<Match Review>
Two days after the Japan national team secured their spot in the World Cup to be held in Qatar, Tokyo played the third match of the group stage of the Levain Cup at their home Ajinomoto Stadium. They faced Shonan Bellmare, who were at the top of the group. For Tokyo, tied for third place, this match was crucial as they desperately needed a victory to advance from the group stage.
Due to a schedule with about a week gap before and after the league matches, this game featured players who have participated in the league and those who have had limited playing time together in the starting lineup. In the defense line, Junya SUZUKI was positioned as the right back, and Ryoma WATANABE as the left back. Rei HIRAKAWA took the anchor position, with Shuto ABE and Keigo HIGASHI as the inside midfielders. The front line was set up with Keita YAMASHITA in the center, Hirotaka MITA on the right side, and Kensuke NAGAI on the left side in a three-top formation.
At the start, the sharp pressing of Shonan forced them to fall back slightly, but as they gradually began to move the ball, they steadily pushed Shonan's players into the opponent's territory. In the 7th minute of the first half, there was a quick counterattack chance. Player Mita broke through on the left side and took a shot in front of the goal, and Nagai picked up the rebound off the opposing defender and sent a cross ball backward. Player Higashi, positioned directly in front of the goal, connected with a one-touch shot, but the shot missed the target. In the 9th minute of the first half, Nagai dodged a sliding tackle from an opposing defender and sped toward the opponent's goal. Entering the penalty area, he took a curling shot with his right foot from just in front of the left side of the goal, but unfortunately, it went just wide to the right. After creating consecutive chances, the pace was controlled by Tokyo. Against Shonan, who all retreated to their own half to form a defensive block, Tokyo first moved the ball widely to look for gaps in the opponent's formation.
In the 31st minute of the first half, Yamashita made a one-touch pass into the space on the right side. Mita broke forward and sent a cross into the goal area, but Higashi, who was free, headed the ball only to have it bounce off the crossbar. Tokyo continued to press and broke through the opponent's defense in the 39th minute. Near the halfway line, Masato MORISHIGE played a vertical pass towards the front line. An opponent defender intercepted the ball before Yamashita, but the ball, which could not be cleared, spilled towards the Shonan goal. Quickly reacting, Abe picked it up and went for the goal. He calmly finished in a one-on-one against the opposing goalkeeper, allowing Tokyo to take the lead. In the 41st minute, Mita also attempted a near miss with a looping shot, maintaining control of the game's pace throughout the first half.
Tokyo maintains possession of the ball just like in the first half. The opponent also tightens their formation to eliminate space, but Tokyo creates chances by threading through the gaps. In the 15th minute of the second half, a vertical pass from the final line is touched by Mita to Abe. Despite losing balance, Abe keeps the ball, and Mita, running forward towards the goal, picks up the ball and accelerates. With momentum, he strikes with his left foot, and the ball deflects off a defending opponent who tried to block it, catching the goalkeeper off guard, allowing Tokyo to score an additional goal.
After taking the lead, they continuously made substitutions to bring fresh players onto the pitch. Centered around Diego OLIVEIRA, they tried to maintain control by holding the ball up front, but as the match entered the final stages, they faced a counterattack from Shonan. In the 77th minute, they were broken down on the right side, and a cross was sent into the goal area, which was converted with a one-touch finish, reducing the deficit by one goal. Tokyo, wanting to regain control, entered the opponent's half with a counterattack in the 79th minute, where Diego attracted defenders and passed to the space on the left side. Adailton, receiving the pass in a free position, took a shot that just missed above the goal.
In the final stages of the match, the game opened up, creating scenes where Shonan pressed instead of attacking on the counter. However, the team maintained intensity in ball contests and slide speed, limiting Shonan's counterattack to just one goal, achieving their first victory of the season in the Levain Cup, finishing March's official matches with 4 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss.
[Interview with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA]
Q, please review the game.
