[Interview with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA]
Q: It is often said that our growth is important. Please tell us your impression of Nagoya Grampus.
A, what I want to convey to everyone again is that our mission this season is to gradually establish a new playing style. And, of course, since we are in the professional world, we are promoting growth while focusing on securing more wins and points during this development phase. Naturally, we want to leverage the players' strengths effectively to earn points. Our goal this season is to foster the team's growth while making good use of the current players' characteristics. When next season comes, we expect to move to the next phase, with the cooperation of MIKUNI.S, and by strengthening the squad with better players. Regarding the Levain Cup, we want to give opportunities to young players. To assess their potential, we need to see them play in official matches. We want to provide playing time in the Levain Cup to players who have not had many chances so far. That is the general direction for this season.
Based on this season, we must capture the characteristics of our upcoming opponent's match and devise a game plan. For example, in the last match against Sapporo, I interpret it as a good game overall. Sapporo is a very difficult opponent. It is challenging to play against a team that comes at you with man-marking. We were able to slightly surpass them in possession rate. There were a few critical moments, but Kuba (SLOWIK) made fine saves to stop them. We also had a decisive chance towards the end of the match, but we couldn't score due to a few centimeters' difference. Tomorrow we will face Nagoya, and I believe they are a dangerous team. However, our players have consistently played with a strong commitment to winning this season. Regarding tomorrow, I want to promote our team's growth while considering the opponent's characteristics. At the same time, I aim to effectively bring out the players' strengths and strive to secure victory again tomorrow.
Q: How satisfied are you with being able to compete on equal terms or better against a strong opponent like Sapporo?
A. In each match, there are times when the game plan works well and times when it does not. Naturally, many people interpret whether the game plan was successful by linking it to the match result. For example, if Kuba failed to stop a decisive chance from Sapporo and they scored a goal causing us to lose, some might have thought the game plan was wrong. However, from the field perspective, there are many cases where the game plan was on target, but the match result did not go as expected. For instance, Hiroshima, like Sapporo, is a team that applies intense high pressing from the front line. We were able to secure a victory against Hiroshima, but if you ask whether the game plan went well, the answer is definitely no, as we were not able to perform the plays we had hoped for.
Regarding tomorrow's match against Nagoya, they have a different playing style. While there may be similarities in player positioning compared to Sapporo, there is a clear difference in playing styles between the two teams. Although their playing style is different, Nagoya has a lineup of high-quality players. In that sense, I think it will be very difficult to take three points from them. However, the players have been accumulating good practice to achieve good results through good play. In that sense, I can calmly and confidently approach tomorrow's match.
Q: You mentioned that the team's completeness was around 20% at the start of the season. I believe you set 100% as the level for winning the AFC Champions League. What is the current level of the team's completeness?
A, 25%. I think it will be a success if we can reach a completion level of 50% to 60% by the end of this season. However, the team's level of completion and the number of wins are different matters. I am 100% satisfied with the players' current competitive attitude and the match results the team has achieved. The evaluation criteria for the team's completion, the players' attitude, and satisfaction with points earned are completely different. The players are competing with a strong focus on winning. Their fighting spirit, both when they have the ball and when they don't, and their effort are all part of this. Regarding that aspect, I am more than 100% satisfied.
Q: Are results and growth not proportional?
A, of course, it is not proportional. However, victory is something that promotes growth. This is because when the team wins a match, the players' trust in the team increases. I also believe that fans and supporters will be more satisfied. Additionally, the media will likely criticize me less. Therefore, it is obviously better to win the match.
Q: What is the most important thing you prioritize to encourage growth?
A, there are almost no secrets to promoting growth. Team growth is similar to cooking. First, time is necessary. Adjusting the heat is also required. The distribution of salt is important as well. Even if the cooking method is the same, there is a significant difference in the quality of the dish between freshly caught fish and fish that has been frozen for years. That is the kind of image to keep in mind.
Q: What is important to break Nagoya's solid defense in the last two matches?
A, I think the key point will be to identify which zones they leave space in and exploit those spaces. However, the opponent often defends by forming a block with eight field players, making it difficult to break through. They also have high-quality players. Their dangerous points are not only in defense but also in attack, so I expect it to be a tough match. Depending on how the game unfolds, Nagoya may have a higher ball possession rate at times, but we want to focus on winning and play with that mindset tomorrow. As always, we intend to keep fighting for the full 90 minutes until the match ends.
Q: Is there anything that Coach HASEGAWA is consciously aware of, given that he was in charge until last season?
A, we do not place much importance on the fact that Coach HASEGAWA was a former coach of FC Tokyo. However, I think he is a great coach. In that sense, it is important that the team is led by him. He undoubtedly has a deeper understanding of Japanese football than I do. Additionally, he is a coach who has won multiple titles so far. For these reasons, I definitely expect tomorrow's match to be difficult.
[Player Interview]
<Yuto NAGATOMO>
Q: I believe you are working on a new style and growing within it. How do you feel about it?
AI first thoroughly understand and absorb the new tactics of the coach, and I feel that I am growing on the pitch. However, there are still many challenges, so I am working every day to absorb everything.
Q, I think the movement of narrowing in and the inner wrap is different from your previous style, but how has it been for you to work on it?
A, recently, I've been really into playing in the middle (laughs). I never thought I would enjoy it this much. The matches are truly fun. I used to think that the role of a full-back was to run up the side lanes, but modern football is changing, and what the coach demands is also changing. So, I need to thoroughly understand the coach's tactics, and nowadays, I have to be able to play in the middle as well. Having worked with various coaches abroad, I don't think it takes me long to adapt, and I believe I am actually embodying that on the pitch.
