<Match Preview>
Before entering the second half of the J1 League, Tokyo will face V-Varen Nagasaki at their home stadium, Transcosmos Stadium Nagasaki, in the 3rd round of the Emperor's Cup.
Nagasaki is expected to come into the match against Tokyo in the J1 League with a very high level of motivation. Furthermore, on June 12th, they made a change in their coaching staff and have been determined to win in their pursuit of promotion to the J1 League. While they struggled to secure wins in the early stages of the J2 League, they have won their last three matches and also achieved a 2-0 victory in their first match after the coaching change.
However, for this 3rd round of the Emperor's Cup, newly invited Brazilian national Fabio CARILLE will not make it in time and U-18 coach Takeo HARADA will temporarily take command. The team's current state is unknown as they work towards rebuilding. We will analyze based on their performance in the league, but we must also be prepared to adapt to unexpected strategies.
Adaptation is necessary even for the difficulty of fighting due to different categories.
"If it's a J1 league match, there will be calm moments and a game flow with varying speeds. On the other hand, in J2 league matches, there tends to be a long period of high intensity play. (Omitted) First of all, we have to play with the same intensity. However, we want to express our playing style firmly in our own flow without being influenced by the opponent."
As Albert PUIG ORTONEDA, the coach, cooperated in the 2nd round of the Emperor's Cup, the way of playing and the intensity in the league matches, which are different categories, are also different. Facing opponents with high motivation and strong intensity, it is important to confront them with equal or even higher motivation and intensity. Based on that, we will stick to our own way of playing and aim for victory.
Of course, in a tournament, victory is necessary, but for a team that is still growing, it is also an important challenge to stick to their own style against any opponent. In the midst of a mission that is even more difficult than the regular league matches, we want to bring back the ticket to the round of 16.
[Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Interview]
Q: Kunitomo SUZUKI has returned, but Matsuki has not yet returned. How will you approach the Nagasaki match in this situation?
A, player Matsuki has not yet arrived in Japan, and player Diego is feeling uncomfortable. The other players are able to play. We will choose from among them and fight.
Q: How do you feel about being able to be more aggressive against Nagasaki, who is in the J2 League?
A, Nagasaki is analyzing that they have enough players to compete in the J1 League. They are a club with a larger scale of management than multiple clubs in the J1 League. I think they have the highest quality players among the J2 League this season. Also, they are in the midst of a coaching change. There may be various reasons, such as the game results not being as expected or foreign players not performing as expected, but they are in the midst of a coaching change. And they analyze Nagasaki as a team that has the same quality as J1 League teams.
It has never happened before that all teams in the J1 league have won for 23 years. I think it is proof that the tournament always forces lower category teams to have a difficult battle against J1 clubs. It will also be a home game in Nagasaki. I think the players will be highly motivated, including the fact that there is a change in coach, and it will definitely be a difficult game.
Q: How do you analyze Nagasaki's offensive capabilities?
A, Nagasaki's style of play is more similar to a J1 league club than a J2 league club. I have played against Nagasaki for the past two seasons. The high quality of the players was outstanding, and it was a very difficult match. It is expected to be the same this time.
Q, where should we be cautious?
A, first of all, they come attacking leisurely, but once they enter the finishing zone, the speed changes and they make very dangerous plays. They have players who can play even in tight spaces. We have to be cautious of the speed changes in their plays.
Q, is there anything you want to challenge in the Nagasaki match?
A, there is no special challenge in this game. I hope to continue to grow in each game, just like before, even in the Nagasaki match. Of course, growth is not always possible continuously, and it is natural that there may be times when we take one step forward and two steps back. In that sense, it is important to continue to make efforts persistently. It has only been a few months since the team started. In that sense, the team has not reached a state where it can consistently play well. Our playing style is not something that can reach its final form in a short period of time. It is a playing style that requires at least 2 seasons, 3 seasons.
Q, what is important in the summer battles?
A, I think it will be more advantageous the longer you hold the ball. Especially during cold seasons, you can keep running and moving in the press, but if it's hot, you can't move as much and it becomes difficult to press, so I think it's better to hold the ball.
Q, how do you think about the importance of taking breaks as a team during the hiatus period?
I think it is rare to have consecutive holidays of 2 days or 3 days off after a schedule that has been so tight for about 2 months. I don't think it's a lot. Until the Shonan match during this period, we didn't have any games during the national team activities, and Shonan had a game in the Levain Cup, so there is a possibility that they had a better game sense. However, I don't think we lost the game because we had too much rest, and I think the result was influenced by other factors. Of course, I think it is worth analyzing, but there were weeks without an off period for the first few months. In Japan, there may be a virtue in working without taking a break, and there may be a tendency to prioritize quantity over quality. I think it is difficult to achieve high-quality work in that case. It may be a different cultural value in Japan, but I think it is necessary to take high-quality rest to achieve high-quality work.
[Player Interview]
＜Kazuya KONNO
Q, I think I was able to change the flow of the game and make passes and attempts towards the goal even though I entered the game midway against Shonan. Did you have anything in mind when you played in the match?
A, expressing my characteristic of playing towards the goal is important, as we needed to score in a situation where we were losing. I was conscious of being aggressive and trying to make plays, even from a distance, by sending early crosses and connecting in front of the goal.
Q, regarding the Emperor's Cup, I think the previous match against Fuji University was also a difficult game. Tomorrow's match is against a J2 League team. I think the motivation and style of play will be different from the usual league matches. How do you feel about it?
A, it's an away game and we haven't played against this opponent much, so I think it will be a bit difficult. However, we want to play our own football properly. Nagasaki has some really good players, and there are also many players at the J1 level, so we want to concentrate and play well without thinking that they are inferior and win.
Q, Nagasaki seems to have a high intensity of play from the start of the game. When we replace it with a league match, what kind of play should we do?
In league matches, there are times when the opponent presses with high intensity and we struggle. It is best to connect passes without kicking the ball easily, but I think it is also important to aim for the opponent's back at first. I want to be conscious of intentionally aiming for the opponent's back until they (the press) settle down. I think it is difficult for the opponent to play with high intensity throughout the 90 minutes, and I think they will settle down in about 20 minutes in the first half, so I hope we can show various attacking patterns while playing our own soccer and move towards the goal.
Q, in contrast to the league matches, you cannot proceed without winning the Emperor's Cup.
A, we must avoid conceding goals due to simple mistakes, and I think the start of the game is very important. The first goal is quite crucial, and there is a possibility that we may become rigid from the start of the game, but I believe that if we fight firmly from the start of the game as a team, we can bring it to our own pace, so I want to fight firmly throughout the 90 minutes and win. It is a one-shot game in the tournament, so there are difficult parts, but I think we should first express our own soccer more than the opponent and win to move on to the next round.
