On the 12th, manager Maciej Skorza held an online press conference where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the match against Tokyo Verdy in the 6th round MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE Regional League, which will be held at MUFG Stadium on (Sat) the 14th.

Starting with the next match against Tokyo Verdy, you will have three consecutive games this year, including a midweek game for the first time. Looking at the games so far, eight players have started in all five Trial, and two players have started in four Trial. I think the members are fixed, but are you thinking of giving new players a chance when Trial schedule is busy?
"If we play consecutive games, more players will be in the starting lineup. We have a plan, but I would like to avoid talking about whether we will make substitutions for Tokyo Verdy game, the Kashiwa (Reysol) game, or the Machida (Zelvia) game. Up until now, all of our opponents have used a four-back system, but from now on we will be Trial with different systems, so I would like to make my selections while taking into consideration various factors, including tactical aspects."

This year's Reds have been particularly notable on the left wing, and they often use their wing players to rotate, but I think that when playing against a five-man defense, it becomes easier for the wing players to be caught. In that situation, what kind of things have you been encouraging the team to do to prepare?
"We will be making some changes to our build-up and our play in zones 2 and 3 to suit our opponents. Our rotation on the flanks worked well against a four-back defense, and if the opponent plays with three, they will have wing-backs, so it will be more difficult, but that doesn't mean we will stop doing that."

(Samuel Gustafson is having a hard time returning. Even among the Reds' defensive midfielders, Gustavsson has a unique character, so if he's gone for a long time, it may be difficult to incorporate him into the team when he returns. Is there anything you're thinking about in that regard?)
"I am also concerned about Samuel. We have been waiting for quite a long time. I think that the Reds' build-up will be a little less powerful without Samuel, (Matsuo) Yusuke, and (Komori) Hiyana. However, the other players are playing very well right now, and I think that with each game they play, their coordination and automation is improving, so once they are able to play, I think that first they will have to win the battle for a position and then work their way into the starting lineup, and I think that they have the ability to do that. I don't think it will be good for us to be without Samuel. However, I have spoken to Samuel, and I heard that he trained yesterday and is feeling better, so I think he is on the way to being back."

(Earlier you mentioned facing opponents with a three-man defense, but what is your impression of Tokyo Verdy?)
"Tokyo Verdy are off to a very good start. They have lost their last two Trial, against (Yokohama F.) Marinos and Kashima (Antlers), but the only Trial in which they failed to score a goal was against Kashima. They have scored nine goals and conceded nine, which is a lot in both games, but I think most of the goals they conceded have come from set pieces. However, I think they have improved significantly compared to last season. For example, one of the improvements is their build-up. They don't rush from zone 1, but they use defensive midfielders Morita (Aki) and Hirakawa (Rei) to build up the play. They also use Someno (Yuki) to attack from behind, but he is not the only one who will come out, as they also have shadow players, so I think they will be a difficult opponent."

What do you feel the Reds need to do to avoid being outnumbered on the flanks?
"Considering the structure of that team, I think that kind of challenge awaits us in the next Trial. For example, I think we need to apply pressure in a different way than before. I think we need to change the way we apply pressure low in the middle zone. We are practicing that kind of thing and talking to the players about it as we move forward. If we can fight with the high intensity that we have shown in recent Trial, I think we will be able to demonstrate that in a good way."

--Tokyo Tokyo Verdy 's scoring times are quite distinctive. They scored one goal in the first half of their opening match against Mito Hollyhock, but all of their other goals came in the second half. How do you analyze the reason for this, and what do you want to be careful of?
"Looking at the stats and such, they scored more goals in the second half, so I think they are a more dangerous team in the second half. They particularly did that in the final minutes of the match against Machida. In the match against Yokohama F. Marinos, despite conceding three goals, they continued to play in an attempt to score, and if they had scored the second goal earlier than the 90th minute, they might have been able to get the points. However, I think Trial was all thanks to their high intensity. They have been running around 120 kilometers in the last two Trial, so I think they are a team that can maintain that high intensity until the end."

(Another notable feature is that they only took around 25 shots in five Trial, about half the number taken by the Reds. How do you see their efficiency in still scoring nine goals?)
"Tokyo Verdy 's goal expectation is not that high, but they have scored the same number of goals as us. We have to be careful because stats sometimes don't really reflect reality."

Regarding the Reds' defense, when it comes to the criteria for man-to-man defense, for example, when you give instructions from the bench such as "Let's stop man-to-man here. Let's stop the high press and form Maciej block," I think there are times when the players on the pitch will decide, "No, I want to press here. I want to go man-to-man here." How much respect do you have for the players' decisions in that regard?
"Man-to-man is something we've just started doing, and we have other defensive methods as well, but we're still in the early stages, so it's difficult to switch approaches. It's especially difficult to change in the middle of the game. So we're focusing on communication between the bench and the players, and among the players themselves. I think that's something we're improving in every game."

The Centennial League has a short season, but what is your overall assessment after five Trial? How do you see the Reds and the league as a whole?
"It's been a very interesting start, which gives me hope for the future. I think it's good considering we're trying new things and that we started the season with three difficult away games, just like last year. I feel like we're having a very positive time. Our defence is improving and our offence is scoring in every Trial, including away games. What I'm most pleased with is the mentality and intensity of our play. It's a short season, but we've only played five Trial so far. It will be important to see how we can continue to develop all aspects from here. Looking at the league as a whole, it's still difficult to make predictions, but I see Kashima as a strong team this season."

(All but one of Kashima's goals have come from set pieces, while all but one of the Reds' goals have come from active play, both from penalty kicks and corner kicks. Until now, fans and supporters have felt stressed when they haven't been able to score from active play, but in the last match against Mito, they scored two goals by neatly breaking through the middle, which was a wonderful goal that didn't cause any stress. What do you think about that?)
"I think it's very positive that we've been able to score goals from within the flow of the game, but I would like to see more goals and chances created outside of transitions. However, modern football inevitably involves more transitions than in the past, so we need to improve our ability to score on the counter when we transition."

(At last week's regular press conference, the topic turned to Rio Nitta, who said that he had four chances similar to the one he had in the Kashima match during training, and scored all four. It may seem like a joke, but Toshikazu Teruuchi had around seven similar chances, scoring around six of them, which is why he made the squad?)
"To be honest, Rio hurt himself the day before Trial, so Teruuchi was brought in. And I think he made the most of that opportunity."

(The success of Jumpei Hayakawa and Teruuchi suggests the future of the Reds, so I hope they continue to do so.)
"It's good to see these young players producing solid results, and I think their playing time will increase in the future."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]