Post-match comments from the 2026/27 Meiji Yasuda J1 League Trial 1 Gamba Osaka.

"As this is the inaugural J.League season, we knew from the beginning that the J1 League would kick off today. However, when I came to Urawa Reds, rather than focusing on the opening day, I spent each day talking with them, trying to figure out what resonated with them and what didn't, and today was the culmination of that process."

I heard that around 35,000 spectators attended, and I think it was a thrilling and exciting match for both Urawa Reds fans and supporters, and Gamba Osaka fans and supporters, as a fitting start to this year's J1 Trial.

Of course, being down a man wasn't a positive development for us, but the fact that the players were able to maintain their dynamism while making some changes to our formation and system afterwards shows that we've made a huge change in the last month or so. So, a 3-2 win would have been fantastic for the opening match, but I also feel that I'm not good enough.

However, I was very proud of the players for being able to show such a performance in the heat of this summer, and I think that Trial between Gamba OSAKA, who were full of fighting spirit, and our Trial will be a memorable game for everyone who came to watch today and for those who were cheering us on at home.

Even if you win Trial 3-0, you can always find something to criticize if you look for it, and even if you lose 0-3, you can always find something to criticize if you look for it. In today's Trial, including the 90 minutes plus added time, I was able to clearly see a new step forward for Urawa Reds as a team, as they never lost their determination to attack the opponent's goal despite being down to ten men. The next Trial will be against Sanfrecce Hiroshima after a short break, but I want to prepare so that we can have a great RED GAME against a fantastic team."

[Questions and Answers]
(At halftime, you were down to 10 men and one goal behind, but in the second half, rather than just trying to maintain the score and look for opportunities, it seemed like you were trying to take control Trial. What aspects did you focus on and organize during halftime?)
"We made tactical adjustments."

(They made good adjustments in the second half and turned the game around, but what caused them to concede a goal immediately afterward?)
"We had a little over 10 minutes left, so I was thinking of making two substitutions, starting with the player who had cramped up, but we conceded a goal at that moment, so I watched for 3 or 4 minutes and tried to make the substitutions more effectively, and in the end I feel that my substitutions were too late. However, there is an element of feeling to tactics and substitutions, not just logic, so in that sense I did my best, but when the ball gets into the box at that timing, it hits someone's leg or goes through their legs, making it difficult for the goalkeeper to see."

When the score became 1-2, we were able to prevent the opponent from getting into our preferred position, so if we could maintain that same mentality even when the score became 3-2, I think Urawa Reds could become an even stronger team. However, I think it's understandable that some of the players felt the need to "defend," although that's unavoidable to some extent.

However, as I mentioned at the beginning, rather than criticizing them for that, I would like to commend the spirit of Urawa Reds players who continued to push towards the opponent's goal until the very end."

(What about the fact that the players were able to keep moving forward and finish the race even when they were down to 10 players?)
"I think the biggest change was the tactical adjustments. If you look at the World Cup, you'll see that a team doesn't necessarily lose just because they're down to 10 men. I didn't think Gamba OSAKA were particularly effective in attacking after we went down to 10 men in the first half, and their counter-attacking weapon was somewhat obscured because we were creating a defensive block there."

However, having conceded a goal, we needed to score, so if we continued playing the same way as in the first half, we would end up just waiting for the opponent to miss a shot. I think the strategic change of raising our defensive line a little higher and going forward with equal numbers at the back worked well. In that regard, we may have needed to be a little more cautious in the period after we scored two goals. There are some things I can't tell without watching the video, but I got the impression that Gamba OSAKA were in a lot of disarray."

(Today, we started Kota Kudo at center back. What were your expectations, and how would you rate his performance?)
"To put it simply, he was 'excellent.' He played for Fagiano Okayama, and although he didn't get much playing time in the Trial, he was repeatedly loaned out. I heard that he suffered an injury at the end of last season, but I was confident that he was in much better condition, so I sent him off with confidence."

I think today's Trial proved that he's an indispensable player no matter which team he goes to. However, I'm sure he's not entirely satisfied with the goals conceded, but there aren't many young, left-footed center backs in Japan. I hope that he and Nemoto (Kenta) will become players who represent Japan.

I think we had a really good game today, including our ability to compete, pass, and cover."

[Urawa Reds Official Media]