Post-match comments for the 8th round Trial against Shimizu S-Pulse in the 2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League

"I think we started well. We stole the ball from a high press, which led to (Watanabe) Ryoma's goal. (Matheus) Savio also did a good job.

However, I thought that we would be able to control the game, but it turned out differently. Shimizu used a lot of diagonal balls to the wingbacks and pushed forward. They made us run a lot in the first half. However, I think we were able to control the game even while we were being pushed back.

In the first half, we were able to defend despite being pushed back, but in the second half, we changed the way we pressed a little, putting (Matsuo) Yusuke higher up the field and trying to make use of him when we went on the offensive. But Shimizu played tougher and ran more, and kept pushing us back. We were pushed back a lot, especially in the last five or ten minutes.

Unlike the match against Fagiano Okayama, today we didn't go into a defensive mode to try to keep the momentum going. And we were able to score the second goal. Today's opponent, Shimizu, was in very good form and played very well in the previous match.

We struggled a lot at the end, but thanks to everyone's hard work we were able to win. There are days like this, but at times like these we need to fight hard and take the win.

Today was Trial we had to win at all costs. I'm especially happy that we were able to get three points in a home game.

And the players who joined the starting lineup today, Hiro (Hirokazu Ishihara), Yusuke, Ryoma, and Hiro, are just returning from injuries, but they are performing very well. I think their condition is getting better and better, and I think today we could feel how important a player Ryoma Watanabe is to us."

[Question and Answer Session]
(You were under pressure in the first half, but what other adjustments did you make ahead of the second half, other than Yusuke Matsuo 's positioning?)
"(Matsumoto) Yasushi controlled the left wing and placed Yusuke in a higher position. Thiago (Santana), Yusuke and Savio pressed from the front. This was because we wanted to place those three closest to the opponent's goal the moment we stole the ball. Also, the opponents used diagonal long balls, so we tried to respond to that, but I think the content was better in the first half."

(You brought in Takahiro Sekine as a substitute on the left wing, but there seemed to be confusion on the pitch as to where he should play. What instructions were given, and did it actually work out?)
"One of our aims was to have Taka (Takahiro Sekine) control Kitazume (Kengo). Taka's role was to press from the front. However, we also wanted him to drop back and control the area when he was pushed back. However, we ran into problems there a few times. Kitazume is a hard worker with good sprinting ability who can keep running for 90 minutes. We had said before the kick-off that we had to keep him in check. Therefore, we wanted to have a fresh player face off against him, but there were several times when it was difficult to stop him."

(Today was the first time this season that we scored multiple goals, but I think Trial showed the importance of scoring a second goal.)
"I think that's right. For example, in the match against Kashima Antlers, we didn't score any additional goals, so we were caught up in the final minutes. Today, we had the pleasure of Savio's first goal for the Reds. He scored at a difficult time for the team. It was a goal that came from what we were aiming for, a cross from a side change. We were lucky that a Shimizu player touched the ball, but I think the goal was scored because Savio was in a good position."

(Takahiro Sekine, who has played as a right back up until now, was deployed in midfield, but will he continue to be deployed in this manner in the future? Also, what was the intention behind using Hirokazu Ishihara as a right back?)
"Taka is originally a left winger. He has offensive ability, so in order to make the most of that, I have been using him as a right back this season. He is good at building up the play and also at defending. In the future, there is a possibility that I will use him in either position, or both.

As for Hiro, I think he performed very well today. He played a very good game and I think he showed that the competition on the right side has become more intense."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]