Post-match comments from the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 4 Trial against Shonan Bellmare

"I think the first 20 minutes were fantastic. We had a lot of big chances, but we should have scored more goals when they came. After that, we were passive in situations where we needed to press.

At halftime we were trailing 1-2, but I told the players, 'We can score three or four in the second half.' Shortly after that we were trailing 1-3, but the players showed their mettle and fought until we caught up.

And the players who started on the bench did a good job when they got on the pitch. We had a chance to score the fifth goal at the end. Thiago (Santana) and Yodai (Sato) had chances.

I think the character that the players showed today was very important. I think the area we need to work on going forward is stability. I also hope that we can apply more pressure throughout Trial.

I think it was important that we didn't lose against a team that could take such great shots today. Of course, their shots were good, but conceding goals wasn't what we wanted. We scored four goals today, and we've been able to score in three away Trial since the start of the season."

[Question and Answer Session]
(There were many vertical passes going through the midfielders, but they couldn't be caught. That doesn't seem like a good way to defend, what do you think about that?)
“I think that’s true. When we had the ball, we didn’t connect well and we started playing more long balls, which gave the initiative to the other team.

And when we pressed, we ended up leaving space in front of our defensive line. So in the second half, we brought in (Iwao) Nori to improve our balance. We also tried to increase our physical strength. By moving forward through the midfield in this way, we also brought in (Matsuo) Yusuke up front, so that we could more directly target the space behind them."

(There was no center back on the bench today, but if there had been an accident earlier in the game, how would you have responded?)
"There were three options. One was Atsuki Ito. The other was to use Hiroki Sakai as a center back and Ayumu Ohata as a side back. If something happened, there was a high possibility that we would have used these two, but there was also a plan to use Ken as a center back."

(At this time when the team is just getting going, how has the presence of players like Shinzo Koroki Ken Iwao in the second half been of help to the manager?)
"I think (Koroki) Shinzo was particularly good in the first half, especially in attack. Not only did he score a goal, but he was also able to play a part in the build-up.

Ken's character was evident everywhere. I can see why he played so many games last year. Ken can play a role somewhere between an anchor and an inside half, and he's adapted to that role."

(Today you struggled with Shonan's press in the build-up, how do you want to fix that?)
"In the first 20 minutes, I think we were able to find spaces well and use them. We needed to play by changing sides, but we stopped doing that halfway through.
I think the issue for the future will be when to connect firmly from behind and when to directly target the back."

(Naoki Maeda was substituted early in the two Trial, but he is still not at 100% and is it difficult for him to play the full 90 minutes?)
"I've been absent from training for quite a while due to illness, so I'm struggling a bit physically. I had cramps in my leg in today's Trial. I think that the two weeks without official matches during the international break will be a good time for us. It's a time for Naoki, as well as for players like Tomo (Tomoaki Okubo) who are returning from injury, to train. It's also a time for us new coaches to get to know the players better. I intend to deepen my knowledge of the J.League every week.

I would like to thank Shonan for coming today. I think we were able to play the game in a wonderful atmosphere thanks to the many Shonan fans and Urawa Reds fans and supporters who came."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]