Match Review
Finally, the blue and red army has returned to Ajinomoto Stadium. Peter Tokyo showed resilience by coming back from two deficits in the opening match against Cerezo Osaka, earning 1 point with a 2-2 draw. The opponent in the home opener is Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who started the season with a victory by showcasing their high level of performance against Urawa Reds. The game aiming for the first win of the season kicked off at 15:03.
The starting eleven has two changes from the Cerezo Osaka match. Masato MORISHIGE joins as a center-back, pairing with Henrique TREVISAN, while new signing Keita ENDO is utilized as a left winger, making his debut in blue and red. Teruhito NAKAGAWA, who knows the taste of winning the J1 League, stands alongside the attackers on both sides.
1st HALF - Showing defensive and counterattack posture, scoreless into the second half
Tokyo, wary of the opponent's intense pressing from the start, sends the ball forward without taking risks even after winning it deep in their own half. The first chance comes in the 9th minute of the first half, when Endo carries the ball centrally with a dribble across the pitch from the left side and spreads it to the right side. There, Kashif BANGNAGANDE, waiting at the far side, takes a direct volley with his left foot from the cross by the overlapping Yuto NAGATOMO. Unfortunately, it goes just over the goal, but they show an aggressive attack with the left back connecting with a cross from the right back.
In the 19th minute of the first half, the opponent broke through the right side with a counterattack, and Kato took a shot after cutting in, but it hit an opponent player and went wide, escaping danger.
Tokyo wants to take control of the pace, but they face another crisis in the 23rd minute of the first half. They allow a powerful direct volley from a large left cross at the far side, but Go HATANO makes a sharp reaction to stop it. Furthermore, the loose ball is picked up and shot, but this time, Yoshifumi KASUO makes a brave block to protect the goal.
In the 34th minute of the first half, a quick attack from the left side creates a chance. Gradually pushing forward, Riki HARAKAWA intercepts with a sharp start. From here, Diego OLIVEIRA moves into the box and connects to the left side, where Endo makes a pass while advancing towards the corner of the penalty area. At this point, Ryotaro ARAKI turns with the opponent on his back and aims with his right foot, but the ball narrowly goes over the bar. The attacking players approached the goal while showcasing their individual strengths.
Furthermore, in the 38th minute of the first half, from a deep position on the right side, Nagatomo crossed the ball, and in the center, Diego and Kuryu MATSUKI aimed for the goal but could not take a shot. Diego returned the ball to the center after it spilled next to the goal, but it was cleared by the opponent, and despite getting so close to the goal, they could not push it in.
The first half added time is 2 minutes. While there were scenes of desperately defending in the penalty area against Hiroshima, who aggressively pressed from the front, individual strengths were showcased in both offense and defense. The first half ended scoreless.
2nd HALF - Equalized with a 'Taro Shot' right after conceding a goal
Five minutes into the second half, without any changes to the lineup, Tokyo created a chance from a counterattack. After winning the ball deep in their own territory, they connected from the right side, with Matsuki moving to the center. Diego TABA skillfully turned to face forward and dribbled all the way to the penalty area. However, as he evaded the opponent, he got caught in the turf and was unable to take a shot.
In the 10th minute of the second half, from a throw-in on the left side, player Yoshifumi Kashiwa evaded an opponent with a nutmeg and made a powerful mid-range shot with his right foot, which is his non-dominant foot. Unfortunately, it went just over the goal, but it was a scene that highlighted his aggressive attitude.
Tokyo was patiently waiting for a chance while enduring well. In the 19th minute of the second half, Go HATANO made a fine save from a powerful long shot by the opponent, resulting in a corner kick, but VAR supported the decision regarding the previous play. As a result of the on-field review, a penalty kick was awarded for a handball by Diego TABA. This was converted, allowing Hiroshima to take the lead.
Tokyo, chasing a one-point deficit, brings in Kei KOIZUMI and Jája Silva to replace Diego TABA and Endo. The substitution aimed at counterattacking pays off, as they score the equalizer just 26 minutes into the second half.
