Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 34 match against Tokyo Verdy- Post-match comments

"We've had two weeks to prepare after our last loss and we tried to come up with an answer to it today, but it wasn't the answer we wanted.

We tried to control the game, but the amount of energy that Tokyo Verdy had made it difficult to manage, especially on the sidelines. However, even though the game wasn't going well, Ryoma Watanabe made a very good decision and scored a mid-range shot.

Then in the second half, we started to gain more control over the game, but we lost concentration on a set piece and conceded a goal. Of course, it's unpleasant for us to concede another goal from a set piece.

We weren't able to show a very good performance today. Of course, I think the players were feeling the pressure of the current situation before the match, but we are Urawa Reds, and we need to be able to manage things well. I hope that in the next match, I, along with everyone else, will be able to show a different performance."

[Question and Answer Session]
(Was Tomoaki Okubo prepared in the middle of the first half because he was planning to replace Yoshio Koizumi who came later?)
"I wanted to increase the amount of movement of our attacking midfielder, so I thought I'd put (Watanabe) Ryoma in that position. I expected him to not only get behind the defense, but also to drop back to help with defense. Also, Yoshio Koizumi had been suffering from a slight cold a few days ago, so I was worried about her physical condition, so I decided to substitute her."

(Urawa Reds are in a relegation battle, and their next match will be against Kashiwa Reysol, who are close in the standings. How will you approach your players to deal with a game that will put negative pressure on them?)
"Obviously, this is an unacceptable situation for us. I think everyone who comes into our locker room, from myself to the players to the trainers, has to act responsibly."

(There is little time to prepare for the next match. How will you prepare?)
"First of all, we need to make a full recovery. Today's match demanded a lot of physical fitness. Of course, we don't have much time to prepare for Kashiwa Reysol 's match, but we want to use at least two of the three days off to do so."

(I think there are few players who have experience fighting to avoid relegation, but have you had such experience, Coach Skoruja? Also, what solutions are you considering at the moment?)
"Many bad thoughts will come to your mind, so you need to clear your head and get rid of them. It's important to focus on the next game. For us, it's against Kashiwa. The next game against Kashiwa is the most important game for Urawa Reds this season. In my mind, I think we need to take that approach, so I would like to share that with the team."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]