Q, please look back on the C Osaka match.
A, I think we were able to play the football we wanted very well until players were sent off in the first and second halves. After the send-offs, the situation became difficult, but it was good that we were able to secure the victory.
Q: Where did the factor that allowed you to play the football you wanted come from?
A, it was that we were able to immediately recover the ball after losing it. We were able to quickly shut down the opponent's attacking opportunities and connect that to our own attacks. This was true in the scoring scenes as well, but I think one of the factors that helped us seize the momentum was our ability to switch between offense and defense and defend from a high position in the opponent's territory.
Q, how do you think the fact that the players in the back were able to move in coordination was significant?
A, I think there was a part where we pushed up in coordination from the back so that the forwards could press, raising the line high and keeping it compact.
Q, it seemed like you were able to force mistakes in the opponent's build-up, was it because you were able to apply pressure effectively?
A, our pressing was quick after losing the ball, so I think we were able to force the opponent into making mistakes many times. It made it easier for us to grasp the flow of the game.
Q, I think the remaining 30 minutes felt like a long time to endure. What were you conscious of during that time?
A, I have been good at, or rather accustomed to, holding the defense firmly since the time of former coach Kenta HASEGAWA, but even after being reduced to 10 men, I wish we had maintained a bit more awareness of keeping possession. Once we were down to 10 players, we stopped trying to keep the ball and focused on just defending, but I think it would have been better if we had continued to keep possession and express Tokyo’s style even with one less player. This is still an issue for us, so I want to work on improving it going forward.
Q, in the first half, it also looked smooth to change positions while observing the consciousness of Lane and the surrounding players.
A, I decided my positioning while watching Adailton and Matsuki's positioning to avoid overlapping as much as possible, and from the training camp, we have been working on positioning that makes it easier for Morishige to make passes.
Q, do you imagine controlling the game ourselves for a long time, including possession, in preparation for the next match?
A, I want to play in a way that allows us to control the ball and the game throughout the entire match.
