<Match Review>
Tokyo, facing a tight schedule with three matches in three days, played at home at Ajinomoto Stadium against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, who were in 10th place with a 3-point difference. This match was held as a "test match for vocal support operation," marking the return of fans and supporters' voices to Ajinomoto Stadium for the first time since the second match of the group stage of the AFC Champions League in the 2020 season against Perth Glory FC. With the significant support of the "voice" returning for the first time in two and a half seasons, Tokyo aimed for their first victory in four league matches.
1st HALF - Two goals from penalty kicks take the lead
Right from the start, Tokyo has a decisive chance. Leandro controls the ball just in front of the right side of the Sapporo goal. Before the opponent's pressure can mount, he strikes with his left foot, but the ball hits the right post and bounces back. Even as the opponent defends by filling spaces rather than pressing from the front, Tokyo advances the ball while positioning themselves in the gaps between players, penetrating near the opponent's penalty area. Although they struggle to connect on the final play and get a shot off, they repeatedly recover second balls and launch a strong attack.
When the opponent launches a counterattack, the first marker delays the attack and presses back from behind to regain the ball with a numerical advantage, returning to our possession. In the 19th minute, Kuryu MATSUKI reacted to a middle-range looping pass and broke into the space in front of the goal created between the Sapporo defenders. Matsuki controlled the ball and turned while unleashing a powerful volley shot, but it was blocked by a defender who desperately returned.
Although they were unable to create decisive moments while maintaining possession of the ball, they created a chance by pushing the opponent into their goal area and moving the ball in the 34th minute of the first half. Kazuya KONNO received the ball at the right corner of the penalty area, cut in, and took a shot, which hit the opponent's defender's hand, resulting in a penalty kick. In the 35th minute of the first half, Leandro converted the penalty kick into the left corner of the goal, successfully giving Tokyo the lead.
Continuing their momentum, Tokyo earned a free kick just outside the penalty area in the 45+3 minute of the first half. Leandro took a direct shot that hit an opponent's arm, giving them a second penalty kick opportunity for the day. In the 45+4 minute, Adailton took the kick, and despite hitting the left post, the ball went into the goal, extending their lead to two points as the first half concluded.
2nd HALF - The victory resonates in Ajinomoto, the "City That Never Sleeps"
The start of the second half was a situation where we were watching Sapporo's moves, but in the 6th minute, Adailton intercepted a pass from the opposing defender and broke through the center. As the opposing goalkeeper came forward, he scored with a looping shot to extend the lead. As the opponent pushed forward, Tokyo simply exploited the space behind to create chances. In the 7th minute of the second half, Matsuki made a diagonal middle pass to Konno, who broke through and aimed for the head of the advancing goalkeeper, but the shot was caught by the goalkeeper who had returned to the goal.
After expanding the lead, there were times when Sapporo.D maintained possession of the ball, but without panicking, they slid to the ball side and made sure not to allow any shots. On the other hand, once they regained possession, they avoided losing the ball easily, connected passes reliably, and advanced the game into the opponent's territory.
In the 26th minute of the second half, a player who was brought on midway through the second half got involved in a chance. Leandro's through pass allowed Diego OLIVEIRA to break free, and the ball was received by Kensuke NAGAI after a heel flick. Kensuke, who received the ball just in front of the goal, attempted to shoot after a feint to evade the opponent, but he couldn't hit the target.
As the match approached its final stages, Sapporo.D had longer periods of ball possession, but they maintained their shape compactly without rushing, filling the spaces, closing in on the ball side, and when it came to finishing, they threw their bodies to respond to the shots.
With the support of a 'voice' for the first time in about two and a half seasons, we achieved victory in the league for the first time in four matches.
