NEWS

Isaac: "I've been waiting for this moment"

On the 4th, after the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Matchday 33 game against Vissel Kobe [MATCH PARTNER DHL], Isaac Kiese Thelin spoke about his feelings on scoring his first J1 League goal and his aspirations for the future.

(You scored your first J.League goal in front of a crowd of over 38,000 people, but...?)
"I've been looking forward to this moment, so it feels fantastic. I'm extremely happy to have scored in front of our home fans and supporters."

(You've had good opportunities before, but you just haven't been able to score, right?)
"Having a chance means I'm in good form. If there's a chance, and I'm involved in that chance, a goal will eventually come. In fact, even if the goal doesn't go in or there are mistakes, I don't worry about it too much. It just means I was in the right position, and that's what's important. Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don't, but today I scored, so I'm happy. I just need to keep doing my job properly."

We've all Trial well in the last three or four Trial. However, we've been unlucky and haven't been able to score goals. I'm proud of the team today. I'm really happy that we won."

(What impact did Shusaku Nishikawa 's penalty kick save have on the team?)
"I think that save changed everything. He's a fantastic goalkeeper, and I'm very pleased with him. We wouldn't have won without that save, so I want to tell him 'good work' as well."

(As you start more games and your playing time increases, do you feel that your scoring instincts are becoming sharper, or that your physical condition is improving?)
"I'm improving every day. I'm getting more Trial practice, and my teammates are starting to understand my style."

(Matheus Savio 's kick was spot on, wasn't it?)
"We talked before the free kick. We had some great chances in the first half, and we were very close to scoring. We both had a good feeling about each other, so I think it was good."

(That was such a powerful shot it almost knocked the opponent's hand away, wasn't it?)
"In previous Trial, he made some incredible saves, but I'm glad the ball went in today."

(Was this your first goal at Saitama Stadium?)
"I've been waiting for this moment. It's an amazing feeling. I think that's the best feeling a striker can have. The moment the ball goes into the goal is an incredible feeling that's hard to put into words."

(It would have been even better if they had scored another goal, wouldn't it?)
"I think three points is the most important thing, so I'll be satisfied with just that."

(Can we expect him to score in the next Trial as well?)
"I would never say something like that. I just do my job. Let's see what happens next. I just do my job humbly."

(The weather is nice now, isn't it?)
"The weather is similar to Sweden right now, so I think it's good. It's a great development."

(Japanese summers are extremely harsh, so I imagine they were really looking forward to this time of year.)
"Yes, my teammates were saying, 'This summer is crazy.' It was shocking, but the weather is nice now. The manager has also been very careful with me. He didn't immediately put me in for 90 minutes, but gradually gave me playing time in the new league to prevent injuries, so I can see his experience in that."

(Even though we Trial well in September, wins were hard to come by, but today's Trial could be a good turning point for the future.)
"I want to take this result in a positive direction. To be honest, in my experience so far, there have been few times when we've played like that and still lost. We've had good performances but still couldn't win, and the only thing we lacked was the goal. Even during difficult times, the team continued to work hard. The manager also told us to work hard, just like in previous Trial, and today that paid off."

(The next match is in two weeks, right?)
"The season was long, so I want to take a short break these two weeks and get back to work properly. Of course, after a win, I'll want to play again right away. I want to give it my all to carry this positive momentum forward."

(What do you want to fix during this period?)
"We've been practicing hard these past few weeks, so we need to maintain this intensity, and then it's about the overall team strength and coordination. Winning is important for building team spirit. If we don't win, we'll be in a dangerous situation, so I think winning is extremely important. It's the coach's job to figure out what we can improve, so I'll leave that to him."

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[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]

Isaac: "I've been waiting for this moment"

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