On the 25th, after the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 25 match against Shonan Bellmare, Takuya Iwanami shared his thoughts on Trial, his feelings about the time when he didn't get a chance to play, and his enthusiasm for the future.

(What instructions did coach Maciej Skorza give you before Trial?)
"Shonan (Bellmare) was aiming for a two-man front line, and Ohashi (Yuki) was going to be the starting point, so I was told not to let him do that, so I played with that in mind. I committed a lot of fouls, but I was conscious of not letting him create the starting point."

(There were difficult times, but how did you plan to get through them?)
"A 1-0 score is the most nerve-wracking outcome for us on the defense. We had a two-day break and there were some tough times, but we were able to get the best result for our defense with a 1-0 score."

(How are you feeling about the match against Albirex Niigata on September 2nd?)
"I was able to prove in this Trial that I'm not dead as a player, so I want to prepare again for the next Trial. I don't know when I'll be playing next, but I'll prepare so that I can do my job well when I get there."

(For example, in the AFC Champions League 2022 final, Alexander Scholz and Marius Hoibraten were the base players, and the question was what to do with the other foreign player, but I think Iwanami showed his ability to be in the starting lineup with a busy schedule.)
"As a coach, I think this gives me some reassurance, and I hope I can cause them some trouble. Personally, when I spoke with Nishino-san (Technical Director Tsutomu Nishino), he told me, 'I know it's tough not getting a chance to play right now, but your value as a player lies in the level of performance you can give when you do play,' and those words really resonated with me. I'm not getting many chances to play right now, but I want to continue to put my heart and soul into each Trial and prepare. I've spent the week since Marius' suspension was decided, with that mindset, and I think I've shown my value."

(When I see Iwanami and Shoya Nakajima playing together, it reminds me of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico, known as '94 Japan.')
"I'm happy that Nakajima has joined the team, and I think he will continue to improve. He is a player who can decide Trial, so I think he will be able to decide Trial of the really important Trial towards the end of the season. I will do my best to support him in that endeavor."

(You said, "I was able to prove that I'm not dead as a player," but what did you really mean by that?)
"There was a possibility that I might transfer, and this season I often sat on the bench as a backup, which was humiliating. As I said before, it was about how well I could do when I was on the field, and no matter how much a player says, they can't show their worth if they can't prove it on the pitch. I wanted to play on the pitch, and I think I was able to prove that I could do it by playing."

(When did you talk to TD Nishino?)
"About a month ago."

Did you talk one-on-one?
"I spoke to him at a time when I was really worried, and he said those words to me. My biggest wish was to play, so I didn't really understand what he said, but now that a month has passed, those words have made me want to prepare for that Trial. We recently qualified for the group stage of the ACL (AFC Champions League 2023/24), so the number Trial will increase, and I want to prepare myself so that I can show my strength when the time comes."

(Isn't it amazing that he managed to keep a clean sheet in two consecutive Trial, considering that he rarely has the chance to play the full 90 minutes?)
"I had hurt my foot before the ACL injury, so I was feeling a bit uncomfortable, but I thought if I missed this chance, I wouldn't get another one. I got help from a lot of people, and I was able to get into pretty good shape before today's Trial. I was able to get help from a lot of people."

(There was a great side change to Takahiro Akimoto, but I think the Ribun match was also looking to take the ball.)
"There are players who know that and players who are not yet compatible. Today, it was Akimoto and Sekine (Takahiro), so I thought there would be a chance. I think Akimoto should have scored that goal (laughs)."

(I think you and Marius have different trajectories and each has their own unique characteristics.)
"I think that's my weapon, and the opposing defense was a little surprised. If Akimoto had scored, it would have been perfect."

(Does the kicking feel change even if there is a gap between Trial?)
"I always kick like that in practice. Coach Maciej (Skorja) also requires that we all make those kinds of movements when I play in Trial, and I think Coach Maciej understands that."

(I heard that coach Maciej was worried because Marius was absent, but is this true?)
"I was called in a few times and asked, 'Can you shut down Ohashi?' Marius is the type of player who can shut him down, and I also said to Scholz, 'The coach is worried about you' (laughs)."

(They almost completely shut down Ohashi and didn't let him take a good shot.)
"Coach Maciej kept telling me to 'crush' them, so I thought it would be bad if I didn't. I was very conscious of that."

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