On the 16th (Japan time), two days before the first match of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, group stage match against MD1 CA River Plate, Shusaku Nishikawa held an online press conference and answered questions from the media.

(The first match of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will be his last official match as a 38-year-old (his birthday is June 18th, but due to the time difference, it is not his birthday in local time). Will he be in good shape both physically and mentally?)
"I'm reporting from Portland, where the weather and environment are great and I've been able to train really well, so I think things have been going well so far. Now that you mention it, I just realized that it's my birthday soon (laughs)."

(I'm sure that nutritionist Michi Ishikawa, chef Yoshiteru Nishi, and the local staff are providing delicious meals, but what time do they eat? And what is your favorite dish from Chef Nishi?)
"We have a good salad, miso soup, and the pasta that Nishi-san makes is varied and is not the same every day, but changes every day. We also have Japanese food, and today Nishi-san served us eel, and he sent us a message saying, 'Give me some energy,' so we all ate it up and I think we got some energy.

I personally love the pasta that Nishi-san makes and have it every meal. It's a place for everyone to communicate, and even after we've finished eating we stay and talk for a long time. We have more time than we do at a training camp, so we go for walks around the area with everyone, and there are lots of cafes around so we can go and relax, and that's how we spend our time."

(I don't know how much it's being felt in Portland, but what about the excitement for the tournament itself? How does it compare to previous FIFA Club World Cups and the FIFA World Cup in Brazil?)
"Now that we're down to 32 teams, there are Trial every day. Yesterday, Inter Miami, with (Lionel) Messi, Trial, and it was broadcast on TV as normal. There are about three Trial scheduled for today, so after training we all watched Trial between Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid. There is also Trial going on at Lumen Field in Seattle, where we Trial, so we went to see the atmosphere of the stadium and the condition of the grass. The games are also being broadcast on a big screen in the dining area, so we all watched them during the day."

(Is Nishikawa's state of mind different from when he was at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil?)
"It was my first World Cup in Brazil, and I remember being very nervous, but now I feel like I'm in a good state of tension, both mentally and physically, and I think I'm somewhere between relaxed and nervous."

(At international competitions, there are meetings with players right before the competition. Are you participating?)
"There are no plans to hold player meetings, and I haven't had one since I joined here. We are sharp during training, and we are having fun talking with everyone at the hotel. As I said earlier, I think we are having a good time here, which is different from training camp. (Training camps often have two-session training sessions, but) as we are only training in one session, we have time in the afternoon, so we are having a good time."

(Unlike the national team, they see each other on a daily basis, are able to communicate with each other, and are they in an environment where they can remain calm?)
"We all eat the same meals together and are teammates who have been together for a long time this season, so we feel like we are all one, including the staff. Club staff also joined us midway through the trip, and it seems that (Shinzo) Koroki will also be heading to the US tomorrow, so we feel like we are all united as a club. If we continue to win, I think our unity will deepen even more."

(I think that in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and the past two Club World Cups, there were things that went well and things that didn't. What do you think is important at the end to get into the first match in good shape?)
"I imagine that we will be under attack many times, but I will go into the match with the mindset that we will be lucky if we can keep the ball or if things go well for a long time. As a goalkeeper, I want to prepare for the worst case scenario, and in the past when we played against Manchester City (FC), they had the ball for so long that we had to play in the half court, so it's about how patiently we can fight. I feel that if we can be patient even if we don't have the ball, we will definitely have a chance against them. They are an offensive team, and when you look at their risk management, they are not as thorough as Japanese teams, so I feel that there are weaknesses. If we can maintain our patience as a team, I think we will have a chance."

(In yesterday's Trial between Al Ahly FC and Inter Miami FC, the goalkeeper's impressive performance was what determined the outcome. When the Reds face CA River Plate or Inter Milan, it may be a question of whether the goalkeeper can stop shots that look like they have been scored. Is that something you are aware of?)
"It was fun to watch Trial being decided by the goalkeeper's performance, and I think it was an exciting Trial. I want to play like that too, and as I was told, I'm sure there will be situations where I absolutely have to stop two or three shots, so whether I make the saves or not will make a difference in whether the team feels better or not, and whether they can finish the game with a smile on their face. I think it's also a chance to prove the value of goalkeepers."

