"Sei MUROYA"

"I want to see it as a positive point 1."

(It was fun to watch, but?)
... I was exhausted (wry smile).
I think it's because there were many counterattacks and chances for the viewers to watch.
However, it was a challenging game, or rather, a game with many involvements in the goal, so it could be said that it was enjoyable in that sense.

What was tough?
The final stage, as expected.
Everyone must have been tired, and it was tough to be isolated in a high position on the side.
There is also the impression that Sapporo.D made a good substitution by bringing in a defensive player as a wing back when they were in a good flow and were cleverly done.
"I want to be able to show more "differences" even in such situations."

"Keigo HIGASHI"

"Whenever we play against Coach Petrovic's team, it always becomes a tense and competitive game."
Did we have a good game today?
I want to take the fact that we didn't lose positively and grow to be able to win in games like this in the future.

As for the attack, we were able to not only start from the sides but also create opportunities in the center.
However, Sapporo.D also showed great effort until the end, and I felt that they were the strongest opponent in terms of defense that we have faced so far.

Until now, we have often conceded goals in such situations, but everyone has also been united in their determination to not lose. Isn't that a sign of growth as a team?
Of course, it was also significant that player Ao Lin ZHANG stopped it.
Defensively, it was a gain that we were able to contain players with height and strength such as FW Jay, MF Tokura, and Hiroshima's FW Patric.
I think we were able to respond well by not using our bodies to compete strongly and by suppressing the source of the play in the previous play.

"Summary of Tokyo - Kenta HASEGAWA Coach's Press Conference"

"It was a very intense game."
There were chances, so of course we wanted to take all 3 points, but Sapporo also had players who could score, so it can be said that not losing to the 3rd place team is a plus, and it was a disappointing game to end with only 1 point.
However, I think it is important for the league to continue playing games like this, so I want to take the fact that we were able to earn points at home positively and prepare for the next game.
On Wednesday, there is also the Levain Cup. Although we have already been eliminated in the qualifying round, it is the final home game, so first and foremost, we want to prepare for it with all our might."

《Q&A》
Q=I feel like they didn't get much space, which is a characteristic of their speed.
"The game opened up in the middle of the second half."
I think there was a chance to make use of our weapons at that time, so if we could have taken advantage of it, the situation would have turned out differently.
Of course, Sapporo.D also analyzed themselves and were cautious of the speed of the two forwards. I think that was Sapporo's motivation for today's match.
However, Omori received the ball just in front of the two top players and was able to create chances multiple times. There weren't many big chances for the two top players, but the other players around them were able to effectively utilize their driving force and create scenes that threatened the goal. In the future, we need to develop the ability to finish as a team."

"Summary of Sapporo Petrovic's press conference"

"I think Tokyo has become a very disciplined team."
I thought it would be a difficult match as they come up with counterattacks utilizing their speed from a very good defensive position.
I don't consider defensive tactics to be my style for the top clash between the 2nd and 3rd place teams in Tokyo. That's why I started Jade NORTH, who has just recovered from injury, at the top and approached today's match with an attacking formation. I think both teams played a good game. We both worked hard, played at a fast pace, and fought for the ball.
The score was 0-0, but I think it was a very impressive match.
I think the final result of a draw is appropriate.

《Q&A》
Q: Did you feel like you were able to effectively contain Tokyo's top two players?
"We are a team that builds up attacks from the back. So, if we lose the ball, we knew the opponent would try to counterattack from there."
The message conveyed during this week's training is how important it is to switch gears after a loss.
I think it went relatively well in terms of giving time and space for today's match.