A, looking back on today's match overall, I think it was a game lacking stability. We have been able to consistently maintain good training on a daily basis, but applying that in actual official matches is not that easy. There were times when we were able to play as expected. However, the reality is that it was not continuous, and there were also periods when we could not perform well.
The Levain Cup is, of course, seen as an opportunity to give young players a chance and promote their growth, but at the same time, we hope to make good use of it for the team to grow further. Indeed, I believe the team was able to grow through today's match. As a coach, I want to focus on the positive aspects as well as the areas for improvement and firmly connect them to the next game.
Q: In the first half, the ball didn't get to Hirakawa much. Do you think it was due to the good positioning of the Shonan players, or was it Hirakawa's positioning that prevented the ball from being drawn out? What are your thoughts on this?
A, I think both of the points you just mentioned had an impact. Naturally, it is not easy for young players to immediately perform well in official matches from the start. There were probably parts where he was nervous playing in the starting lineup for the first time today. In that sense, young players like him need to grow through such experiences. I think he was able to play better as time passed throughout the match. It wasn't just Rei HIRAKAWA's fault; the whole team's issue was that the play speed in the first half was slow. That remained a challenge for the entire team. Play speed is one of the most important concepts for our playing style. To consistently express that throughout the full 90 minutes, I think we need to take a bit more time to grow.
Q: Please tell us the reason for using players Mita and Takahagi as right wingers.
A, as a coach, what you should do is to bring out the individuality of each player. For example, Kensuke NAGAI is an easy-to-understand winger in our playing style. He contributes well to attacks that use width and is a speedy player who exploits the space behind. On the other hand, Mita's characteristics are different from Kensuke NAGAI's. Mita initially takes width, but then moves inside and plays well in the gaps, which I think is his feature.
In that sense, we aimed for Mita to come inside and contribute to creating a numerical advantage in the midfield. In the match against Kawasaki Frontale, we also asked Leandro, who was used as a right winger, to perform the same play.
Even if we use the same position, what is important is to bring out the player's individuality. Therefore, even in the same position, different roles may be required. Yojiro TAKAHAGI is no exception. Placing him on the wing was aimed at plays where he cuts inside.
Q: Abe has been involved in many chances. What do you think about his strong points?
A, first of all, his contribution in defense, with his quick pressing play, greatly benefits the team. Also, in our playing style, we expect him to further improve his ability to play with the ball at his feet in attack. We hope he will grow into a player who, like a hybrid car, can make significant contributions both defensively and offensively.
[Player Interview]]
<Shuto ABE>
Q, please review the goal scene.
A, while running to receive the ball behind, there was also a mistake by the opponent, but the ball spilled to a good spot, and since I was able to control the first touch well, I carefully watched the goalkeeper and calmly slotted the ball into the goal.
Q: You usually play as an inside half, and your style is characterized by high activity in box-to-box play, but is moving forward to score points, like today, a different style of play?
A, I want to score goals myself, so I aim for them in every match. Today, a good ball came to me, and I was able to score a goal.
Q: What is necessary to consistently score goals?
A, I think making runs behind the defense like today creates opportunities, and the opponent will find it difficult to defend against runs from the second line, so I want to continue making aggressive runs going forward.
Q: It seemed that there were times when you felt a close connection with player Mita in today's lineup. How was that for you?
In the first half, we couldn't circulate the ball well and I made many mistakes, but in the second half, I dropped back in position and Mita opened up, making adjustments.
If we could have improved during the first half, I think the game would have developed better and we would have been able to circulate the ball more easily.
Q: Regarding the breakthrough to the back, Shonan was in a 5-back defense, but I think your path was blocked by the opposing players. Did you come up with any strategies to get around that?
If player Mita drops back, the opponent's fullback will bite, so I thought the space behind would open up. I believe that taking action while watching my teammates will create space, so I want to make sure to play while keeping an eye on my teammates.
Q: Do you feel that you have improved in terms of speed and timing when breaking through the defense?
A, last season it was difficult to push forward playing as a double defensive midfielder, but this year, like the year before last, I often play as an inside half, so I think it's natural that scenes like today will increase. Being able to reposition myself is one of my strengths, so I want to continue doing that without change.
