Match Review
In the two-week series against Verdy, FC Machida Zelvia, and other Tokyo-based teams, they were unable to secure a victory. After finishing 9 matches since the start of the season, they have 3 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses, placing them in 10th position as they approach Sec. 10. Given that their opponent, Albirex Niigata, is tied on points, the outcome of this match holds significant importance. They are determined to fight for the top and desperately need the 3 points in this crucial match.
The starting members have changed two players from the previous match. Soma ANZAI, who has returned from suspension, is back in the right wing, and Tsubasa TERAYAMA has been assigned to the attacking midfielder position, making his first start in the league this season. Diego Oliveira has returned from injury and is included in the substitute members, while Leon NOZAWA has also made his first appearance in the match squad for the league. Takahiro KO and Kei KOIZUMI, who are both facing their former club, are positioned as the central midfielders, and the team is ready for the kickoff of this crucial match.
1st HALF - A lightning-fast counter leads to a goal
For a while from the start, there was a period of being chased by defense. Facing Niigata, which boasts one of the highest possession rates in the league, they tried to apply pressure, but it was difficult to determine where to win the ball back. Even when they did regain possession, the distance between players was too far, preventing them from increasing their time with the ball.
Furthermore, in the 19th minute of the first half, an incident occurred. Player Terayama, who was injured in a contact play, returned to the pitch once but was unable to continue playing, forcing an early substitution.
Diego TABA, who came in as a substitute, took the front line position, while Teruhito NAKAGAWA moved to a position one line back. As they restarted, Tokyo gradually began to settle the ball during the middle of the match. The double pivot increased their ball possession while facing forward, leading to more entries into the opponent's territory.
And in the 39th minute of the first half, they took the lead with a brilliant short counterattack.
Henrique TREVISAN's cut was picked up by Anzai, who played a vertical pass, and Diego TABA, from a post play that attracted the opponent, one-touched it to Kosuke SHIRAI. Shirai accelerated rapidly and sprinted through the space on the right side.
After stopping the opponent's attack, Shirai quickly turned the situation around by delivering an early cross between the opponent's goalkeeper and defender, allowing Nakagawa to dive in without hesitation and score with a one-touch finish.
Despite being at a disadvantage in the early stages and facing some accidents, they rallied based on their strength in ball contests and turned the game around, taking the lead in an ideal development.
2nd HALF - A great victory with Shirai's Dynamo shot and the revival of Diego
Continuing the momentum from the first half in the best possible way, we will dominate the game in the second half as well. While effectively blocking Niigata's build-up, we will strongly close in on the balls that come in vertically, and once we regain possession, we will smoothly transition to attack using the flanks.
In the 4th minute of the second half, they succeeded in scoring a valuable additional goal.
As they pushed into the opponent's territory on the left side, Kota TAWARATSUMIDA's sideways pass was let go by Takahashi. The ball reached Nakagawa, who was in the penalty area, drawing the opponent in with a shooting motion. Nakagawa, who stopped the shot fake, dropped the ball back, and Shirai, who was making a run, sent a direct shot with the outside of his right foot into the bottom right corner of the goal.
With this goal, Tokyo completely took control of the game, and without easing their attack, they scored their third goal in the 17th minute of the second half. After recovering the second ball in the opponent's territory, Takashi received a pass from Anzai with a one-touch to the right side pocket (the space on both sides of the penalty area). Koizumi, moving in sync with the third player, broke into the pocket, calmly checked the position of his teammates, and delivered a looping cross into the goal area, where Diego TABA outjumped his opponent and headed the ball into the net.
After extending the lead to three points, they began to close out the game while utilizing their substitutions. In the 68th minute of the second half, they brought in Ryunosuke SATO, who made his J1 League debut in the previous match, and the team's oldest player, Yuto NAGATOMO. Furthermore, in the 81st minute of the second half, they sent in Riki HARAKAWA and Leon NOZAWA, who made his first appearance in the league this season, controlling the game while running down the clock.
In the final moments, conceding a goal from a cross delivered from the left side that was headed in by Hayakawa in the 45th minute of the second half is a concern, but they held on firmly during the 4 minutes of added time and secured victory with three goals, marking their second win of the season in league matches. They accumulated 3 points for the first time in three matches, stopping the losing streak.
In the next match, we will return home to Ajinomoto Stadium to face Kyoto SANGA F.C. With the momentum from our victory and the tenacity to control the flow of the game, we aim to secure our first win of the season at Ajinomoto Stadium.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Go HATANO
DF Kosuke SHIRAI/Kanta DOI/Henrique Trevisan/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (substituted in 36th minute: Leon NOZAWA)
MF Takahiro UHIRO (substituted in 36th minute: Riki HARAKAWA)/Tsubasa TERAYAMA (substituted in 19th minute: Diego Oliveira)/Kei KOIZUMI
FW Kota TAWARA (substituted in 23rd minute: Yuto NAGATOMO)/Soma ANZAI/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (substituted in 23rd minute: Ryunosuke SATO)
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Masato MORISHIGE
GOAL
39th minute of the first half: Teruhito NAKAGAWA / 4th minute of the second half: Kosuke SHIRAI / 17th minute of the second half: Diego OLIVEIRA
<Albirex Niigata>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kousuke KOJIMA
DF Soya FUJIWARA/Michael James FITZGERALD/Kazuhiko CHIBA (substituted in 19th minute: Shusuke OTA)/Fumiya HAYAKAWA
MF Eitaro MATSUDA (substituted in 28th minute: Motoki HASEGAWA)/Hiroki AKIYAMA/Eiji MIYAMOTO/Yota KOMI (substituted in 19th minute: Hayato INAMURA)
FW Kaito TANIGUCHI (substituted in 19th minute: Yuji ONO)/Yoshiaki TAKAGI (substituted in 28th minute: Takumi HASEGAWA)
SUBS
GK Koto ABE
MF Yuzuru SHIMADA
GOAL
45th minute of the second half: Fumiya HAYAKAWA
[Peter CKLAMOVSKI Coach Interview]
Q, please review the game.
