<Match Review>
In the last two matches, Tokyo has been away from victory and faced Júbilo Iwata at Yamaha Stadium. In the previous match against Sagan Tosu, both teams displayed a good game with tactics that did not give an inch. However, they failed to convert decisive chances, hitting the post twice, and conceded a direct free kick, losing points by a margin of one goal.
While focusing on the team's growth, Coach Alber emphasizes that victories are essential to accelerate this process, and made slight changes to the lineup from the previous match. Yuto NAGATOMO returns to left back, and Hotaka NAKAMURA is chosen for right back after two consecutive matches. The system has changed from a basic anchor to a double pivot with Takuya AOKI and Shuto ABE. Up front, Yojiro TAKAHAGI made his first start in the league this season.
From the early stages, Tokyo created opportunities from the sides, pushing deep into the opponent's territory while maintaining possession. Takahagi and Leandro appeared in the half-spaces between the center and the sides, receiving the ball in the gaps between opposing players, shifting their markers, and connecting to chances. Initially, there were moments when mistakes during build-up led to losing the ball and facing counterattacks, but after around the 15th minute, they were able to calmly keep possession. In the 17th minute of the first half, they capitalized on a coordination error during the opponent's attack; Takahagi used his body to send the ball forward, launching a 2-on-1 numerical advantage counterattack, but the final pass was off-target and did not lead to a shot. In the 27th minute, Diego OLIVEIRA broke through the right side, penetrating deep into the Iwata territory and passing backward, but it narrowly missed connecting with Takahagi, who had entered the goal area unmarked, and again no shot was taken. Chances continued to originate from the right side. In the 33rd minute, while circulating the ball and searching for openings, a cross was delivered to Diego, who was in front of the goal. He tried to connect with a one-touch while leaning his body, but missed the ball. They controlled the game by keeping possession, but after launching an attack, in the 43rd minute of the first half, there was a brief lapse. Although the defensive line was organized, the midfield failed to press back, and a simple one-two delayed the pressure on the ball, allowing Rikiya UEHARA to slip the ball into the right corner of the goal, conceding the first goal.
Tokyo, wanting to counterattack, brought in Kuryu MATSUKI in place of Takahagi at the start of the second half. As the second half began, Tokyo maintained possession of the ball even more than in the first half, pushing Iwata back. In the first half, attacks originating from the sides struggled to connect with finishes, but in the second half, attacks from the center led to chances. In the 11th minute of the second half, after a vertical pass from Makoto OKAZAKI initiated an attack, Abe reacted to Diego TABA's through ball, slipping through the gap between defenders and heading towards the goal. He faced a one-on-one with the opposing goalkeeper, but his shot was blocked by the advancing goalkeeper. In the 15th minute of the second half, they were caught out from behind as they pushed forward, and Makoto OKAZAKI was injured while sprinting, unable to chase after Fabian GONZALEZ, leading to a one-on-one situation with Jakub SLOWIK. SLOWIK was evaded, but the shot went wide of the target, escaping danger.
Tokyo, wanting to add some accent to their attack, brought in Kazuya KONNO, Ryoma WATANABE, and Adailton one after another. Then, in the 33rd minute of the second half, the substitutions paid off. With the ball at his feet in an open position on the right side, KONNO made a dribble and cut in along the penalty area. Attracting several opposing players, KONNO passed to Adailton, who was free on the left side. As the opponent's pressure was delayed, Adailton controlled the ball and slotted a shot into the top right corner of the goal to equalize. In the 40th minute of the second half, Diego and WATANABE executed a one-two return in the vital area. Diego broke into the space near the right side of the goal and took a shot, but it was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper. Tokyo intensified their offensive in search of a comeback, but in the 43rd minute of the second half, they failed to clear an attack from the side and allowed Naoki KANUMA to score in the penalty area, giving up the lead.
Maintaining an attacking posture until the end, including 6 minutes of additional time, we pressed the opponent against their goal but could not score. Despite having long possession of the ball and controlling the match, we failed to capitalize on decisive chances. With just three days until the Levain Cup match against Avispa Fukuoka, we will prepare as a united team once again to change the flow in the match against Kashiwa Reysol on May 21.
[Interview with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA]
Q, please review the game.
A, first of all, I would like to commend Iwata's victory. In the professional world, scoring goals is the most important thing. I think we controlled the game for a long time, but we failed to manage the risks well during our attacks and made mistakes. In the first half, those mistakes led to two dangerous counterattacks by the opponent. From those, the opponent scored a goal.
After that, I think we were able to press the opponent more and create multiple chances as time went on. However, there were shortcomings in our finishing ability. Also, there were several mistakes where we lost balls that we should not have lost.
As time progressed with the score tied, our defensive mistake led to Jubilo Iwata's second goal, causing us to drop a point.
