In the afternoon, an official press conference was held at Kashima Stadium, attended by Coach Oiwa and Player Endo.
Coach Go Oiwa:
"In any tournament, the first match is crucial. For us, it's not only the first official match but also an important game to set the tone for the season, so we want to go into it focused. We've analyzed the opponent, and I want to select the team members, including substitutes, based on our new players' capabilities. The players we're wary of at Shanghai Shenhua are their three foreign players; they are very strong and I consider them to be the core of Shanghai Shenhua. We will take proper care to manage them and then unleash our strength in attack. The players have been training and playing practice matches with great enthusiasm. The new recruits have also integrated smoothly, and their combinations are fluid. I believe they will be able to link up well with the existing players in the Shanghai Shenhua match, so I look forward to sending them out there. To advance in the tournament, we place great importance on our home matches. I believe that securing three points at home is extremely important for progressing through the group stage. Beyond that, we want to fight with the mindset of winning the match in front of us."
Player Yasushi Endo:
"I've known since last year that this day was coming, so I've been preparing for about two months to play in tomorrow's match. The other players are also well-prepared, and the new additions have brought good energy and a positive impact to the team. So, to achieve better results than last year, we absolutely want to win this first match."
From Shanghai Shenhua, Coach Wu Jingui and Player Li Shuai attended.
Coach Wu Jingui:
"I am delighted to be able to play against Antlers. They are known as a strong team, and we have played against them some years ago. We will approach the match with a challenging spirit. It's been seven years since we last played in the ACL, so we want to fight with renewed determination. We have trained diligently during the camp. Many players on our team have experience in the ACL, so we want to go into this match with that in mind."
Player Li Shuai:
"Shanghai Shenhua has been absent from the ACL stage for a long time. The team is highly motivated for this tournament. We want to show the spirit of Shanghai Shenhua in tomorrow's match."
After the official press conference, Shanghai Shenhua held their official practice at Kashima Stadium.
