On the 22nd, after the 16th day of training at the Okinawa training camp, coach Maciej Skorza responded to a press conference and answered questions from the media.

(What new things are you specifically trying out at this training camp? Please answer to the best of your ability.)
"For example, we are trying out new things defensively during this training camp. Forming a block has been a theme since last year, and then pressing. We have made particular improvements in the middle zone. This has been an issue since last year, and if we can steal more balls in the middle zone, I think our attacks in zone 3 will also improve. The players are working on this new method with a very good attitude. While we are trying it out, we are making mistakes, but we would like to continue moving in that direction. We want to increase the number of times we steal the ball in zone 3."

(Regarding the defense, there were some areas where it didn't work well in the first training match, but it looked like things were going well in the second and third matches. How is the defense progressing?)
"Earlier in the game, we lost the ball during the build-up in zone 1, which led to three goals being conceded. We didn't concede the goals we did in the second game against (FC) Ryukyu in the games that followed, against (Sanga FC) Kyoto and (Consadole) Sapporo. I think the most recent Trial against Kyoto was the one where we performed best defensively. We played a very solid defense, and we were able to move out of the middle block and apply high pressure. Trial team has definitely improved since the Kyoto game."

(I think the main flow of this training camp was high pressure, blocking in your own half, and attacking in your own half.)
"We are also increasing the number of build-ups in zones 1 and 2. However, it will take some time to fully implement this. In the match against Kyoto, the opponents pressed hard, so we were not able to do everything we had trained in build-up. We have two opportunities to focus on these areas and put them into practice in real matches. First, we have the final match of the training camp, and then there is the training match after we return."

(What was the intention behind the order of exercises you worked on during training camp?)
"After a week or so of training camp, fatigue begins to build up, so I thought I'd do some high-pressure training while the players were still fresh. It may have been a bit of a risky approach, but if we're going to be doing high-pressure training, I thought we had no choice but to do it in that order. There have also been some changes to the staff. Maiki Hayashi has been the defensive coach since this season. I think he's doing a very good job so far. I'm happy to be able to work with him again, but in a different capacity."

(The AFC Champions League final is coming up in 2023, and the FIFA Club World Cup was held last year. This season's Meiji Yasuda J1 Centennial League is also a special league, but even though things can't be done slowly, was the team being built in an ideal way?)
"I would also like to maintain continuity from last season. There were various ups and downs last season, and we were not particularly consistent in the second half. However, we were able to finish in a good way at the end, which gives us hope. I would like to use this as a base to particularly develop our offense. For example, I think we have quite a few players who thrive on short counterattacks, so I would like to be able to form a solid middle block and defend in order to do that. As you all know, the results of last season's away games were far from what we had hoped for. I think we need to improve in areas such as our mentality and our coordination when switching between plays, and I think that was well shown in the training match against Kyoto."

I believe this is Coach Maciej 's third training camp in Japan, and I imagine the cultures of European clubs and Japanese clubs are somewhat different. For example, today even young players on the C team were taking part in tactical training. I felt that there was more of an effort to work on this as a team than before, but was this done to help them do well in Japan?
"I've been talking with Sports Director Horinouchi (SD Satoshi Horinouchi), and with the U-21 league starting this season, this is also coming from the idea of preparing the young players. It's my first time to train with this many players. It can be a little difficult to manage so many players, but the staff are doing a great job, so I don't think there will be any negative effects from having a large number of players."

The Centennial League is a season like no other, and there will be penalty shootouts. It may be difficult, but what do you think will be important this season?
"First of all, I want to get off to a better start than the previous two seasons. Both my first season and last season started from a very low position. We are also in a difficult situation as we start with three consecutive away games. We will need to be more organized defensively. I want to get off to a better start by earning more points than last year."

(If you look at the FIFA World Cup, for example, some teams change their goalkeeper before the penalty shootout. Perhaps other teams have a strategy of adding another goalkeeper to the bench, or benching a player who is good at penalty kicks. What are your thoughts on that?)
"It's a new experience for all of us. That's why we've been practicing penalty shootouts every 45 minutes in training matches. Even if we practice penalty kicks ourselves, it's not possible to create a pressure situation, so we asked the opposing team to do the same in training matches to get as close to that as possible. I think it was also good in the sense that it allowed us to check our own goalkeepers. I've spoken with goalkeeping coach Shiota (Hitoshi) and we're trying to discuss what our penalty shootout strategy should be."

(Did you see a new side to the players during the training camp?)
"First of all, with Marius (Hojbraten) gone, we have to rebuild our defense. Miya (Yuta Miyamoto) is very aggressive and I think he has the ability to manage from the defensive line. Unfortunately, he was unable to play in the first training matches, so in this third Trial I finally got to play with Nemo (Kenta Nemoto), but then Nemo got injured after 20 minutes. In order to stabilize our defensive line, we have to consider combinations and strategies, and we are currently trying to find the best one. Nemo is also gaining experience. He is a very interesting player. I think Danilo (Boza) also feels that the competition has become more intense. Also, Ei-chan (Eiichi Katayama) is a very responsible and intelligent player with a lot of experience. I am looking forward to seeing his impact once the official matches start. Also, Renji (Hidano) is playing as a striker and right winger, and I think he is a promising player. He is still adjusting to the new position, but I think his coordination with those around him is improving with each game he plays."

In Maciej 's first year, there was a player named Ken Iwao who could become a leader on the pitch, and I think there were times when he would solve problems on the pitch when the team was not doing well. Have you found such a leader in the current team? Are there any players you would like to see take on that role?
"Rather than training matches, I think that kind of leader will emerge when we play official matches. I think there are players who are capable of doing that. I won't name any names now, but I would like to encourage them to do so. I think these three away matches are a good opportunity to check that."

(At the press conference announcing the new system, SD Horinouchi said that last year's poor performance in away games and how quickly the team conceded another goal after conceding one may have been influenced by mental factors. I feel that the team needs someone to unify them to solve this problem.)
"That's right. We need players who can react well when things get tough, especially in away games. I think the players are aware of that. I think they feel they have to do more when things get tough. We need to hang in there and turn things into a positive situation. (Matsuo) Yusuke, who can bring positive energy, was injured, and (Kaneko) Takuro was also unable to Trial. Right now, everyone is competing for a position, but I'm sure Takuro will be hoping to show his quality once again, and Renji hasn't yet found a fixed position. We want to learn from our mistakes last season and create a team with a stable mentality."

In the club's statement, there was a comment that the lineup may have been too fixed, especially in the first half of last season. You said that "everyone is currently competing for a position," but are you thinking about giving more flexibility to the players you use than in the past?
"I believe that competition within the team will help players grow. I would like to create that kind of environment. I am constantly searching for my ideal eleven players. However, I don't think we are in a situation where there is competition at every position yet. Some players, such as Samuel (Gustafsson), Shibato, and Takuya Ogiwara, are injured and unable to take part in the competition. I hope that they will recover quickly and be able to join the team."

(There is about a week and a half until the start of the Centennial Project League. With so many factors to consider, is there anything you would like to emphasize a little more?)
"From now on, I would like to focus on improving our build-up in training. I think Miyamoto will be a key player in our build-up, so I'm glad that he is now in a condition to play. I hope that we can show this at an even higher level of intensity in the next training match."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]