Kensuke NAGAI

(I scored my first goal of the season. Please share your thoughts)
"In the last match against Gamba Osaka, I had chances but couldn't score. And in today's match, I missed a clear opportunity at the start, so I'm honestly relieved to have scored."

(The scoring scene was a pass from Takahagi to Higashi, and Nagai scored the goal. What did you focus on with your movement?)
"There were several moments where Higashi made a third-man run to break behind the opposing defender. After that, I had the image of receiving the pass from the previous match, so I think that intention led to today's goal."

(Intense pressing from the front and movements breaking behind the opponent's DF are noticeable. What I am conscious of is)
"By moving to target the space behind, the opponent's DF line drops. If midfielders like Higashi and Omori can come into that space facing forward, we can create a starting point for the attack. I am conscious of creating space behind me in that way."

(Future Aspirations)
"Kashima and C Osaka are teams that will push into the top ranks. I think it will be a tough match, but by winning against strong teams, I believe our ranking will also improve. I want the team to prepare as one."

Sei MUROYA

(It was a 5-2 victory. Reflecting on today's match)
"I think it was very good that we were able to score 2 goals early on. Even during the period when we were pressed after conceding a goal, everyone worked hard and fought together, which I believe led to the additional goals afterward."

(What were you aware of on the pitch during the time you were pushed back by Nagasaki?)
"Our attack was going well, so rather than changing something, I was encouraging the team to be patient and continue playing our style of football. It was good that we could visualize that part as a team."

(Active participation in attacks from the side was noticeable)
"In previous matches, I felt that I was often focused on the defensive aspects. The coach has instructed me to 'keep pushing forward,' and participating in attacks is one of my strengths, and I have the confidence I've built up, so I want to continue doing this going forward."

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

I think the players really focused and fought well until the end, and I want to thank the many fans and supporters from Tokyo who came to Nagasaki and created a very good atmosphere. We talked about using the lesson learned from losing to Sendai in the Levain Cup to improve in today's match. Although we were motivated for the Levain Cup, there were parts where we did not function as a team. Today, entering the match properly and achieving results shows that the players really worked hard.

However, after scoring two goals, we have been conceding goals from set plays or mistakes, so I believe that is a challenge for us moving forward. With just two days until the home match against Kashima, I want to switch my mindset and prepare thoroughly again.

《Q&A》
Q=The score changed significantly, what are your thoughts on how the match was conducted, coach?
"Of course, there were parts where Nagasaki put pressure on us, but there are still areas where we couldn't hold on during that time. Naturally, various challenges arise as we go through the season, and I intend to tackle those challenges sincerely. I believe that by gaining experience through matches like this, we can apply it when we find ourselves in similar situations. If we don't create a two-goal difference, we can't accumulate that kind of experience, and it's not easy to create such situations. I think the players learned in a good way, so I want to make sure we can effectively utilize that experience in the upcoming matches."

Summary of the press conference by Nagasaki's Takuya TAKAGI

I think it was a game where we felt the difference in strength. Normally, in such matches, we respond as a group rather than as individuals, but today, for the first time this season, there were many scenes where we tried to break through individually, and we couldn't find solutions as a group in both offense and defense. Regarding the balls coming in from behind, I had imagined that with today's FC Tokyo members, the balls would come in at this timing, but I believe we couldn't respond to that during the game.
It is natural that any game against any team will be difficult, but not being able to fight as a group made it an even more challenging game. Scoring two goals and creating other chances are positive aspects, but we couldn't hold our composure in moments where we needed to, and we ended up not being able to finish off another goal.
However, I was prepared for games like this in the league, so I want to keep that in mind and prepare for the next game.

《Q&A》
Q=You mentioned that there were moments where you couldn't hold back when you should have, and couldn't finish when you needed to. What do you want to focus on in training to cover those points where you fall just short?
"With only two days until the next match, we first need to get our condition back, so I think we have no choice but to watch the footage and have various discussions with the players. That will be the training leading up to the next match."