On October 2nd, manager Maciej Skorza held an online press conference where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 33 match against Vissel Vissel Kobe [MATCH PARTNER DHL], which will be held at his home stadium, Saitama Stadium, on (Sat) the 4th.

(This week, Tomoaki Makino was at practice to receive his JFA Pro License (formerly known as the S-class license). He previously played for the Reds and was selected for the Japanese national team, and he also played in Trial against Poland (Maciej 's home country) at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. What do you think about him coming?)
"I've only been in contact with Makino for a few days, so I don't know him that well. But I think he's a very energetic guy with a good personality."

Did you feel his arrival had any impact on the team?
"He's a Reds legend, many of the players know him and he's a friend of many of ours. I think it's a positive motivation for us to have someone different at training."

Danilo Boza will be suspended for the match against Vissel Kobe, so I think it's highly likely that Kenta Nemoto will play. He's in his first year after graduating from university, so what are his strengths and growth so far, and what are your expectations for the match against Kobe?
"I think this is a chance for Kenta (Nemoto) to play in the starting lineup. He has the ability to be a center back and is a hard-working player. I think his greatest strength is his build-up ability. He also has the personality to organize the defensive line and be good at management."

Vissel Kobe played in the ACLE (AFC Champions League Elite) yesterday. What were your thoughts after watching Trial?
"Our main players in the league only played a little in the second half, and we didn't use many players who were considered potential starters for the next Trial, such as (Yuya) Kuwasaki and (Haruya) Ide. We won with (Yasuya) Takki's goal in the 90+4th minute, so I think we were able to achieve both an ACLE victory and rest our main players. I think the next Trial will be similar in Trial to this year's opening game."

(Both teams' center backs will be suspended for this Trial due to accumulated yellow cards. What about the fact that both teams will be missing key defensive players?)
"It's an interesting situation, as both teams are without their main center backs. This week, we paired Marius (Højbraten) and Kenta together, trying to make some changes in the build-up and have them play together for long periods of time."

(At the open practice on September 30th, Hiroki Abe showed more intense movements than usual, but is it likely that he will play in the remaining six Trial?)
"(Abe) Hiroki is also working hard, so I would like to give him a chance before the end of the year. He is working very hard with the support of many people, aiming to return from a serious injury. Watching him in practice, I feel he is getting closer and closer to competing in official matches."

(Throughout the season, there has been a lot of improvement in the defensive response when the opponents penetrate the Bielsa Line, which increases the chances of scoring, and it seems that the manager's defensive details have been absorbed, but in attack, it seems that there are fewer challenges at the Bielsa Line?)
"I think the Reds have players with great individual abilities, such as Takuro Kaneko, Savio Matheus, and Yusuke Matsuo. We are also working on improving our combinations, but I think they also have the ability to take on challenges and break through on their own.

There was a time this season when we had problems defending in Zone 1 with not being aggressive enough. There were times when we were able to easily send crosses, but over the past month or so, I think we've become more aggressive in that area. I think that's necessary against a team like Kobe.

Coach Maciej has managed 76 Trial in the J.League so far, with a record of 31 wins, 24 draws and 21 losses. Many people feel that there have been a few too many draws, but what are your thoughts on this record?
"Considering the Reds' results over the last four or five years, I don't think it's a bad result. However, I'm not satisfied because we haven't achieved our goals as a team or as an individual."

(How much do you need to improve your numbers to win the championship and achieve your own goals?)
"As I said once at the beginning of this season, I think we need to average at least two points per Trial. We can achieve that if we win every game at home and draw every game away, but our away results this season have not been very good."

Kobe have conceded 27 goals this season, the second lowest number after Sanfrecce Hiroshima. What is your impression of Kobe's defense? And while the Reds haven't been able to score goals recently, they have been creating chances. What do you think will be the key to breaking through Kobe's defense?
"We are focusing on cooperation in Zone 3. As I showed in my feedback to the players, when they are in Zone 2, they often make moves to get behind the defense during attacks, and defensive midfielders such as Kai Shibato also make such moves. When Yusuke is up front, we also aim for him to run long distances and get behind the defense.

There were times when the timing was off or the passes were too short, but I think it's necessary to increase the speed of play once we enter zone 3. I also think it's important to make moves to get behind the opponent. If you get behind the opponent, it will create a chance if that player receives the ball, and even if they don't, you can bring a center back or defensive midfielder with you.

In the match against Tokyo Verdy, I think we lacked the ability to increase the speed of our play, for example with one-touch plays."

(With Danilo Boza suspended, I think Thiago Santana will also get a chance due to the foreign player quota.)
"Thiago (Santana) has returned from injury and played in a training Trial last weekend, scoring a penalty kick. His condition is improving, so there is a good chance he will be included in the squad."

(What kind of play do you want Santana to play when he joins the team?)
"First of all, he has strength. I think he will be a good presence in confrontations with opposing center backs, including in aerial battles. I also think he is an excellent finisher who can score with his head or his feet, so I would like him to work inside the penalty area. Sometimes he drops back to support the build-up, but by dropping back he is sometimes unable to make it in time, so I would like him to do more work inside the box.

And no matter who the striker is, I think it's important for them to link up with the attacking midfielder. They need to play in the half-spaces and get behind the defense. I think Thiago has that ability, so I believe he'll be able to execute it well when he steps onto the pitch."

(I hope he will excite the Urawa fans with a goal in the next match)
"We hope to score goals, lead the team to victory, and bring joy to everyone."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]