On the 26th, after the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 3 match Shonan Bellmare, Taishi Matsumoto, who earned an assist, reflected on Trial, what he needs to do in the next match, and his enthusiasm.

What about defensive solutions?
"When we press forward, if we don't leave at least one extra player to go to a player, we will be attacked in that way. If they are forcing us, we need to abandon the outside and go to a player, and if we don't go strong in the ball area, we won't be able to take the ball, and they will be able to get behind us in ambiguous positions and create scoring opportunities. I feel that we need to talk together and make corrections before our next match against Kashiwa."

(Ryoma Watanabe has been at the center of discussions since the training camp, but he may miss the next few Trial. What about his leadership role?)
"I realized today and throughout the game that I need to communicate more. There are many things that we have neglected in terms of defense, so I would like to talk about that starting from tomorrow's practice."

(As for offense, I think you were able to create a good rhythm after the opponents retreated in the second half.)
"In the second half, I think they pulled back because they couldn't connect, and I think we were able to create a situation where they had no choice but to back down thanks to our aggressive play, led by (Haraguchi) Genki. I think each individual player needs to be more aggressive."

(What about the changes brought about by Genki Haraguchi?)
"Genki-kun energized the team. When he presses that much defensively, it makes it easier for us to predict and attack. I think he energized the team in that respect."

(Until the first half, they were focusing on a pretty form, but as things started to improve, the Reds also seemed to have a strong will to "go for it." Has that changed within the players as well?)
"That's right. Shonan plays so tough, but this year they've been letting a lot of fouls go unpunished, so the coach and I talked about going further in that area at halftime. It can't be helped if they go out and get evaded, but if we don't close the distance with our opponents and play defense, we'll be beaten in more ways. That's something that each individual can solve, so I think we have to keep working on it."

(What about the result of getting an assist?)
"I'm happy because I'm focused on results, but if it doesn't lead to the team's victory, it's meaningless. I think I'll just keep doing it."

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