"Sei MUROYA"
"The scene where I assisted the opening goal was when I sent the ball into the space in front of the goal. I believed that one of my teammates would run into it."

(Did you already have that image when you received the back pass from Kubo?)
"We were able to create some good opportunities together besides this situation. We were able to create space in a high position, send a cross ball freely, and score an important opening goal. It was good."

(In the previous match, we couldn't play a good game, but today we were able to achieve victory with our own soccer)
"I always thought that someday we would lose, so I thought this next match was very important. It was good that we were able to get 3 points."

(After the first loss of the team that had not lost until now, it was a difficult match against the tough opponent Oita)
"We were thinking about not breaking our own style. The opponent was a team that connected, but we talked about putting pressure on them from the front in a way that we could take it away. Today, we were able to get 3 points by sticking to our own style. I felt that we had to continue playing soccer like we did today, and I gained confidence because we were able to win with our strong points."

(Kubo seems to have a good sense of defense, but how does it look from behind?)
"I want to play as far forward as possible and play while talking with each other. While respecting Kubo's judgment, I am thinking about positioning in defense."

(This makes it 8 consecutive home wins)
"Oh, I see. That's the feeling. I want to continue doing as usual from now on."

(I can join the national team with a good feeling)
"Since both Kubo and Hashimoto scored, we'll all go with a good feeling!"

"Kento HASHIMOTO"
(In the previous match against C Osaka, it was the first loss in the league, but how did you approach this match?)
"In the previous match, it was a frustrating defeat, but we have been preparing until today. This match was an important game as it was a top match, but I am very happy that we were able to earn 3 points."

(Scored the opening goal in an important match)
"It was my first goal at Ajinomoto in a while, but I was able to score as planned. Going into the box from the second row is one of my strong points, and I am really happy to contribute to the team's victory."

(This round, the first goal was crucial)
"As a team, we believed that if we could score early, we could take control of the game and fight. I think the team gained momentum after scoring the first goal."

(The league enters the break period in first place)
"We were able to win without dragging the loss. As a team, I hope we can further improve our cooperation during the break period and improve the accuracy of each play. Personally, I want to absorb a lot of things in the national team and grow, and then rejoin the team."

(Renewed enthusiasm for the Japan national team)
"I want to give my all to express my play firmly and leave my mark."

"Tokyo - Manager Masaru HASEGAWA Press Conference Summary"
"Since we lost the previous match, the players ran and fought well from the kickoff today."
In a situation where Oita won't move unless we initiate, the players in the front line were also getting tired at the end.
Without their efforts, we couldn't have scored 3 points. I think it's a result of everyone, including the bench members, fighting well.

(We saw a good attacking attitude from ourselves. Perhaps it was based on the reflection from the previous match.)
"There were various circumstances and factors in the previous match, but if we only look at the game, we lost to C Osaka in terms of switching and ball control, and we were unable to launch a wave attack."
No team can stop our fast attack without being cautious and prepared for fouls. If we stop there, we won't be able to scare our opponents with our attack.
Oita is also a team that switches and competes for the ball. We talked about not losing there. The other theme was how to control the unique build-up.
If you make a mistake in the press, you will be taken out of the game, so the players were able to embody it on the pitch.
This time, we didn't let the opponent build up comfortably, but Oita will be ready for the next game, and I believe Coach Katanozaka will prepare well.
"I think the key to victory today was the player on the front line putting stress on the opponent while sprinting."

(Kubo scored 2 points. What is his evaluation?)
"At the start of the game, I was worried after losing to the opponent once, but after that I was able to break through with my dribbling and felt much better."
They showed a proactive attitude and touched the ball many times, playing until the end in their own rhythm.
Impressive shooting technique. He scored the first goal in a difficult situation, and calmly slotted in the second goal.

"Summary of Oita Katanozaka's Coach Press Conference"
"Facing top-ranked Tokyo, we talked about challenging ourselves by utilizing what we have built up until now and preparing for today's game against Tokyo. Playing aggressively and having a good game will lead to our future success. We sent our players out with the mindset of focusing on the game and not worrying about the outcome or score."
The start was tough and the opponent's possession was also good. It seems that Tokyo has thoroughly analyzed us. There were many dangerous situations and it was a very tough start to the game. In the first half, we couldn't quite get our attacking shape ready. The players may have felt some tension and pressure being up against the top-ranked Tokyo, and it ended up being a bit of a waste in the first half.
In the second half, we tried to change our approach to be more aggressive after falling behind 0-2, and were able to score one goal, but Tokyo's defense, focus, and ability to close out key moments made it very difficult. We had the intention to surpass them in those areas, but they did not allow us to do so.
On the other hand, Tokyo has taken advantage of our momentary weakness and produced results. That difference is what I felt was lacking in order to go up in J1.
The opponents from here on are also very tough, so we have no choice but to challenge them. During this two-week break, we want to somehow turn things around in a positive direction and prepare for the next match by recovering the players' physical and mental condition.