On the 28th, after the 32nd round match of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Vissel Kobe, Yoshio Koizumi spoke about the issues she felt during the match and what she thinks is important for the next match.

"The pitch was such that the risks and rewards of building up were not proportionate, so to be honest, we knew it would be difficult. We weren't able to unite our intentions clearly or share our thoughts, and that was frustrating. We kicked long balls and there was no one there, and we weren't unified in that way.

If things got tough, the opponents could just kick the ball to (Yuya) Osako or (Yoshinori) Muto and it would be fine, so I think that was the area in which they had the advantage overall."

(How were you planning to play going into the second half?)
"It was difficult to build up, but we decided to give it a try, so we took positions that would confuse the opposing defensive midfielder, leaving him unsure whether to go after us or the defensive midfielder. We managed to get into a good rhythm that way at the start of the second half, so we wanted to keep it up, but the grass was bad and the opponents were skilled at stopping the game, so we ended up not being able to get into a good rhythm."

(There was a clear difference in attack between the first and second halves, and the relationship with Ryoma Watanabe was fun to watch.)
"Yes, it's definitely easier to play with (Watanabe) Ryoma. Everyone is easy to play with, but we share the same intentions and Ryoma is in good positions, so we were able to connect several passes with a good rhythm and it was fun. However, I feel that we need to increase the number and quality of those passes and improve them."

(I think a floating cross would have been effective.)
"We were clearly aiming for Thiago (Santana), but Kobe is similar to us in that although their attacking methods are completely different, they are very similar in that they are solid in defence and form solid blocks and defend in zones, so I had the impression that it would be difficult to play against them if we only used crosses. It was a game that required unexpected ideas and quality somewhere, and I think it was a test of endurance."

(What measures are you taking for the next match?)
"There are a mountain of issues to be addressed, and I think the most important thing is the mentality and energy to turn this situation around. That requires a lot of energy, so I think the most important thing is whether each individual can bring that out, whether they can show the determination to win on the pitch."

(The next game is at home, so maybe we can play a different style of football than we did today?)
"I think football will be completely different. It will depend on how well we can sort out our mindset and tactics in the week."

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