Player comments can be found here

"FC Tokyo U-23 Tetsu NAGASAWA Manager Press Conference Summary"

"I think all the fans and supporters who came today watched the J3 match and then supported the J1 match. In the midst of such a schedule, I am truly grateful that you came to Nishigaoka. The supporters from Gunma are also enthusiastic, and I am grateful to be able to let the players play on such a good stage."

The match was, to put it bluntly, a competition lost in the area of the ball, and as a result, we conceded a goal within 5 seconds. That's the situation. The J1 League is a league of quality. The J2 and J3 Leagues are about the battle for even balls and the area of the ball. I think that if you have both of these qualities, you can reach a higher level.

Today, I think the Gunma players picked up about 60-70% of the second balls and balls in critical situations. Regarding that aspect, it is not about physicality, but about starting position, anticipation, and reaction. The starting point of the opponent's attack was not about connecting cleanly from the back, but rather about winning headers and then taking middle shots and other opportunities from loose ball battles.

We have young defenders, including a 16-year-old player, so it was a beneficial game in terms of confirming our "standards". We approached the game with the theme of "scoring more than 2 goals and winning". We were able to score 2 goals, but I think we conceded 4 goals because we were losing the battle on the ball side.

The reason why South American players can excel all over the world is because they are overwhelmingly strong in the physical aspect, and I believe that is the basis from which they enter into quality. From that perspective, this game was an opportunity to confirm where we need to place our "standards" and work on them.

It is important to make use of today's results. Regardless of age, we must overcome them. We want to work on both quality and other aspects with a strong awareness as a whole."