On the 28th, a press conference was held online with manager Per-Mathias Hoegmo, where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 21 match against Jubilo Iwata [MATCH PARTNER TANITA] to be held at Saitama Stadium on Sunday, June 30th.

"Hello everyone. I came back by Shinkansen the day after the last match (against Nagoya Grampus on the 26th). Some players have been training yesterday and today, while others are recovering from the match, so we divided the players into two groups. Today, I gave the players post-match feedback. I also introduced my analysis of Iwata's performance. When we give feedback after a match, it is of course a matter of looking back on the match, but at the same time, it is also a preparation for the next match.

As I said in the press conference after the previous match, I think it was good that we were able to play our own game at Nagoya Stadium. I think we were able to control the game throughout the first and second halves. We hardly allowed the opponent to create any chances. As we controlled the flow of the game, we were able to attack the space behind us in a better way. We were not only attacking the space behind us, but also connecting from the back. I think we are getting better at reading which space to use. For example, in the scene where we scored, we made a direct pass behind the defense, then recovered the second ball and crossed it to score. There were times when we had four, five, or even six players in the penalty area when we were crossing.

I think we need to improve our conversion rate of chances into goals. We have scored 31 goals so far, which is third in the league in terms of the number of goals we have scored. However, considering the number of scoring chances we have created, I think we could have scored more goals. If there is one area we need to improve as a team, it is to steal the ball in higher positions. That is something we want to improve in the second half of this season. That will be important in the match against Iwata, and I think it will be another key point.

In terms of the players' condition, I think the starting members from the previous game will be ready for Sunday. We need to see how Taka (Takahiro Sekine), who felt discomfort in his hamstring, and Naoki (Maeda), who twisted his ankle, are. Samuel (Gustafsson) was improving in training, but he had a slight fever, so we need to see how he is tomorrow."

[Question-and-answer session]
(The match against Iwata will be played soon after the last match. What should Iwata be careful of?)
"Compared to our last match, we have a few injured players, but Jermaine (Ryo) is back. I think we have become a team that excels at low defense in recent matches. We have been able to counter from there. Also, when we get into the final third, we make a lot of crosses, and our strikers move in and attack. I predict that we will be in possession of the ball in this match. I think we will need to move in front of the goal. We want to create one-on-one and two-on-one situations while changing sides. We want to play with a good balance, but I don't think we have allowed the opponents to create many chances in recent matches. Still, I think there are areas where we can improve, such as by tightening up the details, on defense."

(How does the manager feel about Hiroki Sakai 's departure from the team and Ken Iwao transfer?)
"I think it's becoming a trend that many young players join the team and develop there. Hiroki has been telling me since I first came here that he had a dream of playing in the A-League. It means he's leaving here on a good note and heading there."

(The next game is at home. How do you want the players to play?)
"In terms of the training culture, the players' attitude has improved a lot. In the last game, I think all of the players acted bravely to dominate the game. I think we can dominate whether we're away or at home. We need to dominate the game from the start. In recent home games, it took us a while to dominate. In this game, too, I want to score first. I think we saw a very good performance in the last home game, where we came back from 0-2 down, but rather than letting ourselves be chased after being down, if we score first, it will put us in an even more advantageous position, so that's what we want to do."

(With Sakai leaving the team, has the next captain been decided? What is the situation with Alexander Scholz?)
"We have a solid plan in place for the captaincy, and we will make an official announcement about that at a later date. As for Scholz, nothing has been decided yet."

(In the match against Nagoya, it may have been better to play with a double defensive midfielder since Gustavsson was not there, but even if he returns, do you think that playing with him as a double defensive midfielder would be easier in the J.League depending on the situation and the opponent?)
"Whether Samuel is there or not, we'll be able to switch between the options of one anchor and two defensive midfielders depending on the situation."

(Is this change due to us? Or is it due to the compatibility with the other party?)
"First, I think about what kind of team formation is best for the Reds. However, the tactical approach also changes depending on the opponent. For example, looking back at Wednesday's game, I think Atsuki (Ito) is good at both, whether he was the one anchor or the double defensive midfielder. I want to develop tactical flexibility as a team from now on. I said from the beginning of the season that I wanted to have a lot of meetings, feedback, and discussions with the players, but I also think it's important for the players to speak up with a sense of ownership. If I just do what the manager says, my ability will be the limit of the team, so I think it would be great if Atsuki, Ryoma (Watanabe) and Kaito (Yasui) could talk with each other during the game and respond flexibly to the situation. In football today, I think it's common to see players responding flexibly to the situation."

(Yesterday, Rio Nita's joining the team was officially announced. How do you feel about him?)
"I am pleased that a young player who has gained experience in Europe has returned to Japan and joined the Reds. The coaching staff is also very much looking forward to seeing him in training. He joined us today, but only did light training. If the young players who play for Urawa can grow and become attractive players, I believe the Reds will become an attractive club that young players will want to join."

