NEWS
Per-Mathias Hoegmo manager, press conference after Nagoya match
Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 20 match Nagoya Grampus Post-match comments
"Right from the start, I think we played solidly. We kept the ball and moved it from side to side, and Ola (Solbakken) created some one-on-one situations. Ola moved to the left wing midway through the first half and created some good opportunities, and (Watanabe) Ryoma showed once again today that he is a goalscorer.
We were able to create chances while controlling the game. In particular, we created some big chances after the opponent had a player sent off. It's great that we've become able to control the game in away games just like we do in home games. Now we need to turn that into goals and continue to get the three points.
Looking at our most recent away games, we beat Albirex Niigata 4-2. Then we played Jubilo Iwata Iwata and were totally in control, but the result was 1-1. We also had a lot of good moments against Cerezo Osaka, but the home team scored two great goals.
The players are now firmly establishing a training culture in their daily training, so I would like to commend them. I have told the players to always maintain a high level of awareness and concentration even in practice. I asked them to keep that focus throughout the match, and I think they maintained that focus.
I think that Yota Sato played very well today, together with Marius (Huibraten). (Ito) Atsuki and (Ago) Kaito dominated the midfield. Ryoma was able to get behind the defense as an attacking midfielder or drop back to provide support. And Brian (Linssen)'s intelligence was also on display today. He can show up in many places and act as a link, and he can also assist. He's been suffering from injuries for a long time since coming to Japan, so I'm glad he's back.
We weren't able to get the three points in our home games against Vissel Kobe and Kashima Antlers, but I think it was good that we were able to play without feeling too stressed about that. We want to be a team that can compete at the top of the table. To achieve that, we need stability. I think it's important to keep fighting without losing and not letting our feelings waver even when we win or lose."
【Question-and-answer session】
(I think you played with two defensive midfielders today. Why did you decide to use this system?)
"We have some injuries, so one thing we have to consider is which players we can use. Whether it's 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, the space we're aiming for doesn't change much. For example, in home games, (Ito) Atsuki often gets behind the defense from his inside half position, but today he did that from the defensive midfielder position. If Atsuki goes forward, (Yasu) Kaito maintains the balance. And if Atsuki goes up on one side, (Watanabe) Ryoma can be on the other side.
It's about constantly reading the situation and using that space. I came to the J.League and was looking forward to learning about it, but there are quite a few teams that use long balls. Against those teams, I think it's easier to recover second balls by placing two defensive midfielders in front of the center backs. I think it's good to have both 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 as options."
(Ola Solbakken 's position was changed early on. Was this an attempt to exploit the opponent's weak point?)
"I figured that Ola could go one-on-one with the right-wing centre-back. They had a fast player on our right flank, so I moved Ola, who has the advantage of being able to play on both flanks, to the other side."
[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]
"Right from the start, I think we played solidly. We kept the ball and moved it from side to side, and Ola (Solbakken) created some one-on-one situations. Ola moved to the left wing midway through the first half and created some good opportunities, and (Watanabe) Ryoma showed once again today that he is a goalscorer.
We were able to create chances while controlling the game. In particular, we created some big chances after the opponent had a player sent off. It's great that we've become able to control the game in away games just like we do in home games. Now we need to turn that into goals and continue to get the three points.
Looking at our most recent away games, we beat Albirex Niigata 4-2. Then we played Jubilo Iwata Iwata and were totally in control, but the result was 1-1. We also had a lot of good moments against Cerezo Osaka, but the home team scored two great goals.
The players are now firmly establishing a training culture in their daily training, so I would like to commend them. I have told the players to always maintain a high level of awareness and concentration even in practice. I asked them to keep that focus throughout the match, and I think they maintained that focus.
I think that Yota Sato played very well today, together with Marius (Huibraten). (Ito) Atsuki and (Ago) Kaito dominated the midfield. Ryoma was able to get behind the defense as an attacking midfielder or drop back to provide support. And Brian (Linssen)'s intelligence was also on display today. He can show up in many places and act as a link, and he can also assist. He's been suffering from injuries for a long time since coming to Japan, so I'm glad he's back.
We weren't able to get the three points in our home games against Vissel Kobe and Kashima Antlers, but I think it was good that we were able to play without feeling too stressed about that. We want to be a team that can compete at the top of the table. To achieve that, we need stability. I think it's important to keep fighting without losing and not letting our feelings waver even when we win or lose."
【Question-and-answer session】
(I think you played with two defensive midfielders today. Why did you decide to use this system?)
"We have some injuries, so one thing we have to consider is which players we can use. Whether it's 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, the space we're aiming for doesn't change much. For example, in home games, (Ito) Atsuki often gets behind the defense from his inside half position, but today he did that from the defensive midfielder position. If Atsuki goes forward, (Yasu) Kaito maintains the balance. And if Atsuki goes up on one side, (Watanabe) Ryoma can be on the other side.
It's about constantly reading the situation and using that space. I came to the J.League and was looking forward to learning about it, but there are quite a few teams that use long balls. Against those teams, I think it's easier to recover second balls by placing two defensive midfielders in front of the center backs. I think it's good to have both 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 as options."
(Ola Solbakken 's position was changed early on. Was this an attempt to exploit the opponent's weak point?)
"I figured that Ola could go one-on-one with the right-wing centre-back. They had a fast player on our right flank, so I moved Ola, who has the advantage of being able to play on both flanks, to the other side."
[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]
