On the 19th, manager Maciej Skorza held an online press conference where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 31 match against FC Tokyo [MATCH PARTNER DHL] to be held at Saitama Stadium on Saturday, September 21st.

(It looks like you've toned up quite a bit for your visit to Japan?)
"That's right. Compared to December of last year, there is a difference of about 10 kilograms."

(I couldn't ask because I think there are various reasons for weight loss, but is it possible that she has an illness or something?)
"I'm not sick. I decided to lose weight and I was on a special diet for two months."

"You mean you didn't eat bread?"
"I didn't eat bread or rice. My diet was mainly fruits and vegetables. But since coming to Japan, I can't help but eat sushi and miso soup (laughs)."

(Maciej believe this is your second summer in Japan, but Urawa Reds traditionally have a poor performance during the summer. It feels like the summer is still continuing, but how do you feel about your second summer in Japan?)
"Last summer, I made the mistake of doing long, intense training in the heat, which prevented me from achieving good results. I'm planning to decide the length and intensity of my training this year in consultation with my physical coaches, Ken Ishiguri and Wojciech Ignatiuk, as well as the entire coaching staff."

(In that context, in the first match Gamba Osaka, you played a style of football that didn't give the opponents any chances, using a low defense that is said to be difficult to implement in Japan. Japanese and Urawa Reds Maciej and supporters seem to have the impression that you are a defensive player, but looking at your career so far, I don't think that's the case at all; I think you are a manager with an offensive style. How do you think about that balance?)
"I have been in charge of many clubs that have competed for titles. When you want to win a title, it is difficult to do so without good defense, but you cannot win a title with good defense alone. The first few months of last year were spent preparing for the ACL final against Al Hilal. I knew from the beginning that we needed to have a strong defense in the match against Al Hilal. And this was after offensive players such as (Kasper) Junker, (Nin) Esaka, and (Yusuke) Matsuo had left. I have been appointed manager of the Reds again, but I think it is also necessary to adapt to the current situation of the Reds. As I said at the inauguration press conference, I think it is necessary to get points now. So, the first thing I did when I came to Japan was defensive training. Of course, I don't want to only play defense, and we have many players with high offensive potential, so I would like to focus more on attacking compared to the match against Gamba OSAKA. However, I would like to repeat that, but I think the first priority is to get points."

(Coach Maciej 's team uses zone defense, but in the match against Gamba OSAKA he deployed Samuel Gustafson and Kaito Yasui as defensive midfielders. The two players have different strengths, with Gustavsson being better at filling in gaps and not leaving holes. Yasui is also good at stealing the ball, but sometimes the space he leaves is used. When creating zone defense, do you consider the roles of the players, where to steal and where to fill?)
"That's a very interesting question. Recently we had two defensive midfielders with completely different characteristics. What I'm focusing on now is the communication between them. Samuel is a player with a lot of experience. I think Kaito is a player with strong defensive ability in zone 1. In the match against Gamba OSAKA, I think both of them tried to be in the right place at the right time. I'm grateful for their efforts. I can't go into too much detail in response to your question. If I say too much, (FC Tokyo manager Peter) Kramowski will also know, so I'll avoid it, but I can say that the tasks I've given to Kaito and Samuel are different."

(When the whole team wants to play further forward, I think it would be good if they could attack in a better way and make more plays where they quickly win the ball back, but I don't think our attacks went that well in the match against Gamba OSAKA. How do you plan to approach that?)
"I think that's one of the things that went wrong in our previous match against Gamba OSAKA. We were pushed back by the opponents and we weren't able to push forward from there, and we weren't able to take the ball closer to their goal. I think we played solid defense in zone 1, but we weren't able to push up from there and force the opponents to drop back. That's an area we need to improve on, and from now on I want to move forward from there and take the ball in a higher position. I also think it's important to push forward when we have the ball and maintain long possession without getting impatient. We have the ability to do that, but perhaps we lacked confidence in it in the match against Gamba OSAKA. I want to be more successful in our high press against FC Tokyo."

(The team does not always play well, but even in those times, there is a way to find the good points and give the players confidence, or there is also a way to point out what is wrong and make the players feel a sense of crisis. Is there anything that Maciej think is important in terms of that balance?)
"I think we need a mix of both. I always try to find the good points of our players, develop them further, and put together the strongest possible starting lineup. But at the same time, we also need to find out what is difficult for us and what our weaknesses are, and improve on those. For me, both are part of the same process."

(The team has many players with great offensive potential, but is it difficult to choose seven reserve members with so few closers?)
"Choosing bench members is a big problem for me. I struggled with it last year, and it's the same this year. First of all, for me, it's difficult because I can only choose seven players. In my previous jobs, I was able to choose two more players. It may not seem like a big difference to the fans and supporters, but from the manager's point of view, it makes a big difference. I was talking with the coaching staff just before this press conference, and one of the topics we discussed was what to do with the bench for FC Tokyo match. For example, in the previous match there was only one defender on the bench. There are many good offensive players, so I think we sometimes take risks like that. Choosing bench members is a big challenge, and especially now that I've only just arrived, I don't have a full grasp of all the characteristics of the new players, so the advice of the Japanese coaching staff members will be important."