MATCH DETAILS
＜F.C.Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jakub SLOWIK
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (42nd minute: Junya SUZUKI)
MF Kuryu MATSUKI/Keigo HIGASHI (42nd minute: Manato SHINADA)/Yuki KAJIURA
FW Kazuya KONNO (13th minute: Diego OLIVEIRA)/Adailton (13th minute: Kensuke NAGAI)/Leandro (26th minute: Ryo WATANABE)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Makoto OKAZAKI
GOAL
35th minute of the first half: Leandro (PK) / 45+4th minute of the first half: Adailton (PK) / 6th minute of the second half: Adailton
<Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Koki OTANI
DF Shunta TANAKA/Daihachi OKAMURA/Akito FUKUMORI (substituted at 0 minutes: Hiroki MIYAZAWA)
MF Takuro KANEKO/Takuma ARANO (substituted at 9 minutes: Kazuki FUKAI)/Tomoki TAKAMINE/Daiki SUGA (substituted at 32 minutes: Daigo NISHI)/Ryota AOKI/Yoshiaki KOMAI
FW Gabriel SHABIERU (substituted at 15 minutes: Shinzo KOROKI) (substituted at 32 minutes: Milan TUCIC)
SUBS
GK Kojiro NAKANO
DF Toya NAKAMURA
GOAL
―
[Interview with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA]
Q, please review the game.
A, first of all, I would like to commend our opponent Sapporo. It is a great honor for me to compete against such a distinguished coach. I am pleased to face a team that adopts an attacking game plan. Sometimes we will win, and sometimes the opponent will win. However, a match between two attacking teams is very exciting for the spectators. In that sense, I am happy and very proud to have competed against Sapporo, who employ an attacking game plan.
There is no need to separate the first half and the second half. I think the flow was the same throughout the 90 minutes. We had a game plan and aimed to press the opponent effectively. The three players up front also contributed to the press for the team. If we give Sapporo space and the ball, they will play well. Therefore, I believe that our solid defense led to the victory. The team was also able to defend compactly to avoid giving the opponent space between the lines.
When we had the ball, we anticipated that Sapporo would employ a man-to-man marking defense. Conversely, we aimed to take advantage of that by having players create space and others utilize that space, targeting runs from the second line. Today, we were able to express the play we expected, which allowed us to achieve victory.
Today, 18-year-old Kajiura made his league debut, and we are pleased that he played wonderfully along with the victory. Today, 18- and 19-year-old players lined up in midfield, and they are expected to carry the future of this club.
Finally, I thought it is beautiful and wonderful to have cheers in the stadium.
Q: It was a test match for vocal support, but how did you feel receiving cheers again?
A, two and a half years ago, in the opening match of the 2020 season when I was in charge of Niigata, I played only one away game against Gunma with cheers from the crowd. I hope to continue receiving support in the future as well. After all, having cheers is what football and entertainment are all about, so I hope that continues.
I am very happy to be able to hear their cheers directly, and I hope that this will be an opportunity for everyday life to return. I believe they were also shouting my name, and it reached my ears clearly. I am very pleased.
Q: Today was a victory after a month. There are many injuries among the defensive players, but do you have any thoughts on the team's composition?
A, I believe that a team is a living entity. Regardless of whether there are injured players or not, I think reinforcements are essential to revitalize the team, not only in summer or winter but throughout the year. Naturally, the better the reinforcements go, the higher the chances of victory. Regarding that, I expect the strengthening department to do a good job.
[Player Interview]
＜Yuki KAJIURA＞
Q: How do you feel looking back on your first starting lineup at Ajinomoto?
A, I am happy that my first start coincided with the resumption of supporters' vocal cheering, and we were able to achieve a 3-0 result.
Q: How did you feel when your name was called before the match?
I have watched matches at Ajinomoto Stadium during the A, U-15, and U-18 categories, and I believe Tokyo's support is the best in Japan. Receiving that cheering made me even more determined to give my best, and I am filled with gratitude.
Q: How did it feel when you were called by the supporters and did the 'Sha' after the match?
A, this time I want to work hard again so that I can score and do a genuine "Sha".
Q: I think there were many scenes where you effectively entered the opponent's box as an inside half.
I think this is the kind of play expected from an inside half, and in addition, I was required to be involved with the ball from behind. There are still areas to improve in terms of involvement with the ball, but I believe I was able to meet the defensive intensity expected of an inside half in that regard.
Q: You played almost 90 minutes with Higashi and Matsuki in the midfield. What was the relationship like among the three of you?
A, today we talked about sliding the three midfielders to cover defensively, and that was done well. Additionally, we deepened communication with fullbacks Nagatomo and Yoshifu, and especially in the first half, we felt we almost completely shut them out.
Q, I don't think there were any scenes where all three midfielders got caught by the opposing players and were shaken off.
