On the 23rd, after the Meiji Yasuda J1 League 25th Kashiwa Reysol [Meiji Yasuda x J League Partnership 10th Anniversary Match], Shusaku Nishikawa shared his thoughts on the match and his outlook for the next game.

"After our last match against Tokyo Verdy, I had a chance to talk with the fans and supporters, and they told us, 'I want each and every one of you to show that you are fighting with a sense of responsibility,' and I think we were able to move in a positive direction by clearly expressing our thoughts to each other. I think we were able to reaffirm that if we fight like we did today, we can win. Today's victory is just one win, and the next game will be really important, so we will make good preparations and not let these three points go to waste."

(What about bringing the team together as captain?)
"(Haraguchi) Genki and (Sekine) Takahiro were the ones who set up this opportunity, and I was the first to clearly explain the meaning of having this meeting, and how it was important for us to be resolute and decisive in our quest to stay in the league. I also shared with everyone what the fans and supporters had said, and after that, everyone shared their thoughts, their resolve, and things like that. I think the words of (Tomoya UGAJIN) and (Koroki) Shinzo, who haven't played in any games, really hit home for everyone, and Hiroki Abe hasn't been involved in any games either, but I want to cherish the words he said.

He said, "You have to be grateful to each and every player, and think about the love you're receiving." Even if you make a mistake, you have to cover for them. Hiroki Abe said those words to us even when he wasn't playing, and I will treasure those words and continue to fight."

(How did you see the PK from behind?)
"This is our home stadium, Saitama Stadium, so not only us, but Urawa Reds fans and supporters supported us with a different determination than usual from the warm-up. At first, they welcomed me with just clapping, not with words, and I got goosebumps during the warm-up. We had a lot of determination, and I thought it would be really regretful if we had fought today with the arrow facing backwards, so we all said that we should go forward and fight with courage, facing the arrow forward.

In the final scene, when it was decided that we should get a penalty kick, I was encouraging the people behind the goal, hoping that we could somehow get a penalty kick."

(When the final whistle blew, did you do an emotional fist pump?)
"I knew that Thiago (Santana) would be the penalty taker, and I trusted him, so I thought we'd be fine. I was sure we'd win, and he always scores when it comes to penalties, and even in practice he's a great penalty taker, so I just trusted my teammate."

(The opponent had a strong left wing and also had tall and fast players up front. What did you pay attention to in defence?)
"We were prepared to apply high pressure when we had the ball, so I think we were able to build up courageously at the back, and the opponents also started to prepare in the middle block halfway through the game. From our perspective, the two on the right wing (Diego and Matheus Savio) were very skilled, and when they were completing the play by themselves, it was basic, but they took care with risk management when attacking, and they were calling out to the defensive line, and the defensive line was also calling out to the players close to them. Whether or not you can do those kinds of small things will make a difference in the result, and I think today we were able to have our opponents close down in front of us to prevent the burden from falling on us."

(What about the fact that you were able to prevent set-pieces, where you have been conceding goals recently?)
"In set pieces, we were always one-on-one, and we had the determination to go for the ball when we could. We also had our defense in mind, so we tried to not let the other team take a shot, and when we couldn't, everyone covered well, and each person's role was clear. We also shouted when it came to corner kicks, creating an atmosphere that we absolutely wouldn't let them score.

We use both zone and man-to-man defense, so the man-to-man defenders take responsibility for not letting the other team do it, even if they don't win. The zone players take responsibility for the space in front of them. The players in the back also cover, and I think we were able to do it today by making our defensive thinking clearer.

When it comes to set plays, you just need to focus on the ball, so rather than thinking, "Another corner kick?", it's better to think, "We'll defend it." I tried to create an atmosphere that would encourage that by encouraging positive calls."

(Our ranking has risen to 12th place, so these three points were huge. With this, I think Urawa Reds will be able to show their true colors in the remaining games.)
"I think everyone understands the value of this victory, and the fact that we won today without conceding any goals and that we won at home will give us some momentum. I think everyone needs to be highly conscious of how they spend this week and how they prepare to win against Yokohama F･Marinos. First of all, we need to fight with a clear mind to ensure that we stay in the league, and I think that now will test our determination to fight with all our might and never give up, rather than worrying about the content of the game. I think this is a chance for us to change, so I want to take it in a positive way."

(It's been since June since you last sang "We are Diamonds"?)
"Everyone knew the significance of this one win, and I think it's a result that all the fans and supporters have been waiting for, so I'm not satisfied with it, but I hope that everyone will go home happy that we won, and when you all have work or school tomorrow, we'll be really happy if you say, 'We won the game yesterday,' and Urawa Reds become a part of your lives. In a week, it'll be a weekday again, so I hope that we can ask for your support again."

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[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]