On the 19th, Shusaku Nishikawa answered questions from the media online and spoke about his enthusiasm for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 28 match against Kawasaki Frontale [MATCH PARTNER Mitsubishi Heavy Industries] to be held at Saitama Stadium on Friday, November 22nd.

(The match against Kawasaki on the 22nd will be in an irregular format and will only last 45 minutes in the second half. What are your thoughts on how it will be played and how you will play?)
"Considering that we are winning 1-0 after just 45 minutes, including substitutes, the opponents will be able to play with all their might, aiming to score, and it is possible that they will work hard for 20 minutes and then bring on substitutes. However, we are very much looking forward to playing against them as it is a situation we have never experienced before, but they are not an opponent that we can easily beat, so we need to go into the match with a strong resolve."

(The Reds may be in a defensive position since they have already scored one point, but I think it is difficult to keep defending for 45 minutes. What are your thoughts on the balance between offense and defense?)
"First of all, we need to organize our defense well. I don't know how long we will be able to endure, but I believe there will be a time. I don't know if that will be early on, like in the match against (Sanfrecce) Hiroshima, or if it will be towards the end of the game because we are winning, but I think we need to assume that we will have to endure with resolve. I believe that there will definitely be opportunities when the opponents start to push forward, so we want to see if we can take advantage of those gaps. I think that the key will be not only the players who are on the field from the start, but also the players who come on as substitutes."

(There are 2.5 games left this season. What do you think would be the best way to finish the season?)
"Realistically speaking, now that we've secured our place in the league, the goal is to finish in the single digits, as coach (Maciej Skorza) has said, and we also want to go up as far as we can, so I think it's important that we end the season in the single digits. In terms of how we finish the season, I want to win all of our remaining games."

(Is the way you prepare for a 45-minute match different from how you normally do physically?)
"No, everyone is preparing as usual, and I don't think there's any difference in the menu or the usual cycle. However, considering that it's only 45 minutes, I think it's an environment where both teams can work hard, so I think we need to fight to overwhelm Kawasaki, taking advantage of the power of our home ground."

(I think field players have trouble distributing their energy, but what about goalkeepers?)
"Nothing in particular. I'm going to start the match as I always do, and I'm prepared that whatever happens, it's within my expectations. So rather than thinking about my mental state, I want to make sure I enter the match calmly."

(Because it is the restart, the members have basically been decided, excluding injuries, etc., and the regular players and substitute players are different from usual. Even if you work hard this week, you may not be able to make the team unless there are injuries, so I think it may be mentally difficult. How do you feel about the team's efforts in this regard?)
"The attitude of the players who don't usually play in matches is really wonderful. Even in red-white games, the opposing team is very strong, and sometimes we win, so I think there is good competition within the team right now. The manager has said that now that we have secured our place in the league, everyone has a chance, and I think there will be changes in the lineup for the remaining matches. Even in today's training, I didn't get the feeling that 'no matter how hard we try, we won't be able to play'; rather, I got the impression that many of the players were fired up. I'm glad to see that kind of mentality, that 'let's do it' atmosphere emerging."

(This season the Reds have had many rain-related cancellations, long half-times and delayed starts. Have you felt any impact from that?)
"It was the same in the match against Kashiwa (Reysol) and Kawasaki, but it was a time when there was continuous rain and thunder at Saitama Stadium, so I felt disappointed that we couldn't play the game today either. I think the fans and supporters felt the same way, and they had come despite the poor ground conditions, so safety was our number one priority, so it couldn't be helped, but at the time I was really disappointed that we had to send them home without being able to watch the game. However, on the other hand, I now see the fact that the game is being held at this time as a positive thing."

(Although it has been called abnormal weather, it has become a part of everyday life. There were many problems at various venues during the games in August, and the Reds were affected by rain in four consecutive home games. With the games being postponed, your ranking has remained low. It is true that you can catch up if you win, but did you feel any pressure or negative feeling about your team's name being in the top 10?)
"I thought we had more games remaining than the other teams, so I was looking at it from the perspective of getting some points and moving up from the bottom, so I wasn't thinking negatively at all. I'm sure some of the players felt pressure because the Reds were at the bottom of the table, and I'm sure it's different for each person, but we're all not happy with our position. We have a chance to make our fans and supporters happy if we win our remaining games, so I want to fight with all my might and finish with a good result."

(Considering the upcoming games against Avispa Fukuoka and Albirex Niigata, can we see the fact that there will be no gap between games being played for 45 minutes as a positive?)
"I'm always fighting with the joy of being able to play, and with (Shinzo) Koroki announcing his retirement this season, I'm sure he'll play in some games, and I think the fans and Koroki are looking forward to it, so I really hope that he'll be able to play under good circumstances."

(I think Kawasaki will play aggressively on both offense and defense despite being one point behind. What is your impression of Kawasaki's offensive power?)
"Rather than being fast vertically, I get the impression that they tend to move the ball around, keep possession, and then use combination plays at the end to aim for the goal. This year, in addition to that, I think the individual abilities and strengths of the foreign players will be more noticeable, but I think it will be important not to match their pace. Our opponents are a team built by Coach Oniki and have a clear way of fighting, so I want to use my mind and body to clearly express how we will fight against such experience."

(What do you think about the fact that the opposition will likely defend with a zone instead of man-to-man, filling in the spaces?)
"Regarding forming a solid line and defending, we have been able to do that ever since Maciej took over, so we need to continue doing that, but after we steal the ball, we need to fight with a clear goal in mind. Rather than just defending for 45 minutes, it would be ideal if we could score a goal at some point and pull away, but I want all of us to be aware that we need to defend well first."

