On Tuesday, August 9th, the official press conference for the Suruga Bank Championship 2016 was held at Kashima Stadium, with Coach Ishii and Nishii from Antlers, and Coach Costas and Zapata from Santa Fe in attendance.
Coach Ishii: "We are delighted to participate in this tournament after winning the Nabisco Cup last year. I believe Santa Fe, our opponent, is a team representative of Colombia. South American teams have a high level of technical skill and play intelligently. We want to compete as representatives of Japanese clubs. This is Antlers' third appearance, and we want to be persistent in winning and achieve good results."
Nishi: "I've watched scouting videos and have a good understanding of our opponent's characteristics. There's a lot we won't know about how they'll play until the match starts, so I think it's important to be able to adapt during the game. I think this is a good opportunity to show a new side of ourselves against their techniques."
Coach Costas: "I came to Japan with great expectations. We didn't just come to participate in this important tournament, we came to win. This is a title that no Colombian team has ever won, so I want to win it and bring joy to Santa Fe and all Colombians. The team is in good shape and has prepared well, so our condition is good. I think it will be a very good match."
Zapata: "As a representative of the players, I can say that we came to Japan not as participants, but with the intention of being the protagonists. This title does not exist in Colombia. We believe we are the chosen ones. We are happy to be in Japan. We are also grateful for the wonderful hospitality we have received."