MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE Regional League Round 12 vs. Yokohama F･Marinos [MATCH PARTNER: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries] Post-Trial comments

"Today we started with two strikers, aiming to control the game while also putting pressure on the opponent. After a somewhat chaotic start, we were able to control the game. During the period when we were keeping possession and controlling the game well, we lost out in challenges for the ball in the center and lacked sufficient strength inside the penalty area, which led to the first goal we conceded."

Even after conceding that goal, everyone continued to try and create chances. There were instances where Renji Hidano broke through the defense, and a goal was scored from a cross from Hiro Hirokazu Ishihara to Takuro Kaneko.

For the first 15 minutes of the second half, we placed Ryoma Watanabe as an attacking midfielder. The aim was for him to play between the lines and keep possession of the ball for longer. Renji was on the right wing. I think we were able to control the game well and create chances during that period as well.

There was a scoring opportunity, and Renji wasn't offside, so I think he should have scored. And a few minutes later, in a 2-on-1 situation, I think he should have been calmer and finished it in a better way. We were in good control of the game, but we conceded a second goal from a set piece. That was a very painful goal to concede.

After that, we brought on Hiiro Komori and Yusuke Matsuo, aiming to press the opponent more strongly, especially from the left side. The third goal we conceded was due to insufficient risk management; we lost a challenge for the ball and conceded a goal from a counter-attack.

I think it was a positive point that they continued to fight without giving up after that. Then Miya (Yuta Miyamoto) made a pass behind the defense to Yusuke, which ultimately resulted in an own goal, but that was a situation that arose because of that kind of movement. After that, the two strikers continued to fight, and crosses were also coming in to them. However, they lacked the finishing ability today."

[Questions and Answers]
(Today marks the seventh consecutive loss, and objectively speaking, it seems the team is lacking in areas such as their tactics, their tenacity in contested situations, and their mental strength. How does the manager view these seven consecutive losses, and what do you think are the causes?)
"I don't think there's just one reason, but I think the mental aspect you mentioned is one of them. However, we've been playing at a decent level, yet we've been dropping points in the final stages of Trial. Perhaps we're lacking a bit of determination to see it through to the end."

However, I think it also depends on the type of play. When players get tired towards the end Trial, they tend to make more individual mistakes. In terms of managing our stamina, we also aimed to keep possession of the ball for longer today. Last year, we had a solid defense and rarely conceded goals in that way in Zone 1. Considering that, I think it was a rather unpleasant goal to concede."

(You can really see that they're trying hard, but it's not translating into results. Based on your experience as a coach, what do you think is necessary to stop that?)
"Regarding the mental aspect, I think the players are working very hard. However, when Trial Trial winning, I think it's easy to lose confidence."

Before today's Trial, I told the players that this is a very important time for each of them, and that they should prepare themselves mentally and mentally before Trial. I told them not to hide in situations like this. To do that, they must first do their best in the very front lines. For example, that includes defending in Zone 1.

In today's Trial, our forwards and strikers made runs behind the defense, but we lacked the decision-making to utilize those opportunities. We could be more courageous and use them more effectively. Also, while cutting inside has become a key weapon recently, today there were instances where there was movement on the opposite side when we attempted to cut inside, but our decision-making was delayed and we couldn't connect with the other players.

The first thing we need to fix is our defense in Zone 1. We need to be able to defend more solidly. I don't recall ever conceding three goals at home before, so we need to make sure we correct that."

(Today, they switched between a two-striker formation and a single-striker formation. I think the single-striker formation was effective, but why did they switch back to a two-striker formation so quickly?)
"With (Matheus) Savio absent from today's Trial, we spent a lot of time thinking about what formation to use. The reason we chose this formation is that (Onaiwu) Ado plays an important role in our high press, and he's a player who can keep possession of the ball even when surrounded by opponents. He did a good job in that regard in Kashima Antlers match, and Ado is also an important presence mentally, so we decided to use him today."

Renji is a young and talented striker, and he's currently the team's top scorer. When it comes to when he scores, he often scores in the first half. So far, he hasn't been very effective when he's come on as a substitute. We've been practicing using him from the start of the second half, with Ryoma Watanabe playing as an attacking midfielder. We knew before the game that using two strikers would make possession a little more difficult. Our aim was to create more situations like the first goal, where the ball was passed from Hiro to Renji after a three-man pass.

Then, we considered what formation would be best when having those two on the pitch at the same time, and decided on a two-striker system."

(Regarding the continued conceding of goals after the 60-minute mark, you mentioned that fatigue makes individual mistakes more likely, but if individual mistakes occur with such a high probability, aren't there organizational or structural issues?)
"The system works well when individual players are playing well. And while we are currently playing with this system, we also need to ask ourselves whether it is the best fit for the players and whether it is something they can actually do."

We knew that our new style of play this season would increase the risk of conceding goals, but our ability to maintain effective defense in Zone 1 has been declining far too early in the game.

We don't often concede goals from quick counterattacks after our high press is broken. Rather, we concede goals when we have players on the team but fail to properly mark the opponent or when we make mistakes in judgment."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]