<Match Review>
Three days after last weekend's J1 League match against Kashima Antlers, we welcomed Sec. 5 of the Levain Cup group stage. Group E is a fierce competition with four teams tied with a three-point difference. The direct confrontation with the leaders, Gamba Osaka, has already concluded, but for Tokyo, it is crucial to win this match to accumulate points towards advancing to the Prime Stage.
With the match against Vissel Kobe in the J1 League coming up in three days, the squad has been organized with the busy schedule in mind. The goalkeeping duties have been entrusted to Taishi Brandon NOZAWA, who has played in every match of the Levain Cup so far. The center-back pairing remains unchanged from the match against Kashima, with Soma ANZAI at right back and Kashif BANGNAGANDE at left back. The midfield setup is the same three players as in the Kashima match. In the forward line, PEROTTI has replaced Teruhito NAKAGAWA.
1st HALF - While enduring the opponent's pace, waiting for the timing to counterattack
In the early stages, Cerezo Osaka set the pace. When they were able to play the ball vertically early on, they couldn't recover the ball and were taken to the finish. Although there were no opportunities to score, the situation shifted from a set play chance for Tokyo to a counterattack utilizing CAPIXABA's speed, leading to a finish, highlighting the struggles against the opponent's vertical momentum.
Tokyo wants to push back, but an incident occurred in the 24th minute of the first half when player Yoshifumi was substituted due to injury. The situation led to an early substitution.
Although they couldn't create a decisive moment, in the 39th minute of the first half, they quickly carried the ball to just outside the opponent's penalty area in a counter-attack. Shuto ABE's final pass was received by Diego OLIVEIRA in the vital area, and he turned and took a shot, but unfortunately, it went just wide to the right of the goal.
2nd HALF - A big save by Nozawa earns us 1 point
Tokyo, wanting to take control of the match, brought in Takuya AOKI for Keigo HIGASHI and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA for Diego TABA at the start of the second half. They aimed to change the situation by introducing fresh players in the midfield and forward positions.
This substitution changed the flow of the game, with Takuya Tawaratsumida repeatedly breaking through on the left side, creating scenes that threatened the Cerezo Osaka goal. In the 67th minute, they launched a quick vertical attack, and Takuya Tawaratsumida broke free from a through pass by Ryoma WATANABE, resulting in a one-on-one situation with the opposing goalkeeper.
For a while, Tokyo maintained possession of the ball and moved it within the opponent's half, but in the 35th minute of the second half, Kluivert dribbled the ball into the penalty area on a counterattack. A shot was taken from a position just in front of the left diagonal of the goal, but Nozawa reacted and deflected the ball that was aimed at the right corner of the goal.
Nozawa made a big save in the 41st minute of the second half. After being breached on the right side, a cross ball was sent into the goal area, where Leo CEARA headed it right in front of him. Although it was a shot taken in a free position, Nozawa managed to react just in time and deflected the ball without losing his balance to match the trajectory of the cross.
In the final stages of the match, fresh players were brought in to continue aiming for a goal, but they were unable to break through. The match ended in a scoreless draw.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Soma ANZAI/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (Substituted in 24th minute: Shuhei TOKUMOTO)
MF Keisuke KOIZUMI/Kengo HIGASHI (Substituted in 0th minute: Takuya AOKI)/Shuto ABE
FW Ryoma WATANABE (Substituted in 44th minute: Tsubasa TERAYAMA)/Perotti (Substituted in 29th minute: Koki TSUKAGAWA)/Diego Oliveira (Substituted in 0th minute: Kota TAWARATSUMIDA)
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Seiji KIMURA
GOAL
―
<Cerezo Osaka>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Hanbin YAN
DF Riku MATSUDA (substituted at 0 minutes: Leo SEARA)/Ryosuke SHINDO/Kakeru FUNAKI/Ryuya NISHIO
MF Haruki KIDA (substituted at 42 minutes: Chikara HARAGAWA)/Tokuma SUZUKI/CAPIXABA (substituted at 13 minutes: Reiya SAKATA)/Akira NAKAHARA (substituted at 29 minutes: Jordi CLUCAS)
FW Satoki UEJO/Mutsuki KATO (substituted at 0 minutes: Hayato OKUDA)
SUBS
GK Keisuke SHIMIZU
DF Tatsuya YAMASHITA
GOAL
―
[Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Coach Press Conference Comments]
Q, please provide an overview of today's match.
A, I think it was a very exciting match for those who watched the entire game. Both teams fought aggressively aiming for victory. In the first half, the opponent created more chances than us, but I don't think they completely dominated the match. Our defensive pressing was unclear, and that did not work well in the first half. One of our characteristics is intense pressing and quick transitions between offense and defense after winning the ball. However, that did not function well in the first half. Also, the tempo of ball movement was poor in the first half.
We brought in Takuya AOKI and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA at the start of the second half, and the adjustments made at halftime worked well, allowing us to play well in the second half. We had a long period where we were able to control the game, and I believe we played good football, aiming more aggressively for the opponent's goal. However, Cerezo Osaka also has high-quality players, including foreign players, so they created several decisive chances, but it was also an important point that we defended well and did not concede any goals.
I am very satisfied with Soma ANZAI's performance today. I believe that Tawaramizuki has proven his growth with each match. I also think PEROTTI has been playing well as time goes on. Taishi Brandon NOZAWA, who defended the goal today, also had a good performance, especially showing several decisive saves that saved the team. If we win the final match against Kyoto SANGA F.C., we have a high chance of advancing to the group stage in first place. In that sense, I want to go for a win in the final match.
