February 26, kick-off 13:00 at City Light Stadium
Fagiano Okayama 0-0 Shimizu S-Pulse
First Half 0-0
second half 0-0
Number of visitors 15,695
■ Directed by Takayuki Kiyama
More than 15,000 people came, and I’m glad I was able to fight the home opener. We wanted to get 3 points, and we were able to show that we could get 3 points, but we want to do our best in training so that we can turn that into a solid result.
It was time for us to attack with the momentum and pressure of the opponents at the start of the day, but once we started holding the ball firmly and pressing, we managed to develop the game as we had hoped. I managed to close in on the opponent’s goal several times, so it was a first half where I wanted to convert those chances.
The second half was played evenly, and when the game became open, there were times when we were exposed to the individual strength of the opponents, but we could see many things like that, such as not losing at the ball. and win back through change. I want to take it positively and make an effort with everyone so that it can be linked to the next one. I don’t think it’s a bad game at all.
(There is also vocal support.) Ever since I came to C-sta as an opponent, I thought there was a good atmosphere in the stadium. Now, I am encouraged by everyone’s support. They also created individual chants for the players, and I think they chose songs that would probably appeal to men and women of all ages. There is no joking with the opponent, which is really great. The atmosphere of their serious support for us was wonderful, and I felt once again that it felt good to be doing it.
■ Futaya Kimura
This was my first initial omission, but I didn’t think too much of it and thought it would be the same as usual. My motto this year is to have fun playing football, so I went on the field with the hope that I could be more aware and connect that with the results. I was able to create a scene where I could get out from the back and dribble, and there were parts where I could feel the reaction.
I had myself one chance today, and I had to take it to the shooting point. From the next section onwards, I would like to take this even further.
The ban on singing has been lifted, and there were many people who came to the end of last season, but I was not in a position where I could stand on the field, so it was a boost to hear so many cheers today. I think it has led to I want to continue to show my strengths and work hard from daily practice so that I can become a player who can lead the team to victory.
