Head Coach Poyatos: "I think it was a really difficult match, and the styles of Gamba and Hiroshima collided. There were times when Gamba had the flow, and times when Hiroshima had the flow, so I think it was a really balanced match. From their perspective, they had no time to recover, and they had to fight in a series of games. I think we were in a better situation than them this time, and I think it was a match that the fans enjoyed, too. I would like to take this opportunity to say that as long as Gamba continues to fight, we need to continue to show the fighting spirit and grittiness that we showed in this match, and I think that showing that kind of attitude led us to advance to the top four. The match may not have been pretty, but I think it was a really gritty match."

Q: After we were tied, we had a hard time making any progress even though we had the ball. What do you think was the reason for that, Head Coach Poyatos?
Head Coach Poyatos: "Well, if I had to answer one question, I think we struggled because it was Hiroshima. It's not easy to play from the back against Hiroshima, and they have a really good Head Coach and an established style, and they've been playing the same way for several seasons, so I've always thought they're a really great team. I was well aware that playing against a team like that would be really tough, and I think it would be difficult to avoid that, but I'd like to analyze what needs to be analyzed and make corrections for the next game."

Q: "Among them, I think the momentum suddenly shifted after you brought in Usami, Fukuda and DAWHAN. Was the reason you waited until that point to bring them on to finish things off, or was there another intention behind it?"
Head Coach Poyatos: "Well, rather than aiming to score, I thought that even if we conceded a goal, the game would remain open until the very end, so rather than making substitutions to score, I had always thought that there would be a moment when the opponent would drop, so I had the impression that I wanted to make an impact with a substitution at that moment. So I thought that those three players could make an impact, so I brought them on. Hiroshima also brought on Arai and then Paciencia, but our aim was more to wait for the moment when the opponent would drop and make an impact there. I'm grateful to the staff for being patient and planning the substitutions, including those points, and of course, I'm saying this now because we won. If we had lost, I might have said something completely different, but I would like to take this opportunity today to thank the staff for their great efforts."

Q: "Finally, please give us your evaluation of Kishimoto."
"Yes, like all of my players, I love him very much, and I've known him for many years, so I think of him as if he were my own child," Poyatos Head Coach.