We advanced to the final after a combined total of two games, thanks to the combined efforts of the players who played in the first and second games, and also thanks to the support of our home fans this time, so I would like to thank the players and supporters, and I think the players fought really well.

Q: What is Head Coach assessment of the free kick that led to Endo's goal?
Rather than giving it an A rating, I think it was a really great free kick with a vertical spin. It was the first free kick of the season, so I think it was a long-awaited goal.

Q: Is Endo the type of player who can make the decisions in situations like this?
A Of course, the fact that he can make a decision like this really shows that he has what it takes.

Q: Finally, please tell us how you felt when you were watching from the bench the play before Fujiharu's goal.
A: Even if we scored two points, the situation wouldn't change much. However, if we conceded another goal, it would just mean overtime. Rather than the fact that we scored a goal, we had a little more time left, so we dropped Pato and it felt like Oi was coming up. I told Pato to "drop back," but he didn't seem to get it and he was running around on the side, so I told him to "stick a little closer to Oi," but he didn't seem to get it, and that was a shock (laughs).

Q: In the first half, Endo was very defensively conscious because he didn't want to concede an early goal, but showing that kind of competitive spirit shows the team's overall strength, including their various experiences.
A: No, in the first half, we should have been more aggressive, but I feel like we just didn't pick up the tempo. So at halftime, we talked about how we had to pick up the tempo and take the initiative, otherwise we'd just keep going like this and it would end poorly. In the second half, we picked up the tempo a lot, and we had more opportunities to shoot and attack, and I think we were able to score the first goal from a set play. I don't know what happened in the first half, but we started off worse than we expected, and we didn't pick up much.

Q: Was Konno's substitution not a problem?
A: He complained of some pain in his lower back due to the bruise. I'm not sure where it is until I ask the doctor. He was in some pain at halftime, and Imamura said, "I'll do my best," so he went in, but he didn't seem to be playing like his usual self, and since we needed to score a point, I replaced him with Ideguchi early on.

Q: What is your evaluation of Ideguchi and Kurata's efforts?
A: I think Yosuke played really well. He and Yatto worked well together in the midfield, creating a rhythm, and the two of them did a good job of setting a screen in front of the defensive line. I was able to watch Yosuke with peace of mind. I think he probably had some regrets about the last game, and he was determined to play well this time.
As for Aki, I felt that he was tired today. He was a little more active than usual. But, I think that he couldn't have played like that without the mindset of Aki, chasing the ball and setting up points with dribbling. I think that he's been improving since the middle of this season, and that he's able to play with a sense of responsibility as the center of the team.

Q: You've advanced to the finals, giving you a big shot at winning consecutive championships. Tell us about your enthusiasm for winning again.
A: It still doesn't feel real that we can return to that pitch and place, but I think the players' hard work will bring the supporters to that level again, and it seems that the opponent will be Kashima, so I'm really happy that we will be facing such a great opponent in the final. I think that last season's treble really started with this Nabisco Cup, and because of that, I think we were able to ride towards the end, so first we need to make it to the final, and from here we have important matches against the Reds and Guangzhou Evergrande, but now that we have made it to the final, I hope the players will continue to play with confidence, and I also want to prepare well for the matches in October so that we can reach the final in good shape.