<Match Preview>
Before the J1 League enters the second half of the season, Tokyo will face V-Varen Nagasaki at their home ground, transcosmos Stadium Nagasaki, in the 3rd Round of the Emperor's Cup.
Nagasaki is expected to approach the match against Tokyo in the J1 League with very high motivation. Furthermore, on June 12, they made a coaching change, taking a gamble in their pursuit of promotion to the J1 League. They had been struggling to secure wins in the early part of the J2 League, but they have won their last three matches, including a 2-0 victory in the match following the coaching change.
However, the newly appointed Brazilian national coach Fabio CARILLE will not be in time for this Emperor's Cup 3rd Round, and U-18 coach Takeo HARADA will temporarily take charge. The team's condition, while in the process of restructuring, is unknown. Analysis will be based on their performance in the league matches, but preparations will be necessary to adapt to different styles of play than expected.
Adaptation to the difficulty of fighting due to different categories is necessary.
As Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA emphasized when fighting in the 2nd Round of the Emperor's Cup, when categories differ, the way of fighting and the degree of intensity in the league matches we usually play also differ. We must confront opponents who come with high motivation and strong intensity with equal or even greater motivation and intensity. Based on that, we will stick to our own way of fighting and achieve victory.
Of course, since it is a tournament match, victory is necessary, but for a team that is still in the process of growth, maintaining their own style against any opponent is also an important challenge. With a mission that is more difficult than regular league matches, we want to bring back the ticket to advance to the Round of 16.
[Interview with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA]
Q: Nagatomo has returned, but Matsuki has not yet come back. How will you approach the match against Nagasaki?
A, Matsuki has not yet arrived in Japan, and Diego TABA is experiencing discomfort. Other players are available to play. We will choose from among them to compete.
Q: Since the opponent is Nagasaki from the J2 League, do you think you can be more aggressive?
A, Nagasaki is analyzed to have enough players to compete fully in the J1 League. It is a club with a larger management scale than several clubs in the J1 League. I believe they have assembled the highest quality players even within the J2 League this season. Also, the team is currently in the middle of a coaching change. Whether it is because the match results were not as expected or because the foreign players were not able to deliver the expected performance, there may be various reasons, but they are right in the midst of a coaching change. Nagasaki is analyzed as a team with a player roster of quality equivalent to that of J1 League teams.
In 23 years, it has never happened that all teams in the J1 League advance. I believe it proves that it is a tournament where teams from lower categories impose difficult challenges on J1 clubs. Additionally, it will be a home match in Nagasaki. Considering that there is also a change in the coaching staff, I think the players are highly motivated, and it will undoubtedly be a tough match.
Q: How do you analyze Nagasaki's attacking play?
A, I think Nagasaki's style of play resembles that of a J1 League club rather than a J2 League team. I have faced Nagasaki twice in the past two seasons. Their players' high quality stood out, and the matches were very challenging. I expect the same this time as well.
Q: What points should we be cautious about?
A, first they attack at a relaxed pace, but once they enter the finishing zone, there is a change in speed that creates very dangerous plays. They have players who can operate even in tight spaces. We must be cautious of the changes in tempo during their play.
Q: Is there anything you want to challenge in the Nagasaki match?
A, there is nothing special we are trying to challenge in this match. We simply want to continue growing match by match, just as we have done so far, including in the Nagasaki game. Of course, growth is not something that can be achieved continuously at all times; it is natural to take one step forward and two steps back. In that sense, it is important to persistently continue making efforts. It has only been a few months since the team started. In that regard, the team has not yet reached a state where it can consistently perform well. Our playing style is not one that can reach its final form in a short time. It is a playing style that requires at least two to three seasons.
Q: What is important in the summer battles?
A, I think the longer you keep possession of the ball, the more it works to your advantage. In cold weather, you can run and move more actively to press, but the hotter it gets, the harder it becomes to move and press, so I believe it is better to maintain possession of the ball.
Q: The team took a break during the interruption period, but how do you view the importance of this break?
Since we had a congested schedule for about two months, giving two or three consecutive days off is actually quite minimal. I don't think it's excessive. Until the recent match against Shonan, we had no games during the Japan national team activity period, while Shonan had matches in the Levain Cup, so they possibly had better match rhythm. However, I don't believe we lost the match because we rested too much; I think other factors influenced the result. Of course, analyzing that is worthwhile, but for the first few months, there were weeks without any breaks. In Japan, continuing to work without rest might be considered a virtue, and there tends to be a preference for quantity over quality. With that approach, achieving high-quality work is difficult. There may be different cultural values in Japan, but for me, achieving high-quality work requires taking high-quality rest.
[Player Interview]
<Kazuya KONNO>
Q: You came on as a substitute in the Shonan match, but I think you were able to make plays that changed the flow of the game, as well as passes and moves towards the goal. Is there anything you keep in mind when you participate in a match?
A, my characteristic is playing towards the goal, so first of all, I focused on expressing that clearly. Since we were losing and needed to score, I consciously tried to take on challenges aggressively and aimed to deliver early crosses from a distance to connect plays in front of the goal.
Q: Since it's the Emperor's Cup, I think the previous match against Fujidai University was also a tough game, but tomorrow's match is against a J2 league team. I believe the motivation and approach will be different from regular league matches, but how do you feel about it?
Since it's an away game and against an opponent we haven't faced much, I think it will be a somewhat difficult match. However, we want to play our own style of football firmly. Nagasaki has very good players, many of whom are at the J1 level, so we do not consider them inferior at all. We want to stay focused, play well, and win.
Q: I think Nagasaki has a high intensity of play from the start of the match. When we translate this into our battles in the league, what kind of play should we adopt?
A, in league matches, there are times when the opponent presses with high intensity, making it difficult for us. It is best to connect the ball without kicking it away easily, but I also think it is important to decisively aim behind the opponent at first. Until the opponent's pressing settles down, I want to consciously play by intentionally targeting behind them. I believe it is difficult for the opponent to maintain high intensity throughout the full 90 minutes, and they usually calm down after about 20 minutes in the first half. From there, we want to play our own style of soccer properly, present various attacking patterns, and aim for the goal.
Q: In the Emperor's Cup, you cannot advance unless you win, unlike in the league matches.
A, we must avoid conceding goals due to simple mistakes, and I think the start of the match is very important. Scoring the first goal is quite crucial, and although there is a possibility of becoming tense from the beginning of the match, if everyone fights firmly from the start, I believe we can take control of the game at our own pace. We want to fight hard throughout the full 90 minutes and win. Since it's a one-off knockout tournament, there are difficult aspects, but first, we want to express our own style of football better than the opponent, win, and advance to the next round.
