On the 28th, manager Maciej Skorza held an online press conference, where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Kashiwa Reysol [MATCH PARTNER Porasu Group], which will be held at Saitama Stadium on Sunday, March 2nd.

(At the press conference after the previous match against Shonan Bellmare, you commented that there were "too many mistakes." How do you analyze the reasons for these?)
"There are a few reasons. Firstly, our high-pressure system in the first half was ineffective. We couldn't stop the opponents' build-up in zone 3. We also gave too much space to the opponents' inside halves and strikers. They were unable to receive the ball and change sides between the lines. We changed our high-pressure system at halftime and I think it was more effective in the second half. That's one reason.

Another reason is that we played a physically tough match against Kyoto (Sanga FC), and I think some of our players hadn't fully recovered from that. Especially at the start of the first half, the opponent played tougher and faster. I felt that they were fresher than us. And while Shonan was applying a very strong high pressure, I think our playing speed was not fast enough. We spent too much time changing sides, which made it difficult to use the space effectively, or we didn't change sides at all, so I think we gradually lost confidence.

(During the training camp, I saw players talking to each other after each play, but how were the players doing over the past two days?)
"I think it's very important to communicate with each other during the game and make corrections and improve. That communication is key. I think we need to be able to react quickly when things aren't going well on the pitch."

(As Coach Maciej said after the Shonan match, I think the fact that they had the opponent under pressure in the last 30 minutes or so made it seem like they had a chance to score a goal. However, as Shonan's Coach Satoshi Yamaguchi said they chose to drop back in order to hold on, I think the way the opponent played also had an influence. What do you think is necessary for the Reds to be able to hold the opponent under pressure when both teams are on an equal footing?)
"We need to play more aggressively, switch quicker and speed up our build-up in zone 1. We need to use the space to launch a variety of attacks. When playing against a determined and organised team like Shonan, we need to exploit the space behind them, but in the first half of the match against Shonan, especially, I think we didn't run enough to get behind them."

(I think how you steal the ball is also a factor, but if you spend a long time defending your goal, you have to build up your attack from a lower position. I think that coach Maciej is aiming to steal the ball in the midfield line and start attacks from a higher position, but what do you think needs to be improved in order to achieve that?)
"Our aim was to steal the ball in a higher position. However, the high pressing we had prepared for that was not effective. Especially in the first half, we were only able to steal the ball in a higher position two or three times. Also, when pressing Shonan for goal kicks, we waited for a while and then closed in when they came out, but I think we could have done better. We were too far away from the opponents and did not close in enough in front of the goal, which was not what we expected, for example, compared to the match against (Vissel) Kobe. We also did not recover many second balls. That makes it difficult to dominate the game. In our next home game, we want to dominate from the start, so we will work on improving the points I mentioned earlier."

(How soon will Ryoma Watanabe and Takuya Ogiwara be able to return to action?)
"Unfortunately, these two important players were unable to play in the last match. As for the next match, we will hear the medical report after tomorrow's training and see if they will be available."

(After the three games, you've probably seen the other games, but are there any trends you notice in this year's J1 League that are different from last year or the year before?)
"It may be too early to judge, but my impression is that the matches are getting tougher. Physically, I think the players are more aggressive compared to last season. The new standards were announced before the start of the season, so this is to be expected."

(Even if the major policies are not changed, is there a possibility that adjustments will be made?)
"I think that every team will have to adjust to that, but for example, it will be easier for a mature and aggressive team like Shonan to adjust to that, but overall I think it will become a tougher style of play. I think that we can adapt to that as well. We have played three games so far, and for example, in the match against Kobe we ran a total of 107 kilometers. In the match against Shonan it was 120 kilometers, so I think the intensity in each game was different. We have players like (Kaneko) Takuro and (Matheus) Savio who are good at one-on-one attacks and keeping the ball for long periods, but I think it will be a little difficult for them because the referee will let the ball go even after heavy contact."

(Regarding the goals conceded by the opponent's headers, if they are lost in the air battle after a cross ball, it can't be helped, but there are also times when they are unable to compete. Is this a structural problem? Or is it an individual mistake?)
"We have conceded three goals in three matches, and in the last match it was from a set piece. The other goals we conceded were from crosses. Dealing with crosses has been our strength, so it bothers me that we conceded such goals. We have always tried to prevent the opposition from creating chances from crosses, but in these two matches, our level of performance was not high enough. In the match against Shonan, we conceded a goal from an early cross, but we were not able to control the opponent in the penalty area. We had enough players, but we were not able to contain the opponent."

