Post-match comments from the 2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 25 Trial against Yokohama FC

"I think this was one of our best games of the year. We were able to dominate from the start. We made good use of (Matheus) Savio between the lines and built up our play very effectively. Our defensive line and defensive midfielders were able to recover the second balls that Yokohama FC were trying to pick up, so I think we did a very good job.

As time went on, I think we were able to create more dangerous situations for the opponent, but we need to improve the way we move the ball once we enter zone 3, and the speed of our play there. I hope we can do that while changing sides. Hiiro Komori showed us his excellent finishing ability in the first half.

In the second half, we didn't change anything and tried to play the same style. Eight minutes into the second half, Hiiro Komori scored a goal. After that, we were able to play more calmly.

Trial became a bit chaotic towards the end. We needed to control the game well, especially with the advantage of having one more man. Conceding a goal just before the end Trial was very disappointing for us.

In away games against FC Tokyo and Nagoya Grampus, we conceded goals in the final minutes Trial, so I think this is an area we need to fix going forward.

However, I would like to praise the players. They managed to win two away games in a row with only two days in between. I think they did a very good job. I would also like to thank the fans and supporters who created this wonderful atmosphere today. It was a major factor in today's victory."

[Question and Answer Session]
(Away games have been said to be an issue, but today's start was very good. What was different from previous games?)
"I can see that the team is continuing to develop and heading in a good direction. We have been doing a lot of training on build-up in zones 2 and 3, and we are starting to see the results. Even if you have good build-up in zones 2 and 3, you still need a finisher like Hiiro Komori now in the final stretch. When I look at him, I am reminded of Jose Kante from two years ago. I hope that Hiiro Komori will become a player similar to Jose Kante.

Also, I think one of the reasons why things went well for us today was that the opponent didn't come with a high pressure and instead let us have the ball."

Lately, Matheus Savio has been playing quite deep, how have you been working on his positioning?
"We try to use different attacking variations to make the most of the players' abilities. Whenever we see an opening in the half-space, I think it's the right place to use a creative player like Savio."

(I think Takuro Kaneko 's performance also played a part today.)
"I thought he played very well today. His condition has improved significantly since the FIFA Club World Cup, and he's putting up good numbers in terms of goals and assists. I think he'll continue to make a big contribution to the team."

(You were leading 2-0 and the opponent had a player sent off. What were your thoughts? Did you go for the third goal or did you want to avoid conceding one? There was a scene where Thiago Santana didn't stay up front and instead dropped back, which led to a defender following him and then picking up the ball.)
"Our aim was to score a third goal. We aimed to bring in fresh players and keep up a high pressure. However, our opponents also brought on Adailton and increased the number of diagonal balls and vertical passes to him, changing their style of play a bit. However, I think there were certainly times when we dropped back too far. It was the first time we had used this combination of players in the last 15 minutes, so that may have been one reason.

Of course, I don't want to look for excuses, and I was hoping for more control of the game in the final stages. I think we need to analyze that and improve. However, in that situation, we also had the advantage of being able to give Kenta Nemoto his J.League debut."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]