I think both teams played with a lot of enthusiasm. I think we won because of a bit of luck. The Reds are a very strong team, and I thought that even a momentary mistake could be fatal.
I didn't expect Niwa to play like that in extra time, so I thought he'd been defeated for a moment, but it seemed to have weakened the Reds' players' concentration, and Fujiharu took advantage of that opportunity to score his birthday goal, so I think we were able to win in a truly dramatic way. The players were also strong, and the image of the Nabisco Cup final remains in this stadium, so in that sense I think they played a game that dispelled that image.
However, we have only just won the semi-finals, and in the finals we will face Hiroshima, a very well-balanced and excellent team, so we will all prepare thoroughly again, beat Hiroshima, and get ready again so that we can become champions this season.

Q: The final is three days away, and your opponent is Hiroshima, who have had a break of about 10 days. Watching today's game, it seemed like the fatigue from the season hadn't yet fully subsided. How do you think you can keep up your condition?
A: As usual. We are used to playing consecutive games this season, so I think we can play three consecutive games without any problems. However, it was a tough game, and today was not a 90-minute game, so I think some players will still be tired. I believe that the 18 players I brought today will do a good job no matter who starts, so I would like to decide on the members again while watching their condition.

Q: Regarding the substitutions, what was your decision or aim when you replaced Usami in the first half and Ideguchi in the second half of extra time?
A: As for how things would have played out, if we had lost, I would have left Takashi, but if we had drawn and won, I think that either Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira or Usami, whoever had a weak leg, wouldn't last the full 90 minutes. At that time, the Reds were gradually becoming very forward with Kashiwagi, and the gap between the front line and the second line was opening up a little, so I started today with the expectation that it would last until that time, so I replaced Takashi today. However, I think they will be in a fresh state for the next game, so I think they will play with renewed enthusiasm. And Ideguchi. Kotaro had a cramp in his leg, so I was wondering whether to put LINS Lima De Brito or Yosuke, but in terms of side attacks, Urawa uses a lot of rotation, so I thought about putting LINS Lima De Brito up front, but Endo also looked quite tired, so I put Endo up in the hope that I could balance the defense and use the fresh Yonekura and Kurata, and Endo could be the starting point in the front line.

Q: The game went back and forth. We had three chances to make it 2-0 in the second half, but we missed them. Then Muto took a header in added time. It was a shot that should have gone in, but it didn't. I think Niwa probably intentionally hit the post to stop everyone in their tracks, but the flow of the game was interesting, with the game going back and forth. How would you describe this kind of flow of the game, Mr. Hasegawa?
A: I didn't think about that (laughs). But I think it's thanks to the players, including the Urawa players, that we were able to have such an enjoyable match for the spectators, and also thanks to the stadium sending such passionate energy to the players, so I'm glad that this first CS with this kind of format didn't end up being a boring match for the spectators, and I'd like to thank the players for winning such a match.

Q: As we head into the final, your opponent will be Sanfrecce, who have the highest number of goals scored and the fewest conceded in the league. How do you want to play the game?
A: I think it will be a very tough game if we are scored first. So, since we are playing at home, I want to get the first goal and make the game develop so that Sanfrecce can come forward. If we are scored first, Asano will be able to put the ball in after the 60th minute and we will fall into a pattern of counter attack, so I want to avoid that kind of development at all costs, but you can't really say anything about it. If it happens, I think we just have to do our best and exchange blows.

Q: You decided not to use Yonekura in the starting lineup, and instead placed her a little higher than usual midway through the game. What was your intention behind this?
A: Since it was Urawa's home game, Oh Jae-suk was slightly stronger defensively than Yonekura, so I thought I would use Jae-suk first and then Yone at the key moments. Of course, if we were going to go all out, I thought it would be no problem to cut Yonekura first, but when playing against the Reds, there would inevitably be times when we would have to defend, and after playing as a side attacker for the entire 90 minutes, and then in the 120 minutes of fighting, Abe and Omori would be exhausted up front, and in a situation where only Kurata could play fully, I also wanted to use another Yone card there. So I cut Jae-suk first and put Yonekura on the bench, as she could be used as a side back or up front. class="r"/>

Q: There were no clear chances in the first half, but the Reds were the more aggressive side. Was that as planned, and were you able to watch it calmly?
A: There were a few good times when we got close to the goal, but we couldn't get a shot or finish with a cross. In the first half, I got the impression that Gamba's attacks were a little half-hearted. Urawa's attacks were frustrating because they had a lot of set pieces such as corners, but other than that, I thought they were able to concentrate and respond. However, both teams have players who can score in an instant, so I watched the first half with the feeling that no matter what happens, we just want to be ready to move immediately if the game starts to move.