《Shuto ABE》
(The ball moved well in the second half, but how did it change from the first half?)
"We didn't start well in the first half, so we talked at halftime about focusing and coming in strong for the second half. By taking a higher position as a team, we were able to play in the opponent's territory to push back once more. The ball gathered in higher positions, which allowed us to carry it further from there. I think that was an improvement in the second half."

(Scenes of moving the ball in the opponent's area have become more common, but the feeling is)
"We practice attacking plays often in training. The scenes we create in practice come out in matches, so even though we didn't score today, I believe we were able to create several close chances."

(The opponent's role as a defensive midfielder changes, but how do you perceive your own role?)
"What I need to do doesn't change, and I'm conscious of balancing with the other defensive midfielder. Today, I was playing with the awareness that Cristiano from Kashiwa was remaining on the field."

(What do you think are the factors that contributed to the poor start overall?)
"I can't immediately identify the cause, but I think everyone felt that the start was weak. It was a goal conceded in that context, so it was a goal that affected our morale."
Even so, there needs to be someone to encourage or communicate so that we can bounce back from there. Overall, it felt quiet, so I need to take the lead to boost morale.

(It seems that the condition is improving)
"I believe one of the roles of a defensive midfielder is to deliver decisive passes and connect the ball carefully. I am gradually becoming able to do that. This is the result of practice, and I want to continue to be aware of this and work on leading the team more effectively."

(Is it a technical advancement or just a sense of ease?)
I think my timing for looking around has improved.
I think that having more opportunities to watch and better timing creates a sense of ease.

《Junya SUZUKI》
(It was my first time at Ajinomoto Stadium)
"I was happy to play in a stadium with home fans and supporters. Since I had been away for so long, I am finally glad to wear the blue and red uniform and play in this stadium. I felt like I could finally become a part of it."

(The first half did not develop very tightly)
"It wasn't that someone was slacking off, and I didn't feel like we were being lackadaisical, but I felt that we were somewhat slow to start and lacked a bit of momentum."

(In that case, it becomes difficult to create scenes attacking from the right side)
"I wanted to be more aggressive, but we spent a long time defending and had many scenes where we were at a numerical disadvantage. While it was necessary to take risks and push forward, we became too focused on defense."

(There may have been a system mismatch)
There were parts where we couldn't apply pressure to the players wide on the opponent's side.
They often failed to close in and were easily spread out, leading to situations favorable for the opponent.

(How I was thinking of breaking down the opponent)
"The center was solid, but there were often chances behind the opponent's three-back, especially behind the left, so it would have been better if we could have shared more about how to break them down as a team."

(It seemed to improve in the second half)
"The characteristics of the players changed with the substitutions, and I felt that there were moments in the second half where we were able to push forward with runs behind the defense."

(How does Nagatomo feel about joining?)
"He is a player I admired while watching the national team. I want to learn and take away as much as I can, but for now, he is my rival, so I hope to clearly showcase my own characteristics and surpass him from here on out."

《Tokyo - Summary of the Press Conference with Director Kenta HASEGAWA》
I feel very sorry for the fans and supporters who watched from Ajinomoto and DAZN, as we played a match that felt like indigestion.
Finally back home, the club has been lively, and the fans and supporters were looking forward to it. However, today we couldn't give our best performance. While the inability to perform falls on the coach, if we had fought with the passionate desire to recover from our teammates' mistakes, it could have been a match where we scored goals.
In the second half, there were chances, but in the end, the determination to definitely score was lacking. I apologize for talking so much about feelings, but that is what connects to whether we can send the ball into the goal from just a few meters or a few centimeters away.
I feel that if both the starting members and the players who came on as substitutes played with the mindset that we would recover, we could have made a comeback.
I want to continue striving for results with a more passionate mindset so that we do not repeat matches like this.

(It wouldn't have been surprising if goals were scored in the second half, but how did we improve?)
"In the first half, our reactions were poor. The control of the defensive line was also lacking, and we couldn't make the necessary adjustments. The front line was slow to prepare for attacks after regaining possession, and especially in the first half, the entire team was not responsive to the next play."
In the second half, we were not able to manage those aspects and the opponent's shadow players well, so I substituted Aoki. Aoki is very skilled in those areas, and I believe he was able to push forward from the midfield, leading to longer periods of winning the ball or controlling it in high positions.

(In terms of mental aspects, there are high expectations for Nagatomo)
"Talking to Nagatomo, I feel a very passionate energy, and I believe he will bring the intensity that the team lacks."
If he pulls them along, one or two players like that will emerge, and the team will change.
There are still areas where I haven't been able to train properly since the national team ended, so I want to prepare for the match on the 18th while monitoring my condition.

(When we returned home from the away matches of the 19 season, we couldn't secure a win at home, and it seems that the concerns we had at home have surfaced again this time)
I think the players were full of motivation in the first half, but sometimes the body doesn't align with the feelings.
I am feeling motivated, but my body isn't moving even when the match starts. There was a bit of humidity, but my body just wouldn't respond.
On the contrary, in the second half, the opponent's movements became sluggish, allowing us to create effective passes and chances. The period before the opponent brought in two players at the same time was when they seemed to be struggling the most, so we wanted to score at that timing.
I want to power up, including my feelings, and do it again.

(Evaluation of the content)
"I think we just needed a little more push since the performance in the second half wasn't bad. If we had scored one, I believe the team would have gained momentum, but even when we didn't score, I wanted to see the determination to make sure we would score next time."
Tagawa will secure a starting position by continuing to deliver results. I hope he becomes a player who can finish effectively.
I think there were three or four clear chances in the second half. Even if we couldn't finish, we need to push with our mindset for one more time. By doing so, the fans and supporters will also encourage us. I believe the away team will feel that as pressure. We just needed that extra push.
Collaboration with the GK is a challenge this season. It's unfortunate that mistakes occurred during training and before the matches, but I believe we need to continue to improve in the remaining 10 matches.

《Kashiwa - NELSINHO Coach Press Conference Summary》
It was a very tough game. I think both teams were working hard for the result.
In the first half, we seized our chances and scored a goal. After that, I think we were able to control the game at our own pace. Also, our organized defense functioned well.
I think we did well on the counter after winning the ball, and this week we made adjustments on the defensive side, so we communicated well and performed well in that aspect.
I communicated the points for improvement at halftime and prepared to ensure we wouldn't become passive due to the opponent's changes in the second half.
Although there were times when we were pushed back in the second half, being able to maintain our pace without being overwhelmed by the opponent's momentum led to today's result. I believe this is a significant victory.

(Today's Match Plan)
"Continue to do what we have been able to do so far."
Throughout the 90 minutes, we were able to establish a cycle of not only defending but also actively moving forward in attack.
We applied high pressure against the opponent's ball possession and were able to defend in the middle zone even when we were bypassed.
The opponent's attacking line is a threat, and we effectively neutralized their strengths. Additionally, we were able to thoroughly implement a differentiated defense based on zones.
From there, we quickly launched a good counterattack. When the opponent was set, we moved the ball and focused on exploiting openings. I felt that we were able to effectively switch between offense and defense.

(In the last match, we suffered a heavy defeat, but we learned from it)
"In the first half, our start was poor, and we conceded goals without being able to get into the match.
Today, I suggested going to the alert from the start.
I repeat, the opponent has many high-quality players in their attack. There are players who excel in both technique and speed, so we need to be tough on the ball holder. I encouraged the players to be aggressive even for fifty-fifty balls.
When given space, it was opened up, and the timing was disrupted, leading to a situation that made it difficult for us, but the players responded well to the requests.