<Match Review>
Three days after the scoreless draw in Osaka, Tokyo faced a tough opponent once again in Kansai.
Vissel Kobe, currently ranked low, is filled with players of high individual ability. On the opposing front line, there is none other than former teammate Yoshinori MUTO. The confrontation with his ally Masato MORISHIGE was the hot point of this match.
Can Tokyo correct and improve the high number of ball losses seen in the early stages of the last match against Gamba Osaka? Furthermore, Kobe is currently increasing their playing intensity and shifting to a faster vertical style of football. Along with valuing possession, not losing intensity is also an important aspect that Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA always emphasizes. Can Tokyo win the battles for the ball? That was also a key point.
1st HALF――Conceding two goals in quick succession, a difficult situation Against Tokyo's basic formation of 4-3-3, Kobe deployed the same system. Naturally, there were many one-on-one situations across the pitch. When Tokyo regained possession, for example, on the right side, Kazuya KONNO took up wide positions, while Yuto NAGATOMO made runs into the half-space inside. Additionally, left winger Ryoma WATANABE also made fluid movements to advance into the center, trying to disrupt the opponents.
However, this was all in situations where the ball was brought into the opponent's territory. In this match, Tokyo continued to struggle to evade Kobe's high-position defense from the early stages.
In the 11th minute of the first half, Yasuki KIMOTO managed to win a header from a cross by Kobe's right back, Iino, but Tokyo could not control the floating ball that became a fifty-fifty situation. Although Kono reacted to the ball that was cleared outside the penalty area, he was dispossessed by Sakai just before, and with that momentum, the ball was passed to Kobe, where Yamaguchi scored with a powerful right-footed shot from distance.
Tokyo had its first chance in the 20th minute of the first half. On the right side, player Konno dribbled and passed the ball to player Abe, who then delivered a final pass to Kashif BANGNAGANDE, who appeared on the opposite side. The advancing left back took a shot with his weaker right foot, which went over the crossbar.
Just as Tokyo was starting to find its rhythm, they suffered a painful second goal. In the 25th minute of the first half, from the opponent's right corner kick, Matsuki's kick was met by Kikuchi's powerful header that shook the goal net. Conceding from a set piece, especially with a shot that went over the heads of Morishige and Kimoto, was a bitter blow.
In the 38th minute of the first half, a short counterattack was initiated after cutting off an opponent's pass in midfield. Several players were involved, and Konno took a shot, but it did not go in. Tokyo often showed mistakes during their attacks and ended the first half still trailing.
2nd HALF――Despite multiple substitutions, Leandro's goal remains the only one In the second half, Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA brought in Keigo HIGASHI and Adailton from the start, adding stability in passing to the midfield and introducing momentum and creativity to the front line for a counterattack.
In the 4th minute of the second half, Adailton powerfully faced forward and took a right-footed shot to initiate the attack. Higashi spread the ball left and right, and Kuryu MATSUKI and Watanabe also had more opportunities to receive passes higher up the field than in the first half.
Adailton aimed for a powerful long-range shot in the 20th minute of the second half, closing in on the Kobe goal. One minute later, from a right corner kick, Morishige won the header at the near side. However, this unfortunately went just outside the right post.
Here, Luiz PHELLYPE and Leandro come on as substitutes, enhancing the attacking intent. Higashi's passing ability becomes even more effective, with Watanabe acting as a connecting point for his teammates, while foreign players with technique and power move towards the goal. As both teams gradually enter a phase of stretching, it seemed that Tokyo's attacking power would be showcased.
However, the build-up play in their own half, which was pointed out as an issue in the previous match, became a problem again. In the 31st minute of the second half, Seiji KIMURA came on and the system was changed to a three-back formation, but there were multiple passing mistakes in their own half until the end, preventing them from fully utilizing the strengths of their attacking players. In the 44th minute of the second half, Leandro scored a goal to respond, but they were unable to make use of the five minutes of added time and the match ended.
Maintain possession of the ball, take the appropriate position while observing the opponent's movements, and attack. The positional play that coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA aims for is undoubtedly a "commitment that requires time." Although the direction they aim for was glimpsed in this match, Tokyo is facing a dilemma as they have become the target of the opponent's press and are unable to connect the ball effectively.
