Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 33 match Cerezo Osaka [MATCH PARTNER J:COM] Post-match comments

"Cerezo Osaka was a very united team with good defense, so we knew before the match that it would be a difficult game. We've been practicing how to break through their 5-4-1 block all week.

In the first half, the opponent's strong high pressure meant that we were unable to exploit the space behind us. And today, we conceded a goal from a corner kick, which put us under pressure. The last three games have been a similar scenario. And today, we were unable to change the flow in the first half.

In the second half, we didn't make any substitutions, just changed the positioning. That led to a better build-up. We played more bravely and were able to exploit the spaces between the ball and on the sides. We created some good chances, but they didn't translate into goals. We have to admit that Cerezo OSAKA 's defense is very organized.

I analyzed the games against Gamba Osaka and Kashiwa Reysol, and I thought it would be difficult to create chances against these teams. In games like this, goal scoring rate is very important. You have to score goals with the few chances you have.

We hadn't scored a goal in three consecutive games, and had conceded goals in three consecutive games, so this was a tough situation for us. After the game, I told the players in the locker room, "This is a very serious situation. From now on, we really need to do our best and prepare well."

"I don't think it was a hopeless game. We had some good periods, but at the end of the 90 minutes we just didn't produce enough."

[Question and Answer Session]
What did you ask of your players at halftime?
"We talked about how we need to use the space behind the opposing defensive midfielders and the space behind the opposing defensive line in a better way.

In the first half, we only kept the ball short, so I think it was easy for the opponent to press us. And at this point, we haven't reached the point where we can play with combinations to break through the opponent's high press. If that's the case, we have to use other methods to get through the high press. So we changed the way the wingers were positioned a little. In the first half, they were on the sides, but in the second half, I instructed them to use the half-spaces more inwards. I think that made it better."

(How do you view the team now after the four games since you took over, including this one, and what priorities do you want to give to rebuilding the team during the upcoming break?)
"First of all, I think it can be said that we were not stable in any of the games. As a team, there would be periods when we seemed to have disappeared from the pitch. Then, a few minutes later, we would see some good plays. There were ups and downs in the games, and we were unstable.

I don't really want to talk about my impressions, so I won't talk much about tactics for today's match, but I want to find the best setup and the best form for the team. We've accumulated data after playing four matches, so we'll analyze it thoroughly together as a team and prepare for the next two weeks.

(Why was Samuel Gustafson off the bench?)
"I've been having some problems with my knee since last week and was medically suspended two days ago, meaning I can't play in this game."

What specific areas do you want to improve in the next two weeks?
"I think we need to place equal emphasis on both defense and offense. We have conceded four goals in the last three games. However, when analyzing those goals, I don't think they were due to a breakdown in our defensive system. They were due to individual mistakes, etc.

We will continue to do what we have been doing so far and make further improvements in order to prepare defensively.

I think that building up will be a big task. And since we have players with various characteristics, it will be a point to see which players we can use now. For example, Brian (Linssen) and Thiago (Santana) are completely different types of strikers. I would like to continue preparing the team while taking such aspects into consideration. We don't have as much time as we think.

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]