On the 15th, manager Maciej Skorza held an online press conference, where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 17 match against FC Tokyo [MATCH PARTNER BizReach], which will be held at Saitama Stadium on (Sat), May 17th.

(At the recent open training session, we were able to see players who are sidelined due to injury, including Shusaku Nishikawa, Samuel Gustafson, Thiago Santana, and finally Hiroki Abe. How far away are they from Trial?)
"I would say that they are progressing well. We'll know at the end of training tomorrow whether they'll be fit for the next Trial, but all I can say is that they are all progressing well."

(Until the previous match against Albirex Niigata, the team had a tough schedule with seven Trial in four weeks, but nine players continued to start in all seven Trial. It seems like a pretty stable lineup, but what is the balance between having a high level of trust in the players who are playing and feeling that the substitutes are not enough to be used in the starting lineup?)
"It's not that we lacked substitute players. However, the chemistry between this pairing was very good, so by continuing to use this pairing, we tried to create a core for the team. Due to an injury to (Matsuo) Yusuke, we were not able to maintain the form we had from preseason. Also, Samuel was not my first choice during the preseason. I kept the same members in order to improve the automation of their plays and their coordination.

And now, we are one month away from our first match against CA River Plate (in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025). We need to get other players prepared for the remaining five Trial. We may use some of the players who were subs in these five Trial, and there are a lot of tactical things we want to try out."

There is a new transfer window in June ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup. It's a first for clubs around the world, but how do you generally view this transfer window?
"This Club World Cup will be held in a new format and there will be some differences from usual, such as a special transfer window. We will be able to evaluate how it went once it is over. The participating clubs will have the opportunity to acquire players and strengthen their roster through a special transfer window."

(How do you feel about the Reds participating in the FIFA Club World Cup allowing other J-League clubs to use this transfer window as well?)
"I think it's good that the right will be available across the league, but I don't think there's much more I can say on the matter. However, in Europe, most contracts run until the end of June, so I think there will be many cases where transfers will be difficult during this period."

(You've had five straight wins and your performance has been improving. What do you feel is improving on the pitch?)
"First of all, I think the key was the balance between offense and defense and game control. I also think our switching play has improved. We've also gotten better at recovering second balls. I think this started to happen in particular in the match against (FC) Machida (Zelvia). Looking at individual players, I think using Yusuke as the number 9 and Samuel as a defensive midfielder had a positive effect on the team's offense."

(Regarding the balance of offense and defense and game control, I think that the change in personnel is part of the reason, but are the results of accumulated training also showing?)
"The results of training don't always come immediately; some results may take some time to appear."

(What is your impression of your next opponent FC Tokyo, and what do you think will be the key points in deciding whether or not they win?)
"We are currently on a winning streak and in good form. The triangle in the front line, with Marcelo Hien, Kota Tawara, and Keisuke Sato, are particularly interesting. In addition, the experienced double defensive midfielders Kei Koizumi and Kento Hashimoto provide balance to the team."

(To repeat my first question, will Thiago, Nishikawa, Gustafsson and Abe be able to make it in time for the consecutive matches?)
"That's a possibility, and we're all preparing for that. I think there are several players who are currently injured who will be able to play in the five-game series."

(It's a tough schedule with five consecutive games after FC Tokyo match, with only two or three days between games. However, I think there is also the advantage that the team won't lose too much condition because the travel distance is short. How do you intend to fight these five consecutive games, taking that into account?)
"First of all, we want to win one Trial at a time. We know that our Pos will drop while we're at the Club World Cup. That's why we want to get as many points as possible before then. At the same time, we want to give players who haven't had many opportunities to play much until now a chance. Next week in particular, we have matches against Kawasaki and Nagoya, both of which are only two days apart, so it will be difficult to play with the same starting lineup, and I think we'll need to rotate players."

Trial In the previous match against Niigata, Motoki Nagakura scored a goal and the substitute players contributed to gaining points, but until now, substitute players have been brought on in a pattern of trying to hold on to the lead and have played a defensive role. What do you think is necessary to use substitute players to score goals?)
"There have been times before when substitute players have come on and scored goals, including in the away game against Cerezo (Osaka). It's not easy for substitute players to take to the pitch in the second half when the situation becomes more chaotic, and I think the demands are high, but I thought the substitutes did a good job in the Niigata game. One of them scored a very important goal. The players who were previously substitutes will have more opportunities to play, so I think their influence on Trial will also increase."

(I think Genki Haraguchi has done a good job defensively when we were leading, but he has said before that he wants results, including goals. What do you think of Haraguchi's performance?)
"When we made three substitutions at the same time in the previous Trial, the aim was to apply higher pressure and play more aggressively. After that, we conceded a goal and the situation changed, but I think that Tomo (Tomoaki Okubo) and Genki, who came on as substitutes, could have reacted a little better when we conceded the goal, and we also had subs around at the time we conceded the goal.

Before Trial starts, it's difficult to predict how the second half will go. So when I decide on my teammates, I have both Plan A and Plan B in mind. These are the two plans, depending on whether we're in a situation where we have to go for a goal or we have to defend."

The Reds have conceded the most goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half this season, with 5 of their 13 goals conceded. What do you think is the reason for conceding goals so early in the second half?
"We know that the start of the second half is not our best time, so we need to improve there. We need to be focused from the start of the second half. However, both teams will be entering Trial having made some changes from the first half, so it will take some time for them to get used to those changes."

(On the other hand, FC Tokyo conceded eight goals in the final minutes of Trial, from the 75th minute until the end of Trial. This is their opponent's weak point, so isn't this a good time to aim for a goal?)
"Conceding goals in the final 15 minutes is a tendency seen not only by FC Tokyo, but by many other teams. It is also in the final 15 minutes FC Tokyo scores the most goals. In the final 15 minutes, 47 percent of goals are scored and 41 percent of goals conceded are scored, both of which are very high figures. For example, in FC Tokyo 's match against Gamba Osaka, Tawara Tsumita scored the first goal in the 86th minute. As a result, the team won 3-0. So, we cannot let our guard down until the end, but we also need to be aware that there are chances to score."

(The Reds don't seem to be Trial very well towards the end of Trial, but they aren't conceding many goals and I think they are holding up well. What are your thoughts on that?)
"In the previous match, we created some chances towards the end, so I think it was a good period. However, it is a very important and decisive period, so I think we can improve our performance there."

(I think your goal this year is to win the championship, but the points difference between you and the leaders, Kashima Antlers, is 8 points, and between you and second-place Kashiwa Reysol is 7 points, so it seems like there's a bit of a gap. Conversely, the points difference between the teams below you isn't that great. How many points do you think you need to win the championship?)
"That's a good question. If you look at last season, (Vissel) Kobe won the championship with an average of less than two points per Trial. Before the start of this season, I spoke with my staff about getting an average of more than two points per Trial. At the moment, we're not there yet."

(When they average 2 or more points per Trial, it's a memorable season for fans and supporters.)
"If we can get two or more points, we will have a very good chance of winning the championship, so we will do our best to achieve that."

(Regarding Pos and points, I think Coach Maciej knows how many points they will get from here on out, but whether they tell the players or not depends on the coach. In that regard, is there anything Coach Maciej wants to keep in mind when informing the players?)
"Before the season started, I clearly communicated our goals for this season to the players at the training camp in Okinawa. Right now, all we need to do is focus on the next Trial. I think that's the approach we need right now."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]