Match Review
Two weeks after achieving their first victory against Avispa Fukuoka, Tokyo is now aiming for their first consecutive win of the season as they face Kawasaki Frontale in the Tamagawa Classico. The starting eleven remains unchanged from the Fukuoka match. Yuto NAGATOMO, returning from the Japan national team, will play as right back, while Kashif BANGNAGANDE, from the U-23 Japan national team, will take the left back position, with Ryotaro ARAKI and Kuryu MATSUKI forming a partnership up front.
There is no doubt that we gained a sense of achievement in the Fukuoka match, and the team's atmosphere is good. We won at Todoroki for the first time in six seasons, and we want to build momentum for the upcoming back-to-back matches against Urawa Reds and Kashima Antlers at Japan National Stadium.
1st HALF - Although we maintained possession of the ball, we couldn't break through the opponent's defense.
The game progressed in a very tense atmosphere. At the start, Kawasaki Frontale had possession of the ball, but Tokyo responded calmly and gradually increased their time with the ball as the game went on. Since Kawasaki did not press from the front, there were no difficulties in building up play and advancing from their own half, and moments where Takahiro KO, Kei KOIZUMI, and Matsuki touched the ball were noticeable.
However, the buildup and tactics after entering the opponent's territory were noticeably monotonous, with few scenes where the ball was delivered well to both wings, resulting in no clear chances created. Although several crosses came in from both sides, they were cleared away.
As a result, Kawasaki gradually regained control of the pace. There were more situations where they were broken down during the build-up even when pressing, and when players like Wakisaka and Ienaga moved fluidly and faced forward in their own half, they conceded the opening goal in the 34th minute of the first half.
Yasuki KIMOTO, who responded to the cross from the left back player Miura in the area, attempted to clear the ball with a sliding tackle, but the ball hit the post and spilled in front of Waki Saka. Go HATANO also rushed out, and the ball was rolled into the unguarded goal.
Furthermore, in the 44th minute of the first half, we lost the ball during a build-up from our own half, and although Seko had a decisive shot, it went wide. Conversely, in the 45+1 minute of the first half, Matsuki attempted a volley with his left foot from a corner kick, but it did not shake the goal net, and we went into halftime trailing by one goal.
2nd HALF - 2 goals conceded after a player was sent off
Even in the second half, chasing a one-point deficit, the structure of the game did not change significantly, and Tokyo sought to connect the ball while looking for opportunities to attack. However, similar to the first half, they moved the ball into the opponent's territory without much difficulty, but lacked the quality and ideas in the crucial attacking third, resulting in continued scenes where they could not take a shot.
On the contrary, there were moments when the high line was breached, leading to dangerous counterattacks. In the 14th minute of the second half, player Ellison broke through the final line and shook the goal net, but they were saved by an offside decision.
Then, to change the flow of the game, three substitution cards were used in the 19th minute of the second half. Talents with strong individual skills, including Diego OLIVEIRA, Jája Silva, and Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA, were brought in to try to break through. However, they were unable to receive the ball in a good position, and in the 27th minute of the second half, Go HATANO, who attempted to clear the ball after coming out of the area, fouled Elison and was sent off. In the midst of being behind, they were forced into a situation of numerical disadvantage.
Tokyo, wanting to counterattack somehow, set up a 4-4-1 formation with Diego TABA at the top aiming for the goal, but in the 38th minute of the second half, they were again caught behind the final line, allowing the second goal. In the additional time, with their offense pushed forward, they conceded the third goal. This resulted in missing their first consecutive wins of the season.
However, we have a two-match series at the Japan National Stadium in just three days from now. There is no time to look down, and it will be a week that tests Peter Tokyo's rebound mentality.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Go HATANO
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Masato MORISHIGE/Yasuki KIMOTO (39th min: Hotaka NAKAMURA)/Kashif BANGNAGANDE
MF Kuryu MATSUKI (19th min: Go KOBAYASHI)/Hiroshi TAKAUCHI/Kei KOIZUMI
FW Keita ENDO (19th min: Jaja SILVA)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (30th min: Teruhito NAKAGAWA)/Ryota ARAKI (19th min: Diego OLIVEIRA)
SUBS
DF Kanta DOI
FW Kota TAWARATSUMIDA
GOAL
－
<Kawasaki Frontale>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Chong Sung-ryong
DF Yusuke SEGAWA (substituted in 19 minutes into the second half: Asahi SASAKI)/Jesiel/Kota TAKAI/Sota MIURA
MF Kento TACHIBANADA/Juki SEGO/Yasuto WAKIZAKA (substituted in 45 minutes + 5 minutes into the second half: Yuki YAMAMOTO)
FW Akihiro IENAGA (substituted in 45 minutes + 5 minutes into the second half: Yu KOBAYASHI)/Daiya TONO (substituted in 37 minutes into the second half: Hinata YAMAUCHI)/Ellison (substituted in 37 minutes into the second half: Arata YAMADA)
SUBS
GK Naoto KAMIFUKUMOTO
DF Takuma OMINAMI
GOAL
34th minute of the first half: Yasuto WAKIZAKA/38th minute of the second half: Shin YAMADA/45th minute plus 2 minutes of the second half: Kento TACHIBANADA
[Peter CKLAMOVSKI Coach Interview]
Q, please review today's game.
