2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 19 match against Yokohama FC [MATCH PARTNER Mitsubishi Heavy Industries] Post-Trial comments

"I think we played well in the first half, but conceding a goal was a big shock to us. In particular, I think we had good control of the game from the first 20 to 25 minutes. It looked like if we had just picked up a bit more speed in the final third, it would have been just a matter of time before we scored. However, we weren't able to score, and Lukian took advantage of the opportunity to score a wonderful goal.

At halftime, I showed the players a video and told them, "Let's change sides in the final third and supply the ball into the penalty area." I also told them, "We need to speed up overall."

In the second half, we had some great build-up, great play, and the defensive midfielders kept getting into the penalty area, and Samuel (Gustavsson) did a great job.

Today, Yokohama FC 's defense was good, and although we dominated the game, we were not able to create many chances. However, Yokohama FC is the second lowest in the league in terms of expected goals conceded, so we knew before Trial started that it would be difficult to create chances against Yokohama FC.

Samuel's second goal came off a corner kick. The hard work of our set-piece coach, Masato Maesako, paid off. After that, it was a tough Trial, but we tried to control the game.

Overall, I think we performed very well at the start of the first half. We have to aim for that kind of start in every Trial. The team spirit was great, fighting despite the difficult situation and scoring a goal with seven minutes left until the 90th minute. I want to praise the players and pay tribute to their hard work.

And in today's Trial, the fans and supporters created a wonderful atmosphere. In the unique atmosphere of Saitama Stadium, the players were able to push themselves beyond their limits and work hard like they did today. It's a shame that we can't play the Club World Cup at Saitama Stadium."

[Question and Answer Session]
(What is the most important thing in preparing for the FIFA Club World Cup?)
"Honestly, I think we need to train almost all aspects, both offensively and defensively, because we've been playing under difficult schedules over the past few months that have made it difficult to make adjustments. In the past month, the only time we were able to prepare for Trial in four days was the first half of the match against FC Tokyo. We were also able to do some longer tactical training then.

After this, we will have more time to train the finer details. In particular, we conceded goals in low defense, so we need to fix that. And while I think our attacks in zones 1 and 2 were not bad, I think we need to train the final third.

(Today, just like in the previous match against Cerezo Osaka, Ryoma Watanabe was placed on the left wing and Matheus Savio in the center. What was the overall impression? And did you think that this lineup made it difficult for Watanabe to show off his shooting skills?)
"Even among our staff, we have had many discussions about Ryoma's position. We have touched on the points you mentioned. It may seem like an odd decision to place Ryoma, who has scored the most goals, on the side. However, this may be a position that may be necessary in the Club World Cup. That's why we have deployed Ryoma as a winger.

I thought Ryoma did not perform badly as a winger today, and (Matheus) Savio, the attacking midfielder, also played well, making appearances in the space on the side.

However, players are allowed to play in different positions. The important thing is that they all play their role defensively when we lose the ball."

(I think you could see that your offense was slow and tired just before you conceded the goal. What problems do you think occurred in the period before and after you conceded the goal?)
"When we kicked a long ball, our defensive line didn't push up fast enough, which left space. That led to the second ball being picked up by the other team. I think we could have handled it a little better. After kicking a long ball, we need to push up as a team more quickly and stay more compact."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]