They fought with all their might, but there were no smiles. The players' expressions reflected the difficulty of the reality they faced.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jakub Słowik
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (31 minutes into the second half: Seiji KIMURA)
MF Koki TSUKAGAWA (21 minutes into the second half: Leandro)/Shuto ABE (0 minutes into the second half: Keigo HIGASHI)/Kuryu MATSUKI/
FW Ryoma WATANABE/Diego Oliveira (21 minutes into the second half: Luis Felipe)/Kazuya KONNO (0 minutes into the second half: Adailton)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Hotaka NAKAMURA
GOAL
45 minutes into the second half: Leandro
<Vissel Kobe>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Hiroki IIKURA
DF Nanasei IINO (substituted at 32 minutes: Ryo HATSUSE)/Ryuho KIKUCHI/Mateus TUREL (substituted at 26 minutes: Yuki KOBAYASHI)/Takahiro SAKAI
MF Hotaru YAMAGUCHI/Leo OSAKI/Yuki KOBAYASHI (substituted at 26 minutes: Yuta GOKE)/Koya YURUKI
FW Daiju SASAKI (substituted at 9 minutes: Tetsushi YAMAKAWA)/Yoshiki MUTO (substituted at 32 minutes: Noriyuki FUJIMOTO)
SUBS
GK Daiya MAEKAWA
MF Takahiro OHGIHARA
GOAL
11th minute of the first half: Yamaguchi / 25th minute of the first half: Kikuchi
[Interview with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA]
Q, please review the game.
A, in the first 20 minutes of the first half, we were unable to press effectively from a tactical standpoint and lacked the fighting spirit, allowing the opponent to take control. It was not the form we had expected. We must balance not only ball possession but also defensive pressing to express the level of play we aim for. In the previous match, we lost the ball frequently at the start and struggled to perform well. While that was an issue, today a different problem emerged at the start, specifically with pressing. After conceding two goals, naturally the opponent fought to secure all three points, while we found ourselves needing to recover the match from a 0-2 deficit. As time went on, our play improved, but I believe our reaction was too slow. Today, the main issue was more about the fighting spirit than tactics. The opponent, being in a relegation battle, showed a strong desire to win at all costs, but we failed to demonstrate a fighting spirit that matched that. Afterwards, we made various tactical adjustments to bring out better play, and I think it functioned to some extent.
[Player Interview]]
<Leandro>
Q: There was a wonderful goal at the end. Do you feel that the counterattack was a bit late?
A, we conceded 2 goals early on. It was a match where we had to play for a long time from a 0-2 situation. It was a very difficult match to score even one goal.
Q: This season has reached 6 matches. What kind of play do you want to show again?
A, I intend to approach all remaining matches with the goal of winning.
Q: Today was an away game, but it was a match where vocal support was allowed. Did you hear the cheers from the fans and supporters?
It was an away game, but we sincerely appreciate you coming all this way. The cheers from the stands reach us, and we believe those cheers will continue to make us stronger.
<Keigo HIGASHI>
Q, please review today's game.
A, fundamentally, we have to outperform the opponent at the base level, and I believe that is important no matter what kind of soccer we play. Although it is difficult with consecutive away games, I feel there is more we can do, and I approached the second half wanting to change those aspects. It would have been better if the content improved more, but we scored one goal in the second half; however, the result is disappointing.
Q: It seems like we were slow to get back a point.
A, yes. It’s a matter of “what if,” but I think it’s important to limit the goals conceded in the first half to just one, or to prevent the opponent from scoring in the final moments even in difficult situations. Regardless of the style we aim for, we want to focus on that.
Q: It seemed like the opponent was targeting the area next to the anchor in the first half.
In the second half, with the opponent having scored two goals, our way of playing changed from the first half. There were parts we were able to execute well in the second half, and we want all the players to share this and prepare for the next match.
Q, another match will come in three days.
A, next is the match at National, so the entire club is trying to build up excitement. We need to play a match with renewed determination, and no matter what style of soccer, the pressing and what needs to be done will not change. If we don't do that, it won't make sense, so everyone will discuss it, and as veterans, we will lead the way, raising motivation and aiming to do even more.
<Kuryu MATSUKI>
Q, please review the game.
A, we had a poor start to the match, and the coach pointed that out as well. Since we were not satisfied with the first half, we decided to press hard from the front and aim for goals.
Q: We scored a point, but I think the counterattack was too slow.
A, that's right. If we had been able to make the third player's movement after attacking the flanks, the opponent would have taken a different position, and I think we need to improve the quality in front of the goal even more.
