On April 18, Maciej Skorza director held a press conference online and expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming Meiji Yasuda J1 League Section 11 Yokohama F･Marinos match at Saitama Stadium on Sunday, April 20.

(I think we have won the last 2 Trial with great content, but if there is something to be concerned about, I think the theme will be whether we can maintain stability after changing players. Maciej What does the coach think about this factor?)
I think that for the subs, the Kyoto Sanga F.C. game was a very difficult task ahead. Trial We had expected Trial that Kyoto would have the physical advantage in the final stages of the game. It was not a good start for Kyoto, so we were pushed into a very difficult position. It was in that kind of situation that the subs were required to defend. It was not because the substitutions were not good that we were pushed into the game, but because we substituted the front four in such a situation. So I believe that our inability to keep the ball at the end was due to the flow and fatigue.

(That is understandable when looking at Trial. At the same time, I think the players coming in as substitutes will play with motivation and hard work, but whether they are effective or not is another discussion. I think the game is more stable when the starters are out, but isn't the challenge now to increase the number of players who can do that, for example, and who can function even when members are substituted?)
I think the starters here at 2 Trial are not only stable defensively, but also have a good balance between offense and defense. We need to increase the number of players who can play at that level. I think we have players who can do that, such as (Genki) Haraguchi, (Yasushi) Matsumoto, Taka (Takahiro Sekine) and (Mikiki) Nagakura. Tomo (Tomoaki Okubo) is just coming back from surgery and we are in the process of trying to get him back to his natural condition.

In the last 2 Trial, the role of the subs has basically been to reduce the number of times we get pushed around by keeping the ball by ourselves. I think they did their best to do that. Maybe it wasn't as beautiful as it could have been, maybe it wasn't as effective as it could have been, but I think we were able to keep Kyoto, who are dangerous away from home, from the 60th minute onward, not allowing a single shot on frame.

(Yokohama F. Marinos is a team with a lot of potential if you look at their members, but they are struggling. I know this is an unpleasant matchup at this time, but do you have any feelings for the Maciej coach?)
'I think they will play with very high motivation just before the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) Trial. Against Kyoto, we had a 2-0 lead and then the game was reversed. Against Kawasaki (Frontale) away from home, we were leading, but we lost a goal in the 90+10th minute and caught up with them. We are playing very aggressive and content Trial, but I think we are in a situation now where the content is not accompanied by the results.

I think we are a team with very good attacking potential and attacking side backs. And before the important ACLE Trial, we have to be prepared that we are playing against a very aggressive team, as we may try to play Eubel, Anderson Lopez, and Jan Mateusz together. They are also a good team in the build-up, so we are interested to see how effective they can be in the high press. We only have time to do that training tomorrow, but we will see how effective we can be in preparing for it."

(What is important for the Yokohama F. Marinos match, which will be the first of a series of matches in the rising temperatures?)
(What do you want to emphasize in the upcoming matches? After our victories against (FC) Machida (Zelvia) and Kyoto, I don't think we have time to relax at this point. We must work even harder and fight even more humbly. There is a price to pay for fighting hard, but I hope we can show our fighting spirit without worrying about it.

(It will be physically demanding to work hard and press hard in a series of games, but are you thinking of using fresh players?)
(Is there any plan to use fresh players?) "I had a meeting with the coaching staff about five minutes before the regular press conference regarding the starting lineup. We are waiting for reports from the medical staff and physical coach regarding player fatigue. Tomorrow, after the final training session, we hope to make a final decision on the starting lineup.

(I think there are two schools of thought. (I think there are two ways to think about it. Or, we can bring in new players and freshen things up. Which do you think is more important?)
I think that is a good question. It is the third game in a three-game series, so the situation is different from the Kyoto game. We may not be able to start with the same 11 players due to medical reasons. However, the main idea is that we do not want to break the current trend. We are thinking of creating continuity with what we have done so far and moving forward even further.

(What is the situation of Thiago Santana players who were not included in the team for the Machida and Kyoto matches?)
(What is the status of your players?) "I think the probability that Thiago will be there for the (Yokohama F.) Marinos game is low. We still have one more training session left, so we will make a final decision on that after tomorrow's training."

(The number of sprints is high at 10 Trial so far, but I think the number will change throughout the year. Maciej It is higher so far than in 2023, when the director was in charge before. For what reason do you think the number of sprints is increasing?)
I think the number of sprints has increased since 2023, when the director was in charge before. In addition to switching, I think it is also influenced by the fact that we move according to the situation within Trial. I think that compared to two years ago, J-League soccer has changed, and it has become a more physically demanding league, so I think this is one aspect of adapting to that.

(I think all coaches and teams have high demands on the speed and intensity of transitions. Maciej Is there anything that the director strongly conveys to the players in terms of his own policy or image?)
I advise my athletes on when to start sprinting. If we can start earlier than our opponents, I think we will be able to collect more second balls, for example."

