On the 15th, Per-Mathias Hoegmo held a press conference online, where he expressed his enthusiasm for the match against Shonan Bellmare in Round 4 of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League, which will be held at Lemon Gas Stadium Hiratsuka on Sunday the 15th.

(In the previous match against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo Alexander Scholz was injured and Yota Sato was suddenly forced to play. What is Sato's good point from Coach Mattias' point of view?)
"I've been watching him since day one, and he's getting better and better. He's got some good defensive plays. He's good at man-to-man defense, and he's a player who can cover wide spaces. He's also good at attacking. He is a player who can read the game well.He is also a player who can score points from set plays such as corner kicks.I think he has special talent there as well.''

(If you were to use Sato for the match against Shonan, what kind of play would you like to see?)
“If he plays against Shonan, I hope he shows the kind of play he showed against Sapporo once again.I expect him to play bravely and show his authority on the pitch. ”

(You got your first win against Sapporo, but what do you want to improve on in the future?)
“First of all, I would like to let you know that we have been training very well this week. Individually, each of us has shown great growth, and not only are we having good runs, but we are also deepening the relationships involved. I think what we need to improve as a team is our attack, creating goal chances and actually scoring goals, and this week we are focusing on those areas in training. We've been going through the weekly microcycle, and I think the players are getting better every time we play. I think they're adapting to our football."

(What is your impression of Shonan?)
"I think Shonan is also a well-organized team. Up until now, we have played in both a four-back and three-back formation. We are preparing for both."

(If we talk about Shonan based on the assumption that they have a back 4 team, I think they are a team that defends in a zone and comes forward, rather than man-to-man like Sapporo or Sanfrecce Hiroshima game against Tokyo Verdy might be helpful. But what is important for attacking, especially scoring goals?)
``First of all, the one thing that I think needs improvement is the moment of transition.I think there are times when we steal the ball in various places on the pitch, but at that moment, when the opponent is not yet ready, I think it is necessary to set up a counter attack.I think it is necessary to create multiple threats at the same time.For example, by doing the opposite movement.This is a combination where when one of the players on the front line goes down, one goes for the back. .And I think it means staying calm and making the right decisions when faced with opportunities."

(In the last match against Sapporo Shinzo Koroki was selected as the starting lineup instead of Thiago Santana. What qualities about Koroki were necessary for the current team, and did you decide to use him as a starter?)
“As I said in the post-game press conference the other day, Shinzo is a very smart player tactically. He can come down and become a link himself, or he can go behind the field. During the press He is also a player who can make use of his tactical smarts. Whether he is starting or coming off the bench, he is always involved in opportunities."

(Coach Matthias said that having the wingers in a high position can sometimes create space in front, but is it desirable for center forwards to move back and forth? Originally, I would like to have players who can compete in front of the goal more.) Do you think that in your current state you need players who can help those around you?
“The team has what they want to do and each striker has their own abilities. Matsuo (Yusuke) is a great winger, but if you use him as a centre-forward, for example, he becomes a good forward who can get behind the field. Thiago is a great defender in the penalty area. He is a very talented player.I think it's just a matter of combinations.For example, if the striker moves down, the inside half or winger has to go behind the opponent.There is always someone behind the opponent who is a threat. We saw this in the match against Sapporo, but it's not just the strikers, it's also the relationship between (Maeda) Naoki and (Ito) Atsuki, when Naoki is receiving the ball at his feet, Atsuki There were movements where Naoki ran behind the field, and when Atsuki received the ball between the opponents, Naoki ran behind the field.Taka (Takahiro Sekine) also works hard every game, and he shows the same in practice. He is showing very good defense in practice, and there are many scenes where he sneaks behind the field and scores points.This was also seen in the previous game, but basically he plays defense on the left side. I play on the wing, but when the ball is on the right side, I can move to the right and overload.”

(What is the situation with Scholz, Ola Solbakken, and Tomoaki Okubo?)
"The injured are being closely monitored by the medical staff. Tomo is already training fully and is improving. Scholz has a hamstring injury. I hope it won't take too long for him to come back. Ola is also getting better, but he still has a problem with his foot, so I hope he gets better soon.''

(What do you value about Okubo?)
``I think Tomo is a player who can play with high intensity. He's also good in one-on-one situations, and I think his ability to run behind the scenes is also good.He's a player who has a lot of movement and can always play proactively. He has returned to training and is already playing full time, but he is playing with great energy."

(I think Okubo basically plays on the right wing, but are you considering other positions?)
"I think that's true. Given his characteristics, he can play as a winger, but I also think he can play other positions in our football."

(Do you mean a middle position or the opposite side?)
"Maybe. He is a player who is good with the ball, so I think he can play in the center. He is fast, has technique, and has stamina. He has the skills necessary to play our soccer. I think we are prepared.”

(I think Coach Matthias is aiming for an aggressive style of soccer, but looking at the games so far, I don't think he can be called aggressive.) In the final three games of last year, he took a total of 28 shots. However, in three games this season, they have taken 27 shots. They have used Yoshio Koizumi and Ito in the inside half, but they haven't taken a shot in the past two games. They are very good players. I know, but is the inside half combination the best? Kaito Yasui played in many games last year, but he hasn't even been on the bench this season. He is physically strong and has the ability to steal the ball. He is also good at spreading the ball, but is Yasui injured?)
"Kaito is not injured. He is now bringing a new structure and new way of playing to the team. We have to look at a lot of details, but right now we are in the stage of creating a platform. And the team The thing that takes the most time to develop is the attacking side. There are many things involved, such as relationships between players, skills, and finishing. We are also increasing the intensity of practice, so we are improving the players physically. My body is just catching up.

I think your question was about inside half, but there are many players on this team who can play in that position. Each has different skills and different characteristics. For example, I think Kaito, as you said, is a player who has good running and good shooting. The players are competing well in practice. I think each of them is showing their own good points. I think you can see that the number of chances we create increases as we play more and more games, but I think things like this are bound to happen at the start of the season. In the first half of the match against Sapporo, we didn't let our opponent create any chances, and we created three or four clear chances, so we would like to build on that. And again, I think it can take a little bit of time to turn into an offensive team. We are trying to raise the team's center of gravity from a low place to a high place."

(Coach Matthias often says, ``We had a good game'' and ``we played well,'' but I think the fans, supporters, and Japanese soccer officials are also expecting Urawa Reds to win. They say it will take time.) How long should I watch? How many games should I play to get results?)
"In that sense, I'm glad we were able to win the last match. I can't say how long it will take, but I'm getting better and better as I practice."

(Would you like to see something good in the match?)
``On the difficult pitch in Sapporo, the players are creating many chances with their soccer and the way they practice.Of course, the fans and supporters want to win, but the players are creating many chances in the way they practice. We're seeing our players improve, so I think we'll be able to see even more good plays this weekend and in Sunday's game."

(Sunday, the weather will be over 20 degrees. In the summer, we have to play in temperatures close to 40 degrees. What do you think about the heat?)
“If you want to play soccer in Japan, I think summer is an important point, and I think clubs have the know-how to deal with it in the summer.For example, you can play in conditions where the temperature is close to 40 degrees and the humidity is over 96 percent. We have to be able to respond to what is going to happen, but I also think it is an ability to be well prepared for the match, so we have to be strong in that area.We are already talking about this within the club. I think this is one of the exciting challenges facing Japanese soccer."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]