"Takuo OKUBO"
"I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be."
　As for the starting lineup, I had a feeling since the day before yesterday, but I was always prepared for any situation.
　On the contrary, the bench's Riku was so tense that I thought, "Why is Riku...?" (laughs).

　In the last few games, the team has been conceding goals, so we all talked about wanting to achieve "zero goals conceded" together.
　I don't think our performance at the game was good, but we were able to endure it together.
　I am very happy that I was able to keep a clean sheet today, as I have caused trouble for the team in the past.
　I didn't feel like Kobe's shot was flying that much, and we weren't beaten even on set plays. But the best thing is that the team won.

(Did the team save itself in response to Kobe FW Halfner Mike's heading?)
In that situation, I carefully watched the ball and waited until the last minute to react so that my body could respond no matter where it came from.
　(The save) was really close.

　And today, I feel like everyone helped me.
　Everyone around me gave me words of encouragement and showed concern for me.
　'I was told to play with confidence, and it helped me.'
　I'm glad I was able to produce results that didn't betray that trust.

("About "Shah")
I've always been a little envious, thinking that GK doesn't have much to do...
　I am so happy that I can do it.
　I think that being able to fight as one under the atmosphere of today, especially at home, led to our victory.
　"I will always do the same thing, but I want to improve and grow to the point where the coach will have trouble deciding whether to use me or not, by working hard in practice."

"Hyun Soo JANG"
"We have been conceding goals lately, but today we were able to keep a clean sheet."
　The first half was tough and difficult, but we all persevered and in the end, player Takao made a super save to help us.
　I am happy that we can win together.

(What did you focus on after Kobe FW Halfner Mike joined?)
I had the image of kicking long balls towards him because he is tall.
　Be conscious of not losing physically there.
　I am confident in my ability to respond to crosses, but there are also times when I cannot handle them well if the ball is good.
　Today, it became a formation where Maruyama and I were sandwiched, but I think it was because we were able to take good positioning with each other.

(What did you learn under coach Stojkovic in China?)
In China, I played with a back three the whole time, and I think I gained a deeper understanding of the tactics and style of play.
　The central position of the 3-back is particularly important as a leader to assess the entire game and play accordingly. It is necessary to read the flow of the game.

(In that sense, do DFs often communicate with each other and with Takahagi?)
I myself am a vocal person, but Takahagi can also speak Korean.
　It's very easy to work with because they understand quickly. We communicate in Japanese and Korean with each other (lol).
　
　Today, Kobe came well prepared against Tokyo and it was a tough match.
　Of course, I also want to make passes that lead to more attacks, but even in this situation, I am learning the importance of being patient and playing calmly.
　"I am happy to be able to play at Ajinomoto again, and to be able to win in front of such a large audience and have a memorable game."

"Press Conference Summary by Coach Yoshiyuki SHINODA"
"In the first half, the situation was matched up for a long time, and we couldn't go to take the ball easily, and we couldn't make our own rhythm."
At halftime, I told the players to firmly remove their marks and have a common understanding, so we were able to switch and have the game unfold as planned in the second half.
Takuo OKUBO made a big save, Peter UTAKA scored a goal, and I think it was a team effort that led to the victory. I hope to continue to have the players do various things in the competition.
There are still some areas that are lacking and some moments where we need a little more, but the team is definitely moving forward.
Despite struggling to achieve results at home, I believe that today's victory was made possible by the efforts of the players, fans, supporters, and staff.
"However, today's game is already over, so I want to prepare for the next one."

"Q&A"
Q=What is the evaluation of Takuo OKUBO?
"We participated in the Levain Cup, but we couldn't get good results. However, we have been training hard every day and our performance has been good, so I had confidence in sending them out. I think there was tension and various pressures, but they stayed calm and saved the team."

Q=Was putting pressure in the second half originally part of the game plan?
"In the first half, Kobe marked Takahagi, Watanabe marked Higashi, Tanaka marked Hashimoto, and Fujita marked Hasegawa."
The three of them continued to be targeted as they tried to receive the ball, and were unable to play well, resulting in the two FWs being isolated.
"We put in player Yonemoto, and while it's true that the switch was turned on, it was not at all for the sake of saving power for the second half."

"Kobe NELSINHO Coach's Press Conference Summary"
"In the first half, we were able to create a lot of attacking opportunities and our rhythm was good while moving the ball. However, it seemed like there were not enough movements to target behind the DF line."
So, I thought we needed a player who could be a solid target on the front line, so I substituted Half-time player Ogawa with Half-Namaikik player. There were times when the ball was stagnant or when we were too close to each other and there was no one in front of the goal, so I told Half-Namaikik player to clearly show his face in front of the goal. However, in the second half, we were pushed back and couldn't go out on counter attacks after taking the ball, and the opponent was able to control the rhythm.

"Q&A"

Q=About the intention of player substitution
"The substitution was made with the idea of wanting a player who can show his face in front of the goal, after watching the first half. I felt it became difficult because there was no player who could take depth, so I put in Halfner Mike."
If we were able to move the ball and create the game in the same way as the first half, I think we could have created more situations that we were aiming for, but we were unable to keep up with the opponent's adjustments to their front line and midfield defense.

Q=Why did the game turn into a situation where we were pushed back in the second half?
"I think it's simply because the opponent made adjustments. We didn't change our approach in the first and second half, and the fact that the opponent couldn't keep up in the first half was because our system and game plan were unexpected. We were able to gain an advantage, but we couldn't score in that flow, and I think the reason for that is because the opponent was able to adapt in the second half."