After the first match of the 2025 J.League YBC Levain Cup Prime Round quarterfinals against Kawasaki Frontale, Shoya Nakajima, who scored the opening goal, reflected on Trial and spoke about his enthusiasm for the second match.

(Regarding the scoring scene, did you share the goal of attacking behind the defense?)
"I was aiming for it, and it was a really good ball, so all I had to do was score. At first I thought I couldn't reach it, but I've been trying to make my legs as long as possible every day, and the results have come out."

(Isn't it only a player with that kind of skill who can say, "It was a good ball, so I just had to score?")
"The ball is good so I can trap it. The moment I trapped it, I knew it would go in."

(What did you look at when deciding on the finishing shot?)
"I don't know. It's just the moment."

(Did you make eye contact with him when the pass was made, or did you run in with the image that he was coming?)
"Both."

(Is it moments like that that captivate the audience?)
"I'm not trying to make a spectacular play."

(Today, it seemed like you were playing more fluidly overall than ever before.)
"Even in Trial I haven't played in up until now, I think I've been changing positions. I think we need to improve in that area every day, so I think we're challenging ourselves as a team."

(It looked like your teammate was handing you the ball?)
"Whenever I move, my teammates pass the ball to me. That's what makes it fun."

(The manager mentioned that "it's important to play defense properly after moving positions," but what about the balance with the others?)
"You can't decide on your positioning unless you understand the movements of the players around you, so if you go to the side, all you have to do is defend there. I don't think it's that difficult."

(I think the team was very conscious of attacking from behind.)
"I think we have a lot of good players, both those who usually play and those who don't. I wanted to play football freely no matter who played, and it would have been nice if we had won, but we have another Trial coming up soon, so I want to get ready."

(But Ayumi Niekawa also played today.)
"I think we always Trial well in Trial we play, so I hope we can both do our best and continue to make time to play together."

How do you feel about this draw?
"I think it will be an opportunity for me to grow, and it's easy to see that if I win the next one, it will be good, so I'm really looking forward to it."

(What about the second match?)
"First of all, we need to prepare well, play soccer that is fun for both the players and the spectators, and do our best to win."

What do you want to pay attention to in the next away game?
"Maybe it's better not to say that. I'll just do my best."

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[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]