NEWS
"I'm really looking forward to a special match," Per-Mathias Hoegmo said at the regular press conference on June 20th.
On the 20th, Per-Mathias Hoegmo held an online press conference where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 19 match against Kashima Antlers [NIKE FOOTBALL × URAWA REDS 20th Anniversary Match] to be held at Saitama Stadium on Saturday, June 22nd.
"First, I would like to explain the situation of the players and their training. After the last match, (Ito) Atsuki is feeling better and should be able to return to the match. (Ohata) Ayumu had some tightness in his hamstring, but he is ready for the match. Ola Solbakken has also returned to training, so he is also ready for the match. (Alexander) Scholz has also returned from suspension and will be back. (Nakajima) Shoya will have to wait a little longer. Samuel (Gustafsson) is also getting better, but we don't know at this point whether he will be ready in time. (Sekine) Takahiro, who has been out for a long time, may be able to make the squad, which is good news. (Koizumi) Kaho and (Matsuo) Yusuke are also getting better, but they are not yet ready for the match.
And in this week's practice, we focused on attacking. We also practiced going from zone 1 to zone 2 and 3 at an earlier timing depending on the situation. In the first half of the previous match, there was a scene where we passed a diagonal ball from our own half to (Maeda) Naoki. We dropped the ball and Atsuki had a chance to shoot from about 15 meters. I hope that they will play while carefully watching the situation and making the decision to attack the space behind them when they can. Regarding crosses, we also worked on whether to raise the ball, when to raise it, and how to keep it if not. In the previous match, Hide (Hidetoshi Takeda) had a great cross, plus Brian (Linssen) made some very good movements and shots. In addition to that, there were two chances for (Sakai) Hiroki from the right and Ayumu from the left. We would like to further improve our movements in the penalty area.
We have scored 28 goals so far, but eight of them were from set pieces. Seven or eight were from counterattacks. The rest were attacks that took longer. Four of those plays started from the goalkeeper. We created seven chances in the previous game, so we wanted to score at least two goals. We want to increase the number of chances and improve our conversion rate. We focus on these things every week, but this week in particular, we emphasized the above. The players are also growing, and I think Kaito (Yasui) has improved a lot."
[Question-and-answer session]
(At the open training session on the 18th, Shinzo Koroki, Ryoma Watanabe, and Hiroki Abe also had a different training menu, but what is the status of these three players?)
"Hiroki Abe has a re-developed hamstring injury, which is not too serious but will keep him out for a while. Shinzo has a knee injury, which is not too serious but may not be able to play in time for the match. Ryoma is fine and has been training full time for the past two days."
How do you feel about there being so many injuries?
"We're changing the starting line-up every game, so that's a challenge. It's difficult to maintain continuity. We're not complaining about the injured players, we're focusing on the players who are available. We've had six to eight players out since the start of the season, which I think is too many. I hope we can have everyone back on the pitch in three or four weeks."
(What is your impression of Kashima and what are the key points of the match?)
"First of all, I am very much looking forward to the match against Kashima. About 50,000 tickets have already been sold. I also understand that this is a special match for our fans and supporters for many years. I think Kashima is a team with a clear identity. Suzuki (Yuma) and Nago (Shintaro) are up front, with Suzuki playing as a striker and Nago as an attacking midfielder. If you look at the stats, they are a team that can score goals even without many chances. This season, they have become a team with a high conversion rate. However, I believe there is space that we can use. I believe we can create chances against Kashima."
(While I think there were unavoidable injuries due to accidents, I think tactical periodization is a system that can reduce injuries, but is it not being implemented properly, or is it not being adjusted to the characteristics of Japanese players, or is there some other reason?)
"I think there are a lot of accidents and special cases. In Samuel's case, he was injured under special circumstances when he was on the national team. The same goes for Solbakken's injury. Matsuo was also injured under special circumstances. We also have players who have been injured since last year. We are implementing tactical periodization so that players can handle higher intensity training. And in order to increase the intensity of training, we need to do strength and muscle training properly. We are currently trying to develop both of these. I want to develop the players individually, and I also want to develop the training culture as a group."
I'm enjoying seeing the Reds players getting better, so I hope they can get the team together soon.
"Thank you. We also want to stabilize the team at a high level, and not just maintain it but improve it even further."
(You said that Yasui is improving, but in what areas do you feel he has improved specifically?)
