<Match Review>
The third match against Urawa Reds in the three-match series with clubs participating in the AFC Champions League has arrived. In the previous match, Tokyo faced Vissel Kobe, where they allowed an early goal in the first half but regrouped in the second half to score three goals and achieve a comeback victory. They gained significant confidence in terms of performance as they approached this home series.
Due to the back-to-back matches with only three days in between, there were slight changes in the member composition. Henrique TREVISAN was used as a center-back in place of Yasuki KIMOTO, who had participated in all league matches so far. Kazuya KONNO was positioned as the left winger instead of Adailton. On the right wing, Kensuke NAGAI, who assisted the equalizing goal in the previous match against Kobe, was included.
Tokyo showed high intensity from the start, maintaining possession and pressing toward the Urawa goal. Although they struggled to create clear finishing opportunities, they moved the ball at a fast tempo to push the opponent back. Even when Urawa applied intense pressing from the front line, Tokyo maintained positional advantages and carefully escaped the press with few touches. As they found it difficult to reach a finish, Urawa gradually gained more possession time. In the 22nd minute of the first half, when pressed near the goal, David MOBERG closed in and shook the net, but the goal was ruled offside. In the 33rd minute, a cross from the right side was headed by Hiroki SAKAI at the far post. Jakub SLOWIK was unable to react, but Morishige, covering the goal, cleared the ball to safety. The closest Tokyo came to the Urawa goal in the first half was in the 40th minute. Nagai broke through the right side at speed, dribbled close to the goal line before the opponent could recover, and delivered a grounded pass into the box. Diego OLIVEIRA connected with a one-touch shot, but it was blocked by the opposing defender, denying a goal. In the final stages, Tokyo increased ball possession and took control, but could not break down the opponent to score, and the match went into halftime.
Even after entering the second half, both teams shared ball possession. Tokyo managed to carry the ball near the opponent's penalty area, but their plays just before finishing did not connect, and they couldn't take a proper shot. On the defensive side, around the 21st minute of the second half, they faced a dangerous situation when the opponent launched a counterattack and took a shot near the goal. At the 26th minute of the second half, Tokyo conceded a free kick from a central position in front of the goal, but Takahiro AKIMOTO's shot aimed at the upper left corner was met with a big save by Swoboda. Tokyo, wanting to change the game with substitutions, brought on Hotaka NAKAMURA for Kuryu MATSUKI at the 19th minute of the second half, Hirotaka MITA for Ryoma WATANABE at the 29th minute, and Keita YAMASHITA for Nagai at the 36th minute. Struggling to create chances, at the 38th minute, Adailton took a shot from mid-range, but the curved shot that targeted the goal was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper's defense. At the 40th minute, Adailton delivered a cross from the left side, and while contesting the ball in the penalty area, YAMASHITA attempted a jumping volley on the rebound, but it went over the goal.
In the latter stages of the second half, there was a period of being pushed back, leading to a tense situation. However, the team responded with resilience, sliding together to deal with the lateral ball movement, locking down the goal and closing the match at 0-0. The three consecutive matches against ACL teams resulted in 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, providing challenges for harvest and growth over the nine days. The series of matches continues, with a Levain Cup match against Shonan Bellmare on the 13th, followed by an away game against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in the league on the 16th.
[Interview with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA]
Q, please review the game.
A, I think today's match had several shifts in momentum. It wasn't that the flow was different between the first and second halves; rather, throughout the 90 minutes, there were alternating periods dominated by Tokyo and Urawa. I believe it was a more tactical, more European-style match today. It was an exciting game with chances for both sides. And both teams' goalkeepers did an excellent job. Both played aiming for victory, and I think it was a very evenly matched game. In that sense, a result where one side scores and wins would not have reflected the flow of the match, so a draw was a fair outcome.
From the start of the second half, we brought Adai (Adailton) onto the side, aiming to take advantage of the space behind the flank. During the second half, we substituted Kuryu Matsuki with Ryoma Watanabe as the attacking midfielder, intending to control the game better. However, Ryoma got injured, which slightly disrupted our game plan. In any case, the players gave their all on the field. Among them, I would like to comment on the outstanding performance of Yuto NAGATOMO. He was very focused and delivered excellent defense.
I also told the players directly that being frustrated by not being able to win is, in a way, a positive thing. Regardless of the match content, always having a hunger for victory is wonderful. Our project has only been underway for three months. Despite that, I am proud of the team for being able to play a closely contested match against Urawa, a team that has been working on positional play for over a year. And Urawa is one of the teams representing Japan national team in the ACL. As a Japanese team, we wish them success in Asia.
Q: It seemed that the formation in the midfield had changed. What kind of strategy is this?
A, we felt that Urawa would play dangerously through the center. In the match against Kobe, there was also a period when we struggled as they broke through the central midfield in a similar way. Taking that into account, we decided to defend with a double defensive midfielder approach. Today as well, Urawa's forwards and attacking midfielders dropped back to play on the opposite side, and the wingers came inside aiming to create a numerical advantage in central midfield. To respond well to that, we defended with a double defensive midfielder approach. To maintain defensive stability in central midfield, we had to defend more cautiously than usual and couldn't press forward as much. There were times when we ended up conceding the ball to the opponent in that way. In attack, we played with a 4-3-3 formation.
[Player Interview]]
＜Adailton＞
Q: You came on in the second half. What instructions did you receive, and what did you focus on while playing?