(I think the kickboxing event will be a chance for him to show the world what it's like to be Shusaku Nishikawa in a tournament with 32 teams.)
"A goalkeeper's role isn't just to defend, and I want to take advantage of the new rules to participate in the offense. The ball is a little different from the J-League, in that if it hits the ball it flies, and if it doesn't it loses momentum, so it's a ball that's easy to understand, but I'm able to kick it firmly and make good adjustments, so I want to feed it to my teammates in a way that will create an opportunity right away."

(There was talk about the club staff and Koroki, but in 2023 not all the players were there, whereas this time all the players went to the US and they are doing heartful activities, so it feels like it's a total war for the club.)
"I've once again felt the magnitude of the Club World Cup, and because it's something that's never been done before, I think it's a good opportunity for the players to get to know the people at the club. I've been with the club for a long time so I understand everyone, but I think that even the younger players can feel the magnitude of the Club World Cup from these experiences. I think that by achieving results here, we can become even more united."

(There was some talk about the GK's performance, but I think it's because the GK has been a veteran that he has been so outstanding.)
"The goalkeepers in our group (E) are all in their late 30s. The goalkeeper of River Plate in our first match is the same age as me, (Inter Milan's Yann) Sommer is about two years younger than me, and (CF) Monterrey's goalkeeper is a veteran. I'm also familiar with the Inter Miami goalkeeper, and the Al Ahly goalkeeper is someone I played against in the Club World Cup, so I was watching them and saying to myself, 'That was a battle.' It's very stimulating. I feel that goalkeepers become more skilled as they get older, and that's the best part of being a goalkeeper."

(It may be because there are a lot of veterans, but when I watch them play, it seems like they play calmly and steadily rather than flashily.)
"Watching them, I felt they were playing the way I ideally want to play. Rather than big saves, they were making sure to take the balls they could get and make big deflections, so I felt that this was normal when I watched them. I also think that the efforts we're making are valid, so I think we need to prove ourselves regardless of whether other goalkeepers around the world are doing it or not. I want to make this a tournament like that."

(The new rule that the goalkeeper can hold the ball for 8 seconds instead of 6 seconds, and that Trial must be restarted with a corner kick if the time exceeds 8 seconds, has not had much of an impact, but I think it is still in the back of people's minds and affects their play.)
"If the game is more open, I don't think I'll have that much of a problem, but when we're under attack and we endure and we manage to take the ball, and then our teammates can't move forward and there's no space, I feel like I need to be careful. Even if I want to pass the ball quickly, if my teammates aren't moving there's nowhere to pass it, so in those cases I'll kick into space, or ultimately make it a throw-in. As long as I can deliver an accurate feed to my teammate I don't think there'll be any problems, so I want to kick in a way that suits the situation."

(It's difficult to make compromises when you have no other option.)
"I think it's important to be realistic. Since it's going to be a corner kick, rather than giving the other team a chance, I want to play while thinking about what to do to make it difficult for them."

(What is your impression of your first opponent River Plate? What do you need to be careful of? Which players are you paying attention to?)
"What we need to be careful of is the rotation of the wings. The side halves and fullbacks rotate well in attack, and they send sharp crosses into the middle from both wings, so we need to be well prepared, and first of all, we need to understand together as a team that we need to not let them push the ball up.

As reported around the world, everyone is paying attention to the young player (Franco Mastantuono) who is transferring to Real Madrid, and I think we are glad that he hasn't transferred to Real Madrid yet. I think it is a very good opportunity to face up to the up-and-coming players from around the world, so I hope that we can show that we will not lose mentally even against such opponents, and that we will go for it with a strong first play.

(What should you pay attention to when setting up your defensive line?)
"We want to continue to attack and defend from the front, so if we can show that we are going to attack and fight, I think we can set the bar high. If we can keep the opponent away from the goal, I think we will get into fewer pinches, so I want everyone to show that kind of aggressive attitude."