"I think he has adapted to the tactics of the 4-3-3 system. In the first half of last season, he played well as an attacking midfielder, especially defensively. His performance dropped off a little in the second half, perhaps due to fatigue. I think his tactical ability is improving. His play is adapting well as an anchor or inside half. I also think his physical condition is improving. He discusses football with a sense of ownership and responsibility, and is the type of player who will ask questions if he is in doubt. I think that is very important in growing. In terms of judgment, for example, I think he was able to create chances by passing the ball directly into the space in front of him the moment he stole the ball. He is also a player who can score goals. He has a mid-range shot, and can enter the penalty area and score."
(I don't think the training culture in Japan is one that involves a lot of strength training, but is it because new things have been introduced that players can't keep up and are getting injured? I know this may sound harsh, but do you think that players who get injured doing this much are weak? What do you think about adjusting the intensity of training?)
"There are some parts where the intensity is reduced to match the players. And of course, we do the same for team training, but we also adjust the load individually. I think the culture of strength training is gradually taking root. A recent article about the Euros (UEFA European Championship) said that older players such as 38-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, 41-year-old Pepe, and Luka Modric are in good physical condition and doing well, and I wondered why that was. It also said that they have more knowledge about injury prevention. They also pay attention to training, rest including sleep, and nutrition, and are able to take comprehensive care of themselves. In Norway, for example, there has been a discussion for many years that players who go to the Premier League are physically stronger after playing there for a year or two. I felt that there was a gap there, so we wanted to fill that gap while we're still in Norway, and so there have been discussions about physical training, strength training, and load. I think that this is an area where we can raise the level to the next step."
(All teams have now played one match at Euro 2024, but are there any teams you are paying attention to or that inspire you?)
"I've been watching the (FIFA) World Cup and the Euros for the last 30 years. I find it very interesting to follow trends in these tournaments. I don't think there's been anything special at the Euros so far. For example, the Brazil World Cup was a tournament where many teams defended with a 5-4-1 formation. It was a tournament that could be called a renaissance of the three-centre back formation. There were also tournaments where high pressing was a popular defensive strategy. I think we're seeing a diversity of tactics, but I think there are more teams with a four-back formation than a three-back formation. I think the level of the Euros is high at the moment. I also see the resurgence of big countries like Germany. It's still early days, so I can't talk about trends, but I think we'll see that trend around the end of the group stage. For example, Spain had a 16-year-old player (Ramin Yamal) playing and dominating the game. I think it's great to see older players like Toni Kroos at Real Madrid. At the same time, we can see that he had a great season in Madrid and is still able to show a high level. In order to become a top international player, I think it is important to invest in the overall aspects I mentioned earlier from a young age. For example, I want the players to be inspired by the Euros and feel in which direction they need to go. And as a club, the Reds are trying to create a top-class, modern training culture, so I think that's a very good point.
(Sorbakken's contract expires this month, but has Matthias received any offers at this stage?)
"About a week ago, Roma's sporting director was replaced. First of all, we need to clarify what the situation is at Roma. Sporting director (Sei) Horinouchi has had thorough discussions with Ola and his agent. We look forward to a decision being made in the near future."
(Does Coach Matthias want Solbakken to stay?)
"I'm very sorry that he had to suffer such a special injury, and I think we saw his potential in the match against Kobe. I hope that the Reds fans and supporters will be able to see him at his best."
(I understand what kind of training they are doing by listening to their regular press conferences, but I feel that the results are not coming. The numbers 11, 9, and 7 are the Reds' losses over the past three years, but they have already lost seven this season. There are only two competitions this year, not several. There are two more teams than last year, so I'm not sure if it's correct to say that the current seven losses are the same as last year, but if they continue in the same situation, I think the number of losses will increase and there is a possibility that they will drop in the ranking. I think that the ranking that Coach Mattias is ultimately aiming for is probably a concern for fans and supporters. I'm sure there are people who are stressed by the current situation, but I would like to know Coach Mattias' vision for what position he wants to achieve and what kind of season he wants to have in the end.)
"Of course, we want to finish as high as possible in the standings. Even at the moment, I think we're in a position where we could have gotten six or seven more points. However, I think our playing style is changing in a good direction, and I believe the team has plenty of potential. There were some games where we didn't play so well, but even looking at each player individually, I think they've made a lot of progress. I also think that we're increasingly dominating the game as a team. In the second half of the season, our key players will return. If we can stabilize the team at a higher level, I think we'll see an increase in the number of games in which we can get the three points.
I share the same view of the current situation, but I think everyone can see that the team's play is moving in the right direction, and I'm very happy that our fans and supporters are cheering the team on so hard. I think the fans and supporters are expecting us to win every game. What's important to me is to do my best and fight hard in every game. And even though there were games we couldn't win, I'm grateful to the fans and supporters who supported us until the end, even in those games."
