Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 16 match against FC Machida Zelvia [MATCH PARTNER National University Seminar] Post-match comments

"I would like to congratulate Machida-san. And I would also like to thank all the wonderful fans and supporters who came out today. I was truly surprised by all the fans and supporters.

I think today's game was at a top level. It was a match between two good teams. I think our defense was almost perfect in the first half. We pressed hard when we could, blocked well when we couldn't, and then went on the counterattack after stealing the ball. But after that, we lost the ball and didn't respond well, which led to us conceding a goal. Marius (Høibraten) went out to defend the zone in front of (Alexander) Scholz, which left space open.

On the other hand, today, Atsuki Ito ran up into the penalty area and scored the tying goal. After that, we continued to ride the momentum and had a chance to score a second goal from a cross.

However, I think we need to improve the quality in the final third. We're pushing forward, but we need to improve the accuracy of our one-on-ones and crosses. But I'm happy with the players. Their attitude and play. In the locker room, I told the players, 'This team has a lot of potential. Let's develop it even more in future practice.'"

[Question-and-answer session]
(I think the Reds were lacking substitutes on the offensive side to push through at the end.)
"I felt this in last night's match between Manchester United and Manchester City, but wingers need special skills, such as the ability to get past opponents one-on-one. I don't often talk about players who are not there, but players like (Nakajima) Shoya, (Tomoaki Okubo) and (Matsuo) Yusuke have that kind of ability, so when they return, I think that will also improve.

(Watanabe) Ryoma also played on the left wing today, and I think he did a great job. With so many injured players, we've had him play on the left wing and inside half, which is of course tough for him.

Ken Iwao came back and showed his quality. I was a little worried that his injury might recur, but I think it was very good. Samuel Gustafsson also returned from injury. Also, Ola Solbakken played at Saitama Stadium for the first time, and I think it was good that he was able to play for around 60 minutes."

(We didn't score goals from crosses, but we hardly ever took shots, so I think there are problems both on the cross side and in the middle. What do you think needs to be done to improve this?)
“I think the quality of the cross is the key. I also think it’s necessary to throw the opponent off balance before crossing. That way, I think we’ll be able to find a free player in the penalty area.

We have been practicing creating two-on-one situations, delivering crosses, and getting into the near and far corners of the penalty area, as well as into the negative points, and we would like to continue practicing this in the future, not just with three players but also with a fourth or fifth player.

For example, if we play after removing one player from the opponent, we will have more chances than we did today. However, the opposing team was also very strong in terms of cross countermeasures and defense in the penalty area, so I would like to praise them for that. We will also be more motivated and prepare to beat this opponent next time.

This season, you have tended to score a lot of points when you win, but lose close games. What do you think is needed to improve this tendency?
"I think that's an astute observation. We have won five of our seven home games but we need to continue to improve our quality in the final third and beyond. Also, when our injured players return we will have fresh options on the bench and be able to use them during games.

I think the players are a little tired after the consecutive games, and I think the quality will improve if they regain their freshness. We will prepare as best we can for the match against Vissel Kobe on Saturday. After that, we will use the break for the national team in June and July to enhance our training.

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]