On the 16th, after MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE Round 17 match against FC Tokyo [MATCH PARTNER BizReach], Hirokazu Ishihara spoke about his reflections on Trial and his aspirations for the next match.

"In the first half, we let them have possession of the ball, and I didn't feel like we were going to concede a goal. There was a dangerous moment towards the end of the second half, but that's to be expected when you're trying to win."

(Perhaps fatigue was a factor because, unlike the previous four Trial, the time spent maintaining possession of the ball and attacking was shorter than usual?)
"I feel like that only lasted from the middle of the first half. Of course, there were times in the second half when they had possession, but I think we had more control. It was tough, but I think we were able to do what we wanted to do and achieve what we were aiming for."

(How did you plan to deal with the opposing fullbacks overlapping?)
"I was telling the players around me to 'come and cover for me.' They did a good job, and we weren't really beaten because of it, so I think the players around me did a good job covering for me. If I could just slow them down once I was there, the players around me could create a numerical advantage, so I think we handled that well."

(When Yusuke Matsuo came on, the opponent attacked, creating space behind him, and I think there were several instances where his speed came into play.)
"Both sides had chances. It's been a while since we played against such a strong team, and I think we identified some areas for improvement. I feel like we really 'played Trial' today."

(Are you satisfied with conceding only one goal in five Trial?)
"Yes, I think we can take a very positive view of the fact that we were able to do what we wanted to do against a strong FC Tokyo. Of course, we wanted to win, but I don't think there's any need to be negative, and I think we can take a positive approach and use it to our advantage in the future."

(Ishihara's defense was outstanding, but how did you approach the challenge and cover strategy?)
"It's about doing the obvious things in an obvious way. When Miya (Yuta Miyamoto) goes forward, I'll drop back, and conversely, Miya covers for me really well, so we communicate well with each other and discuss that before Trial. We both have the ability to do things well without even talking, so we're able to do that well."

(Do you think you can carry this good momentum into the final match against FC Machida Zelvia?)
"Yes, we're taking this Trial against a team that's competing for the championship as a positive. Machida has also been getting solid results this season in the ACL (AFC Champions League) Elite and the league, so I think everyone is saying that this is our home turf, and we want to bring it to that level and win Trial."

Other comments and Trial photos can be viewed by site members.
■Site Membership (330 yen/month including tax) is available here → https://sp.urawa-reds.co.jp/
*REX CLUB LOYALTY members can use this service free of charge.

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]