On the 22nd, after the 16th day of training at the Okinawa training camp, head coach Maciej Skorza spoke to reporters and answered questions from the media.

(What specific new challenges are you undertaking at this training camp? Please answer to the extent you are comfortable sharing.)
"For example, we're trying out some new things defensively during this training camp. One of the themes from last year is forming a block before pressing. We've particularly improved the middle zone. It's been a challenge since last year, and I think if we can win the ball back more often in the middle zone, our attack in zone 3 will also improve. The players are taking this new approach very well. There are some mistakes as we try it out, but we want to move in this direction. We want to increase the number of times we win the ball back in zone 3."

(Regarding the defense, it didn't function well in the first training match, but it seemed to improve in the second and third matches. How is the defensive progress?)
"At the beginning, we lost possession during the build-up in Zone 1, and three goals were conceded as a result. I don't think we conceded goals like the one we had in the second half against FC Ryukyu in the subsequent matches against Kyoto (Sanga FC) and Consadole Sapporo. I think the recent Trial against Kyoto was our best defensive performance. We were able to play a very solid defense, and we were also able to break out of the middle block and apply high pressure. Trial team has definitely improved since the Kyoto match."

(I assume the general flow of this training camp was high pressing, blocking in your own half, and attacking in your own half?)
"We're also increasing the number of build-up patterns in Zone 1 and Zone 2. However, it will take some time to fully implement them. In the Kyoto match, the opponent pressed hard, so we weren't able to do everything we've been training for in build-up play. We'll focus on those areas and have two opportunities to put them into practice in a real match. First, there's the final match of the training camp, and then there will be training matches after we return."

(What was the intention behind the order of the exercises we've been working on during the training camp?)
"During training camp, fatigue tends to accumulate after about a week, so I thought it would be good to do high-press training while everyone was still fresh. It might have been a slightly risky approach, but if we were going to do high-press training, I thought that was the only way to do it. We've also made some changes to the staff. Maiki Hayashi has become the defensive coach this season. So far, I think he's doing a very good job. I'm happy to be able to work with him again in a different role."

(In 2023, the AFC Champions League final was scheduled, and last year, the FIFA Club World Cup. This season's MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE is also a special league, but even though there was no time to take things slowly, was the team development process carried out ideally?)
"We want to maintain the continuity from last season. Last season had its ups and downs, and we weren't very stable, especially in the second half. However, we were able to finish on a good note, which gave us hope. Based on that, we want to develop our offense in particular. For example, I think we have quite a few players who can thrive on short counter-attacks, so we want to be able to form a solid middle block and defend effectively. As you all know, the results of our away games last season were far from what we expected. We need to improve things like our mental game and our coordination when transitioning between plays, and I think that was clearly evident in our training match against Kyoto."

(I believe this is Coach Maciej 's third training camp in Japan, and I think there are some differences in culture between European clubs and Japanese clubs. For example, today, even young players who are on the C team were participating in tactical training. I felt that you're increasing the amount of team-wide efforts you're making. Have you considered how to make things work well in Japan?)
"I spoke with Sports Director Horinouchi (Satoshi Horinouchi SD), and we decided to do this because the U-21 league will be starting this season, and we want to prepare the younger players as well. This is the first time I've trained with this many people. Managing so many players is a bit challenging. However, the staff is doing a fantastic job and handling it well, so I don't think the large number of players will have any negative impact."

(The 100-Year Vision League is a season unlike any other, and it will even include penalty shootouts. It may be difficult, but what do you predict will be the most important aspects of this season?)
"First of all, I want to get off to a better start than the previous two seasons. In my first season and last season, I started from a very deep position. It's also a difficult situation as we start with three consecutive away games. We will need organized defense. I want to start with more points than last year."

(Looking at the FIFA World Cup and other tournaments, some teams change their goalkeeper before the penalty shootout. Perhaps other teams might consider adding an extra goalkeeper to the bench, or putting a player who is good at penalty shootouts on the bench. What are your thoughts on that?)
"This is a new experience for everyone. That's why we've been doing penalty shootouts every 45 minutes in our training matches. We can't create the same pressure situation by just training for penalties with our own team, so we asked opposing teams to participate in training matches to make it as close to that as possible. I think it was also good in terms of checking our own goalkeepers. I've also spoken with goalkeeper coach Shiota (Hitoshi) and we're going to discuss what kind of strategy we should use for penalty shootouts."

(Did you see any new sides of the players during the training camp?)
"First of all, with Marius (Højbraten) gone, we have to rebuild our defense. Miya (Yuta Miyamoto) is very aggressive and I think he has the ability to manage from the defensive line. Unfortunately, he couldn't play in the first training matches, and in this third Trial he was finally able to play with Nemo (Kenta Nemoto), but then Nemo got injured after 20 minutes. In order to stabilize the defensive line, we have to consider combinations and methods, and we are currently trying to figure out which is the best. Nemo is also gaining experience. He is a very interesting player. I think Danilo (Boza) also feels that the competition has become more intense. And then there's Ei-chan (Eiichi Katayama), a very responsible and intelligent player. He is also very experienced. I want to see what kind of impact he will have once the official matches actually start. Also, Renji (Hidano) is playing as a striker and right winger, and I think he is a player that gives us hope. He is currently in the process of adapting, but I think his coordination with those around him is improving with each game he plays."

(In Maciej 's first year as manager, there was a player named Ken Iwao who could be a leader on the pitch, and I think there were times when he solved problems on the pitch when the team wasn't doing well. Have you found such a leader in the current team? Are there any players you would like to see take on that role?)
"I think that kind of leadership will emerge in official matches rather than training matches. I believe there are players who are capable of that. I won't name names now, but I want to encourage them to do so. I think these three away matches will be a good opportunity to check that."

(At the press conference announcing the new team structure, Sporting Director Horinouchi mentioned that last year's poor away performance and the tendency to concede goals quickly after conceding the first one might have been due to mental factors. I felt that the team needed someone to unite and bring everyone together to resolve this.)
"That's right. We need players who can react well when things get tough, especially in away games. I think the players are aware of that. I think they feel that they have to do even more when things are difficult. We have to hold on and turn the situation into a positive one. We had a situation where Yusuke (Matsuo), who can bring positive energy, was injured, and Takuro (Kaneko) was also unable to Trial. Right now everyone is competing for a position, but I think Takuro is also looking to show his quality once again, and Renji's position is not yet settled. I want to learn from my mistakes in management last season and create a team with a stable mentality."

(The club's statement included comments suggesting that they might have been too rigid with the lineup last season, especially in the first half. They said that "everyone is competing for a position now," but are they considering being more flexible with player selection than before?)
"I believe that competition within the team encourages the players' growth. I want to create such an environment. I'm always working on finding my ideal starting eleven. However, I don't think there's competition in every position yet. Some players, like Samuel (Gustafsson), Shibato (Kai), and Ogihara (Takuya), are injured and unable to participate in the competition. I hope they recover quickly and join the team."

(The start of the 100-Year Vision League is about a week and a half away. Among the various factors involved, is there anything you would like to emphasize a little more?)
"From here on, we want to focus our training on improving our build-up play. I think Miyamoto will be a key player in our build-up, so I'm glad he's in a condition to play. I hope we can demonstrate that even more intensely in the next training match."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]