Q: This is your first season after transferring. Do you feel like you are blending in with the team?
A, well. When I transferred last time, it took quite a while to fit in, so I was worried, but since Kensuke-san, my senior from university, was there and helped me blend in very well from the training camp, I think I have been able to fit into the team so far.
Q: Was the positional play that the team is working on a first experience for you as a player, Kimoto?
During my time at Cerezo, LOTINA coached me on positional play, so I am not as particular about positions as he was. In fact, LOTINA was more particular about positions, so in that sense, I think we are working together smoothly and effectively.
Q: How does player Kimoto express the positional play he works on with coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA?
A, it is difficult, but while valuing the pole, we do not forget to aim for the goal. In defense as well, we aggressively try to take the ball from the front line and play soccer that keeps possession time as long as possible. Therefore, we need to raise our level in both offense and defense to approach the ideal soccer, and I think we are still far from it.
Q: Looking back so far, what stage do you think the team is at in relation to the vision of the football you want to play?
A, there are matches where we have been able to do it and matches where we haven't, but I think the awareness of valuing the ball has changed significantly since the season started. Although I don't think this has yet been reflected in the results, the possession rate has increased significantly in terms of numbers. In that sense, I believe we are consciously making an effort to value the ball more.
Q: There has been an evaluation that Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA is moving the team into the next phase. I believe this reflects an increase in possession rate, but don't you feel some difficulties towards the end of the first half?
In soccer, a higher possession rate does not necessarily lead directly to results, so there are matches where a team loses despite having high possession, and conversely, there are times when a team wins even without holding the ball much. In that sense, during the early part of the first half of the season, although the opponents had more possession time, we were able to make adjustments and get results. However, recently, even though we have possession, we struggle to score and sometimes concede goals on the counterattack, losing points, which makes it challenging. Nevertheless, the style of soccer we aim for is an attacking game that values ball possession, so if we can achieve results with the way we have been playing recently, it will boost our confidence. That is why we want to focus on that aspect.
Q: In the style of soccer that values possession, Kimoto's position has become a starting point. In the early stages of the match, there were moments when long feeds were very effective, and I believe there were also plays that used that as a decoy to connect short passes and middle passes. How do you feel about the buildup in that regard?
A, at the beginning, I had the impression that we used a lot of long balls. On the other hand, as that was analyzed and it became clear that relying only on long balls doesn't create chances, I think it's important to connect with short passes from the back a bit more. Moreover, I believe that using both short and long passes selectively makes it harder for the opponent to catch us. If the players at the back can adjust that balance well, I think the team can grow even more.
Q: As we enter the next phase, I think the key is what actions the team can take after pushing the opponent back to win. Do you see anything in sight for the second half of the match?
A. If we can continue to grow, the time we have possession of the ball will increase, meaning we will hold the ball longer in the opponent's territory. In that sense, by connecting the play a bit more slowly and improving our finishing ability and creating more chances within that, I believe we can score goals and gain more points. Also, I think the defenders will face more counterattacks than before, so risk management and the ability to defend even when outnumbered during counter situations will be required.
