Summary of the Press Conference by Coach Yoshiyuki SHINODA

I felt that the players in the first half seemed a bit sluggish, and that we spent a very long time on defense. It was good that we didn't concede any goals, but we were a bit far from scoring.
In the second half, although we conceded a goal, we were able to play very aggressively and create many scoring opportunities. I want to continue this challenging attitude moving forward.

《Q&A》
Q=In the first half, there were several moments where Nagai's speed was effective, wasn't there?
"Conversely, it meant that we were limited to that one attacking pattern, and there were very few moments where we could calmly advance the ball. Of course, there were spaces behind the opponent, so I don't think using Nagai's speed was a bad idea, but it felt like there was nothing beyond that."

Q=What is the evaluation of Shoya NAKAJIMA?
"Nakajima is a player who always has a high awareness of receiving the ball and turning, as well as a strong focus on shooting. I think today's match was very good."

Q=What was the intention behind changing the system in the first and second halves?
"We changed to press more forward with a new approach. It's a system that allows us to deploy more players on the outside and in the center, so we want to use it as one of our options."

Q=What were the gains and challenges from today's match?
"The first goal we conceded was due to a simple mistake, and the foul that led to the second goal was unnecessary. Nakajima's goal was wonderful, but we had chances; not being able to score the second and third goals is a challenge for us."

Q=Ahead of the Mainz match
"I want to play a match like the second half for the full 90 minutes and ultimately win. All the players are maintaining a high level of awareness, so I want to continue this."

Yuichi MARUYAMA

(About the match)
"I think it was really unfortunate that we ended up losing. In the second half, being able to take action ourselves was a positive aspect, and I think it would have been even better if we could have done that from the first half."

(Upcoming Matches)
"We changed the system in the first and second halves, but it's not about the system itself; I hope that everyone can receive the ball and move, creating a connection in both attack and defense. I want to utilize today's experience in the next match."

Shoya NAKAJIMA

(Reflecting on the match)
"It was really fun. There are differences in speed and power compared to Japan, and personally, I think it suits me. I knew I could evade my opponents with my dribbling, so if I can turn that into additional goals, I feel like I can grow to the next level."

(I scored a goal from a free kick)
"I think that shot was really good, and I've been practicing with the mindset to score from free kicks, so I'm glad I was able to score in the match."

(It looked like he was playing with confidence)
"I always try to play with confidence"

(What were the challenges and gains from today's match?)
"I think we were able to take the initiative more in the second half than in the first half, and I enjoyed playing. However, we still made a lot of mistakes, and we couldn't score additional goals, so that aspect will be a challenge for us moving forward."