On the right side, Nakagawa kept the ball and made a vertical pass to Nagatomo, who overlapped at full speed and crossed it back. Araki received it at the near side, skillfully shaking off the defender with his footwork while being surrounded, and powerfully struck with his right foot to hit the near side, immediately bringing the match back to a tie score. Following his two goals in the opening match, Araki scored in two consecutive games. He delivered an impressive result in his debut match at Ajinomoto, supported by many fans and supporters.
While maintaining balance and aiming for a go-ahead goal, Tokyo in the 37th minute of the second half sends Kota TAWARATSUMIDA and Keigo HIGASHI onto the pitch in place of Nakagawa and Harakawa. Then, the substitutes immediately create a decisive chance.
After receiving the ball on the left side, Tawaramizuki advanced vertically deep into the opponent's territory, where he was fouled by an opposing player, earning a penalty kick. However, due to VAR support, it was determined to be a foul outside the penalty area, resulting in a restart with a free kick. Araki's kick was blocked by the opponent and did not shake the goal net.
In the 6 minutes of additional time, intense back-and-forth battles unfolded in pursuit of victory. Tawaratsukida made a long-distance dribble breakthrough towards the goal, while Go HATANO made a solid save with precise steps and a catch against the opponent's cross. Just before the end of the match, Nagatomo broke free from a vertical pass from Jaja and supplied a sharp ground cross between the opponent's goalkeeper and defender. Araki and Tawaratsukida slid in, but just missed it.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Following the opening match, the team faced a deficit, but with the support of 32,274 fans and supporters packed into the stadium, the team united to secure 1 point, resulting in two consecutive draws from the start of the season.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Go HATANO
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Masato MORISHIGE/Henrique TREVISAN/Kashif BANGNAGANDE
MF Kuryu MATSUKI/Riki HARAKAWA (substituted at 37 minutes: Keigo HIGASHI)/Ryota ARAKI
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (substituted at 25 minutes: Keisuke KOIZUMI)/Keita ENDO (substituted at 25 minutes: Jaja SILVA)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (substituted at 37 minutes: Kota TAWARA)
SUBS
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Yasuki KIMOTO/Kosuke SHIRAI
GOAL
26th minute of the second half: Ryotaro ARAKI
<Sanfrecce Hiroshima>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Keisuke OSAKO
DF Tsukasa SHIOTANI/Hayato ARAKI/Sho SASAKI
MF Shuto NAKANO/Takumu KAWAMURA/Shunki HIGASHI/Makoto MITSUDA
FW Pieros SOTIRIU/Mutsuki KATO/Yuki OHASHI
SUBS
GK Goro KAWANAMI
DF Taichi YAMASAKI
MF Taishi MATSUMOTO/Takaaki SHICHI/Ezequiel/Gakuto NOTSUDA
FW Airen INOUE
GOAL
24th minute of the second half: Yuki OHASHI
[Peter CKLAMOVSKI Coach Interview]
Q, please review the game.
A, it was a highly intense game. I think it was a highly entertaining match where both teams gave their all. We were able to show the good elements we have, and also what we are currently building. Amidst that, we must continue while identifying areas for improvement. I believe it is important to keep developing our style of football. Even looking at the data, it was a very intense match. The players gave their all to fight for the victory. In the second half, they fought with very high intensity and battled until the end to score the winning goal. I want to express my gratitude to the fans and supporters who kept encouraging the players until the very end.
Q: After conceding a goal, you substituted players and moved Kuryu MATSUKI and Ryotaro ARAKI to forward positions. Was that substitution planned in advance?
A, this was one of the substitution plans we had considered. It was unfortunate to concede a penalty kick from a set piece and let in a goal, but we had planned to use this strategy even before that goal was conceded. Against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, we made effective substitutions while playing our own style. The players responded well even after conceding, showing their mentality, strengths, and character firmly as they fought. They gave their all to equalize and fought hard to score the winning goal.
Q: After the substitutions, I got the impression that the overall speed increased and the team became more aggressive. Is there a plan to have the substitutes play from the first half?
A, it is one of the options. Then, although the content was difficult from the start of the second half, we were able to make a good change with the first substitution and launch a different kind of attack against Hiroshima than before. The players did very well.
Q: I felt that there were many counters, and the buildup from the final line to the midfield was not being executed.
