On the 26th, after the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 16 match against FC Machida Zelvia [MATCH PARTNER Kokudai Seminar], Atsuki Ito reflected on the match and his own goals, and spoke about his enthusiasm for the match against Vissel Kobe.

"We were playing against the top-ranked team, so we were all highly motivated going into the match. Machida knew exactly what they had to do, so it was easy for us to play against them, and the reactions of the fans and supporters were so high that they got really excited after every foul or shot, so it was fun to play. However, that's why I'm really disappointed that we didn't win."

(What about the goal?)
"I'm glad we were able to catch up at a good time. As for that goal, it wasn't so much in the flow of the game as it was a bit of an irregular shot, and I don't know if (Ishihara) Hironori saw it, but I was preparing myself, hoping that the ball would deflect behind me, and that's exactly what happened. I shot with the intention of meeting the ball rather than aiming for a specific course, so I'm glad it went in."

(I think you were able to attack your opponents pretty well.)
"We didn't feel Machida was that scary, and our offense went well after the first goal kick. However, both of our goals conceded today came from short counterattacks, and the quality of those was high. We were following the game plan, so it's frustrating to concede goals in those situations."

(What about the one thing we were missing?)
"I think we've been doing well in the last few games in terms of carrying the ball into the final third, but I feel that we still have some work to do as a team in terms of scoring goals, such as the quality of our final passes, the quality of our crosses, and whether we can break down the defense from the middle."

How did you feel about your individual play?
"My feeling in that area is improving, and I've been able to sort out to a certain extent the number of shots, the timing to get behind the defense, and the timing to receive the ball. Today, I was able to score a goal, so I'm gaining confidence in that area."

(Do you feel that the team is improving?)
"I do feel that way, but when things are going well, the results aren't coming, so I think it's a bit of a shame. I don't think we should have lost today either, but football is all about results. We'll keep doing our best, and our next game will be against Vissel Kobe, who will be a tough opponent, so if we can fight well against such an opponent and win, I think that will give us confidence. In that sense, we'll switch gears and, as it's again at home, we want to win at all costs."

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