On the 18th, manager Maciej Skorza held an online press conference where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 30 match against Kashima Antlers [MATCH PARTNER Mitsubishi Foods 100th Anniversary] to be held at Saitama Stadium on (Sat) the 20th.

(Unfortunately, the team lost the previous match against Gamba Osaka, so it's true that the situation has become very tough in terms of winning the league. However, the next game is coming up, so how have you encouraged the team to regain their composure over the past week?)
"Our most recent results have made the situation even more difficult. However, since the first day of training this week, the players have shown a very good mental response. I have talked to the players about the current situation of the team, given them feedback on the Gamba match, and talked to them about the areas they need to improve for the Kashima match, and they have responded very well mentally. With Ryoma Watanabe back and (Matheus) Savio due to return next, I think we are in a very good mental state, and I think that this point will be our strength in the match against Kashima."

I get the feeling that Coach Maciej wants to base his team's play on a very solid defense from 2023 onwards. Perhaps, with the current difficult situation, what the team needs is some stimulation, some determination, or the freshness of trying something a little different from what they've done before. How do you feel about that?
"We are preparing for the next match with moves that we haven't used much before. However, I also think that we need to improve the basics of the moves that we have been using up until now. For example, there is a movement where you go into zone 2 or zone 3 and then get behind the defense, but sometimes the pass doesn't come through, so I think that we need to improve on that kind of usual movement.

Over the past few Trial, we've been switching players around due to injuries, illness, or suspensions. We've been trying to find good combinations and using a variety of players, but for example, Shoya Nakajima has been performing extremely well, and Kenta Nemoto showed his solid defense in the match against Kawasaki (Frontale). Isaac Keese Thelin is also gradually settling in, and I think Taka Takahiro Sekine is currently in very good form. I think we're seeing an increase in the number of players in good form."

Maciej The Reds and Kashima have a history of competing for many titles, so they have a rivalry, and although it is not a derby, it will be an exciting Trial. Do you have any experience in such games in your career, or do you think that there is anything that will be important in a battle like this?)
"I remember the match against Kashima two years ago, and I also remember the derby match in my home country very well. As I said earlier, I think mentality will be very important. I think the big point in the match against Kashima will be who scores first. Kashima is a team with an excellent balance between offense and defense, so I think we will also need to play solid defense. Looking back at the match against Gamba, I think we need to show a stable performance throughout the 90 minutes."

(I'd like to ask about the Kashima match and beyond. Although the championship is in a difficult position, the numbers still suggest there is a chance, and I think it will be necessary to win all the matches. In such a situation, there are various opinions, such as whether it is better to prioritize stability, take more risks, or, in the extreme, use only attacking players, but what will Coach Maciej be focusing on as he fights, when he absolutely must win all the remaining matches?)
"First of all, we have to analyse the opposing team Trial each Trial and come up with the best strategy. For example, our approach in the match against Kashima will be different to the first half of the match against Gamba. I can't go into details, but we first have to think about what kind of Trial the Kashima match is. We have to think about how important Trial is for the club, the fans and supporters, and ourselves. We are eight points behind Kashima in Standings, and it's also a home game. Even taking all of these factors into consideration, this is Trial that we have to win at all costs.

I think home games tend to be more open for the Reds, and I think we see more courageous attacking plays at home. I'll observe the players this week and decide on my starting lineup, but I'll also make my selection while anticipating that the game will go differently in the first and second halves.

(With the team on the brink of victory, both the players and the coaches often mentioned "treat it like it's the final." This may be a bit of wordplay, but if you treat it like it's the final, you might be more concerned with not losing than with winning. A draw is not acceptable, so how do you think about maintaining the mentality needed to win?)
"First of all, we want to focus on how to score goals and win the match against Kashima. If we are aiming for our dream of winning the championship, a draw may not be enough for us, so we need to think about how to win."

(Against Kashima, who have a good balance between offense and defense, the first thing that will be important is where to steal the ball and go on the attack. What is your ideal approach, Coach Maciej?)
"Considering that it's a home game and against Kashima, we want to steal the ball as close to the opponent's goal as possible and launch an attack. That's what we want to do, but (Yuki) Hayakawa is a very skilled goalkeeper and Kim Tae-hyung has excellent long diagonal balls, so I think the balls will come from the opponent's zone 1 to (Yuma) Suzuki and Leo Ceará, and we will need to be able to respond to that."

(I think the ideal scenario would be to steal the ball in the opponent's half and score a goal with a short counter attack, but will they aim to set up the ball in the middle zone without taking such risks?)
"I think it depends on the time of day. I think it's impossible to maintain a high pressure for 90 minutes. I also think there is room for improvement in defense from the middle block. In the match against Gamba, we stole the ball from the middle block and were able to launch counterattacks three times, but we couldn't get the final pass. We have been working on improving that this week. We would like to make short counterattacks more effective."

