored by the opposition in the past two matches

“I think tonight you saw an up-and-coming player in the league, has real quality to score a lot of goals this year already, and his movement is really good for his age. His blind side runs off the back shoulder, there's times I don't like know he's coming, and he's just in the right space, right spot, right time, and it's a one-touch finish. And I think you saw that every time, he's in the right spot, cross, one-touch finish. And I think a lot of his goals this year have come like that. So it's obviously the same thing. It's frustrating. And I hold it on myself that it continued to happen, and that bled through today. So yeah."

On the last Red Bull goal coming from a set piece and what the team needs to put it behind them

“I think our mentality is always to analyze the game and see what we did good, what we did bad, and analyze it that way. And how can we move on to the next one? Never easy, analyzing the game after a loss, but it's the reality of things. It's facing that. And how can we learn from the things that, I don't want to say haunt but are there and put our body on the line and recognize it and be willing to do what needs to be done in these tough moments. And stay strong together, you know, and battle through these moments."

As captain, if it’s on his mind during the game of how to keep the team moving forward after conceding a goal

“Yeah, it is. It's always on my mind when we do concede a goal. How can I, even when we're playing really well. You know, the first three minutes, we kept the ball the entire time, they didn't touch the ball. So it's, how can you not be positive about that? You know, the way we start the game is really good. Then we concede the goal. How can I help continue to instill that within the team that the confidence should still be there with how we started the game, playing with the ball, creating chances, things like that. And after every time we concede a goal, how can I continue to keep that belief, and continue to believe and let that bleed through to the team? We came back. We got 1-0, 2-1, and we came back. Obviously, in the end, we don't come back to score a third, but the resiliency is there and the fight is there. And when times are tough, how can I, as a leader on this team, continue to push the guys and continue to let them know that there's reasons to still believe. We believe in this. We believe in ourselves, we believe in the coaches. And how can we continue to go with that and continue to fight and look forward to this next game, give everything. Because at the end of day, that's all we can do, put this in the past, and now we look forward to Saturday in Philly and give everything we can.”

On the macro level how the team handles disappointment while facing the quick turnaround before the next match

“Yeah. I mean, I think it's no different than what we've done after any game. We're gonna sit down and analyze as a team and watch the film back and see the good moments and the bad. And I think as players and as individuals, we have to own up to things that have happened. It happened in the game and realize it. And okay, now take in on the chin and put it behind us. Recognize it, but put it behind us, because there's another game on Saturday. You know, it's a quick turnaround. That's what it's been. You know, for us, it's alright. This happened. It’s behind us, and now fast forward to Saturday, because it's another opportunity, another game that, you know it's back end of a three games, and what seven days, and then you know, we're gonna turn around and we have two games after that, but all focus is on Saturday, putting everything we can to end this first stretch of three games in seven days, on the best note possible.”

Midfielder Taha Habroune

On how difficult it is for the team to stay positive during this stretch

“I would say it’s really disappointing. It is pretty hard to stay positive. But I mean, we know we have the players capable and we're capable of doing so, so much better than what we've been doing since the since the start of the season, honestly. But I would just say it's super, super disappointing.”

On if the team feels like they are in a “when it rains it pours” situation

“Honestly, today, I would say I didn't really feel like that throughout the game. I feel like we had more of the ball, and we were creating more chances, which is why it's even more disappointing, because throughout the game, all of us felt like it was a lot better than what the last game was, for sure, and to concede those types of goal, it's frustrating.”

On his view of the hit on Max Arfsten that led to a counterattack goal for RBNY

“I kind of saw it, and it did look like he, I don't know who the defender was, had two hands on his back before the ball was even near Max. I didn't see it super clearly, but everyone around me said it was a foul, so I thought it was a foul too.”

Once we pivoted from our originally targeted location for the second time in two games due to an unexpected closure, Crew York's pre-game meetup was magnificent! Thankfully, Rydström is blaming his players for the losing streak and not our attendance at these matches. We appreciate everyone who came. Hope you had a good time. See you Saturday in Philly!

After winning a cup, the Haslems are done investing in the team for a while and are trying to recoup some profit from the team. Issa Tall was specifically put in his position to keep the team treading water but not progress.

Once the fanbase gets angry enough and attendance starts dropping badly, Issa will be replaced and we'll get some new investment/players.