[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]
"First, I would like to explain the situation of the players and their training. After the last match, (Ito) Atsuki is feeling better and should be able to return to the match. (Ohata) Ayumu had some tightness in his hamstring, but he is ready for the match. Ola Solbakken has also returned to training, so he is also ready for the match. (Alexander) Scholz has also returned from suspension and will be back. (Nakajima) Shoya will have to wait a little longer. Samuel (Gustafsson) is also getting better, but we don't know at this point whether he will be ready in time. (Sekine) Takahiro, who has been out for a long time, may be able to make the squad, which is good news. (Koizumi) Kaho and (Matsuo) Yusuke are also getting better, but they are not yet ready for the match.
And in this week's practice, we focused on attacking. We also practiced going from zone 1 to zone 2 and 3 at an earlier timing depending on the situation. In the first half of the previous match, there was a scene where we passed a diagonal ball from our own half to (Maeda) Naoki. We dropped the ball and Atsuki had a chance to shoot from about 15 meters. I hope that they will play while carefully watching the situation and making the decision to attack the space behind them when they can. Regarding crosses, we also worked on whether to raise the ball, when to raise it, and how to keep it if not. In the previous match, Hide (Hidetoshi Takeda) had a great cross, plus Brian (Linssen) made some very good movements and shots. In addition to that, there were two chances for (Sakai) Hiroki from the right and Ayumu from the left. We would like to further improve our movements in the penalty area.
We have scored 28 goals so far, but eight of them were from set pieces. Seven or eight were from counterattacks. The rest were attacks that took longer. Four of those plays started from the goalkeeper. We created seven chances in the previous game, so we wanted to score at least two goals. We want to increase the number of chances and improve our conversion rate. We focus on these things every week, but this week in particular, we emphasized the above. The players are also growing, and I think Kaito (Yasui) has improved a lot."
[Question-and-answer session]
(At the open training session on the 18th, Shinzo Koroki, Ryoma Watanabe, and Hiroki Abe also had a different training menu, but what is the status of these three players?)
"Hiroki Abe has a re-developed hamstring injury, which is not too serious but will keep him out for a while. Shinzo has a knee injury, which is not too serious but may not be able to play in time for the match. Ryoma is fine and has been training full time for the past two days."
How do you feel about there being so many injuries?
"We're changing the starting line-up every game, so that's a challenge. It's difficult to maintain continuity. We're not complaining about the injured players, we're focusing on the players who are available. We've had six to eight players out since the start of the season, which I think is too many. I hope we can have everyone back on the pitch in three or four weeks."
(What is your impression of Kashima and what are the key points of the match?)
"First of all, I am very much looking forward to the match against Kashima. About 50,000 tickets have already been sold. I also understand that this is a special match for our fans and supporters for many years. I think Kashima is a team with a clear identity. Suzuki (Yuma) and Nago (Shintaro) are up front, with Suzuki playing as a striker and Nago as an attacking midfielder. If you look at the stats, they are a team that can score goals even without many chances. This season, they have become a team with a high conversion rate. However, I believe there is space that we can use. I believe we can create chances against Kashima."
(While I think there were unavoidable injuries due to accidents, I think tactical periodization is a system that can reduce injuries, but is it not being implemented properly, or is it not being adjusted to the characteristics of Japanese players, or is there some other reason?)
"I think there are a lot of accidents and special cases. In Samuel's case, he was injured under special circumstances when he was on the national team. The same goes for Solbakken's injury. Matsuo was also injured under special circumstances. We also have players who have been injured since last year. We are implementing tactical periodization so that players can handle higher intensity training. And in order to increase the intensity of training, we need to do strength and muscle training properly. We are currently trying to develop both of these. I want to develop the players individually, and I also want to develop the training culture as a group."
I'm enjoying seeing the Reds players getting better, so I hope they can get the team together soon.
"Thank you. We also want to stabilize the team at a high level, and not just maintain it but improve it even further."
(You said that Yasui is improving, but in what areas do you feel he has improved specifically?)
"I think he has adapted to the tactics of the 4-3-3 system. In the first half of last season, he played well as an attacking midfielder, especially defensively. His performance dropped off a little in the second half, perhaps due to fatigue. I think his tactical ability is improving. His play is adapting well as an anchor or inside half. I also think his physical condition is improving. He discusses football with a sense of ownership and responsibility, and is the type of player who will ask questions if he is in doubt. I think that is very important in growing. In terms of judgment, for example, I think he was able to create chances by passing the ball directly into the space in front of him the moment he stole the ball. He is also a player who can score goals. He has a mid-range shot, and can enter the penalty area and score."
