On March 8th, Per-Mathias Hoegmo held a press conference online, where he expressed his enthusiasm for the match against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in Round 3 of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League, which will be held at Sapporo Dome on the 10th (Sunday).

(What is your impression of Sapporo?)
``(In Japanese) Hello, reporters.
I think Sapporo is a typical man-to-man team, and I think that's the team that stands out the most among the teams I've played against. I've been playing under the same coach for many years. So I think the style of play has been firmly established for a long time. It’s also interesting to play in a dome.”

(I think Sanfrecce Hiroshima was also a bit man-to-man, but how do you think you can attack smoothly against a man-to-man opponent?)
"As I said before, I thought the first half of the game against Hiroshima was very good. I learned a lot by playing that game. I hope the relationships between the players have deepened."

(What is the condition of Ola Solbakken and Naoki Maeda?)
“As for Solbakken, I cannot give you any detailed information at this time. Naoki has returned to training and is participating fully today.”

(It seems like there was snow on the ground Ohara Training Ground today, but were you able to train as planned?)
“I left Norway and thought I would never see snow again, but today I was excited to see snow.We have a great groundskeeper and team staff, and they work together to shovel snow. We were able to practice once the snow was covered.”

(When preparing for a game, I think there are two factors: trying to improve ourselves and the team we are playing against.) In terms of improving ourselves, how much have we improved now? Do you have a feeling that it is coming?)
“In training this week, we practiced the relationships between players in various parts of the pitch in attack. We also worked on details in the final third. Also, I think it's important to have a mentality of wanting to create chances and score points.We aim to use players in appropriate positions and connect their plays to the goal. ”

(Former manager Maciej Skorza said, ``Japanese players want more detailed instructions during attack practice than European players.'') What Manager Matthias felt while coaching Urawa Reds: Is there?)
“As I said the other day, I had a long talk with the former manager. I try to incorporate my culture into Japanese culture and mix it up. Of course, we also had a lot of feedback on that. I want to give solid instructions, but at the same time, players must aim to grow as individuals, and I think it is also necessary for them to grow while reading the situation around them.On the pitch. The players are having more conversations, and I think their tactical relationship is improving.If all the players' actions are based on the manager's instructions, the manager's limits become the team's limits. We have a tactical system, but we want our players to play creatively within that system.It may be an ambitious goal, but if we want to be successful in the future, we as a club need to do things like that. I think it will also become important.”

(In Coach Matthias's soccer, I think the relationship between the inside half, known as No. 8, and the wing is important, but are No. 8 and wingers compatible? Do you want them to have their own specialties? ?Are there times when you use a wing-type player as No. 8 depending on tactics and games? What does Coach Matthias want from No. 8 and why is it important?)
``First of all, we require the wingers to play one-on-one, which is where we disrupt the opponent's balance.The No. 8 player, the inside half, is a box-to-box player.Physical ability is also required. From a tactical point of view, of course the relationship with those around him is important, but we want the No. 8 player to be able to invade the enemy's penalty area and score points. It has become a new thing to be asked for the number 8. In order to increase the number of weapons in attack, the connection between the number 8, the wing and the fullback is becoming very important. Or, if No. 8 comes down, the wingers will drop out. After such first and second wave attacks, the fullbacks may appear in front as the third wave. Those three people At least one of us needs to be able to get behind the field.We also defend in the zone, so relationships with those around us are important here as well.''

(Is Maeda ready to play as a starter? And what effect will his participation bring?)
“Maeda has always been a candidate for the starting lineup since he came to us, and his relationship with those around him has steadily deepened.He is a very interesting player who can play from inside or outside when attacking.He can also play with high intensity. He’s a player.”

(You haven't won the first two games since the start, but aren't you nervous? Are you enthusiastic about winning?)
“In the first two games, we both played well in the first half, and we also played well towards the end of the second half, so I think we could have won both games. I want to score points. However, the team is growing through the matches, so I hope to show even more improvement in the next match."

