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"FC Tokyo U-23 Tetsu NAGASAWA Coach Press Conference Summary"

"I am very grateful for the passionate support from the fans and supporters, following yesterday's J1."

We were finally defeated, but I think the team, with an average age of 17, fought well. Some players were playing in a stadium with this kind of atmosphere for the first time, but they were thinking about taking the game to the end and betting on it while firmly carrying out the essential things. I think it's a big deal for high school students to have such an experience, and if we had won, I think we would have gained more confidence, but it wasn't that easy. In the locker room now, we have been talking about turning these experiences into our flesh and blood and working on them in our daily practice.

The game was good in terms of calmly taking and moving the ball, despite being put under pressure and depth by the opponent's top strength. However, the young members struggled to switch on effectively. We made some adjustments during the water break and I want to commend them for creating big chances 2 or 3 times in the second half.

However, throughout the game, we were pushed back by the opponent, so goalkeeper Nozawa desperately defended by throwing his body and I think this score is fair. In other words, I thought that if we couldn't score, we wouldn't be able to earn any points in this game, so in that sense, the opponent's goalkeeper who defended our big chance by risking his body is the reason for their team's victory.

Regardless of who is playing in each game, and even though the average age is young, the game is still being played. I think it's a big thing to be able to feel "competitive soccer" at this age. After this, there will be a little time off, but I hope to practice well and prepare for the next game."