A, overall, I am pleased with our efforts and performance. We delivered a very good performance and fought a battle worthy of victory. In the first half, we were able to move the ball well in attack. Our defense was solid as well. In the second half, we continued with our style of football and I think we maintained a similar performance to the first half. We moved the ball skillfully and used the spaces we wanted to use. In that process, we scored a good goal. I am proud of the players who did everything they were supposed to do.
As a team, we had prepared well, but in the first half, Tsubasa TERAYAMA got injured and had to be substituted. However, Diego OLIVEIRA, who came on as an emergency substitute, showed a wonderful performance. I am proud that all the players gave their all in the match. However, the last goal conceded was unnecessary, and we should have finished it at 3-0.
The important thing is to thoroughly analyze our performance, recover from it, and prepare well from here. I would like to thank the fans and supporters who rushed to Niigata to cheer for us. They supported the players, and they are the best fans and supporters in Japan.
Q: Please evaluate Kosuke SHIRAI's involvement in multiple goals.
<div>A gave his best performance. Kosuke SHIRAI played in three positions today. This reflects the mentality that the team currently has. No matter which position he played, he understood what needed to be done and was able to deliver a team performance. The 11 players on the field played their style of football. I hope we can continue to grow by maintaining that. Shirai's goal was truly wonderful. It was an important goal for us at the start of the second half. He contributed to the team's performance and also delivered his best individual performance.
[Player Interview]
<Kosuke SHIRAI>
Q, please review today's game.
A, I am happy to have achieved the result of 1 goal and 1 assist. It was a difficult away game, but I am most pleased to have contributed to the victory.
Q: Following the result of the previous match against FC Machida Zelvia, what points have you organized in preparation for today's game?
A, I feel that both as a team and as an individual, what we have been building up since last season is improving. Although I am frustrated that we couldn't show our strengths in the match against Machida, my teammates understand my characteristics. I feel that our coordination and mutual understanding of each other's play are bearing fruit as a result. I believe we are moving in a positive direction.
Q, please review the assist for the first goal.
A, Soma ANZAI carried the ball inside instead of down the side, and thanks to Takahiro KO and Diego OLIVEIRA building up play in the central area, we were able to engage the opponent's defense. The vertical lane on the right side completely entered my zone, so I sprinted and focused on breaking through vertically. I was able to deliver a cross exactly to the area between the opposing goalkeeper and the defensive line, and Teruhito NAKAGAWA also jumped in with the same awareness, so it was a well-formed goal. I believe this series of plays reflected the team's shared understanding and what we have built up so far.
Q: On May 1st, I will celebrate my 30th birthday, and the match right after my birthday is against my former club, SANGA S. The best conditions are in place.
A, Kyoto nurtured me, but I am a Tokyo player, and I want to contribute with goals and assists for Tokyo. Even from the perspective of the match against Kyoto, today's victory and goals became truly special. I want to work hard to show many people that I am performing well.
<Diego OLIVEIRA>
Q, please review the game. It was a comeback match.
A, it was the first match in a while, but unexpectedly, Tsubasa TERAYAMA got injured and we started the game with some trouble. Since we had been building up well in regular practice, we were able to enter the match smoothly. The loud cheers from many fans and supporters pushed us forward, and the medical team did various things to help with recovery, so I want to thank them. We were also able to score a goal, which was thanks to the support of many people.
Q: Please tell us about the goal scene and the factors that led to the goal.
A, for us forwards, scoring goals is very important. Kei KOIZUMI delivered a good cross from the right side, and all I had to do was finish it. I'm happy to have scored a goal, but above all, I'm most pleased that the team was able to win.
Q: After a long time without a match, I felt a hunger for victory and a sense of passion.
A, I hadn't played in matches for a while, so I could only support from the sidelines. All the players who had been playing so far were doing their best. I played in a match for the first time in a while, but above all, experienced and great players like Yuto NAGATOMO and Masato MORISHIGE, despite not being in the starting lineup, have consistently made significant contributions to the team, including today's match. Everyone on the team looks up to them and unites their strength to fight, and I am truly grateful to both of them.
Q: I think we need to get through this series of consecutive matches with all our strength.
A, from now on the schedule will be very tight, so it is important for everyone to prepare to compete and for the players who enter the match to run for the team. As a result, we want to fight together with the strength of the entire team to achieve victory.
<Teruhito NAKAGAWA>
Q, please review today's goals.
A, it was a goal from the shape we were aiming for, so it connected what the team has been working on. The two goals by Diego OLIVEIRA and Kosuke SHIRAI were also as planned.
Q: We were able to accumulate 3 points without losing consecutive matches.
A, we made good preparations, so I am glad we were able to achieve a victory away from home. May will have many matches and consecutive games, but we want to fight by putting the full strength of the team into it.
Q: We want to score multiple goals from here and move up in the rankings.
A, it is a good sign that the team is able to score multiple goals. However, since the team conceded a goal at the end, I think it is important for the team not to give such opportunities in order to improve their ranking.
Q: It seemed that Tsubasa TERAYAMA focused on defense after being substituted.
Diego also did his best, and although there were moments when the opponent had the ball, I believe that the team's overall defense led to the victory.
Q: This season is different from last season, as we have been able to win away games, but we have not been able to win at Ajinomoto Stadium.
A, I also believe that myself, and I will be more conscious about winning firmly at Ajinomoto Stadium. While continuing this good momentum, I think we can become a team that wins by keeping a clean sheet, so I want to make sure we don't give any openings.
