On the 10th, a press conference was held online with manager Per-Mathias Hoegmo, where he spoke about his enthusiasm ahead of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 8 match against Kashiwa Kashiwa Reysol will be held at Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium on Friday the 12th.

(After the match against Tosu, you said, "I'm now able to show what I've been practicing for 90 minutes," but what specifically do you feel has been the biggest improvement?)
"I believe that playing based on our philosophy is allowing us to make progress every week. We train every week based on tactical periodization, and I think that one of the reasons is that everyone is becoming accustomed to that training. I also think that what has improved as a team is the number of chances we create and the number of goals we score. We are seeing this in practice, and it is now being seen in official matches as well. We are also seeing more movements to get into the space behind the opponents, both from the wingers and inside halves. We are able to create chances from these places. In defence, the sense of distance between players is also improving, and I think the intensity is also increasing. Of course, I believe there is still a lot of room for improvement."

(It has been about three months since you started coaching the Reds. After spending time with them, what do you notice as characteristics of Japanese players, and are there any initiatives you take to help them develop?)
"It's difficult to generalize to Japanese players, but from the very first day I came to the Reds, my approach has been to always stay focused throughout practice. If you ask what the difference between Europe and Japan is, it may be the gym culture. I think that each player strengthens their skills at the gym, but there are different situations for each player. We are trying to increase the intensity of both practice and games, and I think the gym is necessary for that. Training at the gym also helps prevent injuries. I think the players' technical level is very high. Their attitudes are also great. And I really like their personalities. I am very motivated to work with them, and I have been talking to them from the beginning about trying to improve a little bit every day, and we are starting to see that. Also, as I said at the press conference after the previous game, they have been working very faithfully to the team concept from the very beginning."

(I've heard that being faithful to a concept is a characteristic of Japanese people, but I've also heard that they get too tied down to that concept, and that they lack ideas and boldness. What do you think about that?)
"I think I've spoken about this a little before, but if you look at the players, they discuss and decide on the team concept, their own growth, and how they will play, so they take responsibility and participate in these processes. There is a team structure, but I think that by thinking for themselves and playing, they can bring out their creativity."

(In the match against Tosu, the three midfielders and the front line players were able to move freely between positions, which I think led to a good result, but on the other hand, I think it can also lead to a chaotic or disorganized situation. How do you plan to balance the structure you have in place with the players' free ideas, and how do you plan to use that to achieve results?)
"You mentioned structure and chaos, and I understand the intention of the question. I think the important thing is the relationship with those around you. For example, Atsuki Ito has been making more plays that get behind the defense. While using our structure as a base, he can get behind the defense from his inside half position, or move closer to the center and take a position like a number 10 and then get behind the defense. Ryoma Watanabe is also able to play by going in from the outside or the inside while watching the situation and using our structure as a base. Hiro Ishihara, who played in the match against Tosu, also ran forward and threw off the opponent's balance by attacking one-on-one. Samuel Gustafson is also getting used to the J.League, and I think he is getting better at positioning himself, knowing whether to go higher or drop back a little. He is making decisions while looking at his surroundings and deciding where he should be."

(What do you think is the biggest benefit of adopting tactical periodization? What do you think tactical periodization can bring to the Reds?)
"This concept has been developed over several years. It is based on long-term data and experience, and incorporates strength, speed and endurance stimulation into one week of training. It is a way to educate players both physically and tactically. Using tactical periodization, you can train at a stable, high level and sustainably. I have been doing this since I came to the Reds, and of course, we have to adjust the load individually, but while adjusting, we try to increase the overall load compared to the previous month. At the beginning, we had a few injuries, but we are trying to control that day by day. If we continue this, I hope to be able to show even higher physical, tactical and technical quality at the (FIFA) Club World Cup in the United States in June next year."

(The manager often talks about "increasing intensity," but does the intensity he is looking for show up in the data? For example, looking at the number of sprints, the team with the highest average number in the J1 League is Kashiwa, the next opponent, while the Reds' number is not that high. How do you view the number of sprints? Or, what do you place importance on when considering intensity?)
"High-intensity running is the data we pay the most attention to. We look at the numbers for over 25 kilometers per hour, over 27 kilometers per hour, and over 30 kilometers per hour. We are currently working to improve these numbers in each position. Looking at the data from the start, both as a team and as individuals, we can see that there has been improvement. Kashiwa is a very organized team with a very compact 4-4-2, and I think that they are a team that can make high-intensity movements when going forward or when sliding back and forth. I think that they are a team that can form a solid block and keep moving throughout the 90 minutes."

