On the 19th, manager Maciej Skorza held an online press conference, where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 13 match against Kawasaki Frontale, which will be held at Uvance Todoroki Stadium by Fujitsu on Wednesday, May 21st.

(You replaced four starters in the previous match against FC Tokyo. What do you consider important when making substitutions?)
"First of all, I try not to disrupt the team's flow. Therefore, I think the number of substitutions and their positions need to be appropriate. In the case of (Nishikawa) Shusaku, the first goalkeeper had returned, but apart from that, we replaced one player on each line. Looking left and right, we had one player on the right, one in the middle, and one on the left, which was a good balance. Also, I tried to make sure that the new players were surrounded by players who could work well with them."

(Nishikawa has made an incredible comeback, but how long will it take for him to be able to play?)
"The medical staff put in a lot of effort. We received information the day before Trial that he would definitely play. Shusaku himself had been saying from the beginning of the week that he was able to play and that he wanted to play, but it wasn't until he received the medical information the day before that it was finally confirmed."

(Kawasaki, under new manager Shigeru Hasebe, is one of the best-organized teams in the league. Among their opponents to date, Gamba Osaka was also a well-organized team. I think the Reds are also very well-organized, but what do you think will be the deciding factor in games against such teams?)
"Right now, I think both managers are thinking about what the opposing team's lineup will be. I think both want to use players who are not exhausted, and they also want to avoid the risk of injuries. Kawasaki has had many games this season where they only had two days off, and they have replaced many players. However, I think they will use their most powerful weapon against us. I'm talking about Ellison and Marcinho. These players will play important roles in attack at any time of Trial."

(Does that mean that when there is no big difference in the organization, someone somewhere has to resolve the situation by their own efforts?)
"Individual ability is important in Trial like this. That's why I mentioned the two Brazilian players. But the Reds also have skilled, highly capable players. As you said, this Trial may be decided by the individual abilities of those players."

(It will be an interesting match between Coach Maciej and Coach Hasebe, but I think they will overwrite each other's strategies, saying, "We did this, the other team did that, so let's do it again like this." In such situations, what do you think is important to observe on the pitch?)
"Firstly, I observe the coordination between the defensive midfielders and the forwards. When we have the ball, I look to see how the opposing defensive midfielders respond. Whether those players are drawn out to create space for our attacking midfielder and striker to use, etc. I often observe the centre of the pitch."

(After the victory over FC Tokyo in the previous match, manager Maciej himself said, "A come-from-behind victory makes Trial more enjoyable and enjoyable," but what kind of impact will a come-from-behind victory have on the team?)
"The atmosphere in the locker room is extremely important in Trial like this. I think our teamwork and team spirit were well displayed in the match against FC Tokyo. We mentioned that in today's team meeting. And as we head towards the FIFA Club World Cup, I think it was very significant that we were able to play Trial like this. Playing while being behind and the performance of the subs are important. I think the sense of unity has increased because we were able to play a game like that."

(You said that you liked Kawasaki's style last season, but have you noticed a change in style this season with the new manager?)
"I think it's become a team with better balance between offense and defense. In the case of Coach Oniki (Tatsu), I think he placed emphasis on build-up and offense. I think Coach Hasebe is trying to balance offense and defense. I also think he is a coach who tries to eliminate the strengths of the opponents."

(Currently, the number of Trial played in the league varies, but both the Reds and Kawasaki have been climbing Pos, and I think they will be hoping to gain Trial by winning this Trial. How do you feel about that?)
"As for the Reds, we are trying to get as many points as possible before going to the Club World Cup. I think Kawasaki is in a similar situation after the ACLE (AFC Champions League Elite). Considering that Kashima (Antlers) have accumulated a lot of points, Kashiwa (Reysol) have been performing well but just suffered their second defeat recently, and Kyoto (Sanga FC) are accumulating points every Trial, I think that if we don't steadily accumulate points before the Club World Cup, it will be difficult to achieve our goals after the Club World Cup."

