On the 22nd, Per-Mathias Hoegmo held an online press conference, where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the J.League YBC Levain Cup 1st Round 2nd match against Gainare Tottori which will be held at Axis Bird Stadium on Wednesday the 24th.

(The tournament has changed and you will be playing consecutive games. What are you paying attention to when managing the team?)
"First of all, I'm looking forward to taking part in the cup competition in Japan. There are cup competitions in both Norway and Sweden. We know that we will be facing difficult matches from the very first game. I hope that we will be able to show a lot of the football we are trying to play now there. I also want to go as high as possible in this year's Levain Cup. It's our only cup competition this year."

(Starting this season, as a new initiative of the J.League, teams from the J1 League to the J3 League will participate in the tournament, but what kind of mindset should players have when playing against teams from different categories?)
"In a match like this you have to have the right mentality and be in good form right from the start of the match."

(From this tournament onwards, nine players will be allowed on the bench. This is two more than in the normal league, but what does that difference mean to you, coach Mathias?)
"I think it's a big deal to be included in the 20-man squad, including the starters and the bench. I think it's good that we can select 20 players for this match. It also gives new players a chance."

(Regarding giving new players a chance, many managers use cup competitions as a place to give players who have not had many opportunities to play in games. Do you think the same way, or will you use the same members as in the league to win the title?)
"I want to win this game. That's the kind of team I want to have. This is also a game where we want to find various answers in order to deepen the relationships between the players. We will have about four new players either in the starting lineup or on the bench. So I think we can call the team lineup a mix."

(The current team seems to have a lot of injured players. This may be due to the change in the football model, but is there any reason you think there are so many injuries, especially on the wing?)
"There are a variety of factors involved, but it is said that when a team changes the microcycle, it takes about five months for them to get used to it. I think that the increased intensity of training is affecting injuries, but we want to find a balance. As we try to increase high-intensity running in both training and games, I think that there are players who are at a higher risk of muscle injuries. However, there are also players like Ola (Solbakken) who have suffered unfortunate injuries that are unrelated to the load of training or games."

(What is your impression of Tottori? Since they are in a different category, I think they will respect the Reds and try to eliminate their strengths, but what kind of attitude do you think they need to take?)
"Since coming to Japan, I have played practice matches against other categories and universities, and I have been pleasantly surprised by the great attitude they bring to the table. I think they have an intrinsic motivation to try their best no matter what the situation. I also think that the levels of both the J2 and J3 leagues are very high.

I think (Tottori) is a very unified and hard-working team. They have some skilled players. I am amazed at the culture of player development in Japan. And I don't know if now is the right time to say this, but I think we need to stop the many young and talented players in Japan from going to Europe and other places for cheap. We may need to change various rules for young players, and the number of (members) has increased in the Levain Cup, but I hope that the same will happen in the league. They are a typical Japanese unified and hard-working team, so I don't think we can win unless we play at the top level. Last week, there were several J1 teams that were struggling against J3 teams.

(Many people expect the Reds to have a lot of possession of the ball in the match against Tottori, but what do you think they need to be careful of when they have the ball for a long time, and is there anything you think is necessary to do to increase the tempo of their attacks?)
"I think that's a very pertinent question. In the previous game, the opposing manager said that he wanted to keep the ball as a countermeasure against the Reds, but in the end we had possession with a 6-on-4 ratio. When the opponent is defending with a low block, I think that the first thing we need to do is create 2-on-1s everywhere. Then we need to change sides at a good tempo. We need to increase the number of people in the penalty area at the end, and we need to do this in a balanced way. We only gave Gamba OSAKA one chance the other day. We had enough players when we conceded the goal, so I don't think it was a clear-cut chance. The combination of the fullbacks on both sides, the inside halves and the wingers is important, and I think that we need to make sure we get into the penalty area while changing sides. I think that another thing we need to improve is the quality of our shots."

(In addition to shooting, isn't the quality of set pieces also important?)
"Last time, the number of corner kicks was 11 to 0, so I hope we can score in those situations as well. I think a big part of the next game will depend on who scores the first goal. With the game still tight, it would be great if we could score from a set piece."

(Has there ever been a case of a player who performed well in a cup match being allowed to play in the league?)
"I think that's a good point. First of all, the players have been performing well in practice. They've already built relationships, but if you replace too many players it will be difficult to play, so I think it's a good balance to bring them in when they have already built relationships."

(How do you envision the team continuing to win the Levain Cup and competing in the league?)
"We want to go as high as we can in the only cup competition we are in. And we want to play a lot of games. I think playing helps us grow. Also, we will have some injured players returning, so it's important for them to have a lot of games. The way we've created our microcycle is so that we can play even if we have three games in a week."

(I think Atsuki Ito played better in the match against Gamba OSAKA than he had in the past, but he missed a shot at a crucial moment, and when he lost the ball we conceded a goal. I think this can only happen when you are playing well, but he looked mentally distressed. What mindset should he have in this situation?)
"I agree that he is improving. He is also involved in chances. We saw that in the two home games. I want our inside halves to get to places where they can score, and this one very nearly did. If it had gone in, it would have been a great assist from Ryoma Watanabe. I think that inside halves are increasingly appearing in places that are more dangerous for the opponent, such as inside the penalty area. I would like Atsuki to continue to hone his finer details, his heading and shooting. I would like him to increase his intensity, win more balls from the opponent, and do more running in attack. He is a very clever player, and I think he has very good relationships with those around him."

(I think that in games where there are big plays like that, negative feelings emerge rather than the positive aspects of the game. How do you think you should deal with players in those situations?)
"As players and coaches in the football world, or as human beings, as fathers and mothers, we make mistakes. So we have to deal with what we consider to be good and bad luck, good and bad performances. There is one important key to answering that question. Real top players are more motivated after making a mistake. They don't suffer from it, but rather work hard and are motivated to improve. Mistakes are a part of football, so making mistakes is not a problem in itself. However, in the culture we are trying to create at the Reds, I think the attitude I mentioned earlier is necessary. It's just that the next time you get the chance, you play better, play the right way."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]