(What do you think will be important in the match against Kashiwa, where you are aiming for your first consecutive wins of the season?)
"Firstly, we need to maintain our defensive strength. We want to show that whether it's a high press, a mid block or a low block. We play in a zone defense, but we're now able to close in on the opponents from there, and I think we've also got a better sense of distance to do that. As I said in the press conference after the Tosu match, the clearer the press up front is, the easier it is to read the situation for the players at the back. I also want to further deepen the relationships between the players, and as I mentioned earlier, I want to be able to make more runs behind the defense. That's how Matsuo (Yusuke) got his chance, and Atsuki was also able to create good shapes. I want the wingers, inside halves and strikers to be able to make those kinds of movements. Also, compared to Tosu, the space that is created is different, so I hope we can recognize that and use it. Also, the players coming off the bench have continued to make a strong impact, so I hope to continue to see that in the future."

(Obe Flint, a former Reds coach and current scout for Borussia Monchengladbach, is visiting Japan. Did he say anything?)
"I've spoken to him. I had dinner with him and his wife two days ago and he's been visiting the training ground so we've been talking."

(What did they talk about?)
"I've known him since he was a coach in Norway. He worked for Borussia Mönchengladbach for many years. We spoke about the overall development of football. We also spoke about the culture and development of the J.League."

"Was there any talk of them wanting to bring someone from the Reds?"
"I don't think that's the case at the moment (laughs)."

(Conversely, haven't you said that you want a Borussia Mönchengladbach player?)
"I don't know about that (laughs). But Borussia Mönchengladbach is a club that has had good experience with Japanese players."

(After Tomoaki Okubo scored a goal in the match against Tosu, he headed towards the bench, but Thiago Santana ended up receiving the ball. In reality, he wanted to go to Coach Mathias, but did you know that?)
"In the three seasons up until last year, he scored one goal in each of the league games. This year, he has already scored one goal and I told him that he is also creating chances. He has returned to training, his physical condition is improving, and he is becoming more capable of one-on-one play and working hard. It is very gratifying to see a player celebrate after scoring a goal, and I think that is what we are working for. He has returned from a serious injury and has produced results in games, so I think it is a very good situation for him."

(Until last year, Okubo played well but didn't score any goals or assists. He said that the reason for this was that he played well in defense and started his attacks from a low position, but on the other hand, he said that it would be sad if the team conceded a goal while he was still up front, and that it would be sad for the fans and supporters if they lost because of that. How do you think about the balance between the role of a winger and dedication, Coach Matthias?)
"I think both are necessary in today's football. The so-called luxury players of the past no longer exist. Whether you're a winger or a striker, you have a defensive job. We have to do a lot of 60- to 70-meter sprints during games, so we're increasing the intensity of training. Tomo has both the energy and stamina, so I think he's a player who can do that. Also, you have to have the desire to score goals in training. Each position has its own characteristics, and each has its own skills, so we are trying to create a culture of how to score goals while making use of those. To do that, we also practice finishing, and we aim to score goals in game-style training as well."

(Like Mathias, coach Morten Kalvenes and coach/analyst Mario Eduardo Chavez have also been in Japan for about three months. Why does Mathias trust them so much?)
"I've had many conversations with Coach Morten over the past few years. We talked a lot about playing methods, players, and the like while we were both in Europe. There were many things in common between FK Bodø/Glimt, where he played, and BK Hecken, where I played. So I think we have a similar way of looking at football. I also think he has the eye of a coach who can see through the details of training. He's someone who helps improve the quality of our daily training.

As for Mario, when I went to Hecken three years ago he was in charge of analysis, just looking at data in front of a monitor. I told him that I wanted to encourage the players' growth and for them to improve every day, so I put him on the pitch to encourage that. He, coach Maesako (Masato), coach Ikeda (Nobuyasu) and coach Hayashi (Maiki) (also in charge of analysis) are each in charge of individual players and encourage their growth with individual approaches. Each coach provides individual training and video feedback, but in addition to that, we asked Mario to come because he is good at using data."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]