TOKYOism

[Interview with Coach Albert]

Q, I think I told the players to increase their pace during halftime of the Shonan match. What meaning was included in those words?
In positional play, the positioning of each individual becomes important. Even if you have a good position, it will be difficult to disrupt the opponent's defense in the appropriate shape if your play speed is slow. In other plays that are not positional play, for example, the speed at which the player moves to lose the opponent's mark may be more important. However, play speed is essential for us to function well. In that sense, we emphasize the concept to the players. I think play speed has a strong correlation with decision-making speed. You must make the appropriate decision before receiving the ball. I think it is slow to judge after receiving the ball and looking around.

Q: Do you think that in the future, it will be important to increase the pace of play while maintaining possession of the ball, as you have been able to gain an advantage in matches against strong opponents by taking the initiative?
A, the speed of switching between the moment of stealing the ball and offense and defense is important, and even in the case of slow attack, it is important to take a proper position and the play speed is important when breaking through where the opponent has created a block. If you can increase the pass speed, the opponent's defensive block will shift. This allows for effective offensive construction, but it takes time to incorporate it into the team. I think it will improve with repeated practice and games.

Q, it seems that Yokohama often passes the ball with three players, the goalkeeper and the center back.
A, many teams have been building up from the back with three players, the goalkeeper and the center-back, for quite some time, so it is not something new. By involving the goalkeeper and circulating the ball among the three players in the backline, field players can take up positions higher up the field, increasing the potential for numerical advantage in the midfield and forward areas. On the other hand, the fact that the goalkeeper actively participates in the build-up also means that there is a high risk of leading to decisive goals in case of mistakes. I think it is a very effective option, but it also involves various risks. In Niigata as well, in many cases last season, we built up with three players, including the goalkeeper. I think there are times when it works well and times when it doesn't.

[Player Interview]
＜Player Masato MORISHIGE＞

Q, are you confident that the team can approach the new style of football with peace of mind, despite finishing 5th in the league and 2nd in the cup group?
A, the minimum is that the results are out. We still feel that we are far from the style we are aiming for. We want to increase the number of moments when we play in our own time and with intention.

Q, I think there are times when the members and opponents change with each game, and things don't go well. What are the current challenges?
A, I think our passing accuracy, decision-making ability, and pace of play are still lacking as we continue to move the ball with our intentions during the game. It is important for us to have options and solutions for each pattern of attack from the opponent, and I believe that accumulating experience is necessary.

Q, April is packed with 7 consecutive matches, but we want to take advantage of having games one after another to enhance the team's maturity.
We will have strong matches against teams in a league three-game series starting from April 2nd, and first of all, we want to confirm how far we can go against them. We expect challenges to arise, but we want to finish April by growing as a team while utilizing them in the next match.

Q, it is said that there are challenges in the 3 consecutive games, but I think it is a good opponent to test the growing momentum.
By playing against various opponents, I think we can identify the areas where we are lacking and the areas where we are effective. Until now, we have managed to cope with individual abilities, but now we need to strive for team completeness. I believe we need to improve our completeness.

Q, at halftime of the Shonan game, I think you were told by Coach Albert Puig Ortoneda to increase the pace of play. As for Mori Shige, what specifically did he show in terms of pace of play and how was it implemented on the pitch?
A, the Shonan game was a situation where we could hold the ball. If we are satisfied with that and focus on holding the ball, the game will not progress. It is a new style to score points, so even if we hold the ball, the opponent's defense is not afraid if we do not increase the speed of passing. In that sense, we had to quickly take the ball to the opposite side, shake it left and right, and take advantage of the opponent's gaps. I think there was a comment from the coach (at halftime) that we were satisfied with just holding the ball in the back.

Q: You often partner with player Kimoto as a center back, and both of you have excellent ball control skills. It seems like the receiving side is actively showing their face. Do you feel that the team has improved from the first camp until now?
A, Kimoto is originally a player with excellent technical skills at his feet, and even by watching the previous matches, he can deliver vertical passes to the midfield and forward line, so if he can do that from both center-back positions, I don't think the opponent can focus on defending. I think the opponent will also be confused by having variations in how to act when starting from the center-back and facing forward in the midfield.

Q: What do you keep in mind when playing as a center back? What is necessary to smoothly move the ball?
A, the player behind needs to read one or two steps ahead and assemble. I feel that it is necessary to come up with ideas and coordinate with midfielders and side players, and if we make adjustments one by one while exchanging voices with each other, we can smoothly move the ball automatically. I think there are many knockings now, but I want to improve through mistakes and experiences.