Head Coach Matsuda: "Looking at how the game unfolded, I think a draw was inevitable. Both teams had chances up until that point, and both had chances to win, but from our side, we really put our bodies on the line at the end, and we played the game without conceding a single goal, which I think is what ultimately led to our victory. Nobody gave up until the end. We persevered. And I have the impression that the substitutes fought alongside the starters to win the game, so either way, I'm grateful for the players' efforts, and I feel like they did an amazing job."

Q: What was your aim in substituting Wellington Alves Da Silva(WELLINGTON SILVA) at that time?
Head Coach: "After all, both side halves were starting to get tired after the consecutive games, and he didn't have many opportunities to play due to the foreign player quota, but when I watched him in training, he played very sharply, so I had high hopes that if we put him in at that time, he could do something."

Q: "Defensively, Higashiguchi made a number of superb saves, and I think having a stable player like him at the back makes it easier to form a defensive block. What is your assessment of Higashiguchi?"
Head Coach Matsuda: "There were many occasions where he really saved the game, and there's a saying that a good goalkeeper is one who wins the game, and I think that's exactly what he was today. However, I think it's the DF that got close to the shot and the defense from the FW that allowed Higashi(Higashiguchi) to make the save, and of course Higashi is great, but I think you can also say that, so I think it wasn't just him, but everyone won the clean sheet."

Q: "This is Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira's third consecutive full game, but considering his age, I imagine you considered substituting him midway through the game. What was the reason for keeping him until the end?"
Head Coach: "When I brought on Leandro (Matheus Sousa PEREIRA), I was really worried about whether to replace (Suzuki) Musashi or Pato (Anderson PATRIC Aguiar Oliveira), but he has a body that is almost indestructible, and even though he was tired, he was able to move in the end, win aerial battles, and after taking the lead, he went back and dealt with long balls himself. I think he has immeasurable physical strength, and considering his age, there were times when I had to make a substitution or have him skip a game, but I made him go through a lot of trouble, but I think he did a really good job."

Q: As you said, players who came on as Head Coach and players who had not been involved in the game until now are now able to get into the game and are also involved in the results, which I think is leading to momentum. Can you tell us more about that?
Head Coach Matsuda: "Yes, each of them has their own good points, so I want to believe in those abilities. And I felt that it was not just about believing in them, but that they could make the most of them, so I expect them to function well when I make substitutions at that position or at that time, but I thought they could do it when I watched the training, so I think they're doing it thinking that this is a given, and if the substitute players also aim to become regulars, I think we'll become an even better team."

Q: "Today, it was the first time in a while that the Gamba fans cheered out loud, and I think it was also the first time for the Head Coach to hear the fans' voices. What kind of encouragement did you feel?"
Head Coach Matsuda: "I think the players were probably the happiest, or rather, they were the ones who were given the most encouragement. This is a stadium where the distance between the supporters and the players is really close, and I'm really grateful that they gave us the strength to keep going when we felt like we were about to give up. There are times when we get a little lost or lose hope, but even at those times, we feel like we can't lose because they've fought so hard, so in that sense it was really reassuring."

Q: "Today, in the second half, you seemed to be chasing from a little bit forward, but in the first half, you didn't chase from the front and instead set up in your own half and waited. Was that a reflection of Fukuoka's characteristics?"
Head Coach Matsuda: "I think there are teams that are good at letting the ball go and teams that are not, teams that you like and teams that you don't like. Among those, we were playing away games and we had consecutive games, so I can only say that it was a tactic that we adopted after analyzing the situation."