Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 8 match Kashiwa Reysol: Post-match comments

"First of all, I would like to congratulate Kashiwa Reysol on their victory. Thiago (Santana) had a chance to score from a corner kick in the first half, but we struggled a bit in attack throughout the game. I think one big factor was that the opponents were a very cohesive team. Also, it was clear that the relationship between the players on the offensive side still needs time to improve.

Today's starting lineup had seven new members compared to last year. We were able to use the space better at the end of the first half, so I thought we could exploit that more in the second half, but we made some mistakes in our build-up. We brought in a lot of more offensive players at the end, but we struggled in the build-up, so it didn't pay off."

[Question-and-answer session]
Q: Regarding the struggles in the build-up, was it because the passers lacked courage, or was it because the receivers needed to move more to get past the opponent? What do you think?
"Today, there was a lot of space behind the opponent, so we tried to use that, but the timing between the passer and the receiver wasn't right."

(Ken Iwao was not on the team. Was there some kind of trouble?)
"Iwao had played in three consecutive games and was in very good form, but he suffered a small muscle injury during practice on Tuesday."

(The goal was conceded because of the Reds' defensive structure, with too many players on the left side, and Yusuke Matsuo was unable to return, putting them at a numerical disadvantage. Should they have defended better there?)
"I haven't seen the game in detail yet, but I think that when a cross comes in, we need to fill the space in front of the center backs firmly. Also, when (Yusuke) Matsuo was tired, we brought on (Nakajima) Shoya, and we had three close shots. Of course, we want to play offensively, but I think we also need balance in defence."

(What about the change to 4-2-3-1 when you made two substitutions after the 60th minute, and then to 4-4-2 when you brought on Shinzo Koroki?)
"The players were tired and we had to make substitutions. We need to find a balance between the system and what the players are good at. Shoya is a player who can make a difference in the attacking midfielder position.

Finally, when we brought on (Koroki) Shinzo and played with two strikers, Shoya on the left went inside and (Watanabe) Ryoma ran up. Ryoma crossed the ball two or three times, and it was a shame that Thiago was called offside. However, throughout the game, we struggled to avoid the opponent's first pressure, so we didn't get into the final third enough times. And as I said before the game, against a team that is this well-organized, we have to exploit the space behind them. By exploiting that, we can create space in other areas as well."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]