'Clash' With PSM Makassar Tomorrow, Ryo Matsumura Can't Wait To Show Persija's Defense Capability

Persija player Ryo Matsumura (right) faced Persebaya player Alwi Salamat (left) in the match entitled "Anniversary Game" at Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium Surabaya, Sunday (18/6/2023) afternoon. (ANTARA/Moch Asim)

JAKARTA - Persija Jakarta's new player Ryo Matsumura can't wait to play in front of his club's loyal fans, Jakmania, in the first match against PSM Makassar, Monday, July 3. Ryo last season defended Persis Solo with a record 11 goals and six assists from 28 matches played. But while defending Persis, he has never played against Persija. "I watched a lot of Persija matches and knew that the players played in front of a lot of fans. It was a good motivation. I hope to show my abilities in front of them and I am confident I can win the game against PSM as long as we can show confidence and play together," said Ryo at a press conference ahead of Persija's match against PSM, in Jakarta, Antara, Sunday, July 2. Ryo considered that he and his Persija team-mates were ready for tomorrow's match because they had been undergoing thorough preparation for more than a month. "In my opinion, we are undergoing good preparation for the new season. And we had a good time for one month, in terms of tactics, physiques, all of them were trained by Coach Thomas. And we enjoyed very much in that one month. In addition, we also did several pre-season matches. And I hope to show a good performance in front of Jakmania tomorrow," said the Japanese player. Ryo's arrival was also greatly appreciated by Coach Thomas Doll who felt that the player could play in more than one position and would be very helpful in the attacking sector. "So he's not really a winger. In my opinion, he can play in the middle, in the half position, also near the goal. He can work near goal, he scored a lot of goals last season. He's very quick to think about the next situation," said Coach Thomas. Persija will host PSM at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Jakarta, on Monday (3/7) night, at 19.00 WIB and is the closing match of the first week of Liga 1 season 2023/2024.