Head Coach Katanozaka: "I wanted to get off to a good start in my first home game since I became the Head Coach of GAMBA OSAKA , and I wanted to win and share the joy with the fans and supporters, but it ended up being a disappointing result. Despite the bad ground, the cold, and the COVID-19 pandemic, many people came to watch GAMBA OSAKA's games and supported us, looking forward to seeing what kind of football we would play this season. I am also disappointed and sorry that we were unable to get the results we wanted and that we were unable to start the season with a win. Of course, it was difficult when Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira was sent off. And we had to play with 10 men against Kashima. In that situation, I think the players ran all the way to the end and played with everything they had. I will continue to appreciate that attitude in future games, and we also saw some areas that need to be corrected in today's game, so we will correct those and build on the football that is characteristic of us, GAMBA OSAKA, and fight to win at home next time and share the joy together."

Q: As the Head Coach said, before Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira was sent off, the team was able to create multiple passing routes and make moves to target the back of the opposing fullback, but how much of what you've prepared up until now do you think was shown in today's game?
Head Coach: "In terms of what we've been preparing for the Kashima match, I think the players tried. I think they challenged. However, we conceded two goals in the first half because we lost the ball and they countered, and then lost the ball in our own half, which was what we expected Kashima to do, so we had prepared to press and break away from them, but I think that this is the harshness of J1, where mistakes can lead to conceded goals, and that's something we still need to work on. There are areas where we need to try, and there are also areas where the players have to be resigned to, so we had to find a balance and figure out how we're going to fight. Kashima is very strong, so we chose the pitch in the opening game, and it was a long time since we'd last played, so there was a lot of tension, and we had a feeling of wanting to try something new this season, so I think there were some areas where we felt pressure. We'll try to stay true to that and not run away, and somehow challenge ourselves to make adjustments so that we can play better football than our opponents."

Q: "After Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira was sent off, we had a hard time creating chances, so what kind of solution did the Head Coach have in mind, such as switching to a four-back formation?"
Head Coach Katanozaka: "Around the 38th or 40th minute of the first half, Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira left and we were down to 10 men. However, there were about five minutes left at that time, so our first priority was to not concede any more goals. We focused on heading into halftime like this. At halftime, we were behind and going into the second half, so we aimed to somehow get at least one point, but we also tried to extend the one-point lead as much as possible and made some changes to the lineup in the second half."

Q: "I don't mind if it's difficult to answer, but what is Higashiguchi's condition?"
Head Coach Katanozaka: "If Higashi(Higashiguchi) was in good condition, I would have liked him to start in the opening game today and play at home, but he is not in good condition so he is avoiding it and he couldn't be on the bench today either, but I hope he will improve his condition as soon as possible, rejoin the team and become a force for the team."

Q: "It was a difficult game with one man down, but what do you think about the positive aspects of today's game? I think Yamami showed some good moves in the second half, even though he was outnumbered."
Head Coach Katanozaka: "First of all, as I said at the beginning, even when we were down to 10 men, the players were tenacious and ran until the end and gave it their all. I think that's a very important part, so I want everyone to continue to maintain that attitude until the end, and Yamami, who came on as a substitute, managed to create time with his speed and dribbling, and he got close to the goal and created chances, so I think it was a game where Yamami's strengths were on display, and I think he made attempts in a way that allowed him to contribute. Also, this may not be a good thing, but Kei ISHIKAWA really showed his presence as a GK. Until now, Higashi has often been guarding the goal, but even in that situation, Kei really prevented goals from being conceded and made big saves, which I think was a good thing that made it a tight game."

Q: "The starting three-back line-up was made up of players who are full-backs by trade, but what was the Head Coach's intention?"
Head Coach Katanozaka: "I chose these three players who were the best to take to the pitch in the opening match. It was a matter of tactics, and their condition, so I thought about it all together and chose these three players to try out. As for Ko YANAGISAWA, he usually plays on the right side, and I think this is the first time he has played on the left side of this three-back formation in an official match, so it may have been difficult, and of course that may have played a part in the second goal we conceded, but from what I saw in training, he played very boldly and made some tries, so we decided to try it out with him. There are various options for the lineup and positions of the three-back formation, and with the Korean player (Kwon) Kyung-won not yet in the team, I would like to choose the best three players while using players who are in good condition."