(One player who embodies that play is Matheus Savio player, who I think is a diligent player and uses his energy to play press back. There are many ways to think about it, such as using more energy in attack. Maciej How does the coach see it?)
'Our current team requires both wingers to sprint defensively as well. Especially when we play against teams with five backs, we have to deal with the opposing wing backs, so I think it is a necessary job for them.

(In the Kyoto game, I think more players entered the enemy penalty area when attacking. ) (In the Kyoto game, I think more players entered the enemy penalty area when attacking, which led to more attacks, and I think they became sharper. What do you think is the reason for this?)
First of all, as a whole, the team has been able to control the game in a well-balanced manner. In particular, I think the linkage between the defensive line and the volantis was working well. When that is stable, the team can play more aggressively. We have always had a play model of how to penetrate into the penalty area after entering the final third, but we have not been able to do that very well so far. We are getting better at it with each game we play, and I think we are making progress. Against Kyoto, I instructed the side backs to be more aggressive. I think we are improving in that area as well. However, I think we need more time to reach our ideal.

(Nine teams are now within three points of Reds from the top Avispa Fukuoka. If the Reds win the next round, they could be in first place, depending on other venues. How do you see the overall league as a mixed bag in the early going?)
I think we are in a very competitive and difficult season. Every team is in a position to think about winning the championship. What we have to focus on now is what we have to do, fight for three wins in a row. We have 9 Trial days left before we play (CA) Liber Plate, and we want to accumulate as many points as possible there. However, we still have two more games in two days, so it won't be easy, but we will learn from the Kyoto game, which was a similar situation, as we prepare for this match.

(9 What do you think is most important to accumulate points at Trial?)
(9) What do you think is the most important factor to accumulate points in the tournament? If we continue to do the good job that we are doing now and continue to win, I think that will give us more confidence and lead to more stability in the team. I think the physical aspect will also be important in this 9 Trial. I also hope that we can fight while rotating in a good way.

We talked earlier about improving our play in the final third, and I think we need to improve our decision-making rate in that area. Against Kyoto, we had a good chance at the beginning of the second half, but we failed to score a goal, and we became a little nervous when we were caught up.

(Regarding the league schedule as a whole, with the ACLE and the FIFA Club World Cup, there are three away games and five home games in a row. Can you give us some examples from Poland and Europe?)
I don't remember any of my previous clubs having a calendar like this, so I think I have to adapt myself to it in some ways. And we are in the situation of five home games in a row, and what I tell the players in the locker room is, 'Always think about the next Trial thing.'"

(Maciej What do you keep in mind as a coach?)
'I think about a lot of things, but I do think about the intensity of the training, because that's what I'm trying to do. Also, choosing the starting lineup. I think about when to rest players. I think rotation will be one of the biggest jobs in the future 9 Trial. I am not afraid of that, but I think good judgment will be required of me there."

("I think the goalkeepers of the teams we have played so far have performed well: Mayumiya Maekawa of Vissel Kobe, Kyosuke Kojima of Kashiwa Reysol, Svend Broedersen of Fagiano Okayama, Tomoki Hayakawa of Kashima Antlers, Mitsuki Fukui of Cerezo Osaka, and Masaken Murakami of Fukuoka. The shot decision rate is a relation between the total number of shots and goals conceded, and while I think the decision rate itself has gone down, the number of shots on frame has been as high as second in the league. Naturally, a goal cannot be scored if the ball does not fly into the frame, so I think that if the number of shots on frame increases, the number of goals scored will also increase.)
I think you are right. We have been training in various ways to increase the decision-making rate in the final third. Of course, the pressure applied in official games and in training is different. Even so, there are ways to practice, and we are implementing them. I believe that these areas will improve in the future. The number of shots we have taken and the number of shots on frame have been good, so I think we need to continue to do that.

(What do you think about your opponent Yokohama F. Marinos, the team with the most shots in the league?)
If you look at Marinos' data from last year and the year before, you may see similar numbers.

(As the team gets better, I think the number of players who are in good shape will increase. Maciej What does the director think is important to keep in mind when it comes to people management and communication with the players?)
I think it is time to focus more on the players on the bench. I think we need to take better care of the players who have not been playing for a long time. For example, Reito (Inoue) has been working hard in every training session, but it is not easy to replace a center back. Young players such as (Futa) Rio and (Hayakawa) Shunpei have not had many opportunities to be used when the team is not getting results, as we are looking for a set-up on how to win. There are many such players besides them, but I hope we can watch them with great care. After next week's Sanfrecce Hiroshima match, we are organizing a training match to keep their Trial instincts alive. I think Yusuke (Matsuo), Yoichi (Naganuma) and Hiro (Hirokazu Ishihara) will be good role models for them. I hope that when they get a chance, they will take it.

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)