(It seems that the practice on the 18th was held in the evening. Was that because of the heat? Or did the schedule include a rest period from the 17th to the 18th?)
"Both were important. Having a gap between Tuesday and Wednesday was also important, but we also wanted to train when the temperatures were cooler. Last Wednesday, three days before the match, we trained in the morning, but the temperatures were so high that we weren't able to train at the intensity we wanted."

(What is your impression of FC Tokyo and what will be important in the match?)
"FC Tokyo recently beat Nagoya, so I think they will be more confident. However, we are also coming off a win, so we may be just as confident. They are a team with impressive offense, and I think Nakagawa (Teruhito) in particular has great speed. They also have some interesting young players, such as Tawara Tsumita (Kota) and Araki (Ryotaro) who plays as an attacking midfielder. And we mustn't forget Diego Oliveira, who is a very dangerous striker. Against them, we will need a solid and tough defense. I think this will be a game with different characteristics from Gamba OSAKA match, and I would like to reduce the time we spend defending in zone 1. With an expected attendance of over 40,000 people, I would like to play more aggressively from the start and dominate the game, feeling the great support of our fans and supporters. I would like to create more chances than in the Gamba OSAKA match and score more goals."

(At the open training session on the 18th, we saw some combinations using the pocket. How did that go and what do you want from the players?)
"Using the pocket is one way to do it, but we have various forms of attack in zones 2 and 3. I think the players are understanding my ideas better with each training session. For example, they worked extremely hard in training yesterday, and I think it was a very effective session. There are still many areas to improve. However, the players are firmly focused on quality when training, so I can take it very positively."

(What was the reason and aim for using Genki Haraguchi as a defensive midfielder in the match against Gamba OSAKA?)
"I brought him on at a very difficult time, but I think he played very well. I think he did a very good job as a member of the team. I didn't feel that the Reds had any weaknesses in this game. It was about 10 years since Genki's last J-League match, and it was a big challenge for him to take to the pitch in such difficult conditions. As a manager, I evaluated his performance, and he played at a very high level, so I'm glad he's on the team. I know that Genki prefers to play in a more attacking position. But he's also a very clever player, so I understand that the team needs him as a defensive midfielder, and he's been playing well there. When I watch Genki, I see that he always tries to win when there is an element of competition, whether it's a mini-game or anything else. He's a player with that kind of strong will. If I were to line up with Genki at a traffic light, I think he would accelerate first so that I wouldn't lose to him. I hope that this winning attitude will spread throughout the locker room."

(At the open training session, the players said, "Coach Maciej wants you to be in the right position at the right time." I think that was well shown in the defense against Gamba OSAKA, but as you develop your attacks from now on, will you also look for creativity, surprises and ideas in zone 2 and zone 3 attacks? Or will you place more importance on being in the right position at the right time even in zone 2 and zone 3 attacks?)
"As a team, we need to have main rules, but I think it's the players' creativity that matters. As we move forward through zone 2 and zone 3 build-up, the team structure is important. You need to have the right structure, the right positions, and the main rules. For example, one of the main rules is to draw the defender out and use the space behind him. In zone 3, I think quick decision-making, creativity, and the skills of the players are important. For example, Tomo's (Tomoaki Okubo) reaction in a goal-scoring situation. He carries the ball, draws the opponent out, passes it to the right place, and dives into the near post. I think the mix of rules and creativity was well displayed."

(Coach Rafal Janas seems to have joined the team, but when is coach Wojciech Makowski scheduled to join? Also, what kind of work do you expect from them?)
"Today was Rafa's first training session. Mako will arrive tomorrow. From next week we will be able to start with all the staff in place. We would like to thoroughly prepare the roles of the coaching staff. Coach Ikeda (Nobuyasu), Coach Maesako (Masato), and Coach/Analyst Hayashi (Maiki) have all been doing a very good job since I arrived. I don't think we would have been able to win without them. Rafa and Mako will also need a period of adaptation to get to know the new Japanese players, and they will also need to get used to coming back to the J.League, so I would like to place a greater emphasis on the support of the Japanese coaches at the beginning. I think Rafa, Mako, the Japanese coaches, and GK coach Joan (Miret) all did a very good job last year, so I believe we will reach that level again in the near future."

(You mentioned that you felt the strong support of the supporters at a match that is expected to attract more than 40,000 fans, but how are you feeling about taking charge at Saitama Stadium for the first time since the match against Avispa Fukuoka on November 25th of last year?)
"It's hard to find words to express this feeling. Last year when I took charge at Saitama Stadium for the first time, I was really surprised and thought it was a very unique stadium, and my impression hasn't changed at all. I can't wait to feel that atmosphere again. I'm looking forward to the moment when a goal is scored and the stadium explodes. Not only that, but there is also the strength in the fact that the players continue to support the team even during difficult times."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]