On the 25th, manager Maciej Skorza held an online press conference, where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 23 match against Avispa Fukuoka [MATCH PARTNER Polas Group], which will be held at Saitama Stadium on Sunday, July 27th.

(Going back to the match against FC Tokyo, I feel like the low block hasn't been fully utilized as a means to win. Is manager Maciej feeling dissatisfied?)
"I think what we lacked most in the match against FC Tokyo was game sense. Even in the (FIFA) Club World Cup, where we played against some of the world's strongest teams, we were able to defend with a tighter low block than we did against FC Tokyo. I don't think our defenders or midfielders have forgotten the rules of the low block. The fact that we hadn't had an official match in about four weeks may have been the biggest reason for this. We were able to play better defense in the match against Shonan (Bellmare), which we played with three days in between."

(Regarding Trial fitness, it can be difficult when there hasn't been Trial for about a month, or for players who come on as a substitute and don't have much playing time. Is there anything you do in your regular training to improve your match fitness?)
"We played training matches against universities during our preparations, but maybe we should do more of those. If we find ourselves in a similar situation in the future, we may need to create more situations where the intensity is increased, even if it's just training matches."

(In the match against Fukuoka in April, you lost 0-1 even though you didn't feel like you were superior to your opponent. You were starting to get a win but then you lost to Fukuoka. What do you need to do to beat Fukuoka?)
"I think we need to maintain concentration throughout Trial. I think Avispa plays a very distinctive style of football. They may not be as good at building up as Shonan, but they can launch very powerful attacks, such as recovering second balls and linking up their strikers and shadow players. In their most recent match against Kyoto (Sanga FC), they were trailing 0-2, but they changed their system and replaced players towards the end and scored two goals in added time, so I think we need to maintain our concentration for not just 90 minutes, but 95 or 100 minutes. Also, I think they are the best team in the J.League at high pressure. They are a team that can steal the ball from a good high pressure and launch short counterattacks."

(In the last match against Fukuoka, the Reds were playing well until the opponents changed their high-pressure formation in the middle of the first half, but after manager Kim Myung-hee corrected that, it seemed like things got more difficult. What aspects of the opponents' changes does manager Maciej look at when deciding how to play the team?)
"If the opponent's situation on the pitch changes, I think it's necessary to play accordingly. If the opponent changes their approach, we want to change accordingly. I think how we play will also depend on the players on the pitch at the time. Analysis coach Hayashi (coach Hayashi Maiki and analysis manager) is analyzing from the stands during Trial, and if he notices any changes he immediately reports them to the bench."

(I don't think it's desirable to be in a low block for a long time. What do you think is necessary to shorten the time you spend defending low? When you find yourself in a low defending situation, what do you think you need to learn to get out of that situation?)
"We have team rules to avoid being constantly pushed back in the low block. For example, it's about the timing of when to push forward. The work of wingers, strikers, attacking midfielders and others becomes important. We also need to have the courage to go forward."

(The transfer of Toshiki Takahashi has been announced. This leaves Thiago Santana as the only typical striker who has remained with the team since the training camp this season, but there may be doubts about whether Thiago is making the team work very well. What are your expectations of him and how well do you think he is living up to them?)
"Apart from Thiago, we also have Hiiro Komori who can play in that position. (Matsuo) Yusuke can also play in that position. The summer transfer window is still open, so we are looking to bring some new blood into our locker room.
Speaking of Thiago, he had a great training camp in Okinawa. He played very well at the beginning of the J-League season and scored some important goals. I also think he did a good job with the high press. However, he was sidelined for about two months due to an injury. He was also working hard to get ready for the FIFA Club World Cup. He was trying to get back to the same condition he was in at the beginning of this season. He scored a goal in the last match, but I hope he will now have even more confidence and courage to regain his condition and score many goals."

(The match against Shonan on the 23rd was the first home game since the league resumed, and many things happened, including scoring four goals. What does manager Maciej think about the team's success?)
"From my perspective, the level of motivation and determination was very high Trial. Compared to the previous Trial, I think the intensity was much higher. I saw this in the vicinity of the ball, in the challenges and in the switching. I think the defensive line was also closer to the opponent and they played more aggressively. I think that is the biggest change, but I think Shonan are a very good team and it was not an easy Trial. They created chances. I think that no matter which team you play against at this time of year, whether it's against a team in the top three of the J1 League Standings or a team further down the table, it's the same difficulty. No matter how many tactics and skills you have, you can't show them unless you play with determination. That's what I want to see against Avispa and especially in upcoming away games."

(You've only played two Trial since the Club World Cup ended, but do you feel that the experience you gained there has been reflected in your players?)
"I think our possession is getting better. I think we're seeing more courageous plays in zone 1 as well. In the first half of the match against FC Tokyo, I thought our play in zone 2 and using the space behind us from there was good. We are in the process of having to get adapted to the J.League again, but having played these two Trial, I think we're in a position to do that in the next Trial. I think playing in the Club World Cup has given us confidence, especially in attack. One of the difficult situations in the Club World Cup was the opponents' counterpress. Whenever we had the ball, they would immediately press, so I see how we can avoid that and get the ball under control as an area for improvement."

(In the match against FC Tokyo, it seemed like Shusaku Nishikawa 's long balls didn't connect well, but in the match against Shonan, Nishikawa's kicks seemed to connect effectively. What was good about that?)
"In the match against FC Tokyo, for example, there were several long balls aimed at (Kaneko) Takuro during goal kicks. In the match against Shonan, when there were long balls, other players moved to get behind the defense. For example, early in the second half, Shusaku kicked a long ball, and Takuro didn't give up and pursued it to the end, and he received the ball and passed it to (Yasuhi) Kaito, who took a pretty good shot. The third goal was also scored after a throw-in from Shusaku's long ball. I think the match against Shonan featured good movement and timing from the players up front, including the wingers. Also, when it comes to long balls, the reaction of the opposing defense line affects whether or not they will be successful."

(I think the discipline and determination that Coach Maciej mentioned after the Shonan match was good, and I think that was especially evident in the defense and the stability of Trial. Do you feel that more discipline and determination will be needed on the offensive side in order to score more goals from now on? Is it discipline, teamwork, or determination that will be needed more on the offensive side?)
"I think teamwork is very important. There is still room for improvement in our teamwork in the final third. Sometimes we play a little too selfishly and don't make quick decisions. Improving the final third is one of our big goals. I think our build-up in zones 1 and 2 has reached a high level. However, I'm not yet satisfied with the performance in zone 3."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]