"Takuo OKUBO"

"I wanted to win."
The league is doing well, but with the defeat in the Levain Cup, it was a game where everyone had to "show something" in order to break into that (league).

I don't think we should say "own goals can't be helped" about conceding.
For example, there was a scene where Yoshimoto was replaced with the opponent, but if we had stopped there or prevented them from crossing, we might have been able to prevent a goal.
Before that, Sendai's two top players were creating too many opportunities during the game. I think we needed to be more aggressive in our response.
Usually, there was a need for intensity like protecting Diego and Kensuke in the red and white game.

(There were consecutive saves?)
I always try to maximize my own strength when I get a chance, and I am preparing for it as usual.
I did my best, but unfortunately it didn't lead to the team's result.

(What did you focus on when playing with young players?)
As a GK, I can't give much advice to players on the field, so my options are limited... But I wanted to show a more aggressive attitude towards winning, including myself, in the final minutes.
I think we could have had a better game if we had shown a more aggressive attitude and momentum towards winning.

Chances don't come around often. It's a shame that we're here at Ajinomoto Stadium and the fans and supporters have come to watch, but it's going to waste.
For example, in the J1 League, there are always scenes where teammates talk to each other.
Were there any players who showed that kind of attitude today? I wanted to show the league members a play that would give them a sense of crisis.

"Manato SHINADA"

"I think that what we have built up through our training and in J3 has also been reflected in this Levain Cup, and there were also things that worked well."
That's why I wanted to experience this kind of stage more. In that sense, it's frustrating and disappointing to be eliminated in the group stage.

Today, we played with a double pivot, and Kajiyama was more focused on maintaining balance while I tried to get involved in the attack.
I think the cooperation went well, but the defense slides were not in time and we couldn't steal the opponent's ball.

There should have been a sense of dissatisfaction in terms of pressure forward.
Although we were able to create opportunities from high positions and the sides, I think we lacked the ability to attack from dangerous positions for the opponent and we were short on numbers.

(There was a through pass to Kubo, but?)
Kubo is a player who can score goals.
He understands what he is thinking, so he passed the ball.
Still, it's not leading to results... Both of them lack strength.

However, whether or not I can connect various playing experiences and feelings to the league game from here is up to me.
The Levain Cup may have ended, but we will continue to work hard without losing our motivation."

"Summary of Tokyo - Kenta HASEGAWA's press conference"

"I think he showed us his determination."
As it was the final match of the Levain Cup at home, we all entered the game with the desire to win for the fans and supporters who came to support us at the stadium.
I believe that each game has brought out the maximum effort from everyone.
I think the reason we couldn't score in the end was because of our lack of strength. I realized once again that we need to train more and become stronger.

《Q&A》
Q=What are your expectations for player Yajima, who was used as a starter?
"Yajima returned from injury and scored a goal in the previous round of Levain Cup after playing in J3."
When I saw the members of Sendai's DF line today, I noticed that many of them were playing in J1 and they also did a good job with post-play and had some close shots, so I think they showed a good performance.
However, we need to improve our accuracy in the final pass and our ability to finish chances.
I think he showed a very good performance as the first starting member of Levain.

Q=What was the reason for not breaking the goal?
"I think it's all about the accuracy of the last pass and the quality of the shot."
We were able to take possession in a high position in the first half, and there were also scenes of short counters, but the final pass was off and although we were able to get to a good position for a shot, there were still areas where the accuracy of the shot was lacking, so we need to work on improving the accuracy in those areas.
I think it will lead to a deeper team and more intense competition.
Today, they did their best, but I felt that there was a difference in intensity and quality compared to the members who play in J1, so we need to do training that will encourage further growth.
Q=What was the intention of the last substitution?
"There were parts that I felt were lacking in cohesion."
I wanted to aim for a goal with crosses from the side, as it would be no use even if we ended up with a draw.
In that case, we have to be wary of the opponent's counter, so in that situation, I thought it would be better to have Okazaki in the back rather than Yoshimoto, as it would be a countermeasure against the opponent's counter, so I placed Okazaki as a CB.
"We have high expectations for Okazaki's build-up play, and have chosen to bring in Yanagi with a more attacking intent, in order to bring down Yoshimoto."

"Press Conference Summary of Sendai Manager Susumu WATANABE"

"We had a lot of supporters gather at Ajinomoto Stadium for the weekday night game. Thank you very much. We are also grateful to the supporters who sent us a lot of power through the TV broadcast. Our goal for the Levain Cup is to become finalists, surpassing last year's best four. We started the season with that goal in mind. Within this long 15-game stretch, there will be Levain Cup matches, and I think every manager in the J-League is struggling with how to choose the members and move forward."
We have been rotating various players while dealing with injuries, but we have been able to accumulate points and come to Ajinomoto Stadium today.
I was really happy that there were situations where I could decide for myself, which was different from last year, and I wanted to play with that feeling of elegance.
In fact, I think it was very good to show the overall strength of the team by taking three points with today's members and being able to break through.
However, when it comes to the content of the game, there were a lot of mistakes until the game was moved in the form of an own goal. It was not mistakes born from challenges, but rather sloppy mistakes. It's not about the opponent, but there are problems within ourselves, so we talked to the players about facing them firmly and getting rid of them.
There is nothing better than being able to reflect on winning, so I want to use this momentum to go into the final round of the tournament and face Kashima away in the last 15 games.
《Q&A》
Q=What is your evaluation of the defense that kept a clean sheet?
"Although we had a plan for our defense, the first half didn't go as smoothly as we had hoped. However, we were able to make adjustments and even change our system to calm things down, so I believe we were able to have a well-organized defense."
It was a long time since we had a clean sheet, so I am happy and I hope we can continue from here.