In the end, we were able to get one point, as Marinos are in great form. Considering that they had only two days off and were down to 10 men at some point, I'm pleased that they managed to tie the score with that last play and go home with one point. We were also able to give them some enthusiastic support from our fans, so I think it was a good thing for us.
We didn't start too badly in the first half, but we conceded the first goal with a penalty kick. After that, we had the ball, but Marinos also had a good defense and counterattacked, so I expected it to be a very difficult game, but the players fought well to the end, aiming for the goal. Looking at other games, the team at the top is running, but I hope we can fight until the end without giving up. In terms of pace, 1 is not a bad number, considering the situation I mentioned earlier, and with 5 games left at the end of May, I don't think it's a bad number to get a point, so we won't be disrupted by the team in front of us and will fight at our own pace until the end.

Q: Why did Myojin start in the first game after returning to practice, and why was LINS Lima De Brito substituted for Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira ?
A: Myojin was in very good shape in practice, and I thought he would be able to get into the game more smoothly. I thought he wouldn't have enough stamina in the final stages, so I put Ogura in as a closer, and I thought he would be able to get into the game more smoothly, so I put Myojin in as a starter. As for LINS Lima De Brito, Pato played 90 minutes with only two days between games, so considering the Nakazawa-Fabio type of player, LINS Lima De Brito might be better, and if LINS Lima De Brito tires him out, Pato might have a chance. I put LINS Lima De Brito first to win.

Q: The first half wasn't bad either. There were some moments where we were pushing hard, but in the end we couldn't break down the defense. Is it correct to say that breaking down the defense as a team is an issue?
A: Marinos is a team with strong defense, and the team is in very good condition now. They played with different members in the Nabisco Cup, so they were naturally fresh, but (Gamba) played in the ACL against Seoul and only traveled there two days after that. Considering that, I don't think they're an opponent that can be easily broken down.

Q: The ACL tournament is over now, and although it must have been taxing physically, did playing in it have a positive effect on the team?
A: I think we have become much tougher. Our two full-backs played throughout the match today, and they continued to go through ups and downs until the very end. This can be said for Takashi, Pato, and all of our players, but by playing against all kinds of Asian players, I think they have become much stronger, and the team has also become tougher, able to fight tenaciously until the end even when they are scored on first.
As I tell the players, the battle in Asia and the battle in the J-League are completely different, and the J-League is difficult in some ways. I think the key to today's game was whether we could really switch our focus and fight, and I told the players to switch their minds properly, set aside the fact that we advanced to the quarterfinals, and focus on the remaining six league games, and that's how we approached today's game, but considering the Reds, who are in third place away from home and in first place, I think everyone thinks that we need three points. Of course, we were split into first and second, but if we can get third place in 34 games, we can make it to the playoffs at the end, so in the long run, we haven't given up on first place, but we can make it to the playoffs at the end. We need to think about how we can get more points as a team than we did last year, because if we play a style that is all about winning and losing and there are no draws, I don't think we'll get anywhere, so I think it's not a bad result to have gotten one point away from home against the in-form Marinos today.