On the 26th, manager Per-Mathias Hoegmo held an online press conference, where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 10 match against Nagoya Grampus which will be held at Saitama Stadium on Sunday the 28th.

(In the YBC Levain Cup, you got results by mixing players who play in the league with players who don't get many opportunities to play, but what do you think you need to do to rise up in the league from now on?)
"As I said after our last home game, we hardly allowed our opponents to create any chances, and created three or four big scoring opportunities. I think it was very good that we were able to score five goals in a cup match. I particularly liked the shape of the first and fifth goals. I also think it was good that the two goals came from inside half. (Ito) Atsuki had a series of very close calls, but he was able to score this time. We have analyzed Nagoya thoroughly. They are an opponent we played a training match against in Okinawa. I think they are a very unified, hard-working team. I think we can create chances against them, and I think we can score goals. We have analyzed that, and in tomorrow's training we will work on what kind of damage we can inflict on them."

(The temperature is rising and we will be playing consecutive games. What are your thoughts on the high-activity full-backs?)
"We know that the temperature will continue to rise. Our wonderful nutritionist, Michi Ishikawa, is closely watching over the players' hydration and nutrition. By making sure we are adequately hydrated and nutritious, we hope to maintain our physical strength even during the match.

As for the fullbacks, (Ohata) Ayumu played for the U-23 Japan National Team yesterday and won, so I'd like to congratulate the U-23 Japan National Team. (Watanabe) Ryoma and (Hirokazu Ishihara) Hiro are both physically strong players. I think they can handle three games in a week."

(I think Ohata played a very important role in yesterday's match against the U-23 Qatar national team, leading the team to victory. This is the first time you've seen him this year, but how do you feel he has improved?)
"Ayumu has grown a lot in the past month or two. He is good at building up the play when he has the ball, and I think he makes an impact when he enters the final third. His abilities have also improved greatly, and I think he has what it takes to become an international-level full-back. If there is one area he can improve on, it is his ability to deal with crosses when he is on the far side of the defense. He is not one of the tallest players on this team, so I think it is important for him to make use of his speed and jump. I think he is a player who can make up for that."

(I think Ohata is a modern fullback rather than a classical one, and has the skill to play inside as well as outside. Coach Matthias doesn't ask his fullbacks to work inside as much, but do you have any ideas about asking Ohata to do such work as an element of development?)
"We want our inside halves and wingers to be mobile, and our wingers can move out wide or inside. As a next step, we are also considering the full-backs dropping in, and we also have the option of one full-back staying back and rotating three."

(Hidetoshi Takeda scored the first goal in the match against Tottori, which Coach Matthias mentioned earlier as being very good. Until now, inside half players had been working hard to break down the defense on the sides but had not been able to get in front of the goal. However, Takeda thought, "It was 2 against 1 on the side so I didn't need to get involved, so I thought I'd go inside," and entered the near side and scored a goal. Is there anything you think about his scoring sense and his ability as a playmaker?)
"We ask our inside halves to get into the penalty area, and Hide (Takeda) did just that. That goal was a result of the formation we are trying to execute. Naoki (Maeda) received the ball in a high position on the wing, and Hiro overlapped there, and I think five players were able to get into the penalty area at the time the cross was made.

Hide showed us a very good left foot in practice. He is a player who can score goals from a long distance. He is also a player who can kick the ball well from corners and free kicks. I would like him to further develop his ability and energy in that role. He is a player who is ambitious and works hard in daily training."

(How soon will Ola Solbakken be back on the pitch?)
"We have a lot of injuries in the wide positions, so that is a challenge for us. We have seven injured players, and with Ayumu away on national team duty, our short-term challenge is dealing with that situation. As for Ola, the situation was quite positive today. I hope he can join up with training within the next week. Once he joins up, I think the process will be quick. I hope to see him on the pitch in, say, two weeks' time."

(On the 24th, you played your first cup match of the season. Is there anything you think is important when returning to the league after the cup match?)
"It's good to be able to play a lot of games. Right now we're taking on a short-term challenge with a lot of injuries. But at the same time, I think it also gives other players a chance to show what they can do. When playing consecutive games, it's important to recover properly. The Reds are a team that wants to continue playing consecutive games at a pace of about three games a week in the future. And as part of their education as a soccer player, I think players need to be able to understand themselves. They need to learn what to do with their bodies when they play consecutive games. I think Reds players need to be able to play around 60 games a year in the future."

You said against Nagoya, "I think we can create chances and score goals," but what do you think will be important for that?
"Nagoya started off with three straight losses, but I think they've regained momentum since then. They're also a very tactical team, and they change their tactics during the match. They sometimes substitute players in the first half for tactical reasons, and in some cases they defend man-to-man. I think it's about the timing of moving the ball from side to side and using the space behind. For example, I think Thiago (Santana) could aim to get behind the defense more."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]