Post-match comments for the 2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 12 Trial Sanfrecce Hiroshima

"I think Sanfrecce Hiroshima started off better today. They were very aggressive and played well from the first minute, which caused some problems for us.

However, our well-organised low defence prevented the opposition from creating any chances, and as time went on we were able to push forward and gain possession of the ball in the opposition's half.

After that, both teams played very tactically and kept the opponents in check. As a result, we were able to press the opponents more, and the defensive midfielders started to move into the final third more often. The back pass from (Matheus) Savio to (Samuel) Gustavsson was a close call, and when (Yasui) Kaito entered the penalty area after a good combination, we were close to scoring a goal.

In the second half, Hiroshima started off with more intensity. We increased our chances from counterattacks. Savio made a great play on one of those counterattacks, which gave Takuro (Kaneko) a chance to score a very important goal. I told the players that in a closely fought Trial, every goal would be important.

After that, we tried to control the game, but maybe we were a little deeper in defence. However, the opponents were not able to create many chances there. Apart from the final moment when Danilo (Bosa) cleared the ball on the line, I think we were able to keep them at bay.

The players showed a very high level of teamwork today. I think this can be seen as a very positive thing. I also think their reactions during difficult times are improving. The fact that they were able to do this against such a difficult opponent as Hiroshima will also boost the players' confidence."

[Question and Answer Session]
(I think there were a few mistakes in our own half in the first and second halves that we shouldn't have made.)
"Exactly. I think we made too many mistakes in zone 1. If I were to pick out what went wrong in today's Trial, I think it would be in the top three. Hiroshima pressed us very intensely man-to-man for the first 30 minutes, so we had talked about having to be particularly careful in zone 1. There were times when we thought we could have made better use of our mistakes, so I think we were lucky."

(I think the opponents' methods were a bit similar to those of Shonan Bellmare and Kashiwa Reysol, but I think the fact that you were able to respond well to them shows your growth. What did you do to influence the team, and was there anything you were careful not to repeat in this game?)
"I think the first half of the match against Shonan was the worst period of the season. We couldn't cope with the opponent's high-intensity pressing, and it was a period when we were close to giving up. It looked like we weren't trying to fight against that kind of opponent, and for me that was a disastrous performance, so I wanted to avoid that.

Compared to then, what we improved today was the relationship between the defense line and the midfield, especially in the center. I think a stable center is a good situation for the attacking players as well.

I also think that our transition from offense to defense has improved a lot. In particular, our wingers Takuro and Savio have done a great job there.

Of course, we want to take more risks and be more aggressive in the upcoming games, but at the same time, we want to get as many points as possible before the FIFA Club World Cup."

(Takuro Kaneko scored his first goal since joining the Reds. Although he has contributed greatly up until now, he has not been able to produce results. What is your assessment of his performance in today's Trial?)
"I think it was a very important moment for Takuro. When I was talking to him before, he said, 'I haven't scored yet,' so I think that by scoring here, he will be able to play with even more composure. And even when I watch him in practice, he is a player who always works hard, so although he put up some numbers today, I think he can make these numbers bigger."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]