<Match Preview>
The third match of the consecutive battles to be fought in 3 days will be against Urawa Reds away. In the previous match, Tokyo played in the "voice" of the fans and supporters for the first time in two and a half seasons, and received a big boost to achieve their first victory in 4 league matches.
Urawa, the opponent, has struggled throughout the first half of the season, with a period of 9 games without a win. However, in the last 5 games, they have improved with 2 wins and 3 draws, and have managed to climb up to 11th place from the relegation zone.
In the previous match against Kyoto Sanga F.C., although we took the lead in the first half, we allowed a quick turnaround in the second half and ended up with a draw after catching up with a goal immediately after. However, as the 17-6 shot count shows, we had a significant advantage over the opponent in terms of finishing and creating decisive scenes near the goal, and it can be said that we were unable to secure a victory while taking control of the attack as Urawa.
In the first half of the season, both teams lacked a decisive edge and ended in a 0-0 draw. While both teams had periods of possession, it seemed that Tokyo struggled to withstand Urawa's strong attacks throughout the 90 minutes. This was Tokyo's third game in a row, just like this one, and the team seemed fatigued. Despite playing in strong sunlight and a temperature of 25.6 degrees Celsius, which is unusual for April, Tokyo managed to hold on for a draw and earn 1 point.
Urawa's manager Ricardo RODRIGUEZ is known for analyzing the opponent's movements and making changes to their attacking and defending styles. Despite struggling with results, in his second year in charge, he has made progress in building a tactical foundation and their attacking style has finally started to lead to victories in the middle of the season. On the other hand, Tokyo has also made rapid progress in implementing their tactics, as seen in their dominant victory over Kashima Antlers, who were at the top of the league in the first half of the season. Of course, there are also moments like their match against Sagan Tosu where one small mistake can lead to a complete collapse, but going through that experience has only made the team stronger.
In the clash between two attack-oriented teams, Tokyo wants to push their style, score goals, and achieve consecutive victories to accelerate the team's evolution once again.
[Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Interview]
Q, was the change in practice time also taken into account the coolness of today?
A, simply put, it is very close to Urawa. Therefore, there was no need to train early in the morning and rush to depart, so we delayed the start time a little. We set it to 11 o'clock, but even after leaving here, we will arrive there by 16:00. After all, the most stressful time when playing or managing a professional team is having to spend a long time at the hotel. Since there was not much difference in temperature between 9 o'clock and 10 o'clock, we decided to start at 11 o'clock.
Q: Does the content of the practice change depending on the coolness?
A, rather than the content, if it is hot around 11 o'clock, I think there will be a need to start practice as early as 9 o'clock or, if possible, 8 o'clock to find a time slot where we can do what we want. However, the heat is currently bearable, so we are able to achieve the content we expect even at this time.
Q, what is the purpose of the 8 vs 8 plus 3 freeman possession in the training content?
A, For our playing style, this training is one of the core practice menus. Teams aiming for this playing style, such as Barcelona, Manchester City, and Liverpool, perform this training almost daily. It is a practice menu that inherently contains many tactical elements. By repeating it, I believe it can be thoroughly ingrained in the players. Additionally, it leads to an improvement in technical skill levels, and especially the tactical elements and decision-making aspects are further enhanced.
Some people mistakenly think it is the same as a possession game, but it is definitely not. It is a very high-difficulty practice that contains almost all elements of soccer. Not only the day before a match, but almost every day, we conduct positional game training menus, although the form may change.
Q, is the current training content the same as when Albert PUIG ORTONEDA was a member of Barcelona's academy?
A, that is exactly right, and I have heard that not only myself but many coaches such as Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp also place great importance on this training menu. It is not something I created, nor was it created by Barcelona; it is a widely known training menu adopted by many club teams and coaches.
Q, Kajiwara played in the Sapporo.D match last week.
