I'm really happy that we were able to win today. I think the players showed their enthusiasm and their play throughout the game, and I feel like we were finally able to give our supporters a victory. I'd like to really thank the players for their hard work.
I told the players before the match that it would be very difficult to play at this stadium, and when we play at ND, Yamagata is tough and plays aggressively, so we were prepared for a difficult start in the first half. In that situation, we gradually managed to create our own rhythm, and today we had several chances in the first half, but even if we missed, we kept going for the next one, and I think the players showed a great sense of unity. I think that attitude led to the score in the second half. Of course, there were situations where we could have scored a fourth goal, but Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira played well as a team in other areas, and I hope that he will continue to score and contribute to the team's victories in the future.
At the end, we were under a wave of attacks from Yamagata and there were some dangerous moments, but we managed to limit the counterattack to just one point and win.
We avoided a losing streak here and achieved a victory that will allow us to move on to the second stage, so we will take a break from July and then start preparing again.

Q: Usami, are there any differences you notice in your play between now and when you weren't scoring?
A: His body was in a good condition, so compared to last year when he wasn't scoring much, it felt completely different, so I think it's just a matter of scoring and touch. Today, if one of the barriers was lifted like that, and he started hitting, I think he showed his ability with the results today, and I hope that he will continue to score consistently in the second stage without making too many waves. All three goals were great.

Q: Usami seemed to be playing a little lower, more like a second striker, but what is the Head Coach's assessment of this?
A: It wasn't my intention to drop back too much, but I think it would have been better if he'd played a little higher, especially in attack. In defense, we talked about helping the defensive line a little, and he took a good position and helped the players behind him very devotedly. At the beginning of the first half, there were a lot of scenes where he dropped back to receive the ball, so I talked a little about it and I think that's why we were able to score in a very good way. Other than that, he played well in the transitions, so I think he did a great job not only in scoring, but also in that area.

Q: You played against Yamagata in the EMPEROR'S CUP final last year with the same score, 3-1, but did you ever feel that they were a threat?
A: I think it was a blow that Hayashi couldn't play today due to poor physical condition. Diego has been very active in recent games, playing more as a second striker or as a shadow striker, so I think it was a blow to Yamagata not to have a player who could play as a lone striker. They have more jumping weapons in Arceu and have a lot of very well-known players, so today was a game that could have gone either way, especially until the goal was scored, and I think they are getting stronger now that they are halfway through the J1 season.