On the 4th, manager Tatsuya Tanaka held an online press conference, where he spoke about his aspirations for the second leg of MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE Round against Fagiano Okayama [MATCH PARTNER DHL], which will be held at Saitama Stadium on (Sat) 6th (Saturday).

(The match Okayama on the 6th will be the last match of the 100-Year Vision League. What are your honest feelings right now?)
"It's the final league match, and it's at home, and we haven't been able to show everyone that we can win in the last three Trial, so we absolutely want to win. That's the only thing that matters."

(During the eight Trial, did you receive any words of encouragement or evaluation from Sports Director Satoshi Horinouchi?)
"No, we don't specifically discuss evaluations of ourselves or anything like that. We just talk about Trial Trial Trial reviewing it and so on."

(As the season nears its end, I imagine the coaching staff is preparing for the next manager, but there haven't been any requests from the coaching staff to "try out these things for the next manager," so are the players on the field able to concentrate on their own duties?)
"Yes. Everything is decided on-site."

(During the open training session, I heard Coach Tanaka's voice, and I think he was telling the players to "prove what you've been working on for the past month." Specifically, what do you want the players to embody on the pitch?)
"When I became interim manager, I gave the players a presentation about 'trying to control the ball,' so this week we're focusing on pushing the opponent back."

(It will be difficult to break through if they set up a five-man defense, but how do you plan to break through in Zone 3 after pushing them back?)
"First and foremost, I think the most important thing is to increase the number of attacks we create in that area. Also, in the last match, I used 'the sixth man' as a keyword, and I've been giving that concrete instructions to the players."

(In the first match, you seemed to struggle with the opponent's long balls in the first half. What are your plans to address that issue?)
"We review and share our defensive formations and restrictions on the ball holder in meetings and other settings."

(Considering the 1-1 draw away from home, what do you think needs to be done to win the second leg in 90 minutes?)
"First of all, as I mentioned earlier, in order to bring the game to our own terms, we need to maintain possession and connect passes carefully. I think scoring the first goal is something we need, and if we can do that as part of our game plan, I think it will give us a significant advantage."

(As mentioned in the previous question, I was impressed by Coach Tanaka's pre-practice remarks, as they were very characteristic of him. For example, last week he said, "These two Trial aren't just any two Trial," and this week he said, "These aren't Trial to decide Pos." When do you decide what you're going to say at those times?)
"We take into account the results of the previous match and so on. However, when I see everyone's faces in the morning, I often think, 'Maybe I shouldn't say this.'"

(Is it like, "Is it too early to say it?" or "I'll say it a little later"?
"It's the opposite, if anything. I think, 'There's no need to say anything.' I go onto the pitch intending to encourage everyone to move on to the next battle, but when I look at everyone's faces, they've already switched their focus to the next thing, and I think, 'There's no need to say anything.' It doesn't happen that often, but there have been times like that."

(Is Coach Tanaka's first message something he always conveys at every training session?)
"We talk to each other when we're in a huddle."

(We can sense the spirit of Coach Tanaka during his playing days, which we learned about through our interviews, and the path he has taken since retiring as a player and becoming a coach, but is that an exaggeration?)
"That might be an exaggeration (laughs)."

(For the first time in six tournaments, no Urawa Reds players will be participating in the FIFA World Cup. I think it's a big deal for the Reds to have players like Zion Suzuki, who came up through the youth system and wear the number 1 jersey, and I think there are also historical reasons for this, but what are your thoughts on this, Manager Tanaka, who has continued to play and coach at the Reds?)
"I think it's that difficult to get into the World Cup. That's why I think it's a place that players should aim for. Right now there are only a few J.League players, so it's a very competitive field, but I think it's a place that young players in particular should aspire to. I'm not too worried about the fact that there aren't any Reds players."

(Given that no Reds players have been selected for the Japanese national team for about three years, is this something that can't be helped because the players are playing in Europe? Or, since they are a team that participates in the FIFA Club World Cup, do you expect them to consistently produce national team players?)
"I think timing is important. There are transfers and things like that. There are all sorts of things that can happen, like a player being on the Reds' roster but then transferring before the World Cup. However, it's wonderful to have players with ties to the Reds, and I hope that some players will be able to play in the World Cup while still belonging to the Reds."

(In the defensive line, Danilo Boza is used as a full-back, but have you ever considered using him as a center-back?)
"The possibilities are everywhere. We decide based on the combination of players and their performance at the time."

(Yuta Miyamoto has returned to the Reds and is playing as a center back, but before his loan spell, he often played as a right back. The team had been struggling with fullbacks for several years, so Miyamoto's return was significant in terms of strengthening the fullback position, but did manager Tatsuya Tanaka not consider using him as a right back?)
"I haven't considered it at all. I really rate his performance as a center back, and since I took over the system, I've been thinking about how much to continue and what to change, and I also think it's better to keep changes to a minimum. Miyamoto has been performing well all season, so I wasn't considering him as a full-back. There's a possibility that something unexpected might happen during Trial, but that's about all I can say right now."

(During Coach Tanaka's playing days, a player who could make the ball bounce that much would be targeted, but Tatsuya Tanaka was the kind of player who wouldn't miss that opportunity, right?)
"But he's also given me a lot of opportunities, so I appreciate that."

(Tatsuya Tanaka will be the manager of the U-21 team, but how does he see the progress of the young players who didn't get any playing time this season, such as Luka Didulica, Yoshitaka Tanaka, and Takeshi Wada?)
"They are simply fantastic players. We have very few injured players right now, and I've selected the members myself. I haven't really considered age. I haven't judged them based on whether they're young or veterans; I've made my decisions based on their performance in daily training and Trial with a neutral perspective. I believe that young players, especially teenagers, have their strengths, and I want them to develop those. I've been telling them in training that I want them to develop their strengths rather than trying to bring up their weaknesses."

(Was the top team manager different from what you expected? Or was it what you had envisioned? You played in 7 Trial as the start of your career; what are your honest impressions of Manager Tanaka?)
"I think it's a very rewarding job. However, I don't intend to say that these seven or eight Trial were a good experience or a good learning opportunity. That would be very disrespectful to the players who are currently on the team. I've been fighting with all my might, intending to win all eight Trial. As mentioned earlier, there are players who haven't had a chance to play, so I've made healthy competition the theme of this month. Therefore, I'm paying even closer attention to the play of the players who aren't getting playing time, and I'm realizing that this is what it means to be a manager."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]