《Keigo HIGASHI》

“(About the goal)
I received a good pass from Takahagi, so I focused on getting in front of the opposing DF first.
There are some lucky aspects, but the ball flowed from the opponent's feet.
It was great that we were able to score first, but conceding a goal immediately after that is a concern. It's a shame.

(Is it often that a purposeful pass comes from Takahagi?)
That is something we have been working on since before the season started.
It's not just about myself; we are trying to shape it as a team.

(In the second half, did Urawa MF Martinos change sides?)
Not only that, but they are always discussing with the defender Ota and trying to coordinate their play in both attack and defense.
During defense, there are calls from behind, so I was able to defend well.

(Regarding the situation where Urawa was awarded a corner kick)
While it is important not to give Urawa, who is characterized by side attacks, a corner kick, there were also many instances where we defended against their crosses and avoided conceding a corner kick. I think that part was not bad.
Isn't it more important not to be caught off guard during set plays?

In terms of offense, we are also working on applying power forward as a challenge. There are still many things that do not go well, but I want to consciously increase the frequency in practice and pursue more emphasis on our play.

《Diego OLIVEIRA》

"Urawa is a strong team, and it was a tough match."
I felt that we took the lead and gained a good momentum, but unfortunately, we were caught up.
However, this is the result achieved by everyone running hard and me giving my all.
I think it was good, and I want to do my best to achieve victory in the next battle.

(There were many moments when passes did not connect well to the front line?)
There were times when passes did not come, but there were also many instances where we lost the ball while challenging the opponent's DF at the front line.
I would like to make some adjustments in that area, but overall, it's not bad.
I think it was a good match because there was an opponent.

(Regarding the connection with player Maeda)
I feel that the team's coordination is improving day by day, not just with player Maeda.
I believe it will get better if we take more time.

(Regarding the playing time of 70 minutes while being asked to defend from the front line?)
I applied a lot of pressure along with Maeda and chased the ball.
However, Urawa's build-up was skillful, and we couldn't take the ball, leading to a situation where we had to run a lot.
Still, I gave it my all. I want to be able to win the ball in the FW position.

Summary of the press conference by Kenta HASEGAWA, Tokyo's coach

"In the opening match, we aimed for victory but could only secure 1 point, which is disappointing. However, I believe the players fought until the end, striving for 3 points."
From now on, we need to improve our attacking power and train to secure three points at home.
In the first half, similar to the preseason match, there were a few moments where we couldn't handle the ball well.
In the second half, the opponent's energy decreased, and the midfield was open, so I think it would have been better if we could have moved the ball a bit more.
I believe they are players who can do that, so there is still a lack of training in that area.
The way we conceded goals was the worst pattern, conceding immediately after scoring. We are still lacking in that area.
After the score changed significantly, we want to refocus and aim to score additional points without letting the opponent take control, so we will prepare thoroughly for the next match against Sendai.

《Q&A》
Q=What is the intention behind the substitution card?
"First of all, that time was when Urawa was trying to score the final goal, so I wanted to utilize Nagai's speed on the counterattack, which is why I brought him in."
If we could utilize Nagai's speed, I thought Kubo's technical skills would shine, and he had been playing well in training matches. However, the players from Urawa responded well, and we couldn't create any real chances, so I brought in Togashi, who can hold his ground up front and dive into crosses.

What kind of play do you expect from Omori?
"I only told Omori, 'Go! Do it!' so I think he did just that."

What part did you feel a response from?
I think it's in defense.
Except for the shot by Urawa's FW Koroki in the first half, everyone, including the GK, responded with great focus.
During my time at G Osaka, I faced Urawa many times and experienced several matches where it seemed like we would be overwhelmed. Of course, I think the opponent was a bit tense since it was the opening match, but I believe it was very good that we were able to respond without breaking our organization.
The team Urawa is the champion of the ACL last year and a well-rounded team.
Against such teams, if it is a draw in one-on-one situations with more dangerous scenes in terms of content, we will have to do various things in training from now on, but I think we fought very well with a good balance.
However, when it comes to offensive power, we have players who possess weapons, so we must take an approach that allows us to utilize those players.

Q=What words were spoken to the players before the match?
Before the season starts, we tend to use pretentious words, but I talked about the necessary 'fighting spirit', 'ball contests', and 'transitions' for the season.
Of course, there may be players who were too tense, but I think they were able to show that kind of attitude.
I want to show a more fighting spirit without fearing the opponent to earn 3 points in our home games.

Summary of the Press Conference of Urawa's Takafumi HORI

I think it was a tough match because it was the opening game.
"We want to take the positive from being able to equalize from a set piece after conceding the opening goal, and continue to fight in the upcoming matches."

Q=What are the current areas for improvement in the attack?
In the attacks starting from the sides, we increased our penetration into deeper positions in the second half.
From there, it's about the quality of the crosses. Specifically, I think the areas for improvement are the timing with the players inside and the accuracy of the player delivering the cross.