《Keigo HIGASHI》

(Reflections on the experience)

"Even though we played a good game, we conceded an unfortunate goal, which made the match difficult. Since we are able to play well, I believe we have no choice but to work patiently to turn this into a victory."

(What can be a trigger for improvement)

"It's a difficult problem, but we are discussing how to switch gears and fight for the ball. Those aspects are increasing, so with eight matches left, I think we can only solve each issue one by one and gradually build up from there. I believe that a good flow will definitely come, so I want to approach practice with that belief in mind."

(Towards the next match)

"They are a team that is running away with it, so we have nothing to lose. On the contrary, it would be great to achieve a victory against a team like this and use it as a good opportunity. Even though it's an away game, I want to win and control a game like today."

Yojiro TAKAHAGI

(It was a match where only the goals were lacking)

"I think we are getting better. We just have to keep going. We are also creating chances."

(What about the part of building the attack?)

"I think we are starting to be able to do it. Everyone is aware, and we have unified our intentions. That's why I believe the time we can push the opponent back has increased, so I think that's a good thing."

(Is it just a matter of finishing it off now?)

"Yes, I think it would be better to have a little more composure at the end. I feel like it might be good to relax and incorporate some playful plays."

Summary of the Press Conference with Tokyo's Kenta HASEGAWA

"I think it was a match we didn't have to lose. We really wanted to score, so our focus was strongly on Sendai's goal. When we're scoring, we naturally have more composure and ideas, but right now, with a strong desire to 'score!', we haven't been able to completely break free from various mental constraints, and I feel there's some stiffness. I believe goals won't come unless we overcome this, so especially at times like this, we need to think about players who can play boldly as we prepare for the next match. Today's game wasn't bad, but I want to reflect on it a bit. The players who appeared today couldn't maintain a high-tempo game during the busy summer schedule, but with the change of seasons, we talked about raising the tempo. Everyone has been conscious of that, improving in transitions, ball contests, and showing more intensity in moving forward. However, some players cramped up or got exhausted towards the end, so naturally, we haven't fully recovered yet. Still, continuing to play matches like this will lead to the team's growth. It might truly be a tough period now, but the fans and supporters are cheering loudly, and we want to fight together with the players to somehow respond to their support."

Q=Is there a possibility of using players in good condition, including substitutes?

"I need to review the match again to make a calm analysis. From the feeling of the current match, I feel that we need more decisiveness. There is also a J3 match tomorrow, so I want to assess those matches as well in training and decide whether to use them or not."

Q=Continuing from the previous discussion, will there be bold selections in the future?

"I'm not sure if it's a bold move or not, but I think it might be good to add a little stimulation. However, if those kinds of players don't emerge, I believe the players who performed today did not have a bad performance, so I want to think about that for a week and make a decision."

Summary of the press conference with Sendai's Susumu WATANABE

"Thank you for your hard work. In preparing for this game, the club came up with various ideas to attract spectators. There is no doubt that the supporters will create an even better atmosphere than usual. We talked about delivering the best results to such supporters. However, since there is an opponent, we won't know if we can deliver the best results until the game is over. What we can promise in playing the game is to give our maximum effort. After doing that, let's aim to deliver the best results to our supporters, and that was the message we sent to the players for today's match."

It was a very difficult game, but I believe that winning the battle of endurance and securing 3 points against a top opponent is a significant victory.

I also talked to the players, but our mission is to prepare well for the next game and to focus on the game in front of us, so I want to make sure we prepare well for the next game.

Q: I think you showed a defense that went to retrieve the ball from the front right from the start of the first half. Can you tell us about how that went and your feelings about it?

"To be honest, in the first half, I felt that we didn't do very well in both attack and defense. If we could have held the ball a bit more and entered the opponent's territory, I believe we could have shown a higher level of defensive play and pushed forward a bit more while maintaining our block."

It is already linked from the attacking side, so it is difficult to separate just the defense, but if we limit it to the second half, we were able to make solid corrections in the attacking part. With the awareness of going to win the ball in the transition to defense that comes next, we approached it with that mindset. If we can actually do that, we can play with a block and move forward, so I think it was a second half that was linked to the attack.

Overall, I think it was more about defending forward rather than just at the end, and I believe that contributed to our victory.

Q: There is a term called 'test of endurance,' but can you tell us the reason why you waited until quite late to make the first substitution?

"First, we had a difficult time in the first half, and without a doubt, the pressure in Tokyo would drop in the second half. We were already expecting that, so on top of that, we made sure to look for a solid exit for our build-up play, and I think we organized that idea well at halftime, which actually worked out well."

I wanted the second half to convey the message of taking the lead and, hopefully, scoring an additional goal to secure the game a bit earlier, but it was difficult to fully commit to that. There was both the hope that we could score another goal and the concern that we might not be able to hold on as we were.

When I thought about it, with 10 minutes left, I had already discussed with the coaching staff about sending a message to defend the lead, so the reason for the substitutions was that we started to make those substitutions one by one in the last 10 minutes.