A, everyone is feeling the pain from not getting results. Looking at the performance, I think nothing significant happened from the start until around the 60th or 70th minute. In a close match, the opponent capitalized on one moment to score. We believed that if we continued playing our football, the momentum would return and we would be rewarded, so we kept fighting. During that time, we were down to one player less, and the match became difficult. The players fought aggressively, desperately trying to equalize, but we conceded more goals and the game was decided. Everyone is feeling the pain, and we want to become stronger.
Q: You made three substitutions all at once in the second half. Was this part of the planned substitutions?
A, we made substitutions thinking about bringing in fresh players. The idea was to inject energy into the attack. Ryotaro ARAKI, Kuryu MATSUKI, and Keita ENDO were doing very well, but by bringing in Diego OLIVEIRA, Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA, and Jája Silva, we tried to add more attacking energy. Up to that point, I don't think there were any decisive moments in the match, but then we were immediately down to 10 men, which made the mountain we had to climb much higher. The players fought desperately to equalize even with 10 men, and I believe they gave their all, but we couldn't secure any points here. I am disappointed that we couldn't bring smiles to our fans and supporters.
[Player Interview]
＜Ryotaro ARAKI＞
Q: Please reflect on the match.
A, we had a good flow until we conceded a goal, but I think we couldn't recover after that. I believed before the match that scoring the first goal would allow us to control the game, so if we had converted our chances, the outcome would have been different. However, personally, I wasn't able to perform well, so I should have been more of a focal point. Also, since the opponent had prepared countermeasures, I wasn't clear on what to do next. It's difficult to make changes during the game, but I want us to communicate more and be able to make adjustments against the opponent.
Q: It seems that the marking on Araki was strict. What were you conscious of while playing?
A, I thought my job was to handle things as usual and get the ball into the goal. I didn't have the impression that the man-marking was that strict, but today the ball didn't settle well at my feet, or rather, my ball touch condition wasn't very good. My desire to win every match hasn't changed, and I was very motivated for the Kawasaki match, but today I have to reflect on the many disappointing plays. However, I know that I can't have a good game every match, and matches like this happen, so I want to use this as one of the experiences, switch my mindset, and focus on the next game.
Q: How do you want to rebuild the team from here?
A, we definitely want to improve our scoring ability. Even if we concede goals, we want to be a team that can score 2 or 3 goals. I believe that if we switch gears and play our style of football, we can achieve results. Since it's a series of consecutive matches, everyone will recover quickly and prepare for the next game.
<Takahiro KO>
Q: The situation continued where we couldn't showcase our strengths. How do you reflect on the match?
A, it was a very frustrating result. The opponent capitalized well on their chances. We had few shots, and we need to increase the number of opportunities. The frequency and quality of our entries into the penalty area must be significantly improved. Of course, we also need the ability to convert our chances, and since we cannot win if we concede goals, we want to thoroughly focus on keeping a clean sheet.
Q: There were noticeable scenes where you struggled against the opponent's press.
A, however, I personally think that when they press that much, it becomes easier to break free. I also mentioned at halftime that I wanted them to pay a little more attention to me. In the second half, since we had to score, there were more vertical plays, but I want to improve the quality of those aspects as well. I believe the team as a whole needs to demand better positioning and quicker decision-making against opponents who come to press.
Q: How is the collaboration with Ryotaro ARAKI?
A, I wanted to deliver a good vertical pass myself, but from the conversation after the match, it seemed like they wanted to focus a bit more forward. So, whether we as defensive midfielders take a slightly higher position or drop the ball to them, we need to coordinate accordingly.
Q: If there were things you could have done a little better, what aspects would they be?
A, that's right. We should have played forward with quality, rather than passing backward. As a team, conceding goals and the red card were painful, but we need to increase the number of times we get into the opponent's penalty area. While playing more offensively, I also feel that game control is necessary, so we need to improve on that. I don't think we're there yet, so I hope the whole team can work together to get better.
<Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA>
Q, how do you feel about reviewing the game?
In the A match, after I, Diego OLIVEIRA, and Jája Silva came on with the score at 0-1, I think the point to reflect on is that we couldn't change the game in a positive direction. There were chances to score, such as when I broke through, and I believe the coach sent us onto the pitch with the intention of equalizing. I think missing that chance led to this kind of result.
Q: What kind of play did you want to perform?
A, today Ryotaro ARAKI and Kuryu MATSUKI were positioned up front, but since neither of them are originally forward players, I think when we forwards come in, we are expected to bring fear and threaten the opponent's goal. I believe that can only be demonstrated by scoring goals, and it is frustrating that we couldn't show that in the end.
Q: Considering the flow of the match, what improvements do you think are necessary moving forward?
A, since we were down to 10 players early on, the opponent had longer possession of the ball, and I think there were few opportunities for defensive midfielder Takahiro KO to have the ball freely. However, even then, there were gaps, and I believe we lacked the skill to exploit them. From the first half, we were able to maintain possession, but we fell short in creating shooting opportunities. After all, we can't win without scoring, so I hope we can continue to pursue a more threatening presence.