(Regarding set pieces, there is an opinion that since Samuel Gustafson is tall, he should be able to use them inside instead of kicking. How do you feel about that?)
``In the first two games, we had 14 corners.I feel there is potential in set plays in attack.We created a decisive chance in the match against Hiroshima, so from now on, we will definitely score points with set plays in attack. I think I can get it. I'm spending a lot of time on improving my set pieces and practicing. I think I'll continue to get better."

(Coach Matthias has used the word "relationship" many times, and even at the press conference announcing the new system, he said several times that he wanted to "create a two-on-one situation."At the public training session the other day, At the same time, there is a content that says ``Creating a 2-on-1 from a 4-on-2'', and I feel that they are very particular about that point, but how do you view the 2-on-1 situation?What is the process in which you start to focus on it? Did you?)
``First of all, the principle of our play is that when we have the ball in the center of the pitch, we do it for a long time.And if we have a two-on-one situation, we use it directly. There are times when you have a player who goes through in a one-on-one situation, but if you can create a two-on-one situation when you enter the final third, you can take advantage of that advantage.When the first player is carrying the ball, the second player I think it is important to match the tactical timing of the rotation.In order to match the timing, as you may have seen, we can use shapes such as 2-on-1, 3-on-2, 4-on-3, etc. I will be training at

(Regarding set pieces, I think Gustafsson is also strong on the side of matching, but is he actually not good at headers and should he make use of his kicks?)
“At the moment, I think he is better at kicking than heading, which means that he can improve by heading inside the penalty area. He can score, but he is more of a second-row player. Most of the time, he jumps out from the third row and scores points.”

(In the previous game against Tokyo Verdy, we changed to a 4-4-2 midway through, but I think the first team hardly did it in training, but I think the fact that the substitute players trained as a virtual Tokyo Verdy helped them.) (Did you use the formation and tactics you envisioned for your opponent when going into a battle? What kind of thinking did you use to make that choice?)
“In the last game, there were many injuries to the wing players, and there was a situation where Matsuo (Yusuke) reached his physical limit midway through the game.And (Nakajima) Shoya, who can play multiple positions, , he played the role of a winger who goes inside. By having him go inside, Ayumu (Ohata) was able to go from the outside. From that kind of shape, Ayumu induced a penalty kick, and it created a big goal chance. There was also the possibility that Shoya could move inside from the left side, allowing him to use the spinning Ayumu, raise a cross to the far side with his right foot, or take a shot as is. It was a matter of form. Even when making tactical changes, I try to utilize the strengths of each player."

(I felt Coach Mattias' flexibility in changing the formation and introducing players in the match against Tokyo Verdy, but will he incorporate a plan in training that will be based on a 4-3-3 while adding changes? ?)
“Even if we think about further developing the 4-3-3, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.Even without changing the shape of the 4-3-3, we can make tactical differences by changing players. I think he can do it, and by practicing those variations, he can develop other weapons.Shoya was good in games, but he keeps showing off goals and assists in practice. .I think he is a player who can play as a number eight, a winger, and even a fake striker.''

(After two games in this season's J1 League, no team has won two consecutive games. This is the first time in 19 years, but even during a long season, it is a league that tends to be one of the most crowded leagues in the world.) Are you watching?)
"I'm glad there are 38 games. For people like me who are new to Japan, there's something new to learn every week. I think it's a very attractive league, and it's very competitive. I think it's also a highly competitive league. And we're trying to create a sustained culture of high-intensity practice here. I think that will lead to future success. And that's based on the strengths of our play. This is to bring out the best in us.If we continue to do this, I think we will become more consistent.Each week we try to push our physical limits, but at the same time, we want to be able to approach the game in a fresh state. , we're being careful not to overload the game. It's a great league and a lot of spectators go to watch the games. I think it's a great place to be motivated as a manager."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]