Match Review
The league matches have resumed, and the blue-red army has returned to Ajinomoto Stadium. Facing them in the home match of Sec. 26 is Kawasaki Frontale. It's a rivalry match across the Tamagawa River.
Tokyo made three changes to the starting lineup from the previous match. Taishi Brandon NOZAWA positioned himself at the back, with the final line consisting of four players from the right: Kosuke SHIRAI, Kanta DOI, Teppei OKA, and Shuhei TOKUMOTO. The midfield duo was formed by Takahiro KO and Kei KOIZUMI, with Teruhito NAKAGAWA playing just behind the forwards. On the wings, Soma ANZAI was on the right and Keita ENDO on the left, while Diego Oliveira took the lone striker position.
With 10 wins, 7 draws, and 8 losses, we are in 7th place. In the last match, we managed to secure a valuable point by drawing against Gamba Osaka despite being pushed back while playing away, so we want to achieve a victory in this Tamagawa Classico to regain our momentum.
The player introduction featured lighting effects using moving lights, and amidst the best tension created by the theme of the Tamagawa Classico and the fireworks during the player entrance, the match kicked off at 19:03.
1st HALF - Created chances but conceded a goal due to a momentary lapse.
The first big chance was created by Tokyo. From the beginning, they built points on the right side starting from Diego TABA's hold-up play, showcasing intricate passing work. In the 5th minute of the first half, Takahashi crossed from the right. Endo attempted a diving header at the far side, but unfortunately missed to the left of the goal.
Furthermore, Tokyo's fierce attack continues. Just after that, in the 6th minute of the first half, Diego TABA reacted to a through pass and, as he trapped the ball, Endo skillfully switched and broke through vertically to send a cross, but it did not connect with anyone. Additionally, in the 9th minute of the first half, Koizumi's right cross saw Nakagawa dive in at the near post, while Endo aimed for the far post but was blocked by the opponent.
In the 12th minute of the first half, Diego TABA sharply reacted to a deflected through pass from a teammate. He faced off one-on-one against Sung Ryong JUNG, but was thwarted by the opposing goalkeeper and could not score.
Tokyo, unable to score despite repeated chances. After a period of overwhelming pressure, they allowed the first goal from a single opportunity. In the 15th minute of the first half, Kawasaki's MARCINHO made a cutback and delivered a left cross inside the penalty area. Shin YAMADA headed the ball while retreating, and although Nozawa desperately stretched out his left hand, he couldn't deflect the shot, and the ball hit the post and went in. While they held the initiative, they were caught off guard for a moment and lost the lead.
Was the flow interrupted by this? In the 20th minute of the first half, a right cross was headed in by player Yamada at the near post, resulting in a goal conceded. They now find themselves with a two-goal deficit early in the match.
Tokyo cannot afford to lose at home. Without being discouraged by conceding goals, they launch a counterattack. In the 25th minute of the first half, Koizumi stole the ball with a high press, and Diego TABA shot from Nakagawa's through pass. In the following 27th minute of the first half, Endo, who broke free from Tokumoto's long throw-in, aimed with his right foot, increasing the pressure in the opponent's territory.
After the 30-minute mark of the first half, the game became somewhat open, but neither side was able to create a decisive chance, and the score remained unchanged. After four minutes of added time, the first half ended with a score of 0-2.
2nd HALF - Substitutions made changes, but a frustrating home defeat
Tokyo, aiming for a counterattack, makes a move at halftime. Ryotaro ARAKI is brought in as an attacking midfielder in place of Anzai. Nakagawa is shifted to the right side to add variation to the attack.
At the start of the second half, based on Araki's possession, Endo from the left and Shirai from the right supplied crosses, closing in on the Kawasaki goal.
Araki contributes to defense by aggressively pressing back from the front line to win the ball. In front of the goal, he seeks to break through with outside through passes from the center, increasing his presence.
In the 15th minute of the second half, Tokyo brought Riki HARAKAWA onto the pitch in place of Koizumi. In the 19th minute of the second half, they were perfectly matched to the opponent's left corner kick in the center, but were saved by the crossbar and escaped danger.