In today's match, I think we created more clear scoring opportunities than our opponents. However, soccer is not a sport where the number of chances matters, but the number of goals scored. Each team fights by sticking to their own playing style; Tokyo played with Tokyo's style, while Iwata aimed for victory by utilizing counterattacks.
I firmly believe that our playing style is one that brings great success to the club over a long period. Although we haven't won in the last three league matches, if we abandon our playing style just to aim for victory and try to gain points through more direct play, we cannot expect growth. I believe in this playing style, and I stick to my convictions for the sake of that growth.
Today's loss is painful. Both the players and I feel anger. Our wonderful fans and supporters continue to patiently support us even when we are defeated. Fans and supporters with different characteristics might criticize the team, focusing primarily on results, especially when wins are hard to come by. However, our fans and supporters warmly watch over the team's growth and support us even in defeat. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude.
Recently, I believe our fans and supporters have been suffering due to our inability to win. In that sense, we feel pain in not being able to deliver victories to our fans and supporters. However, we are still ranked near the top of the standings. We must not forget that. I believe Tokyo is a club that must always aim to be among the top ranks. I hope we can achieve that in the near future.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Makoto OKAZAKI, who performed well until midway despite having knee pain. I hope the center backs who are sidelined due to injuries will recover as soon as possible. There is no secret to success. Even after a loss, we reflect, reset our mindset, and prepare for the next match. There is no other way.
Q: You used a regular triangle, an inverted triangle, and a midfield shape. What was your intention behind this?
A, I think Iwata is a team that tends to give the ball to the opponent. Also, they have a strong tendency to defend by dropping their block. Since we anticipated that we would be pressing for a long time, we expected (Yojiro) Takahagi to play in the gaps. We also had to be cautious about Iwata's response to long balls and their recovery of second balls, so we started with a double defensive midfield setup to focus on recovering second balls.
On the other hand, when we were losing, we had to take more risks and go on the attack, so we returned to our usual positions.
[Player Interview]]
<Adailton>
Q, please review the goal scene.
A, from the moment I received the ball, I was able to imagine cutting in and taking the shot, so I'm glad I was able to score the goal just as I had envisioned.
Q: After scoring a goal, didn't you have various feelings?
I have played for a long time with a team called Júbilo Iwata, and through both good and bad times, when I scored a goal, various emotions welled up and many memories came flooding back.
Q: What are your thoughts on playing at Jubilo Stadium?
A, I still feel like it's my own home, and although I came back today as an opponent, I was able to stand on the pitch with the feeling as if it were my home.
Q: The team has suffered three consecutive losses.
A, of course, this three-game losing streak is not a result the team wanted, and it is not a positive thing, but I believe that in the process of growth, there are times when things do not go well. We will never lower our heads, and we want to prepare well so that we can finish the next match with a solid victory and play a good game.
<Yasuki KIMOTO>
Q: Do you think it was a good match even if we ended with 1 point?
A, I wanted to secure at least 1 point away, and I think the defenders should have held on at 1-1. Mentally, I believed we could push for another goal, but we conceded a goal too easily, so I think it was a match with a lot of reflection.
Q: There have been injuries among the center-backs, and the difficult situation continues. How are you handling it?
A, I believe that only we who are playing can change this result, and the fans and supporters gave us very positive support today as well. I truly think that we have no choice but to change this result ourselves. Since there is also the Levain Cup, this is not a dead rubber match, and we definitely want to win at home to grow together and carry that momentum into the league matches.
Q: It was a difficult flow in the first half, but how do you reflect on the match?
A, although the opponent played defensively and we couldn't create many attacking opportunities in the first half, we had better chances in the second half. However, the ability to finish is something we need to improve to win going forward, and personally, I want to increase the accuracy of passing from the back.
<Shuto ABE>
Q, please review the game.
A, we conceded a goal on the counterattack in the first half, and I think we made the situation difficult for ourselves.
Q: It felt like the switch was a bit slow when we conceded the opening goal.
A, I felt that the transition after losing the ball was slow today. Regarding the goal conceded, if we had switched quickly and been able to suppress them in the front line, I don't think we would have been counterattacked, so I feel that this aspect was not good today.
Q: I think changing the system in the second half created a good flow.
A, we returned the system to its usual form, pushing forward continuously, and I also had a one-on-one chance. However, I couldn't convert that opportunity, and as a result, we conceded the go-ahead goal.
I feel responsible for today's defeat, and I was reminded that if we don't capitalize on such opportunities, this kind of result will happen.
Q: The second goal was frustrating.
Regarding the second goal conceded, it was my responsibility. I got caught up with the opponent and lost sight of the ball, which ended up at my feet. They took advantage of that and scored. If I am going to be in that position, there is no point unless I clear the ball, so I truly think it was an unnecessary goal conceded.
