Head Coach Katanozaka: "Today's match against Hiroshima was one of the games that was postponed on Wednesday after Hiroshima tested positive for COVID-19. Hiroshima had three days off, while we had two, and our team situations are completely opposite. Hiroshima is on a winning streak and on a roll, while we are suffering from a losing streak and are very frustrated. It was a Wednesday night game. The only thing that stood out was that, in the midst of the J-League match today, and in the situation we are in, we were able to keep a clean sheet and get three points against a strong Hiroshima team, with the goal of winning today. The players really stepped up, and I think they fought well, working hard and staying focused until the end, playing the kind of football we are trying to play. I'm really grateful to the players. And even in that situation, the players really played with a sense of unity, determined to win at home. I hope that this attitude will continue to lead to good results like this, and that we will be able to fight tenaciously until the end. Our next game is against a strong opponent, Urawa, at home, with only two days to go, but we will prepare well so that we can share the joy at home again. It's a tough series of games, but we will prepare ourselves to play a game we can win.

Q: "It looked like you weren't chasing the ball too far into the defense, but that worked really well and you were able to create a lot of short counterattacks. What did you tell your team?"
Katanosaka, Head Coach: "When it comes to how deep we press, the players on the pitch have discussed how we will press when we go for pressure, and we have prepared. When we can't do that, we have prepared by presenting how we will defend, and I think the players communicated among themselves about whether to go or not, and whether they could go or not, and they coordinated that. As for short counterattacks, I think it was great that we were able to do that, and while we have goals for the future, I think that continuing to play good defense and good offense, as well as hard work, will lead to winning games."

Q: "In the Sapporo match, we had a hard time keeping the ball calmly, but I think it was a big help that we were able to create that kind of time in this match. What areas did you improve in?"
Head Coach Katanozaka: "As you say, one of the reasons for this is that we were able to keep the ball moving well in today's game. Hiroshima has a tendency to play 3-5-2 in regular league matches during this series of games, so we prepared for 3-5-2. However, depending on the flow of the game and the members who came out, we also expected to play 3-4-3. Before the game, some members came out and tried to move a little in a way that we could adjust to the 3-4-3, and I think that worked well. It worked, and the players were also brave enough to move and work hard in attack while taking their positions well within that aim. In particular, the movement of Shota FUKUOKA, who started for the first time in a while, was good for the team, and I think that being able to keep the ball moving well there also led to good attacks."

Q: As Head Coach Katanozaka said, Fukuoka was very effective, not only moving the ball but also getting into the center. Was that the reason you chose Fukuoka?
Head Coach Katanozaka: "Yes, we need to have the ball, so we have fresh members here, and in the match against Hiroshima, Shota (Fukuoka)'s offensive strengths will come to life. He has also been trying hard in training to improve his defensive skills, which have been a bit of an issue for him, so if Shota can fit in well at this timing, he will be a great asset, and I hope that by playing well here, he will be able to move on to the next stage and grow, so I have him play in the areas of attack and tenacity in defense."

Q: "The term 'high pressure' tends to take on a life of its own, but I think it was a result of the efforts being made to connect the ball, and with Sakamoto deployed up front, he was able to hold the ball well, making it easier for the back line, and I think he was functioning well beyond just scoring goals. Please tell us your evaluation of him and your aim in deploying him."
Head Coach: "In defense, we need to organize when to go for high pressure and when not, and we need to put out power. If we can get the ball in the high position of the opponent's territory, it will lead to a counter attack. That's what I want to aim for in the future. If we can't do that, we need to make sure that all 11 players are in sync. The ball we get becomes ours, and as we saw in the Sapporo match, we lost it and couldn't connect it well. Today, Shota FUKUOKA and Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira were playing consecutive games up front, so we talked with the staff and decided to use Sakamoto after watching the training. His strengths are that he can be the starting point for the front line, and he also has the ability to get through the back and his speed. I think he tried to do that task himself, and I think he really helped the team, and he made a great contribution by scoring a goal. He's not satisfied with this, and I think there are still many issues he needs to grow in, including his potential, and I want him to challenge himself more and more, including in his daily training and preparation, so that he can become a regular player, and I want him to try and win in the competition at Gamba's front line. "