A, it is important to proceed while understanding what kind of football we want to create. That means doing something that our fans and supporters can be proud of, and that has a high level of entertainment. When analyzing the match, there were parts where we connected from the back and were able to do things that Hiroshima disliked.
There were positive aspects within that, and I believe there were areas where we could have controlled the match a bit more. As a result, we were compact, which allowed us to utilize the available space. I think it's important to build on those aspects in our attacks. The players are giving their all every day, striving to become good players and a good team. We want to improve while maintaining our performance, adding positive elements to ourselves, and becoming the team we dream of. I hope to achieve that under the support of all the fans and supporters who love Tokyo.
[Player Interview]
＜Ryotaro ARAKI＞
Q, please review today's game.
A, just like the previous match, we conceded first, making the flow of the game difficult, but I want to look positively on the fact that we managed to secure a draw. In terms of our playing style, we want to increase the time we have possession of the ball a bit more. I hope the players can discuss and make improvements during the match.
Q, please review the scoring scene.
A, I knew I was being marked, so even if I couldn't completely evade, I thought if I could just get the ball on target, it might go in. I took the shot with that image in mind. I believed the only way to change the momentum was to score, so I'm glad I was able to finish at that moment.
Q. Today was the home opener. I believe you were looking forward to playing at Ajinomoto Stadium.
A, after all, the cheers from fans and supporters were a great source of strength. There were many tough moments, but I believe we were supported by those cheers.
Q: What do you think the team needs to do to turn this one point into three?
A, first of all, I think defense that does not concede goals is necessary. On top of that, I believe it is also a matter of the team's overall awareness, but each individual should have more awareness to step up and show their presence.
Q: Please share your enthusiasm for the next match.
A, next time I want to earn 3 points with my own goal. I want to win soon and celebrate with the fans and supporters.
<Keita ENDO>
Q, please review the game.
A, I played desperately with the feeling that I could be substituted at any time. The second half turned into a series of counterattacks, but I wanted us to control the game a little more ourselves.
Q: In a match that resembled a brawl, what did you focus on in your position, Keita ENDO?
A, I was thinking of creating a hold-up play at my position. During counterattacks, I aimed to use my teammates advantageously and focused on making runs into crosses from the opposite side.
Q: Considering your condition in the previous match, you avoided participating and watched the game. Do you have any observations about the team from the outside as you approach today's match?
A, overall we wanted to keep possession of the ball more and control the game. Also, after conceding a goal, being able to immediately score one back is a good thing for the team, so we want to continue doing that.
Q: There were good moments, but we couldn't turn the game around. Given the current situation of the team, what improvements are necessary to win the next match?
A, we came close to a good result in today's match as well, so I believe if we do what we need to do, the results will follow. I hope we can thoroughly work on the details without slacking off.
<Masato MORISHIGE>
Q: Please reflect on the match.
Although we were pressed for a long time overall, I believe we were able to earn 1 point precisely because we managed to keep the goals conceded to a minimum.
Q: How did you see Sanfrecce Hiroshima's attacks and high-intensity play from the final line?
A, the aggressive style of pushing forward with momentum in both offense and defense was a threat. There were also moments when we were able to adjust and respond well from the middle of the game. I think that was a positive aspect.
Q: We played against each other in practice matches during the pre-season camp.
A, practice matches and official matches are completely different. Since Coach Skibbe took office, the team has played aggressively, making it very difficult for opponents to compete. Although there were moments in the first half when we were pushed back, the fact that we were able to go into the second half without conceding a goal was a positive point when looking back at the entire match.
Q: After conceding a goal, we equalized before a bad atmosphere set in. Please tell us what is important to score the second and third goals from here.
A, we were able to create chances. Now, I think it is about the final finishing touches. As a team, we want to demand accuracy and quality in our finishing. Even in a disadvantaged match situation, we want to capitalize on the few chances we get and lead them to victory.
Q: What differences or changes did you feel on the pitch during your first start of the season compared to last season?
A, I felt that everyone has the attitude to work hard both offensively and defensively for the team, and there is also a depth in the squad where players who cannot do even a little of that cannot get involved in the match. Starting with Araki and the wingers who came on midway, the quality of the attacking players seems to be improving, and I find it very encouraging.
