On the 6th, after the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 38 match against Kawasaki Frontale [MATCH PARTNER Mitsubishi Motors], Kenta Nemoto, who scored his first J.League goal, reflected on Trial and his goal, and spoke about his thoughts for next season.

"We had been talking about wanting to score a goal soon, and we had been practicing a lot on scoring from set pieces. I'm very happy that we were able to do that in the final match."

(The goal was scored after winning the far corner, a scene that encapsulated Nemoto's signature play.)
"All I had to do was score. I think (Watanabe) Ryoma's ball was really good, and we've been practicing that a lot in practice, so I think it was good that we were able to put that into practice."

(Has the confidence gained from getting used to defending given you the leeway to get more involved in the offense?)
"That's true. As a defender, it's only natural that we keep a clean sheet, but I think being a centre-back who can score makes a big difference, so I want to keep that in mind as well."

(What impact did your pairing with Marius Hoibraten, who is leaving the club today, have on you?)
"Marius (Hojbraten) had been with Urawa Reds before I joined, and I had many thoughts about joining. There was a lot I could learn from playing together, so I will not waste this year's experience and will carry it over to next year, fighting for Urawa Reds."

(What about assembly from the rear?)
"When it comes to hitting the ball into an open spot, I think the individual level of Urawa Reds players is very high, and they are all players who can do anything if you leave it to them, so I didn't think too hard about it and just tried to leave it to them easily."

(You've finished well, so I think expectations will be high for you to be a key player from now on.)
"Of course, I think it will be completely different from this year, and it will depend on whether I can make the most of this opportunity, so I want to approach next year with even stronger determination than this year."

(At the end, you formed a center back pairing with Yudai Fujiwara.)
"I practiced with (Fujiwara) Yudai together, so I wasn't worried about that at all. We're in the same year, so we communicate with each other in soccer and other areas. I think I was able to do it without any worries."

(Nemoto seemed like the defensive leader, didn't he?)
"No matter who my center back partner is, I believe I need to continue to take on leadership roles. I want to keep that in mind next year."

(What voice will you say?)
"Trial lasts 90 minutes, so there will be times when we have chances and times when we struggle. It's at times like these that it's important for the center backs to take the lead and encourage the team with positive words, so I want to keep that in mind."

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[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]