Q: Last season, I think you made the decision to go inside on your own, but this season, are you given specific instructions on how to play depending on the opponent's position?
A, it's not about fitting everything into a mold, but they respect the ideas we have. If I were playing alongside Adailton, for example, they just tell me to make sure we don't overlap vertically. If I'm wide, Adailton should go inside, or vice versa, just to make sure we don't overlap.
Q: So, we are being told not to overlap in the same lane, right?
A, yes. It is often said that the players' sense of distance and lanes do not overlap.
Q: If we follow the principles, can we then proceed with our own judgment and expand rapidly?
A, especially in front of the goal or when attacking, we are told to break down with our own ideas. We also find it easier to do so, rather than being too confined to a specific style. If we are too restricted, we won't be able to handle situations when things don't go as planned, so we are allowed to do it freely.
Q: Although it is still early, are there patterns that are increasing as you continue to play?
A, I can understand the coach's message very well. However, I also understand that we have not yet reached the ideal form that Coach Albert is aiming for. The coach also says that soccer is not something that can be easily done, and we ourselves also realize that. However, I think that if we avoid overlapping lanes and value the distance between players, skillful plays and combinations will naturally emerge.
Q: Are practice matches also scheduled in Itoman, and is this where we can see how well or not well we can do against J.League clubs?
A, I think there are many things that can only be understood in a match, and I don't think everything will go well. I think there are more things that don't go well for me, but I think if I keep improving every time a challenge arises, I can play really good soccer and become a good team.
Q: Did your perception of care change due to last season's injury?
A, last season I didn't have much opportunity to see a trainer or get a massage, but since getting injured, I have been thoroughly checked and treated during this camp. I have also started to be more diligent in stretching before and after practice.
Q: Do you feel any changes or influences in your approach to your own body and your own play?
A, since I became a professional, I haven't had many injuries, so when I got injured, it made me think a lot. I don't play with fear of getting injured, but I have to prepare more overall, so I think I can smoothly get into the game.
Q: With the addition of Nagatomo and the participation of Kashif BANGNAGANDE, who played as a right-back, did you also play as a right-back? Do you still want to compete on the left side this season?
A, I hadn't really played on the right side before, so it was a completely new sensation and I had a lot of fun. However, I still have a desire to aim high on the left side, so I have a strong desire to play on the left side this season. But when I played on the right side, I often took up positions in the middle, so I think that experience will be put to good use on the left side this season.
Q: Will you be watching tonight's match of the Japan national team (1/28)?
Yes, I watch. I try to watch both national team matches and other football matches.
Q: Last season, you joined the national team and became a member of what Coach Moriyasu calls the "large group." Please tell us about your mindset as you aim to recover from your injury and strive for that.
I think that as a football player, I should aim to be a part of the Japan national team, and I also have that as my goal. This season, there is also the World Cup, so I want to be conscious of being able to return to the Japan national team and work towards that.
Q: When playing as a right full-back, how did you balance the use of your right and left foot?
A, when on the right side, there were situations where I absolutely had to play open, so there were moments when I used my right foot, but my strength is playing with my left foot, so I played by taking a position on the inside to make the most of that, and I tried to play using my left foot as much as possible.
Q: I think this year there will be more opportunities to play inside depending on the situation. Can't the experience of last season be applied at that time?
A, I don't have a particularly uncomfortable image of playing inside, so I think I can play in the flow, and I think I can make use of what I did on the right side last season.
Q: Coach Albert, it was said that he would entrust the final scene even if he asked for the movement of the basic lane, but maybe it was at the stage of putting in the base, and it was different from what I did in Niigata for two seasons because there were drawers. Do you feel that what you are trying to do is likely to develop further in the future?
A, even during practice, I think we have come to understand the type of football the coach wants to play. However, the current situation is that we have not yet been able to embody it. I think that when we are able to play the football that the coach envisions, we will be able to grow as individual football players and become a very strong team that is also well-rounded.
Q: I think this applies to both Tokyo and the Japanese national team, but there is also a discussion that formations are only starting positions even on a global scale, and once the kickoff is done, they become irrelevant. However, I feel that as the team improves, formations become less important. Do you have any insights on this?
A, as Albert Pobor, the coach, said at the end, it's about positioning yourself inside, and it's also about the role of a side back, which is similar to that of a midfielder. I think there will be moments where the midfielder will make runs behind like a forward. If we stick too much to the positional framework, I think it will be easier for the opponent to defend, so I hope we can become more fluid and break through the positional boundaries in the final attacking moments.
Q: In the past four seasons, I think you have learned from the former coach Hasegawa about solid defense and fast attack. What are you looking forward to in working on a different style under coach Albert?
A, I feel like I can become a better soccer player, or rather, my footwork is improving.
Q: There was a discussion about lanes and positions, but in this football, the full-backs are often required to be playmakers and have many roles. How do you feel about that?
A, the positioning of the side back is highly demanded. I am also told about how to hold the ball openly after receiving it. I think there are many situations where the attack starts from the side back, so I feel that if I don't take the helm, the team won't work well.
Q: On the other hand, what are the important aspects in defense and risk management that you are conscious of because you play an attacking style of football?
A, rather than retreating defense, it is a way of not allowing the opponent to attack by keeping the ball themselves, so I think they want to immediately regain the ball in the front line after it is taken away and make it their own ball. We have been doing the transition from offense to defense and high pressing from the front line since last season, but the way of pressing is different, so we are adjusting while matching what the coach is saying and on the pitch. Basically, I think the idea of pressing from the front remains unchanged.
Q: Even when watching practice, I think Coach Albert is conscious of switching, tempo, and speed. Is it required for both offense and defense?
A, not only attacking but also when switching to defense, the press is highly emphasized, and we are conscious of taking the ball from the opponent in that situation.
Q: Morishige has become the captain starting this season. What is your mindset in supporting Morishige, whom you admire?
A, does that person need support? (laughs) I don't think it's necessary for me to support him, and he has been a captain before, so in my mind, Mori Shige is the captain from the first year, so that image is strong. Diego, the vice captain, is the same, but each player, not just the captain, doesn't have captaincy, but I want to play with a strong awareness in my mind.
Q: Regarding Morishige's motivation to engage in soccer, he was talking about it. Is Ogawa also approaching training with enthusiasm, including him?
A, I think the players are also fresh in the new soccer, the practice menu will also change, and I think there are many difficult parts, but I think there is a feeling that each person can grow a lot in it.
Q, With this new style of soccer, I think the key will be the new players. What are your impressions of players like Kimoto and Henrique in the defense line?
Player A, Kimoto, is originally a player with good footwork, so I think he will get into Coach Albert's soccer. As for player Enrique, there are many Brazilian players on the team, so Diego and Leandro have welcomed him into the group. Since he is left-handed, I think our positions will be close and we have good communication there.
Q: There are also many new young players joining the team. How are the senior players who welcome them?
In Tokyo, there are few players in the middle age group, so I want them to play without hesitation and even be able to compete with senior players. I think it's okay for them to come aggressively from the camp.
Q: With Nagatomo also present, I think I won't be able to play in the game as a left back unless I win the position battle. What do you think about that?
A, basically, I am aiming for the Japanese national team, and since Nagatomo is the left back of the Japanese national team, I think we are ultimately the same. So, I think if I don't win, I won't be able to join the Japanese national team no matter how long it takes.
Q: Do you have any awareness of the Club World Cup at the end of this year?
A, it would be a lie to say that I am not aware, and I have a strong desire to participate in the World Cup, so I think this year is a chance, and I believe that this year will be an important year to take the position.
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