Q: I think the movement towards the front has increased compared to the Gamba match, but I believe we are still a little short of reaching the goal.
A, we need to continue improving in that area, and since we are in a position to aim for the top spots in the few remaining matches, we want to make sure to improve steadily starting from practice.
Q: Given the consecutive matches, was it difficult to adjust your condition?
A, I don't think there are any players who use their condition as an excuse. We will create the best condition possible to win the next match.
Q: The coach mentioned that there are issues with the press.
There were various misalignments in the front line, and the way the coach intended us to press was somewhat different from how we actually pressed during the match. In the second half, we were able to apply more pressure from the front line, but it would have been better if we had done that from the first half.
<Seiji KIMURA>
Q: How did you feel about the match when you watched from the outside and then participated, looking back on it overall?
A, at halftime the coach said, "We are not competing well for the ball." The impression from the first half was that Kobe outperformed us in areas other than tactics. It was frustrating because we know that the players gathered here can do better based on their usual training and other matches.
I think we were able to compete more aggressively for the ball in the second half, and we didn't concede any goals. We were also able to score one goal to come back. I believe the mental aspect shows in those moments, so I felt once again that everyone must demonstrate that mindset from the start of the match.
Q: You came on as a substitute in the second half, but what were you focused on as you entered the match?
A, recently during practice we have been working on the 3-back formation, so I was able to focus on positioning during build-up and defensive coordination, and I kept that in mind going into the match.
Regarding aspects not related to tactics, in the early plays, the two long balls intended for Matsuki and Nagatomo that ended up as mistakes were due to individual quality. I believe I need to improve myself more and prepare so that even when coming on as a substitute, I can deliver from the start.
Q: The opponent was applying pressure from the front, did you feel the pressure?
A, I do feel the pressure, but if you ask whether I usually train under that kind of pressure, that's not the case. I think it was a situation where we could definitely compete just by improving our spacing and creating passing lanes. I felt that we need to share that image more clearly.
Q: The next match will be at the Japan National Stadium. Please share your enthusiasm for the upcoming match.
A, I believe there will be an opportunity for me at some point during the consecutive matches, and I am always preparing for that. If that chance comes next, I will just give my all in the plays I usually perform. We haven't been able to win in the last few games, so if I can keep a clean sheet and lead the team to victory when the opportunity comes, I think the option to start me from the beginning will become stronger. I will always aim for that, continue preparing, and strive to earn it.
<Kazuya KONNO>
Q, please review the game. I felt there were many scenes where we created opportunities from the side.
A, I think we should have been a bit more aggressive in defending from the front right after the match started, but it didn't quite work out, and then we retreated a bit and got scored on there. We need to improve on that.
There were also scenes where I created opportunities by starting plays on my own, but since the opponent is also preparing countermeasures, I think if I can increase the patterns of both initiating plays myself and using my teammates a little more, the range of our attacks will expand.
Q: I think there were difficulties due to the humid weather.
A, there was the unique humid heat of Kansai, but that can't be used as an excuse. Regardless of that, we all agreed to go at it from the start, but after we couldn't press from the front midway through and conceded two goals, it made the game difficult.
Q: The opponent was actively defending from the front.
A, the build-up was not as smooth as usual, and that needs to be improved. I haven't watched the footage yet, but I want to review it carefully, discuss what should have been done, and approach the next match accordingly.
Q: The next match is against Kyoto at the National Stadium.
It is rare to play a match at the National Stadium, and I think many fans and supporters will come, so I want to get into good condition, prepare countermeasures against the opponent, coordinate from practice, and aim to win properly next time.
<Masato MORISHIGE>
Q, please review the game and how was the defense part?
A, I think we became too heavy at the back. It was a part we talked about before the match, but we were hardly able to be aggressive. I believe it’s just a matter of slight coordination, so there is room for improvement there.
Q: What were you careful about in terms of defense?
At first, before the match, we talked about being a little cautious of the space beside the anchor, as we didn't want it to be exploited. However, since that approach didn't generate defensive momentum, we decided to not worry about it and to go forward to win the ball even if it was used a few times. This was discussed with the midfield players before the game.
Q: It seems that you haven't been able to move forward for a while.
It was the same in the match against Shimizu, but if we worry too much about the two midfielders behind, we lose our strength of defending from the front line, so I realized that again today. Based on that, I want to think about how to fight in the remaining matches and move forward.