(I don't think the training culture in Japan is one that involves a lot of strength training, but is it because new things have been introduced that players can't keep up and are getting injured? I know this may sound harsh, but do you think that players who get injured doing this much are weak? What do you think about adjusting the intensity of training?)
"There are some parts where the intensity is reduced to match the players. And of course, we do the same for team training, but we also adjust the load individually. I think the culture of strength training is gradually taking root. A recent article about the Euros (UEFA European Championship) said that older players such as 38-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, 41-year-old Pepe, and Luka Modric are in good physical condition and doing well, and I wondered why that was. It also said that they have more knowledge about injury prevention. They also pay attention to training, rest including sleep, and nutrition, and are able to take comprehensive care of themselves. In Norway, for example, there has been a discussion for many years that players who go to the Premier League are physically stronger after playing there for a year or two. I felt that there was a gap there, so we wanted to fill that gap while we're still in Norway, and so there have been discussions about physical training, strength training, and load. I think that this is an area where we can raise the level to the next step."
(All teams have now played one match at Euro 2024, but are there any teams you are paying attention to or that inspire you?)
"I've been watching the (FIFA) World Cup and the Euros for the last 30 years. I find it very interesting to follow trends in these tournaments. I don't think there's been anything special at the Euros so far. For example, the Brazil World Cup was a tournament where many teams defended with a 5-4-1 formation. It was a tournament that could be called a renaissance of the three-centre back formation. There were also tournaments where high pressing was a popular defensive strategy. I think we're seeing a diversity of tactics, but I think there are more teams with a four-back formation than a three-back formation. I think the level of the Euros is high at the moment. I also see the resurgence of big countries like Germany. It's still early days, so I can't talk about trends, but I think we'll see that trend around the end of the group stage. For example, Spain had a 16-year-old player (Ramin Yamal) playing and dominating the game. I think it's great to see older players like Toni Kroos at Real Madrid. At the same time, we can see that he had a great season in Madrid and is still able to show a high level. In order to become a top international player, I think it is important to invest in the overall aspects I mentioned earlier from a young age. For example, I want the players to be inspired by the Euros and feel in which direction they need to go. And as a club, the Reds are trying to create a top-class, modern training culture, so I think that's a very good point.
(Sorbakken's contract expires this month, but has Matthias received any offers at this stage?)
"About a week ago, Roma's sporting director was replaced. First of all, we need to clarify what the situation is at Roma. Sporting director (Sei) Horinouchi has had thorough discussions with Ola and his agent. We look forward to a decision being made in the near future."
(Does Coach Matthias want Solbakken to stay?)
"I'm very sorry that he had to suffer such a special injury, and I think we saw his potential in the match against Kobe. I hope that the Reds fans and supporters will be able to see him at his best."
(I understand what kind of training they are doing by listening to their regular press conferences, but I feel that the results are not coming. The numbers 11, 9, and 7 are the Reds' losses over the past three years, but they have already lost seven this season. There are only two competitions this year, not several. There are two more teams than last year, so I'm not sure if it's correct to say that the current seven losses are the same as last year, but if they continue in the same situation, I think the number of losses will increase and there is a possibility that they will drop in the ranking. I think that the ranking that Coach Mattias is ultimately aiming for is probably a concern for fans and supporters. I'm sure there are people who are stressed by the current situation, but I would like to know Coach Mattias' vision for what position he wants to achieve and what kind of season he wants to have in the end.)
"Of course, we want to finish as high as possible in the standings. Even at the moment, I think we're in a position where we could have gotten six or seven more points. However, I think our playing style is changing in a good direction, and I believe the team has plenty of potential. There were some games where we didn't play so well, but even looking at each player individually, I think they've made a lot of progress. I also think that we're increasingly dominating the game as a team. In the second half of the season, our key players will return. If we can stabilize the team at a higher level, I think we'll see an increase in the number of games in which we can get the three points.
I share the same view of the current situation, but I think everyone can see that the team's play is moving in the right direction, and I'm very happy that our fans and supporters are cheering the team on so hard. I think the fans and supporters are expecting us to win every game. What's important to me is to do my best and fight hard in every game. And even though there were games we couldn't win, I'm grateful to the fans and supporters who supported us until the end, even in those games."
[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]
