MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE Regional League Round 8 vs. FC Machida Zelvia [MATCH PARTNER Kamukamu Lemon] Post-Trial comments

"I think we were playing a very good game up until the first goal we conceded. We were keeping possession of the ball well, creating chances, and dominating Trial. However, we made a crucial mistake in the middle zone, which led to the goal we conceded."

We continued to apply high pressure in the second half, and that's how we scored. However, our intensity started to drop when Machida made two substitutions, so we also made three substitutions to try and respond, but I think the quality of Machida's attacking players was very high.

Then we conceded a very painful second goal. After that, we also switched to a two-man strike force with Rio (Nita) and Isaac (Kiese Terin), but we were unable to create any chances.

There were some really great moments, so I'd say it was a strange Trial for me. It was Trial we shouldn't have lost, and I don't think our performance warranted a defeat. However, we did make some crucial mistakes, and we ended up paying the price for them."

[Questions and Answers]
(This makes it three consecutive losses, including the penalty shootout. How do you feel about this result? And what do you want to improve during the break?)
"It has been a very difficult week. After Mito Hollyhock match, we were in a very good mood and felt like we were heading in the right direction. However, we were unable to secure a victory this past week, so it has been a very difficult time for us."

Looking back at these three Trial, the game against Tokyo Verdy wasn't a very good one. However, in the game against Kashiwa Reysol, and today's game, I think the players did their best and played very good games."

(Matheus Savio was causing problems for the opponent on the left wing, but what was the reason for moving him to the center?)
"The opponent had brought on a fresh attacking midfielder, which increased the burden on our wingers. To counter that, we brought on a fresh winger. We also knew that (Matheus) Savio was getting tired, but he was playing a very good game, so we decided to move him around."

Certainly, Savio created some dangerous situations as a winger in today's Trial, but considering our defensive tasks, we substituted him with a fresh player."

(The team started with a two-striker formation featuring Renji Hidano and Ado Onaiwu, and it seemed to work well, but what was the intention behind starting them?)
"One reason for today's results was that the opponent was playing with a three-man defense, so we changed our pressing strategy slightly and used players who could exert high intensity as our two strikers. We managed to win the ball back in the opponent's half in interesting ways a couple of times through Renji (Hidano) and Ado (Onaiwu), but our final passes lacked a bit of precision. In the second half, we tried to continue with the same defensive approach and brought on Isaac. I think he also added some height to the team when defending the penalty area."

We had very little time to prepare before the Machida match, but we started in this way. I think this approach will continue to be an option in the future."

(There was talk of a crucial mistake in the goal conceded, but what aspect of the play did the manager consider to be a mistake?)
"Conceding a goal due to an individual mistake rather than a system error is a different matter. First of all, everyone must maintain discipline when defending in Zone 1. The first goal conceded was due to a lack of coordination among the strikers in Zone 1 defense. First of all, we shouldn't have allowed them to cross the ball to the far side in that position."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]