(Even though they had enough players, they were unable to challenge for the ball. Will this be improved by the coach's instructions?)
"We conceded a goal in the midst of some hectic action. A diagonal pass was made to change sides, and the ball was passed down and then crossed up early. The winger was waiting to receive the diagonal ball, so the defensive midfielder should have moved towards the player who made the early cross, but he was late. However, when playing against a five-back formation, we had expected such an occasion to arise. We had anticipated that a cross would be made in such an instance, but we failed to properly cover the far post once it was done. The players in the penalty area were just watching the ball, and that was the mistake in that moment."

(These two matches started passively, but in the match against Shonan, Urawa Reds' offense was not bad after the VAR decision ruled out a goal for Shonan. Genki Haraguchi, who has leadership skills, was brought on to the pitch. What do you think of this?)
"I think we played well offensively in the Kobe match, so we weren't passive or passive. Genki injected extra energy into the team from the start of the second half. We need to bring that kind of energy out from the start. I want to start our next home game better than we did in the last two matches."

(I'm looking forward to the match against Kashiwa as the Reds will score many goals)
"If we remember back to last season's match against Kashiwa, it was a very difficult match, with Thiago (Santana) scoring a goal in the 90th + 10th minute. This season, Kashiwa has a new manager, a new way of playing, and some new players, so I'm looking forward to this match with great interest."

After the poor performances against Kyoto and Shonan, I don't think there is much time until the next match. I'm sure you will be sorting out your tactics, but is there anything else you would like to do to keep the players' confidence up and fired them up?
"I think we have had the most difficult start to the season of any team in the J.League. We start with three difficult away games, and our opening match was against last season's champions. But I think the team has done their best under those circumstances. We've played against high-intensity teams, away against Kyoto and Shonan. We've drawn firm conclusions from that experience, and the lesson we can take is that we need to increase our intensity even more when we play away against those teams.

And we are not satisfied with the results so far. The whole team is looking forward to getting our first win in the next game. And the players are determined to win the next home game where nearly 50,000 people will be visiting, and I think they are highly motivated. I think the new players also want to show their good side to the fans and supporters in the home game.

(After these three games, is there anything you feel needs to change, such as your selection of players or your own decisions as the manager?)
"Of course we need to improve. I'm going to observe the players and see how they perform in these consecutive games. Although we need to improve, I don't think it's necessary to make large rotations at this early stage of the season. We need to improve on the areas where we were not good in the Kyoto and Shonan games. For example, our sense of distance from the opponent, recovering the second ball, switching when we lose the ball, and building up in zone 1."

(You said about Kashiwa, "The manager has changed, and the way things are done has changed too." How have they changed, and what do you think they need to be careful about?)
"First of all, their system has changed. It has changed to 3-4-2-1. They have become a team that passes the ball without getting impatient. Our new goalkeeper is also calmly participating in the build-up. He is the type of player who can play while watching the opponent's movements. He is also good at changing sides, and I think he makes good use of his shadow player in those situations. Because they are a team that passes the ball without getting impatient, I think they are an opponent that will be difficult for us to apply high pressure against. However, they also have weaknesses, and we would like to exploit those weaknesses and play our own style, rather than doing what Kashiwa wants to do."

(The match against Kashiwa will be the fourth home game since the start of the season. After a string of away games, fans and supporters will be looking forward to it, and perhaps manager Maciej himself is looking forward to it too. How are his thoughts about it?)
"During the pre-season preparations, everyone worked hard and trained at a very high level. We want to bring that to the forefront and continue the performance we showed in the match against Kobe. We want to dominate this home game with determination in front of our fans and supporters."

(Kashiwa's manager Ricardo Rodriguez was previously the manager of the Reds. What is your impression of him?)
"This is the first time I've had the opportunity to meet him in person, so I'm very happy. I have a lot of respect for the work he's done at the Reds. I often hear praise for Coach Ricardo from the club staff and other club officials, so I think he's done a very good job. I think he's a very likeable person."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]