Tokyo, wanting to focus on offense, made substitutions in the 24th minute of the second half, bringing in Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA for Nakagawa and Diego TABA. The formation changed to have OGASHIWA as the lone striker, Araki just behind him, with Endo on the right wing and TAWARATSUMIDA on the left wing.
However, just after this substitution, they conceded a painful third goal. From a set piece, Takai scored with a header, making it 0-3. Just when they had added momentum to move forward, they were forced into an even more difficult situation.
Tokyo wants to shake the goal net for the fans and supporters who continue to cheer passionately despite being at a disadvantage. In the 38th minute of the second half, Tawara Tsukita dribbled down the left side, and although Kogashi made a run on Araki's through pass, Sung Ryong JUNG caught it just in time. In the 39th minute of the second half, Endo made a run on Araki's through pass and took a shot, but once again, it was blocked by a save from Sung Ryong JUNG, preventing a goal.
Tokyo, wanting to show some determination, in the 42nd minute of the second half, saw Endo's sharp right cross met by Kogashiwa, who jumped in at the near post to head it, but it went just left of the goal. Continuing their fierce attack, Tokyo had Shirai sprinting up the right side to unleash a powerful long-range shot, but this too went just outside the goal frame.
In the 5 minutes of additional time, we aimed to counterattack while holding off the opponent's attacks with solid defense, but it was in vain. We failed to convert the good opportunities we created early on, and instead, we allowed the opponent to score first with a single chance, followed by three headed goals, leading to our defeat. We suffered a frustrating loss at home, resulting in a score of 0-3 in both matches of this season's Tamagawa Classico.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Kosuke SHIRAI/Kanta DOI (39th minute: Masato MORISHIGE)/Teppei OKA/Shuhei TOKUMOTO
MF Hiroshi TAKAU/Kei KOIZUMI (15th minute: Chikara HARAKAWA)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (24th minute: Kota TAWARATSUMIDA)
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (24th minute: Go OBAKASHI)/Keita ENDO/Soma ANZAI (0th minute: Ryotaro ARAKI)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Yuto NAGATOMO
GOAL
-
<Kawasaki Frontale>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Chung Sung-ryong
DF Van Welmeskerken (substituted at 28 minutes: Yusuke SEGAWA)/Kota TAKAI/Akira SASAKI/Sota MIURA
MF Kento TACHIBANADA/Yasuto WAKIZAKA/Ryota OSHIMA (substituted at 28 minutes: Itsuki SEGO)
FW Akihiro IENAGA (substituted at 39 minutes: Yu Kobayashi)/MARCINHO (substituted at 12 minutes: Daiya TONO)/Shin YAMADA (substituted at 39 minutes: Hinata YAMAUCHI)
SUBS
GK Yuki HAYASAKA
DF Shintaro KURUMAYA
GOAL
15th minute first half: Shin YAMADA / 20th minute first half: Shin YAMADA / 27th minute second half: Kota TAKAI
[Peter CKLAMOVSKI Coach Interview]
Q, please review the game.
A, today's score is very disappointing, and it is very painful that we couldn't earn any points. In the world of football, sometimes such trials and challenges are given. I believe today's match was one of those. Regarding the game content, we created more chances than the opponent. I think there were elements that showed signs of becoming the strong team we aim to be, but we must learn from this as a tough lesson. The difference in today's match was inside the penalty area. As a team and as a club, I believe it is necessary to close that gap. I believe we can become stronger from here.
Q: Regarding the difference in the penalty area, do you think the fact that there were two young players as center-backs had any impact today?
A, such things can happen to football players. For example, when children grow and their teeth come in, they sometimes cry because of the pain. I think that is a good analogy. However, our center backs also showed their wonderful quality. Kanta DOI is 19 years old and today’s match is his 9th game. Teppei OKA is also a young player, and today’s match is also his 9th game. The goalkeeper Taishi Brandon NOZAWA is 21 years old. They should be the youngest players in the league. Experiences like today are necessary for them. I believe they will become better players through these experiences. And as time passes, I hope we can become a good team, growing toward the team we have dreamed of.
However, I do not think the goals conceded were solely their mistakes. It is not the responsibility of just one person. The first goal was scored at the far post, and I believe we could have applied a bit more pressure on the ball. The second goal also came from a situation where nothing was happening. In those five minutes, we found ourselves down 0-2 to the opponent. I find that very disappointing, and we must not allow such things to happen. To become the team we aspire to be, we need to eliminate those kinds of situations. The third goal came from a set piece. We must not show the opponent any openings in that manner.