In the first half, we were under pressure from the opponent's front line, making it a difficult situation. We were instructed to use the space and regain our rhythm, and we focused on that. Although we managed to regain our rhythm, it is very frustrating that it did not lead to earning 3 points.
Q, I think there were many times when plays were initiated by Adailton.
Team A, Urawa, attacks by using the space in the center, and there were many periods when they used that space. However, after gaining possession of the ball, we focused on attacking the space behind or on the sides where the opponents came out, so the ball often gathered on my side. Next time, I want to connect this to scoring a goal.
Q: How has the team's growth been so far?
A, the area where the team feels the most growth is in possession. There are still challenging aspects, but I believe we are improving day by day and will continue to get even better from here.
Q: What is the biggest difference you have felt so far?
A, I feel that positioning is the most different compared to before. Since we have the ball for longer periods, it has become easier to understand where my teammates are and where the passes will come from, making it clearer where I should position myself. I hope to improve match by match and continue to grow further.
<Henrique TREVISAN>
Q: You are sharing the center-back position with players Morishige and Kimoto. Can you tell us about this competition?
A, I believe there should be competition within the team, and that competition helps the team move in a positive direction. Today, I was given a chance, and I feel positive looking back at the entire match that I was able to finish the game without conceding any goals.
Q: I believe that Henrique is expected to play to his strengths with his dominant foot. Do you feel that you are able to utilize your characteristics with your current usage?
A, the current answer to the question is "No." I believe my build-up play using my left foot can still improve, and I think I have not yet reached the level to effectively break down the opponent through build-up play. Considering that I will get better from now on, please allow me to answer "No" for now.
Q: It has been three months since we started, do you feel any growth during this period?
A, regarding the team's growth, the build-up has improved, and we have become able to properly execute what the coach demands in each match. Also, the transitions. These two areas are where we feel we have grown the most, and at the same time, by improving the quality of these two aspects in every game, we feel the team's growth through the good matches we are able to play.
Q: What was the most concerning aspect of Urawa's attack today?
A, Urawa's attack was dangerous with effective use of central space and attacks that utilized the center forward's speed. We focused on firmly intercepting balls in the center to close down the middle and maintaining concentration for 90 minutes to avoid giving any chances to break through the space behind.
Q: When watching Henrique's defense, I get the impression that he stretches his legs out at the last moment or uses his body to block.
A. As a defender, the goal is to prevent the team from conceding goals, so I believe one of my characteristics is to never give up until the very end and to throw my body out to block shots.
<Yuto NAGATOMO>
Q, it was a tough match, but please review the game.
A, Since the temperature was like this during consecutive matches, it was a tough game, but everyone defended firmly and there were parts where we could attack well. However, we also felt many issues again, so we will properly fix them. We are still a developing team, so we want to improve even more together.
Q: How was the matchup with Hiroki SAKAI, who also plays for the Japan national team?
A, Hiroki SAKAI has returned, and I was motivated and excited thinking, 'It's a matchup.' It was a really tough match, but I enjoyed the 90 minutes playing against him today.
Q: Please tell the children watching about the appeal of being a full-back.
A, Hiroki SAKAI is once again a wonderful player. The full-back position has a lot of responsibilities and involves a lot of work behind the scenes. I believe it is a great position because running for the team in unseen areas can lead to the team's victory, so I definitely want children to try playing as full-backs.
Q: In the matchup with player Sakai, both of you were tough on the ball.
A, he was coming at us aggressively. He is definitely a good player. He's strong in one-on-one situations, has good positioning, and was really tough to face. I didn't want to lose, so I played while watching Hiroki SAKAI. Although midfield players also came in between, making some situations difficult several times, I think in the end we all defended well together.
Q: I think the fatigue must have accumulated quite a bit during the three consecutive matches, but how was the overall condition of the team?
A, the three consecutive matches plus today's heat were extraordinary and surprising. However, I think the team was able to do what we could even under these conditions. That said, if we can increase the time we hold the ball and extend our own time, improving our possession, I believe we could have created more chances, so we want to work on that aspect.
Q: How is the team's atmosphere?
A, we have been able to practice very well and the atmosphere is good. I think the situation is excellent. If we continue like this, it will surely lead to the growth of the team, so we just have to believe and keep going.
Q: Please share your enthusiasm for the upcoming Levain Cup and league matches.
A, I want to work hard to connect the good attacks by correcting the issues that came up today and secure 3 points.
<Kensuke NAGAI>
Q, please review the game for the last match of the three consecutive matches.
A, it was hot. It was a closely contested match where either team could have won with a single goal, and I believe that if we can score from set pieces in games like this, the team will improve even more. We managed to secure 1 point, so I want to take that positively.
Q: I think we were able to effectively use the sides while maintaining possession of the ball to attack.
A, we had some challenges in pressing forward in the second half, so there are issues to address. However, we want to improve and make adjustments to be able to attack more from the sides like we did in the first half.
Q: Towards the end of the first half, we broke through the right side and created a chance.
It was good to coordinate with Diego, but since we couldn't get through easily, I want to increase the number of attempts, and I think the whole team needs to create more time to press forward.
Q: Were there any gains that will lead to the next match?
A, I was also playing defense differently than usual, so I want to get better at that. I think various defensive methods will come up as we play through the long season, so I want to master each one and grow while winning.
Q, many fans and supporters rushed to Ajinomoto.
A, it was the best. It had been a long time since I felt this way. I want to make sure we finish with a solid win, and I was thinking during the match today that it would be even more enjoyable if the fans and supporters could cheer out loud.