After Trial against Gamba OSAKA, both Maciej and Daniel Poyatos said that they were in control of the game. I think that's why they both felt that way, as Maciej manager has a different way of thinking, but what does it mean for you to be in control of the game?
"First of all, regarding the match against Gamba, we knew that Gamba would apply high pressure up to our penalty area. Gamba especially plays that way at home. They will push forward in attack, but first we made sure to not allow them to use the half-spaces around the penalty area easily, and prevented them from using those spaces to turn and, for example, send in a cross. In the first half, I think Gamba had many opportunities to keep possession of the ball and play close to our zone 1. When we were defending in zone 1, we created a 3-on-2 formation in front of the goal, and Usami (Takashi) was able to score a shot from a spot where we made a mistake. There were several individual mistakes, but no clear scoring opportunities were created.

In the second half, we made substitutions and started to play higher up the field. I think we were able to create some chances as well. Gamba's only chances came from set pieces, and as I said earlier, they had chances on the counter attack, but they couldn't get the final pass. Even in the period when we conceded the goal, we were in possession of the ball and creating chances, but Abe (Shuto)'s fantastic shot ended our dreams for that Trial."

(This year's team includes players who joined mid-season, so it will take time for the manager to achieve what he truly wants, but at this point, how much of what the manager envisions has taken shape?)
"It's very difficult to quantify, but we are not able to continue playing at a high level. There have been times when players were unable to play due to injury or poor health. For example, our top scorer, Ryoma Watanabe, has been out of Trial for a long time since our match against Shonan (Bellmare) (Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 21, held on July 23). It wasn't easy to play in the summer without our top scorer and spiritual pillar. We have played with different players and different combinations, and while there have been some chaotic moments, I think there have also been positive aspects. From here on, I hope we can enter a phase of stable winning streaks, just like we did in April."

It has been said that Kashima is a team with a good balance between offense and defense, but this year they have played some very close games and suffered some heavy defeats, so I think their defense has been unstable. What are your thoughts on this?
"I think Kashima's four defenders are very solid defensively. For example, in the away game Albirex Niigata, we applied very strong pressing early on to steal the ball, and Suzuki scored in the third minute. In the (YBC) Levain Cup match against Kawasaki, we made two zone 1 mistakes and conceded goals. We must avoid that. Basically, we are a team that can play solid defense, but they are not machines, so they will make mistakes. Niigata's equalizer came from a big mistake by Nono (Kimito). If we see mistakes like that, we will want to take advantage of them."

(Kashima has scored 44 goals in the J1 League, with Leo Ceará and Suzuki accounting for 24 of them. These two also have goals from penalty kicks, which is quite different from Urawa Reds' distribution of goals. The Reds have scored 39 goals but none from penalty kicks. Watanabe is the top scorer with 7, but there are several players who have scored four goals, and many who have scored multiple goals. Is it possible that they are now able to score from anywhere?)
"In order to prevent Kashima from executing the plays they want to play, I think we need to keep Suzuki and Leo Ceará in check. Considering Kashima's attack, I think these two will be key players."

(The Reds have also been notable for scoring early on, or at the start of the second half. What do you think about that?)
"I think it's a positive thing to be able to score early on. This season we've struggled in the last 10 minutes. The goal we conceded against Gamba was our 13th goal conceded after the 80th minute all season. If we can improve in that area, I think Pos will improve. In our first match against Kashima, Sekine provided a great assist to (Matsumoto) Yasushi in added time of the first half to score. However, we conceded a goal one minute before the end Trial and were tied. In those last 10 minutes we need to double our concentration and play with high motivation."

(What I felt in the match against Gamba OSAKA was that players who have the potential to score since returning from the US, such as Hiiro Komori, Sekine and Nakajima, were not on the pitch at the end of the second half, which seemed questionable. It is true that Watanabe is the top scorer, but considering the second half of Trial, I feel that just having those three, or the two-man front line of Isaac Kiese Thelin and Komori, and Nakajima as an attacking midfielder, would be a threat to the opponents. What are your thoughts on this?)
"Since Isaac arrived, we have been using a typical 4-4-2 with two strikers, and I think he has become a dangerous formation for opponents. We are now practicing 4-4-2 more often. Watching training, I feel that 4-4-2 is a very good option for creating chances and scoring goals. Just like (Jose) Kante two years ago, I think Isaac will also need time to adapt to the J.League, so I will be keeping a close eye on him."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]