《Takuo OKUBO》
I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be.
　Regarding the starting lineup, I had a feeling about it since the day before yesterday, but I was always prepared for any situation.
　On the contrary, Riku on the bench was extremely tense, and I thought, 'Why is Riku like this...?' (laughs).

　In the last few matches, the team had been conceding goals, so everyone was talking about wanting to achieve 'zero goals conceded'.
　I think we didn't start the match well, but everyone was able to endure together.
　I am really happy that today we were able to keep a clean sheet, especially since I have caused the team trouble in the past.
　I didn't feel like Kobe's shots were that threatening, and we weren't scored on from set pieces either. But the best part is that the team won.

(Did he react to the header from Kobe FW Mike Havenaar and save the team?)
In that moment, I watched the ball closely and waited until the last moment so that my body could react no matter which way it came.
　(The save) was really close.

　I feel like everyone has helped me today.
　Everyone around me reached out and showed concern.
　"If you can play with confidence, that would be great," I was told, and it helped me.
　I'm glad we were able to deliver results that live up to that trust.

(About "Sha")
I always thought there might be nothing for the GK to do... and I felt a little envious.
　I am very happy to be able to do that.
　Above all, I believe that being able to fight together in an atmosphere like today at home led to our victory.
　I will always do what I need to do, but I want to work hard in practice and improve to the point where the coach has to think about how to use me in the future.

《Hyun Soo JANG》
"We had been conceding goals recently, but today we were able to keep a clean sheet."
　The first half was tough and challenging, but everyone persevered, and in the end, Takuo made a super save to help us.
　I am happy that we were able to win together.

(What did Kobe FW Halfner Mike think about after he came in?)
Since he is tall, I had the image of kicking long balls towards him.
　So I was conscious of not losing physically.
　I am confident in dealing with crosses, but there are parts that I cannot handle if a good ball comes in.
　Today, it became a situation where we were sandwiched with Maruyama, but I think that was because we both had good positioning.

(What did you learn under Coach STOJKOVIC in China?)
I think I deepened my understanding of the tactics and style of play while playing with a three-back system in China.
　I believe that especially the central position in a three-back formation is important for a leader to assess the entire match and the situation while playing. You must read the flow of the game.

(In that sense, do you communicate well with the defenders and player Takahagi?)
I tend to speak up myself, but player Takahagi also understands Korean.
　It's very easy to work together because they understand right away. We communicate with each other in Japanese and Korean (laughs).
　
　Today, Kobe came well-prepared against Tokyo, and it was a tough match.
　Of course, I want to make passes that lead to more attacks, but I am learning once again that it is important to be patient and play calmly even in situations like this.
　I am happy to be able to play again at Ajinomoto, and it became a memorable match to win in front of such a large crowd.

《Summary of Coach Yoshiyuki SHINODA's Press Conference》
"In the first half, the situation of being matched up continued for a long time, and we couldn't go for the ball or create our rhythm."
At halftime, I communicated to the players the importance of breaking free from their marks, and with a shared understanding, we were able to switch gears, allowing us to execute the game plan as intended in the second half.
I think it was a victory achieved by the whole team, with Takuo OKUBO making a big save and Peter UTAKA scoring a goal. Moving forward, I hope to continue encouraging the players to do various things in the midst of competition.
There are still areas that need improvement and moments where we could do a little more, but the team is definitely making progress.
Despite not being able to achieve results at home for a while, I believe that winning today's match was due to the strength of the players, fans, supporters, and staff.
However, today's match is already over, so I want to prepare for the next one.

《Q&A》
Q=Takuo OKUBO's evaluation?
"We participated in the Levain Cup and didn't achieve good results, but we have been consistently training hard, and our performance was good, so I confidently sent them out, believing they would do well. I think there was tension and various pressures, but I believe they remained calm and composed and saved the team."

Was putting pressure in the second half part of the original game plan?
In the first half, Kobe marked Watanabe on Takahagi, Tanaka on Higashi, and Fujita on Hashimoto.
The situation continued where the three players were targeted as they tried to drop back and receive the ball, making it difficult to play well, resulting in the two forwards becoming isolated.
By bringing in Yonemoto, the switch was definitely flipped, but it was not that we were saving power for the second half.

《Kobe Coach NELSINHO's Press Conference Summary》
In the first half, we were able to generate a good volume of attacks, and while moving the ball, the rhythm was good. However, it seemed that there were few movements targeting behind the defensive line.
Therefore, I thought we needed a player who could be a solid target up front, so I brought in Mike Havenaar in place of Ogawa at halftime. There were times when the ball stagnated and situations where we were too close to each other, leaving no one in front of the goal, so I told Mike Havenaar that I wanted him to clearly show his face in front of the goal. However, in the second half, we ended up being pushed back, and we couldn't counterattack after regaining possession, allowing the opponent to take control of the rhythm.

Q&A

Q=Intent of player substitution
Looking at the content of the first half, the substitution was made from the idea that we needed a player who could show up in front of the goal. I felt it became difficult because there was no player who could take depth, so I brought in Mike Havenaar.
If we could have moved the ball and created the game in the same way as the first half, I think we could have created more of the situations we were aiming for, but we were unable to respond to the opponent's adjustments in their forward and midfield defense.

Q=What was the reason for being pushed back in the second half?
"I simply think that the opponent made adjustments. We did not change our approach between the first and second halves, and the fact that the opponent could not cope in the first half was due to our system and the way we played being unexpected. We gained an advantage there, but we were unable to score during that momentum, and I believe the reason we were countered by the opponent in the second half is because of that."