Q: "I think the game unfolded differently in the first and second halves, but in the second half you were being pressured by the opponent, so what was your impression when you made the substitutions? Also, I think Watanabe lived up to expectations, but how do you evaluate him?"
Head Coach: "In the second half, we received more pressure from the opponent than we expected, and we had little time to get the ball. As instructed at halftime, the midfielders were too involved in the build-up, and there was no one in the center of the opponent's half, in front of the penalty area, so I think that was also a factor. We were thinking about making an early substitution to bring the momentum to our side when it was the opponent's time, but with the humidity, we didn't know when we would get tired, so we held back a little."
We were a little unsettled up front, so we wanted to bring in Watanabe, and we were counting on him to do that. ADEMILSON Braga Bispo Junior also carried the ball on the left wing and provided a great assist at the end, so I think he did a very good job. Watanabe has been in good form in practice recently, and he showed a lot of sharp balls in shooting practice and game-style sessions, so there was a feeling that he might score a goal in one of the games, and today he scored a great shot like that, which was a big thing for the team.

Q: As a result, the FW and front line players were replaced, but when Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira is in better form, he has the image of being a very competitive player, so I think he is far from his best form. Please tell us what you expected from Head Coach and the Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira front line players.
Head Coach: "As for Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira, I expect him to receive the ball with his size after Ui-jo breaks through, or to get behind the defense, and in today's match I gave him the task of receiving the ball from Endo behind the defense. His condition seemed to be improving in the Levain Cup, but today he had trouble with the ball and was slow to react in areas where he is good at heading, so I substituted him early."

Q: "Right now, Usami tends to drop back a little, so you'll likely be left alone at the front. What are your expectations of Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira?"
Head Coach: "It depends on how things develop, but our first priority is to get behind the opponents, but then we can push the opponents back a bit, or collect rough balls, so our midfielders can face forward and play. In the meantime, we want to create time for the wingers to come up, and we're looking for players who can collect the ball, especially players like Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira and Watanabe.
As for Usami, he also plays a little further back, and today we started with Usami a little lower, and of course we make him aware of getting behind the defense even though he is the second FW. However, if we could have created more opportunities in the midfield today, with Onoe and Kurata making diagonal runs, I think we could have created more dangerous situations in the first half.

Q: "Fujiharu played half of the match in the U-23 match recently, and played the full match today. What do you think of his performance, and what do you think of Susaeta's performance?"
Head Coach: "Fujiharu only played 45 minutes in the Kumamoto match, so we practiced together this week and judged how well he could improve before selecting him. I think that in a four-back formation, it is essential for the SB to attack, and I think that timing and frequency of attacking was particularly high in the first half. We were pushed back a little in the second half, so there were fewer scenes like that, but I thought it might be difficult to play 90 minutes, so I sent him out. However, he really showed such a passionate play until he collapsed at the end, and I think that was a play and performance that was conveyed to us and the supporters who came here, and there is no doubt that his absence is leading to our difficulties this season, so it ended up with him returning home a little early, and although it is true that if he had another week, it would have been better in terms of condition, I think he handled it well."
I was thinking about how to use Susaeta, but I sent him out because he was good at going into the space when there was space, and because he was good at blocking Cuenca in the wing defense. It must have been really difficult for him to get into this game after only a few days of training, but I think he will improve even more if he practices properly again.