(After the match against FC Tokyo, the usually cool manager Maciej seemed to be in a good mood.)
"It was one of the most enjoyable wins of the season."

(The fact that they were able to pull off a victory despite all the accidents means that the team is getting stronger, but the team still has the same number of points, goals scored, goals conceded, and Pos as it did two years ago under coach Maciej.)
"I have a similar process at every club. It may be a result of the way I work. First, I think about the best members and tactics, and then I play them to make sure that automation and cooperation come out, and then the team becomes stable. As in my experience two years ago, if there is a break in between, such as the FIFA International Match Week, you may find yourself in a situation where you have to restart your engine, and that time may be needed again. So, I'm wondering how we will perform when the Club World Cup is over and the league resumes."

(Hirokazu Ishihara has shown great growth, not just because he scored a goal against FC Tokyo, but what is Coach Maciej 's evaluation of him?)
"I'm very pleased with Hiro's performance. He's a model of professionalism and hard work. This season he started as a sub and the captain was playing in his position, but he kept believing he could become a starter and when the opportunity came he took it and has been playing ever since."

(I think the captain, Takahiro Sekine, is also an indispensable member of the team. Speaking of being able to play multiple positions, he also played left back in the match against FC Tokyo and made a great play to set up Pts. What is the captain's opinion of him?)
"I have a lot of respect for Taka. Even in situations that are not comfortable for him, he is acting as the main captain of the team. I spoke to Taka personally last week and we set future goals. He is working hard in training and I think he is in very good form. He is a player who has played in multiple positions, including in the last match, so he is a very important player to me. Of course, he is fighting to get back into the starting lineup. I think that this will not only happen at right back, but also in another position."

(You conceded two goals in a great Trial against FC Tokyo, and Coach Maciej said that you thought those goals could have been avoided. I think your team's defense is solid overall, but it seems like you lose your momentum when the opposition penetrates the sides. What issues did you address in conceding the two goals against FC Tokyo?)
"These two goals we conceded started with a mistake where our high pressure wasn't effective. However, when we're not pressing, we need to be more organized in our low defense. Even when our high pressure was broken, our players were in the right positions in our low defense. However, I think we didn't do enough in closing the gap. The first time was in front of the penalty area, and the other was inside the penalty area. In particular, there were things we weren't doing well in the moment we conceded the second goal, so I will keep reminding the team about that. We need to do that well."

(I think it could be said that it was precisely because of those conceded goals that it was such a fantastic game. The substitute players also played well. For you, coach Maciej, has there ever been a game in the past where you felt that a hard win was better than a smooth win, and that you felt that this will help you in the future? Do you still feel that way now?)
"I think that's true. The previous Trial was a tough Trial, Trial a lot going on at times, and we won. From a mental standpoint, it's valuable to win such a tough Trial."

(If we had won smoothly, it would have been seen as though the substitutes were not able to play an active role, so in that sense it was probably a good thing.)
"There are good and bad aspects to it, but I think it was an opportunity for the substitute players to perform well."

(There is little time to prepare for two consecutive away games with only two days in between. What are the important points in a situation like this?)
"Exactly. We don't have much time. I hope we can use tactics we've used in the past. I hope we don't get into a situation where we have to try something new."

(You mentioned the FIFA Club World Cup, but there is a big tournament coming up next month, and Inter Milan has also made it to the final of the UEFA Champions League. Is the opportunity to play against the world's best teams a Maciej motivation for you and your players, even while you are Trial in the J.League?)
"It's a great opportunity for us to Trial against a great team like Inter. We also had the chance to face the European champions two years ago and we hope to do better this time."

(Are there any calls or uses to motivate the players ahead of the match against Inter next month?)
"Looking at the atmosphere in the locker room, you can see that they are conscious of the Club World Cup. I think the number of times the Club World Cup is mentioned is increasing every week. However, we must not hold back because of this. We have Trial important Trial in the J.League before that. We want to do our best there."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]