(I think a lot of people from Urawa will be there to support the team, and some people in Japan will get up early in the morning to watch Trial. Please give a message to the people who love Urawa.)
"I've heard that many fans and supporters will be coming to the stadium, and there will also be the opportunity to watch the game live at cinemas. Some people will get up early at home to support us, but I think what Urawa Reds are aiming for is to achieve the goal that our fans and supporters set for us at the last Club World Cup: world domination. We will be confident that we will be challenging the world beyond Asia, so we want to come together as one and aim to win. To that end, I would be delighted if you would support us as much as you can."

(This will be your third time participating in the Club World Cup with the Reds, and your fourth time including your time with Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Do you have any advice for players taking part for the first time?)
"When I went to a place I had never experienced before, I was very nervous too, and I remember going into Trial with a lot of thoughts in my head. I was determined to do something special, but in the end, I think only what I've done will show up in Trial, so I think the most important thing is to stay humble. I think it's better for me, and better for the team, if I don't try to do something special and stand out. I think it's important to fight believing in what I've done up until now."

(This will be the first time you've spent your birthday in the Americas since 2014, and you said it was the most frustrating time of your life. Are there any thoughts from that time that are still relevant to you now?)
"In the past, I have played team Trial when I had personal events, but I don't have many good memories of them, so I only feel a sense of crisis now. Rather than having a good birthday, I want to do my best for the team and not have any regrets. If I can do that, I think it will be a good birthday whether we win or lose. But winning is better. Losing is no good. I do want to celebrate my birthday with a win."

(Baseball player Nomo Hideo is said to remember all the pitches he has ever thrown, but does Nishikawa remember the scenes where he gave up runs or made a great save? Does he have specific data stored in his head?)
"I remember how we conceded goals more than I remember the saves. That requires more brainpower, and I try to think about why I made that move by comparing my own senses with the video, so I remember more of it. When I make a big save, my mind goes 'empty'. It's not like I made the save by predicting it, it's more like I'm in a state of emptiness, and at those times it feels like my body is moving on its own, so I often don't remember it."

(Some people forget everything, but Tokyo Verdy 's Matthäus said he remembers everything. Like Nishikawa, he said he remembers the details of conceded goals more than the saves. He said, "The older you get, the better you get," but does the accumulation of mistakes increase the chances of success?)
"That's for sure. Goalkeepers grow through failure, and I believe that worrying too much about failure doesn't lead to growth, so you fail and grow, and the cycle repeats. I've made lots of mistakes myself, but it's also very important to learn from them, so that's something I've always made a point of. Conversely, I may not remember very well the scenes where our team scored goals."

(This is Nishikawa's 12th season with the Reds. Regarding the Club World Cup, for example, Takahiro Sekine said that it is a tournament in which not only the current players and staff but also many friends can participate. It is true that it is connected to the Emperor's Cup in 2021, but something even earlier may have led to the Emperor's Cup victory. How do you feel about such historical connections?)
"It's a story that started with the Emperor's Cup qualifier against Kataller Toyama about four years ago, and even more so, I think it's a momentum that has been connected since the Reds were founded. Urawa Reds have grown as a club, including various past players, and I think that the passion of the fans and supporters is the best in the J.League, and I think that we were able to participate in this tournament by connecting various people, including the feelings of such people. The current members should keep these things in mind, and with pride and responsibility, we are not just lucky, and I think that Urawa Reds were able to come to the Club World Cup through various coincidences, so I think we should all take on the challenge with confidence. There are players who have now retired in the Emperor's Cup, and they did well, and when I think about those teammates, I think it's a tournament that we should be proud of and enjoy to the fullest."

(Is that kind of thinking a strength rather than a pressure?)
"Without a doubt, it's strength. Rather than feeling pressure, it's something we won with our own strength, and what Urawa Reds are, what we should be and what we should aim for, is largely the same as our fans and supporters, so I want to challenge together with them to aim for world domination beyond Asia. That's why I think so many people are supporting us and will come to the stadium, so I want to finish the first game in good form together."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]