Q: Please tell us what you know about Yoshifumi Kashi's injury at this time.
A, I am scheduled to undergo a detailed examination tomorrow, so I cannot say anything definite at this point. Of course, I hope it is a minor injury, but since the situation is unclear, I cannot comment.
Q: Today, the lineup was the same as in the league match, but could you explain the intention behind the member composition?
From the beginning of the season, I have told everyone that I want to win in the Levain Cup as well. Also, the return of injured players since the start of the cup preliminary league has had an impact. I believe that for young players to gain match experience and further develop, they need to play good matches. To play good matches, it is important not only to have young players but also to include experienced players who support them. If the team consists only of young players, the matches become unstable. Therefore, as was the case in the home match against Kyoto, I expect that blending experienced players well with young players will promote the growth of the young players. In today's home game, while utilizing young players, I also included experienced players to both secure 3 points and encourage the growth of the young players.
Q: What do you think was the reason for not applying pressure in the first half?
A, today we tried using PEROTTI and Diego OLIVEIRA simultaneously. Diego is not yet accustomed to playing on the right side, and PEROTTI also still has some adjustments to make to our defensive shape. Because of this, our pressing from the front line did not work well, and we often left the opposing defensive midfielder free.
One of our weapons is high pressing. I hope to make it a weapon for my team to apply high pressure, win the ball, and create chances from there. However, in the first half today, the pressing from the front line did not coordinate well, so it did not function effectively. There were also parts where the pace of play when we had the ball was slow. The players are gradually starting to play at a faster tempo with one-touch and two-touch, but it cannot be said that they are doing this consistently for 90 minutes; they are still in a growth stage. It is undeniable that the time they can do this is increasing, but the current situation is that they have not yet reached the level I expect. I can see that the players who are not used to this pace of play are making daily efforts in that regard, and they are undoubtedly improving their level every day.
[Player Interview]
＜PEROTTI＞
Q, please review the game.
A, I think it was not a bad match in terms of content, but I wanted to finish more calmly in the final part. After today's match, we have an important game against Vissel Kobe again this weekend. We want to recover well and face Saturday's match.
Q: The first half was tough, but what aspects were not going well?
A, there were many mistakes in the first half, and there were moments when our coordination was lacking. After finishing a not-so-good first half, we made adjustments during halftime, and I believe we were able to control the game in the second half.
Q, the substitution occurred during a period of aggressive play.
A, of course, I want to play for as long as possible, but it is the coach who decides which players take the pitch. Sometimes I start the match, and other times I come on as a substitute. Even when I am not in the squad, I intend to support and motivate the team to win. Even if I only play for one or two minutes, I will give my all to contribute to the team.
<Taishi Brandon NOZAWA>
Q: The play that saved the team shone brightly.
A, it was good to finish the match without conceding any goals in a game that leads to advancing to the Prime Stage.
Q: The first half was a tough battle for the entire team, but how did it look from the back?
A, I think the content was not good. We made adjustments at halftime, and in the second half, everyone played with the same awareness, including pressing from the front. I think it was good that we were able to properly correct the issues from the first half during halftime.
Q: Aside from the awareness of pressing, were there any improvements in the second half?
A, what the team has most consistently shared in recent matches is sticking to the team's style, not losing in one-on-one battles, and firmly showing the "fighting spirit" by running through to the end. Everyone feels that we need to show more of this "fighting" aspect in our play. Even from the back, I could see that everyone was working hard, and there were many plays where I myself was helped by the team.
Q: The one-handed reaction save saved the team.
A. It is not possible to defend perfectly in every situation, so we anticipated that such scenes would increase after the 15th minute of the second half. Since the match involved a lot of up-and-down movement in both offense and defense, we expected some defensive misalignments, so we were able to play without any panic at all.
Q: So far in the group stage, you have participated in every match. Does this also lead to proving what you have built up until now?
A, although today's match ended in a draw, I believe that being able to play under the tension of competing for advancement to the Prime Stage until Sec. 6 will be an asset in my professional career. If we had won today's match, the tension might have eased. I want to view playing with this tension as a positive and approach the next match as a team.
Q: Taishi Brandon NOZAWA, what are your thoughts on how you have fought in the Levain Cup so far?
A, Tokyo is only thinking about winning the title. I myself approach each match with a mentality focused on winning, and I believe I am able to grow with each game.
Q, depending on the result of the match against Kyoto SANGA F.C. in Sec. 6, the advancement to the Prime Stage will be determined. Please share your enthusiasm.
I want to play with the mindset of winning and advancing.
<Kota TAWARATSUMIDA>
Q: It has been a while since you last played. Did any of the other players say anything to you?
A, the surrounding players encouraged me to actively do what I wanted to do, assuring me that they would provide support such as covering. I was able to play with the awareness of initiating attacks, which is my strength.
Q, there was a scene where you took a shot. Please review the 45 minutes you played.
A, since I came on as a substitute, I felt a strong responsibility to do something for the team. Therefore, I was very frustrated that I couldn't finish it off.
Q: Today's results have kept the possibility of advancing to the Prime Stage in the final match.
A, it was good that it led to the next match. In the next match, I definitely want to win and advance.
Q: You have been coming on as a substitute frequently, and you have also been playing on the right side more often.
A, I just fulfill what I can do in the role and position given by the coach.
Q: Please share the challenges for the next match.
There are many issues such as the quality of the final pass, the quality of crosses, and shooting accuracy. I want to gradually overcome these challenges and become a top-class player.
Q: I have a feeling that if some results come out, a new door will open.
A, I believe what I lack the most right now is results. I want to achieve results and become a better player.
