Head Coach Katanozaka: "I wanted to give our fans and supporters a win at our first home game on the weekend, and celebrate with them, but unfortunately it ended in a disappointing result, and I'm really sorry that we couldn't win. I think we didn't do as well as we had prepared for today's game, especially in the first half. I told the players to just concentrate and get into the game early on, but I think that conceding goals like that made it a very difficult game. In the second half, we were really disheartened by conceding two and three goals, but the players didn't give up until the end and kept trying to score, and I think they fought to get the points. I think it was great that we were able to close the gap to one point. I want to continue with that attitude, but I feel that we still need to improve on how we fought in the first half, how we conceded goals, and our tenacity in those areas. It's very disappointing that we couldn't get any points against the very competitive and strong Fukuoka team, and I'd like to work hard together with the players from here on out so that we can get some revenge, even though we're playing away from home.

Q: "I think you were wary of the opponent's aerial battles and counterattacks before the match, but it seemed like you were slow to react. What kind of countermeasures did you have in mind?"
Head Coach Katanozaka: "I think they're strong, and Fukuoka has some very speedy players up front, so we've been preparing our attacks and movements to eliminate the little things that could change the way they steal the ball, or lead to those goals being scored, but also in terms of aerial battles, whether Fukuoka has Juanma or Lukian up front, and Yamagishi is also very strong in aerial battles, so we've been scouting those things and communicating them to the players. In that respect, I think the reason we haven't been able to surpass Fukuoka yet is because we're lacking in battles, including aerial battles, and in that kind of movement."

Q: "In terms of movement, perhaps because we were wary of the opponent's counterattack, the attacking players did not have enough courage to put the ball into dangerous areas or to advance into them. What do you think about this, Head Coach?"
Head Coach Katanozaka: "The players were really motivated in training this week, and they showed their desire to win this match against Fukuoka, but I think there are still some areas where I need to improve, such as my own approach to the players. I'm also a little bit resigned to the fact that I need to make sure that the players' power isn't halved, so that they can concentrate on playing with all their might."

Q: "One of the things they tried this week was to have Okuno drop back to the back line and have both fullbacks take up higher positions, which I think was something they've never done before. Was that an attempt to push back Fukuoka's flanks?"
Head Coach Katanozaka: "Yes, Fukuoka's defense mirrored ours, so we wondered whether they would come in with a 3-4-3 or a 4-4-2, but we started with a four-back formation, and we analyzed how they would move and what kind of pressure they would tend to apply when they did, and we did it with that aim in mind when it came to positioning."

Q: Of course, the team is not just about Usami, but now that we are facing a tight-pressing opponent and no one to entrust the ball to, I think we need to improve our attack. What do you think?
Head Coach Katanozaka: "There are players who are not here (due to injury), players who can't play, and there's nothing we can do about them, so I don't really want to talk about (Usami) Takashi, but of course if Takashi is here, I think he will be a great asset, and I hope he returns as soon as possible, but we have to think about how to turn today's game into a win in his absence, so we will do our best with the healthy members and the members who are there, and try to use their power to play a winning game."

Q: You mentioned earlier that you weren't able to let the players show their full potential, but today the starting lineup looked a little different than usual. Do you mean that this was the reason things didn't go smoothly?
Head Coach Katanozaka: "Yes, that's true. We had a strategy for today's game, but it didn't seem to work very well, whether it was defense or offense. I wonder if that was due to the system, the players' concentration or attitude, or tension or mental issues. I personally think that the players really put their heart into their training this week and the warm-ups before the match, and I think they were well prepared, but we weren't able to express that well in the first half, and I think that one of the reasons for that is that our strategy and strategy didn't work."

Q: "You've been able to score goals from power plays, just like in the previous game, but as a team you haven't been able to score from anything other than power plays. How do you feel about that?"
Head Coach Katanozaka: "I have presented the players with how to attack in order to create chances. However, it is also a matter of how the players feel about it, and of course there are also factors such as the opponent's defense and how they will approach. I think there will be times when the preparations we have made don't work out at all, so even when that happens, I think we need to create a form in which the players have the power to aim for goals without hesitation."