The New York Red Bulls are missing that "killer instinct," according to Head Coach Gerhard Struber.
"We dominated the game from every statistic, but in the end, I miss killers. I miss killers in the opponents box," Struber said.
New York had just one goal from the run of play in August, with one other goal coming from a penalty.
"We cannot score," Struber said. "We had some good moments, but in the end, I miss killers. We cannot be happy with this game and especially with this result in the end."
The team trained all week, expecting Chicago Fire FC to come out exactly how they played -- and New York couldn't break it down and put one in the back of the net.
"The feeling right now, it's not on the best level with me and also with my players," Struber said. "We expect today a win, and we trained the whole week in this direction in a very good direction with hungry boys, with brave and also the right killer instinct to score goals. And when we look back on this game, then is this exactly the missing link, we are not hungry enough to create in the end big chances and score."
The offense needs to have clearer moments in the box, according to the head coach.
"I think in some moments we have to realize that we have no stress when it's not necessary," Struber said. "This is what we have to learn, especially when we go back in the analysis of this game. We have in the end 20 shots, one on target, and this makes, yeah, the situation very bad."
New York is sitting below the playoff line, with under half the season remaining.
"Right now, it's in our hand that we change the situation in a better direction," Struber said. "We need, for the next weeks: killers. We need hungry boys. They are ready with a big motivation to win the game in the end. I think today, we make many things in a good way, but we miss a little bit the killer instinct. I think we have to work for that, and also that we need every single player the next few weeks go in a way that we need everyone with the people waiting for us. We have so many games and we need every single player."
As for Struber's goals for 2021 and beyond, the players need to prove their worth now, or face being replaced in the lineup.
"Right now, it's a big competition in many positions in the starting 11, and we need everyone in here for now with the international break, two weeks' time to prepare the right boys with right hunger for the big comeback for what we want," Struber said. "I think right now we have no time to wait. We have right now to score. We have right now to realize points; that we have in the end we have a chance to come one more time in the playoffs."