As a positive aspect, we were able to play very good football. It wouldn't have been surprising if we had scored more goals than our opponent; we created that many good chances. Of course, not being able to convert those chances into goals brings frustration, and with that frustration, we want to become an even better team, to become a better club, and to get closer to the club we have dreamed of.
Q: This will be a series of home games. Please share your enthusiasm for the next match.
A, it is important to connect the lessons and frustrations from today's match to the next, and I want to make good preparations for the upcoming game. I feel this is a very important match for the club and for the fans and supporters. First, we need to recover well and prepare well. Then, we want to do our best to achieve results for the fans and supporters. We will approach the match with a strong fighting spirit and determination to earn the 3 points. That is absolute.
I believe it is important to show that "Tokyo is blue and red." I recognize that this is important for me and for everyone here. Therefore, it is crucial to prepare well and to be ready to give our best effort on the weekend. It is a battle filled with various emotions within the match and in the stadium. We will transform that into our strength and energy. Fans and supporters, please come to the stadium to cheer for the players. Everyone will give their all to fight for 3 points.
[Player Interview]
<Kosuke SHIRAI>
Q, please review the game.
As for the result, we lost 0-3, but honestly, I don't think it was something to be too pessimistic about. In the previous match against Gamba Osaka, the content was poor and the result was 0-0. This time, the content wasn't that bad, but the result ended up being 0-3. Such things often happen in football, but honestly, I still wanted to win.
Q: You seemed to sprint at full power multiple times during the 90 minutes. How is your condition?
A, including my own sense of response, I believe I am always able to maintain a good condition, so I think today I was at least able to do my job of running through to the end.
Q: Although we conceded goals in quick succession and the opponent gained momentum, isn't there a certain level of confidence in how well we started the match?
A, the forwards and I created outlets, and from there we successfully built up play, delivering several balls into the opponent's penalty box that created scoring opportunities. We had many chances to score, so I think the start was especially good.
Q: Please tell us what you would like to continue as a team and as an individual, Kosuke SHIRAI, as well as what needs to be improved.
A, personally, in this soccer, build-up play is really important. Especially, I think the escape route becomes the full-back, so today we did well in letting the ball out there. This season, there have been matches where we could do that and matches where we couldn't, and personally, there is still a difference. If we can consistently improve that aspect, I believe the team will also improve. As a team, we have to score where we can score and defend where we must defend, or else we won't be able to win matches that we could have won. It's obvious, but we have to do that properly.
<Takahiro KO>
Q: It seemed like a good start for the first 15 minutes. How did it feel?
A, we talked about everyone pressing forward with intensity, and I think we were able to express that well and create chances. Whether we finish at that moment or not greatly changes the flow of the game, and I felt that it's precisely at times like those that we need to stay focused.
Q: You conceded consecutive goals in the first half, but how did you feel about the balance of offense and defense in the first half?
A, there were also times when we were relatively able to pick up the ball, and I really think the start was good. Whether we could finish there or not is also important, and the opponent scored from a single chance off a cross, so both the defense and the whole team need to stay focused and tighten up overall. We had to defend that properly. Conceding a goal so easily there is really painful, and I think it would play into Kawasaki's hands. We need to keep a clean sheet there or extend the time we remain at zero goals conceded; otherwise, it will become difficult.
Q: How was the overall recovery of second balls?
A, there have been many scenes where we haven't been able to pick up from the previous match, and there are many times when the ball rolls to the opponent in one-on-one situations. I think this is something I need to work on personally, as well as the entire team. At a minimum, there are various ways to attack and defend in football's system, but the crucial point is definitely the one-on-one battles. In those decisive moments, both I personally and the team need to show more strength. To bring out that strength, we have no choice but to work on it from training, so we must be more particular and committed to it.
Q: The next match is against Verdy. The expectations of the fans and supporters are even higher.
A, I think this is a game where results are demanded, so we must fight properly. We absolutely cannot win if we keep conceding easy goals, so everyone must have a strong determination to win against the opponent in front of us no matter what. We must prepare well and win.
