Kento HASHIMOTO

(Reflecting on today's match)
"It was a difficult match, but I think we were able to enter the game with a strong defensive awareness, which allowed us to keep a clean sheet. It's frustrating that we couldn't score, but I believe it turned into a valuable point."

(It was difficult to create an attacking rhythm, and there were many times we had to endure, but what did you focus on?)
"We all made an effort to switch quickly after losing the ball. By switching quickly, we didn't have to face many situations where we were countered by Kobe.
"I was able to play with the awareness of 'starting with defense.' I think the entire team's defensive awareness was unified."

(Ahead of the next match against Kawasaki)
"It's a top-tier matchup, and I believe the opponent will come in with momentum. We don't have much time due to the consecutive matches, but I want to prepare thoroughly. I think many fans and supporters will come, so I want to play a good game and achieve victory."

Yuichi MARUYAMA

(The result was a 0-0 draw. Reflecting on the match)
"It was a closely contested match, and with many fans in attendance, it was difficult to hear the players' voices. I want to take the positive from being able to secure at least 1 point away. It would have been great to win by scoring from a set piece, but I want to continue this solid fight and carry this point forward into the future."

(It's been a while since we had a match without conceding a goal)
"Although we spent a lot of time defending against the opponent's possession, I believe that our ability to stay calm and play with determination contributed to today's clean sheet. I think we fought together and earned that point."

(There have been matches against tall players. What did you feel as a defender?)
"I couldn't win in every situation, but I have been trying to increase my winning percentage in each scenario. The players I faced were all highly skilled, so I want to use this experience in the next match."

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

"I think it's okay to settle for one point today. All teams are facing a tight schedule, but the players showed more fatigue from consecutive matches than we had anticipated. In that context, I view it very positively that we fought patiently and brought one point back to Tokyo from an away game. I also think our defense did a great job holding strong after a long time.
If possible, since we had many set pieces, it would be different if we could score from a set piece in this kind of match situation. I want to work on that as a challenge moving forward."

《Q&A》
Q=17 We kept a clean sheet against Kobe, who has a strong scoring ability. What were the factors that contributed to this?
"In the last match, Joe (Nagoya) was present, and he scored with a very high header. In today's game, I think the defense line did well to put their bodies on the line and executed the challenge and cover effectively. Wellington is also a very strong player, and although he put in some dangerous balls several times, Maru (Maruyama) responded well. I believe Morishige also stayed focused and handled things well until the end."

Summary of the press conference by Takayuki YOSHIDA, Coach of Kobe

"Throughout the match, there were both good and bad plays.
To some extent, we had possession of the ball, but there were several moments where we were countered by the opponent's characteristic solid defense leading to quick attacks. In the end, I think everyone did well to put their bodies on the line.
Regarding our attack, I believe we have improved to the point where we can bypass the opponent's press to some extent. However, we lacked the intensity in the attacking third during the last third of the game today.
We need to show a stronger desire to enter the area and score goals, and our crosses need to be more precise.
We were a bit lacking in those types of plays."