On the 12th, manager Maciej Skorza held an online press conference where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the match against FC Tokyo in the second round MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE Regional League, which will be held at Ajinomoto Stadium on (Sat) the 14th.

(At the open training session on the 9th, several players were doing separate training, but will they all be back for the next match against FC Tokyo?)
"There are still uncertainties for some players and our medical staff are working hard to help them recover, but we don't want to take any unnecessary risks with the season starting and potentially having players out for a long period of time. We have our final training session tomorrow before Trial and once that is over we will be able to assess who is available and what the limitations are for those who can play, particularly those with medical issues."

In the match against JEF United Ichihara Chiba, I think you put into practice what you had been thinking about, including during the training camp. I'm sure you analyzed the footage to some extent, but looking back at it objectively, what do you think you did well and what you need to improve?
"We started Trial very well, scoring two goals early on. After that, I think we became less aggressive in the middle block. As a result, the opponents were able to play freely on many occasions. I gave the players feedback that I understand that this was partly due to their desire to win when they were leading in the first game, but that they need to be more aggressive. I think the progress of the game also had an impact on the fact that they became a little passive after about 15 or 20 minutes into the first half. However, I also told them that because they were leading by two goals, they could have ended Trial if they scored a third goal."

I think one of the big themes this season is pushing the zone forward from the middle block, and I think you've been working hard to improve from training camp through Trial. I think aggressiveness is also connected to mentality, but what do you think you need to improve, including the technical aspects, in order to make your goals work?
"I think that's an area where we can improve, and attitude is important. Each player has a task to perform during Trial. I think the mental preparation for Trial was very good. The players got together for player meetings, and on the day of Trial they were all willing to help each other out. Not only mentally, but physically I think they were in very good shape. They ran a total of over 120 kilometers, and had very good numbers for the number of sprints and high-speed runs, so I think that was a good combination. In terms of how we can improve going forward, I think the positive influence of our new captain, (Watanabe) Ryoma and (Yuta Miyamoto) Miya will be a big factor. I think their positive influence will help us improve, and another difference from last year is that the players on the bench had a lot of energy and reacted well to what was happening on the pitch. We only played one Trial, but I feel that the team's sense of unity is stronger, especially compared to last year."

(Earlier you mentioned that you wanted to avoid the risk of a long-term absence, but what about Samuel Gustasson's situation?)
"Samuel is still recovering. I think it's highly unlikely he will play against FC Tokyo."

(I'm worried because he's been away from the pitch for quite some time since the Okinawa training camp, but is it a serious injury?)
"It's not a serious injury like a pulled muscle, and it's not in a dangerous condition. However, the pain still remains. It's a matter of how we can manage that throughout the year. For example, we want to avoid a situation where he returns, plays one Trial, and then the pain comes back and he can't play again. The medical staff are keeping a close eye on him, but I hope he'll be back in time for the match against (Yokohama F.) Marinos."

(In the match against JEF United Chiba, the team seemed to play with a common awareness of avoiding risks due to the weather, but what do you think your team will look like and how do you control the game to lead to victory in the match against FC Tokyo?)
"FC Tokyo are a difficult opponent, especially at their home ground. We need to play in a compact, organised manner and not give them any space. (Nagakura) Miki and Marcelo Hiang will be making runs behind the defense, so it will be important to control those gaps. Hiang in particular has been ruthless in scoring in recent matches against the Reds, so we need to stop him from doing that. We also need to stop the offensive plays of (Nagatomo) Yuto and (Muroya) Sei. Looking at the match against Kashima, Kashima were one man down and defended a little deep in a 4-4-1 formation, but they were sending in a lot of crosses against a team that was sitting back, so we need to be careful about that as well."

(Regarding Miyamoto, I think it is extremely rare for someone 171cm tall to play as a center back, even under Coach Maciej 's tenure. How much of an impact does height have on a center back's play? If it doesn't bother you, what abilities does he have that make up for his height?)
"Of all the center backs I have worked with, he is the shortest. However, when I watch him deal with crosses in the penalty area, he is able to stop players who are taller than him. He is a very clever defender. I think that in Trial he will struggle because he is not tall enough. Depending on the opponent's style and players, we may change the center back combination. However, I have been pleased with his performance during the pre-season and in the opening game. He is able to act as a leader not only for the defensive line but also for the wider team."

(Please tell me more specifically about how they are protecting themselves wisely.)
"For example, the timing of making contact with the striker inside the penalty area. In other words, he can create a situation where the opponent cannot play when they want to play. Miya's ability to stop the opposing striker in this way is something he has been able to do very well so far."

(Last year you had very few away wins, but you managed to get a win this time. You have two more away Trial coming up. What are your thoughts on this?)
"First of all, I hope that our performance will improve with each game, but our next opponent, FC Tokyo, is a more experienced team than Chiba. This means that we expect Trial to be more difficult than against Chiba. However, watching the players in training this week, I saw that they were very positive and approached the game with confidence. Last season's opening match against (Vissel) Kobe ended in a draw, but I thought it was a very good performance. I think that at that point, everyone thought, 'Now we can compete for the title,' so I would like to avoid that. After last year's match against Kobe, we also played away, but I felt that we did not have the same concentration in our match against Kyoto (Sanga FC) as we did in the opening match. We have away games coming up against FC Tokyo and F. Marinos, and I think it is necessary to maintain the same concentration, high intensity, and aggressiveness as in the opening match."

You asked if you avoided risks in the match against Chiba, but I don't think that was the case. The data also shows that the intensity of the Reds' players' duels and the number of times they picked up loose balls, especially the intensity of the players up front, so it didn't seem like a game where they avoided risks at all, but how do you see it as manager Maciej?
"For example, one area we wanted to improve on from last season was to recover more second balls in zone 2, and I think we were able to do that. Overall, I think we were able to steal and recover the ball in the opponent's half more often than last year. When we were set up in zone 2, as I said earlier, I would have liked to have been more aggressive and moved forward with the defensive midfielders pushing up. There were times when we weren't able to do that and were pushed back a little by the opponents, so that may have left an impression. Both the result and the expected goals were very good. The expected goals were over three points. Furthermore, the total distance traveled was over 120km, so I would like to use this as one of my benchmarks for this season."

(Although they have only played one opening Trial so far, FC Tokyo 's Motoki Nagakura Miki's 27 sprints were the most in the league combined for both East and West. How do you plan to contain Nagakura's sprints? For example, will you use the fast-footed Danilo Boza as a center back? I'm sure FC Tokyo has heard about this, so feel free to leave some suggestions.)
"That's true. You have to be careful with your answer (laughs). When Hian is on the pitch, Mikino is the player who moves from the attacking midfielder position to get behind the defense. Mikino's movements behind the defense are also very dangerous, but the fastest player for FC Tokyo is Marcelo Hian, who ran at nearly 35 kilometers per hour, so I think you have to be careful of both of them."

(In last year's match, the Reds struggled when the fullbacks switched positions, so are they expecting Muroya to play on the left?)
"I think both are possible, but no matter which side Nagatomo or Muroya plays on, I don't think the style of FC Tokyo 's fullbacks will change."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]