(I know it's too early to look back, but what kind of season was this?)
"I think this season has been one in which I have had the opportunity to experience things that I have not experienced since joining the Reds. This includes the environment around me, the environment of my teammates, and many other things that have come into play in this season. Among these, I think the efforts and results of the goalkeeping team have been heading in a good direction. This year, we conceded four goals in two games, but if we hadn't done that, I think the number of goals we conceded would have been significantly lower. Next season, I would like to play with the goal of not conceding four goals in defence."

(The key point to note about the Kawasaki match is that the coach is different in the first and second halves, but they won the first half, so will they want to win in the second half as well?)
"Ideally, we would have not conceded any goals at the end of the game, but they are a team with strong attacks, so I imagine we will have to fight with great determination to keep a clean sheet. I think the start of the game will be particularly important, and rather than letting ourselves be woken up by being defeated by the opponent, we will be the ones to attack, pursue the defense from the front, and apply high pressure."

(How did you feel when you found out that Tsukasa Umesaki, your fellow player at Oita Trinita U-18 and with the Reds, had announced his retirement?)
"Before he announced his retirement, I received a phone call from Tsukasa and heard it directly from him. At the time, he was still wondering whether to continue playing or to move on to the next stage, so I said, 'If your body can still move, you should keep going,' but Tsukasa said that he had been getting more injuries, so I respected his feelings and sent him a message at his retirement press conference the other day. Tsukasa was crying, which I thought was typical of him, but he also said that he was happy for me. I've heard that he will be moving on as a coach from now on, so I would be happy if we could do something together."

(The Reds often have a hard time against teams with Korean goalkeepers, but what do you think about the relationship between Japanese and Korean goalkeepers?)
"Before that, we had players like Kwon Soon-tae, but in the past few years, we've seen an increase in goalkeepers coming from Korea to Japan and playing in the J-League, which has been frustrating for me as a Japanese J-League player. There's a sense of crisis even in other teams that we're not the goalkeepers guarding the goal in our country's league, and I didn't want to lose to them, so I thought we had to show that with results. However, their attitude towards learning, especially how quickly they learn Japanese and communicate, and when they go to greet each other during games they speak in Japanese, and many of them have very friendly personalities, so I think they're able to go abroad because they're wonderful people. I think that a goalkeeper's humanity is especially important, so I want to make sure that we all value that."

(I don't think there are many big Japanese goalkeepers, so if you were to offer words of encouragement to a player like that, what would you say?)
"I don't think height is everything for a goalkeeper. If you can train with the knowledge of the correct movements and defense methods in mind, I think even a small player will be able to defend a goal of that size. I want them to take on the challenge with confidence in what they are doing as a goalkeeper, and I want them to enjoy being a goalkeeper."

(Japan national team is playing tonight, and when I see Zion Suzuki guarding the goal, I am reminded of Nishikawa. I feel that she has made the transition from that goalkeeping team and worked hard to get to where she is now. What are your expectations for the future?)
"I've been training with Zion together, and he's one of the players who has competed for a regular spot, so I'm happy that he's doing well at Parma (Calcio) and steadily climbing the ladder of success that he wants to achieve. Zion 's success brings joy to everyone in Japan, and it's also a great inspiration for me. Even now, I feel like 'I have to work hard because Zion is working hard,' so I want him to continue to do well."

(Amidst that competition, Nishikawa has been active as the goalkeeper of Urawa Reds for a long time, but what kind of responsibility does he feel as the goalkeeper?
"I understand that it's not easy to continue playing as a professional player, and I've always been conscious of how I can pursue that goal. I have a strong desire, and that's true in terms of my desire to play and win. Now, while more and more of my peers are retiring from active competition, I still want to go against that trend. The last thing I want to do is be judged by my age, so I want to blow that away with my play."

(You're leading the match against Kawasaki 1-0, but as the goalkeeper, how do you feel when you get the victory?)
"The most important thing is for the team to win, so I will play my best and hope that we can finish the game without conceding any goals. I also think that many fans and supporters will come to see only half the game, and they will fight alongside us, so I hope we can sing "We are Diamonds" together again."

(I think Zion 's first save against Indonesia was the play that decided the game. What did you think of that scene?)
"I held on tight until the end, so even when the attacking player switched gears, I didn't go down first, which was a key point. I closed the distance well, and I think I positioned my body in a way that wouldn't let my opponent get past my feet, so I think I was able to make that save. Looking back, it probably would have been difficult without that save. We were playing away, after all."

(For a moment it looked like he was trying to close in, but then stopped, so perhaps he was reassessing the distance?)
"It looked like she left a gap, or rather, she was waiting and inviting her opponent in. Her opponent may have been in a situation where she really wanted to make the move, or maybe she had to make the move, but I think Zion had more leeway."

(It's too early to talk about next year, but taking this year into account, what do you need to do now to win the league championship? What do you think will bring you closer?)
"I think that players need to be leaders and that more players need to think, 'I'm going to change Urawa Reds.' I have experience of always fighting at the top, so when I think back to that time, I think that if more players could express their own individuality in their words and in their playing attitude and have the attitude of 'I'm going to lead,' we can become a stronger group. If we are going to carry the Urawa Reds emblem, I think that we need to take that strong will and step forward, rather than leaving it up to others."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]