(You said you gave feedback on the Nagoya match, but what kind of feedback did you give about the effect of playing with two defensive midfielders instead of the usual 4-3-3? Was it because of the double defensive midfielder system that it was effective? Or was it an effective system regardless? For example, the first half of the Vissel Kobe match was not good, but what was the difference?)
"First of all, it's interesting to see how journalists are so interested in matches and tactics. European reporters don't get into that much detail. For example, when building up in a 4-2-3-1, there are two players in front of the four, but even if we build up in a 4-3-3, Atsuki can drop back a little to form a 4-2, and one of the double defensive midfielders can drop back to the back line to rotate three players. Whatever your starting position, by playing flexibly, I think you can move the opposition around, even if they're playing man-to-man.

When we pushed into the opponent's half, Atsuki took a high position and Kaito stayed behind to balance things out, but if Kaito went up at the same time, it would lead to the opponent's counter attack. Of course, we want all the players to play offensively, but there must be players who balance things out within the relationships. For example, even if we're playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation, if Atsuki moves forward a little and Kaito stays behind, and Ryoma, who was at the bottom of the attacking midfielder, moves to the left, it will be similar to a 4-3-3 formation. And if the opponent is a team that uses a lot of long balls, we can make it easier to pick up second balls by creating a four-man block with two center backs and two defensive midfielders. I think that's where the advantage of having two defensive midfielders lies.

I think it's also about relationships. For example, when the opponent is trying to use the half space between the lines, it will be easier to deal with it if we have double defensive midfielders, but I think we can also deal with it from 4-3-3 if the inside half returns early. Also, in order to develop defensively in the future, I would like to have various pressing shapes. We can do 4-4-2, 4-3-3, and we can also press from 4-2-3-1.

(This season, despite injuries and player changes, I think the team has become more complete, but what impact will it have with the loss of experienced players like Iwao and Sakai? Is the Reds now in a period where they are stepping up and trying to rejuvenate?)
"There is a change in that the team is getting younger. I think that meeting and parting with players is one of the good things about soccer. When Hiroki said his farewell, I said that in the past, there were only a few people living on a big planet. But now there are many people living on a small planet. The world is becoming more united, and soccer has become one of the biggest industries within that. Players and coaches can travel to various places around the world and communicate both on and off the pitch.

Ken did a great job with the Reds for two and a half years. He decided to return to his old club, but I think it was because he wanted to play a lot there. Sakai also wanted to gain new experience in a new country. In the short term, I think it will be a trend that players who have not played before will be able to show more of themselves on the pitch and in training. With that possibility in mind, I hope that the players will step up."

(What concerns me about the injuries is that, although I understand that there are accidents during matches and training, it is concerning that players who return are continually getting injured soon after. Is there a problem with communication with the medical staff and physical coaches?)
"I understand the intention of the question very well. I think there is very good communication between the staff. Of course, we are also asking ourselves questions as we act. I think we can improve on the points that were pointed out. I would like to invest more in injury prevention in the future. To do that, I think we need to increase strength training even more. I would also like the coaching staff, medical staff and physical coaches to further refine the individual programs for each player. We have already discussed this and would like to develop it. I hope we can improve in that area for the rest of the season."

(Looking at the players this season, I think there has been a huge reduction in the number of times they have simply given the ball to their teammate, causing the receiver to struggle. For example, Ito's pass to Ola Solbakken on the left side of the touchline in the Nagoya match, and his assists in other matches. He used to have a tendency to give the ball to his teammate too easily, but this has decreased significantly and I think each player has gotten better at holding the ball. What kind of approach do you take in this regard?)
"I think we've created a flow that allows each player to demonstrate their strengths in attack. For example, with Solbakken, if we can use him when changing sides, we can create a flow where he can be used one-on-one when the opponent can't slide completely. Naoki's one-on-one with the goalkeeper also started on the left wing and the ball reached him in a diagonal pass. He scored in a similar way in the away games against Albirex Niigata and Shonan Bellmare. There was also a one-on-one with the goalkeeper in the Iwata game. In the home game against Sagan Tosu Matsuo (Yusuke) received a direct ball from (Sato) Yodai. I hope to be able to set up in a way that allows us to perform at our best in good positions. I think that by players getting to know each other better, we can make the most of each other. We've been doing possession practice in training, so I think each player is getting to understand each other's strengths and is able to read each other's plays."

(I think there are more players who are not releasing the ball too early and are able to pass the ball while thinking about the receiver. What do you think about that?)
"The biggest principle of our offense is to create two-on-one situations anywhere on the pitch. For example, if a player in the center carries the ball well, he can attract the opponent and, when he passes to the side, create two-on-one situations. If we pass the ball too early, the opponent will be able to respond with a two-on-two situation, so I think we're getting better in that area, and I think it answers the question from earlier."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]