I believe we were able to maintain the relationship where two players cover behind whenever one player goes out, and we made sure not to swap positions when someone went out. It's a simple task, but I think it's the most important, so being able to do that properly was a big factor.
I felt that you were focused as if it were your first start in the league.
A, I went all out from the start without thinking about saving energy, and it was about seeing how far I could go. The last 10 minutes were physically tough, but I want to get more involved in the game and overcome each challenge one by one.
I still think it was a match where I was helped a lot by the players around me. Everyone supported me by calling out and following up, so it was very easy to play.
<Adailton>
Q: Did you receive the penalty kick for the first goal from Leandro?
A, During regular practice, Leandro, Diego TABA, and I practice penalty kicks together. In today's match, Leandro took the first shot, so I took the second. Rather than being given the chance, it was as usual in practice, so I was allowed to take the shot. I'm glad I was able to score.
Q: I think we were able to connect good defense to offense throughout the match.
A, recently we have had a series of matches where we couldn't win, and there were times when we couldn't play the style of football we wanted. Even though we have our own style of play that we've been working on since the preseason before the opening, there were matches where we couldn't express it, but I think today we were able to show a bit of it. Also, it was good that we won with multiple goals.
Q: How was the cheer when the goal was scored?
A, in the matches so far, fans and supporters have come to the stadium even though they couldn't cheer out loud. Today, I really felt that the cheers pushed us forward. Also, the cheers after scoring a goal made me very happy.
Q: What kind of dance do you perform after scoring a goal?
A, When I was watching a video at home, my son saw that dance and told me he wanted me to do it if he scored a goal, so I did that dance.
Q: Where does that dance originate from?
A, This is a dance popular in Brazil.
Q: I believe Adailton's chant has been sung since the ACL in 2020, but how did it feel to hear it sung again in today's match?
A, it has been quite some time since we last raised our voices, but once again, I felt that having fans and supporters cheer and call out my name gives me a great source of strength. We want to do everything we can to the fullest and share the joy with everyone, and today's support really empowered us. It also became a trigger for us to move forward, so it was truly wonderful.
<Kuryu MATSUKI>
Q: How did you feel about connecting good attacks from defense?
A, I felt that the defensive positioning was good throughout both the first and second halves. Also, the intensity of midfielders Higashi and Kajiura was high, which I think led to good attacks.
Q, when Leandro dropped back, it was clear that the intention was for the inside half player to utilize him well.
A, as a team tactic, when Leandro received the ball, it was anticipated that the opponent would follow him, so it was thought that if he could shake off the defender alone there, it would create a chance, and he aimed for many runs behind the defense.
Q: There were also scenes where we could aim for a goal.
There was a scene where you could have shot directly.
Q: Do you want to continue to make aggressive plays in one-on-one situations as part of your characteristics?
A, there were several substitution scenes today as well, so I felt that we needed to fully capitalize on those opportunities and connect them to our attacks.
Q, the match against Urawa will take place in three days.
A, the next match will definitely not be an easy one, so I want to fight for a better result than today.
<Kashif BANGNAGANDE>
Q, please review the game.
A, as a team, it was good to get results, but personally, I couldn't show my best. In the first half, I spent a long time on defense and didn't have much time to move forward, so I wanted to push forward a bit more.
Q: You scored two goals in the first half against Sapporo, but both were from penalties. Do you feel that the match was evenly matched in terms of content?
In the first half, we were able to score 2 goals in a lucky way, and thanks to that, we got into a good flow, so it was great that in the second half we could press forward more and more.
Q: How was it playing with the support of fans and supporters?
A, since it was my first experience with the atmosphere after scoring a goal, having cheers made us more confident on the pitch, and there were also calls within the team to push even harder. It felt like we were being supported, and it was a refreshing sensation.
Q: It seemed like you were struggling against your opponent at the start.
A, we knew they would try to make a move during the pre-match scouting, and we prepared to respond accordingly. As a result, we did not concede any goals, but personally, I think I handled the start of the first half too lightly. We managed to regroup a bit in the second half, but I reflect on that as being too lenient. If we can't maintain the defensive level we showed in the second half from the beginning, we often rely on our teammates' help, and it would not be surprising to concede goals. We need to improve how we start the match.