Q, it's valuable to be able to experience new things at this age, isn't it?
A, does age matter? Rather, as I get older, I find myself becoming more flexible and wanting to learn from younger players. Isn't it the opposite pattern? My feeling is that getting older makes one more flexible.
Q: How does the team's situation appear from an objective perspective while working on the new style?
A, I am challenging myself with new things, and it's not that easy, but I do feel a sense of growth. Everyone is enjoying playing, and I am too. I believe that enjoying the game is the most important thing and a factor that leads to growth, and it affects the pace of growth as well. I still feel that I can continue to grow.
Q: Is it more tiring for your head than your body?
A, well, I'm not that tired. It's not that I'm completely not tired, but since I'm able to play soccer with good positioning, physical fatigue doesn't hit me hard towards the end of the second half. My physical condition is good enough that mental fatigue is also reduced. I'm able to play good soccer and maintain good positioning. While my own condition is good, the style of soccer I'm working on tends to minimize physical fatigue.
Q: You mentioned that playing in the center is enjoyable, and it's because you are able to receive the ball in a good position, right?
A, since it is a sport played not just by oneself but by 11 people, I am always aware of how I can connect with my position. Until now, I have often played by opening up to the outside, which sometimes created a distance from the center, or conversely, I would take positions that made it difficult for my teammates due to being too close. Looking back now, I can feel that. I am able to play with a good sense of distance in the center, and of course, depending on the situation of my teammates and the opponents, it is also necessary for me to open up and take width. I feel I have grown in being able to play while viewing soccer from a broader perspective. I think that being able to enjoy it is part of that aspect.
Q: Tomorrow is the match against Nagoya, and Kenta HASEGAWA, who fought alongside us last season, is in charge. Do you have any thoughts about that?
A, the fact that I wouldn't have been able to return to Tokyo if Kenta hadn't wanted me means that I owe my return to this wonderful club to him. I feel grateful, but at the same time, I have mixed feelings about not being able to contribute to Kenta's team. Now I will fight as an opponent, but I am eager to show what I learned from Kenta in that short time and demonstrate my growth.
Q: You mentioned wanting to learn from younger players, but Matsuki has secured a position and has been playing since the opening match. Are there aspects in which you feel inspired by him?
A, first of all, I believe that mentality is the most important thing to succeed as a professional, and he possesses that fearless aspect. No matter what stage he plays at as he grows, that mentality will help him develop and lead him to even greater heights. Just having that is reassuring. I am about twice his age, but I think his confident demeanor makes it feel like age doesn't matter. I am desperately trying to absorb everything from him.
Q: There was a scene where you strongly stopped the opponent around the halfway line after a set piece against Sapporo. Would you say this is the best condition you've been in since returning last season?
A, I am in good physical and mental condition, and I am still improving. I think there are various factors, but since returning to Japan, I have been active with the national team, and there has been a busy schedule. Having played overseas for 11 seasons, I believe I am finally adapting to the Japanese environment. I have also adapted to the J.League.
Q: You have been used as a right back often, have you gotten used to it?
A, the right side is fun, isn't it? Until now, I have always played on the left, and while I occasionally played on the right, I honestly thought, 'the right isn't fun.' I had a sense of difficulty with it. But now, I'm really enjoying the right side, thinking, 'Why haven't I done this before?' (laughs). It's about my condition as well, but I believe I can strive for high-quality play.
Q, with this style, I feel that when the ball is taken away, the positioning is good, allowing for a smooth recovery and transition.
A, since I often take the inside, I can only advance at really good timing, and in that sense, the quality of judgment regarding countermeasures and when to press or not has improved. I believe this is largely due to good positioning and being able to play with composure. When I tighten up on the inside during defense, the opponent also struggles to counterattack, allowing me to face them in a good state, so I don't feel like I'm going to be beaten.
<Shuto ABE>
Q: In the league matches, there were two consecutive scoreless draws against Urawa in Sec. 8 and Sapporo in Sec. 9. How do you feel about this result?
A, not being able to score in both matches is something to reflect on. There were moments when the buildup play from the back, which we have been working on this season, went well, but overall, I think there are still many challenges. However, the image of the style of football the team aims for is unified. Moving forward, it is important to continue challenging ourselves without fear of failure and to use that to foster growth.
Q: In terms of defense, don't you feel a sense of achievement in keeping a clean sheet in both matches?
Since Urawa and Sapporo are teams with completely different styles of play, we view it positively that both managed to keep a clean sheet. Under the guidance of Albert PUIG ORTONEDA, we have been working on organized defense, and I believe we were able to demonstrate the results on the pitch to some extent.
Q: Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA always emphasizes the word "growth." Do you feel the team's growth?
A, I feel that the team's level of completion is improving with each match. However, even if the content is good, it is frustrating not to win, and I believe the fans and supporters will not enjoy it. I want to focus on the results and grow while winning matches.
Q: This match is against Nagoya, led by Kenta HASEGAWA. What are your thoughts?
A, I am grateful to have been coached by Director Hasegawa for three years since I became a professional. As a way of repaying that kindness, I want to show how much I have grown and achieve victory.
Q: Please share your enthusiasm for the match with the fans and supporters.
A, everyone's passionate support is our motivation. We will do our best to repay the energy we receive with results and performance, and definitely aim to earn 3 points. Please continue to support us this match as well!
Matchday program is available here!
