2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 5 match Fagiano Okayama [SPORTS FOR PEACE! DAY] Post-Trial comments

"Today, we were able to play with high intensity from the start and also managed to switch from offense to defense at a high level. We weren't able to do that in the previous match, so it was an area we identified as an area to improve on.

Right from the start, we were able to play aggressively and hard while maintaining tactical discipline, which I think was necessary against Okayama.

Okayama has scored five goals this season, three of which came from set pieces and two from short counterattacks, so it was important for them to keep these in check in today's Trial.

I also thought our build-up was pretty good. We were able to play without rushing, but I think we could have exploited the space behind us more. We were in pretty good form while changing sides, but once we got into the final third, we didn't move enough.

We got off to a great start in the second half, scoring an important goal. We continued to play well after scoring, and it looked like we might score another goal. However, that took some energy, so we had to make substitutions.

In the last 15 minutes, we stayed back and defended for a while. This was not our intention, but we were getting a little tired, and Okayama made substitutions and started to push forward. We need to avoid that kind of situation. I think we were very dangerous during that period, especially in the cross scenes.

After four straight Trial without success, I'm happy that we were able to get a win today. The atmosphere in the locker room had been a little depressed, so I hope this win will be a turning point for us this season. They did a great job with great teamwork and discipline. I want to praise the team.

[Question and Answer Session]
What did it take to get the second point?
"We created chances after the first goal and were dangerous in the final third, but we probably needed to be a little braver in our decisions. For example, we didn't make enough moves to get behind the opposition. We also felt there were times when we lacked teamwork. In other words, I think there were times when we tried to break through on our own."

(When they were leading by one point, Okayama also brought in strong forwards and started to pass the ball around simply, and the Reds also started to play in a hurry, which made Trial hectic and risky. Don't you think there was an option to keep the ball a little more calmly?)
"We brought in fresh players and tried to keep the ball, but I can't say it went as we planned. We substituted (Matheus) Savio, (Kaneko) Takuro, and Samuel (Gustafsson), which changed the flow of the game a little and we weren't able to keep the ball like we had before.

Also, Yusuke Matsuo and Tomo Tomoaki Okubo are in the process of returning from long absences. I think we will have to wait a little while until they are in top condition.

Also, I think Samuel played a very good game today, so I think his substitution had an impact. However, he had received a yellow card and it was a time when he was starting to look a little tired. I wanted to avoid a situation where he might receive a second yellow card by going to the opponent late while he was tired. That was the reason for the substitution. I didn't substitute him because his performance was poor."

(We used Samuel Gustafson for a long time today and I think he has calmed down a lot in his forward movement from behind. What do you think of the sets he is in?)
"I think Samuel is working very hard. He is trying his best to adapt his style of football to my style. If you compare Samuel from a few months ago to Samuel today, you will see a big difference in his performance, especially defensively. Also, considering the new J.League refereeing standards, I think aggressive defense is essential."

(At the pre-Trial press conference you said, "We need to make smart adjustments," but why were you able to make such changes in such a short time?)
"I think the start of the game is very important, even from a psychological perspective. And the games we started well were in the opening match against Vissel Kobe and today. Other than that, we didn't Trial very well.

And in today's Trial, we needed to play with high intensity to get off to a good start. I think the combination between Samuel and Kaito (Agoi), Marius (Hubraten) and Danilo (Bosa) was particularly good in the center. I think there was only one instance in the first half where it didn't work out.

Also, our attacking midfielder (Matsumoto) Yasushi and both wingers were able to return to the field to retrieve the second ball. In other words, it was Trial in which we didn't let the opponent do what they wanted to do."

(What specific approach did the director take to change you in a week?)
"After the previous Trial, I tried to stay as calm as possible. However, that didn't mean I was like, 'It's fine the way it is.' I didn't make it too complicated, and instead focused on the main areas we needed to improve. And I think the team responded well to that."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]