A, I think it’s a very simple matter. As Kajiura demonstrated in the Sapporo match, only players who step onto the pitch with a strong desire to succeed in this world can survive. You can’t survive by looking at the ground; you have to raise your eyes and show the will to fight. Having that strong mentality is essential, and of course, talent is also necessary. Since Kajiura originally has talent, I believe that strong mentality allowed him to express his talent on the pitch. Even if you have high-quality technique and wonderful talent, without a strong mentality to accompany it, it is worthless.
Q: Are there any players playing with ambition in Tokyo?
A, among young players, how can it be that some do not have the desire to go abroad? Where do the highest-level players in the world gather? Whether it becomes a reality or not aside, I believe that having big dreams is something everyone should do in a way. For example, I think judo is Japan’s national sport. I know some Spaniards who practice judo in Spain, but wouldn’t Spaniards aiming to reach the top in judo want to go to Japan and win there? As for soccer players, I think everyone dreams of succeeding in Europe. That is why anyone can understand how difficult it is to succeed there. Not only the best players from Europe but also wonderful players from Africa and South America gather in Europe.
Q: What is the importance of the Urawa match and what kind of analysis are you doing for the Urawa match?
A, first of all, it is a match against Urawa, one of the clubs with the largest management scale currently in J1. I believe their current ranking is definitely not their usual position. And regarding the management scale, we recognize that they clearly surpass us. Considering their situation, it is easy to imagine that it will be a difficult match.
There are many high-quality players gathered. If we allow them to play well, it will become a very difficult match. Therefore, we must neutralize their strengths. At the same time, naturally, the key for tomorrow will be to demonstrate our own strengths as much as possible. We have been able to train well over the past few days. It will be a very tough match. That is precisely why it will also be a very attractive match to play in.
[Player Interview]
＜Yuki KAJIURA
Q, how was the game looking back on it again after some time has passed since the Sapporo match?
A, I reviewed the match again and felt that it was a game where I was supported by the players around me. It was good that we won, but looking at the content, there were still many areas to improve, and it left the impression of a match where what I could and couldn’t do became clear.
Q, what were you thinking about before entering the game?
A, I thought opportunities like this rarely come, so from the start I kept thinking I wanted to fully express what I can do. I'm glad I was able to show what I had properly prepared.
Q, what were the things you were able to do and unable to do during the match?
A, increasing the intensity of pressing in defense was a part that went well, but I was not able to get involved with the ball or participate much in the build-up. The style of soccer Tokyo aims for is to attack while carefully maintaining possession of the ball, so I want to be conscious of increasing the number of times I get involved with the ball and continue to improve.
Q, how was it playing amidst the cheers at Ajinomoto Stadium?
During the warm-up before the match, the cheering started and I felt "amazing" as my first impression. It is a happiness to be able to play in this environment, and the feeling of needing to win came out again in my emotions. Even during the match, when I glanced at the fans and supporters, I could see them cheering with all their might, and that made me feel the need to live up to their expectations.
Q: What kind of play do you want to show for the Urawa match?
A, while continuing to maintain a high intensity of defense, I have only played in one match so far, so I need to keep this up and gradually increase the things I can do little by little.
Q, what kind of analysis are you doing against Urawa?
A, since they are a team skilled at circulating the ball, I think it is important for everyone to work together to apply pressure and prevent the opponent from holding the ball. Our playing style also values possession, so by increasing the time we have the ball and not allowing the opponent to show their strengths, I believe this will lead to victory.
Q, what do you want to be conscious of in terms of communication and coordination with other players?
A, I have been communicating a lot with the players around me during practice, and we have discussed in detail how to apply pressure in various situations. Even during the match against Sapporo, we were able to coordinate our defense by calling out to each other without much hesitation. For the next game as well, I want to make sure we maintain this awareness of calling out to each other and continue to play in coordination with those around me.
Q, please share your enthusiasm with the fans and supporters as we prepare for the Urawa match.
A, we had been unable to secure a win up until the previous match against Sapporo, but we finally achieved victory, and we want to do our best to continue winning consecutively in the upcoming match against Urawa as well.
