On the 10th, after the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 36 match Sanfrecce Hiroshima [MATCH PARTNER BizReach], Yusuke Matsuo, who scored the opening goal, spoke about his impressions of the match, the remaining matches, and his outlook for next season.

"Recently, the team has been improving little by little, but personally, there were many games where I was frustrated, so it was good to be able to explode with frustration in that way, scoring a goal."

(I think they knew Hiroshima would be playing man-to-man defense, but didn't they need a player who could win one-on-one in certain situations?)
"That's true, but we also worked on creating space left by the opponent through movement and using that space in training. There were times when that worked really well, so that was good."

(I think it was a game that showed the strengths of Takahiro Sekine 's defense and Matsuo's offense.)
"There were a lot of scenes like that in today's match, so I think it was good. I was able to play very comfortably."

(The opponent's right wing player was coming forward, so I think you aimed to attack from behind.)
"Before that, we need to defend well in our own half when the opponent has the ball, and we need to form a solid block. Because our defense was so precise, I think we were able to steal the ball in good shape and successfully create space in a positive position. In that sense, I think defense was important."

(It seemed like the second half started to step up a gear.)
"That wasn't the case, but we had time to hold the ball, so we were able to attack well and in good position, and our offense was going smoothly. Then, I think the ball started to move to the left."

(What about the goal?)
"Basically, Taka-kun (Takahiro Sekine) provides me with great balls, so when he has the ball, as he did in the second half, I run. I believed that a good ball would come, and on top of that, I had a hunch that it might come that way, so I changed course. It was like a gamble, but because the opponent was facing away from me, I think the pressure put on him made him make a mistake, so if I can do that more often, I think I can create more of those kinds of situations."

(Is it easier to shift gears if you change sides after defending on the opposite side?)
"Today, against the opponent's three players, I was often on the pitch with the number nine and number ten, so after we applied high pressure and stole the ball, I was in a fairly high position. I think that's why we were able to create those kinds of scenes quite a bit."

(Genki Haraguchi said, "I want to play in a way that helps the team win, but today Matsuo did it." I'm sure you felt a sense of contribution to today's victory.)
"That's something you can only find out after the game. Before the game, both in the previous match and the one before that, I go into the match thinking, 'I'm going to decide the game.' That's hindsight, but as a player, the joy of being able to play in such a match is great, and it motivates me even more."

(Bryan Linssen also had an assist.)
"I think he contributes a lot to the team, so to see that result in a goal made me happier than if I had scored my own goal, to be honest."

(What did you talk about with Linssen?)
"He said with a laugh, 'There's no way anyone could stop that shot.' When I watched the video, I could see that he had a good reaction, so I thought his sense of how to get that kind of shot onto the target was amazing. He scores a lot of goals in training, so I felt a little guilty that I couldn't create more chances for him in the game, so I was glad today."

(Today, the forwards were running a lot on defense, but I wonder if that's what's making the team more stable and defensively strong recently?)
"The coach always says that, but I think that has to become the standard. It's not just us, but also the players who came on in the second half who really make a difference, and I think having players like that gives the team depth. Even if I played well today, if I don't do well next time, my position will be in jeopardy, so I want to always play with a strong desire to do well."

(I think you and Haraguchi play the same position, but will you be rivals or will you coexist?)
"I believe that the best players on a team will be in the starting eleven, so I want to train hard every day and play well so that I can be in that starting eleven."

(If they can bring out different strengths, won't that help revitalize their offense next season?)
"Next year is next year. First of all, I want to play well until the final round of the year and fight to accumulate as many points as possible."

(Now that you have secured your place in J1, you will be looking ahead to next season. What do you want to show us there?)
"With the word 'staying in the league' looming, the team has changed dramatically. If we are only doing this because we are close to staying in the league, I think we are still far from competing for the championship. I want the team to create that kind of tension from the start of the season and put pressure on ourselves as we play. I hope this will be the catalyst for that."

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