On the 21st, after the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 31 match FC Tokyo [MATCH PARTNER DHL], Genki Haraguchi, who played at Saitama Stadium as a Reds player for the first time in about 10 years, shared his thoughts on the match.

"As a team, we were a little unlucky to concede two goals, which made things difficult for us. Our opponents were playing with a lot of leeway, and we were determined to do something because it was a home game, so we went in with a lot of high pressure, but that pressure was broken down. Even for a highly accomplished team, being two goals behind was very difficult. That conceded goal was quite a big deal, but even so, it was a home game, and with so many fans and supporters there to create that kind of atmosphere, I thought we just didn't have enough power. I also think we lacked courage. In that situation, I was given a chance for about 30 minutes, so I wanted to somehow change the flow and create a rhythm in attack, but it was quite difficult."

(What are the coach's instructions and your own thoughts when coming on as a substitute?)
"We were losing 0-2, so I was conscious of changing the flow and turning the game around. It was a home game, and with so many fans and supporters in attendance, I felt that we had played a disappointing game, so I wanted to somehow inject some energy into the game, but we just couldn't get that momentum going until the end, so it's a very disappointing result."

(Was pressing at the front a consideration for the team?)
"Since we were losing, we wanted to put more pressure on them from the front in the second half, but they were playing with a lot of leeway, so our press didn't work. We were leading in the previous match, so we were able to defend well low, which worked well, but this time it was the opposite, which made it a bit difficult."

(He also fought hard on defense.)
"I think we made some good plays, but it wasn't enough to change the flow of the game, and it didn't change the result. I have to be critical of myself, and as a team, we were too disappointing to lose 0-2 at home. We were too quiet, including our reaction afterwards, and we lacked power."

(You seemed to be encouraging the team from the first half.)
"It was a little quiet before the match. It was quiet overall, but since it's a home game, I want to play with more passion."

(What do you mean, no power?)
"Overall, yes. Even when it comes to just fighting for the ball, we go for it but don't manage to get it. I think that's partly down to our intensity, but also partly to our communication. Like in the match Gamba Osaka, when we're winning and victory is in front of us, and we can achieve something if we work hard, everyone works hard, but I think it's really important to be able to produce something in those tough times. It became a difficult situation, but I want to create a mentality that will enable us to come back from those kinds of situations."

(What did you think would be an effective way to break down your opponent?)
"I think it was the wings. The middle was solid, so we had to make two-on-ones on the wings, or have (Yusuke) Matsuo or (Takahiro) Sekine break through, or increase the number of players in the middle. There were many scenes where we wondered what to do. We could have passed the ball to (Santana) Thiago a little more boldly, or had (Watanabe) Ryoma or myself come in behind Thiago. They were pretty crowded in the middle, so we could have simply passed the ball up a little more. The J.League isn't so easy that you can just break down the middle, so we could have taken more risks and used that kind of ball."

(It's been about 10 years since you last played at Saitama Stadium as a Reds player.)
"It's frustrating. There were people who had high hopes for us, so I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to play to lead them to victory. But the atmosphere was as great as ever, so I want to win the next game, even though it's away, and get three points at home again."

(There were over 40,000 spectators today, but I think when Haraguchi was there there were games with an attendance of around 50,000. What do you think about that?)
"That's why I wanted to win today. We won the last round, and today there were over 40,000 people in attendance. I wanted to play a great game here and make them think, 'Maybe the really strong Urawa Reds are back.' We've been defeated here, and our next game is a difficult one against Vissel Kobe, but I think we need to show another good reaction there."

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[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]