Q: I believe Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA mentioned being aware of the pace of play during halftime. Were there any points you focused on in the second half?
In the first half, there were many instances of touching the ball multiple times before passing, which slowed down the play speed, and the coach gave advice. In the second half, I was conscious of quickly passing the ball to players facing forward.
Q: What were you conscious of in your combination with those around you?
Player A Hirakawa is also good with the ball at his feet and has the ability to develop plays, so I left the play in our own half to him and tried not to get involved as much as possible.
<Hirotaka MITA>
Q, including the goal scene, you mentioned during the press conference the day before yesterday that you wanted to approach the goal while being involved with the ball. Please reflect on the results of that.
I took the position of a wing, and the coach told me I could play freely, but even so, I was mindful of playing in a way that the entire team was conscious of.
Q: Did you feel confident playing as a winger?
A, There were mistakes made by the entire team, but I think there were both parts we did well and parts we did not.
Q: There were many times when things didn't go well outside of scoring, and it felt like we were experimenting and trying different approaches.
A, today we were pressed a bit in the final stages and fell into the opponent's rhythm, conceding a goal. Unlike the Kyoto match, we couldn't maintain possession to close out the game, so I see that as a point for reflection.
Q: You played as a winger, but the coach mentioned that he expected you to move inside and play in the midfield. Did you feel confident about that aspect?
At first, I was conscious of it, but during the flow of the game, since Abe was often in the attacking midfielder position, I played by positioning myself on the side where I wouldn't overlap with Abe or by finding an intermediate position on my own.
Q: Please tell us about the relationship between Junya SUZUKI, who played as a side back behind Mita, and Abe in the midfield, if you felt any synergy among the three of you.
A, we are consciously using forward-thinking players, and although there were several times when things didn't quite fit, on the other hand, the moments that turned into opportunities are where those parts clicked together, so I think we need to communicate that among individuals as well.
Q, I think the goal scene was a targeted moment, please review it.
A, by positioning my body ahead of the opponent to receive the dropped ball, I was able to accelerate, which went as planned. The shot just happened to go in by chance. After the shot, I rolled over and did not see the ball go into the goal.
Q: Do you think scoring will give you even more momentum?
A, I believe I am starting from the very bottom, so I think I have to make my presence felt in the matches I play. I like the current team's style, and since I want to survive, I want to value each match and play in a way that contributes to Tokyo.
<Rei HIRAKAWA>
Q: How did you feel after reflecting on the 90 minutes?
A, there were long periods of unsettled time. There were parts where we were able to take the initiative and attack, so we want to continue the good aspects.
Q: What did you focus on while playing?
Since I played as an anchor, I thought it was important to participate in the attack while considering my positioning, and to distribute the ball myself to create the rhythm of the attack. I was conscious of that going into the match. I believe I was able to take a position that supports my teammates, so I want to continue doing this in future training sessions and matches.
Q: I think there were moments in defense where we were able to win the ball and aim for interceptions.
A, I think I could have done more. I believe there were fewer instances today where we won the ball in one-on-one situations or through interceptions.
Q: I think the passes were getting through with fewer touches as the match progressed.
A, including the flow of the game, I couldn't play well offensively myself, so I consciously played simply by passing the ball to my teammates.
Q: What preparations do you want to make for the next match?
A, There is also competition within the team, so I want to make an impression starting from training.
<Keigo HIGASHI>
Q, please review the game. I think we were able to convert our chances into goals, what do you think?
A, we scored one goal from the opponent's mistake, and from there, the momentum turned in our favor. I think it was good that we were able to score a goal from limited chances, but I believe what we did well and what we didn't do well were about half and half.
Q: I felt that it was difficult to break through the opponent's defensive block.
A, in the first half, there were hardly any opportunities to break through. At halftime, the coach told us to use one-touch and two-touch passes to increase the tempo. As a team, we were able to enter the second half with that awareness, but everyone needs to speed up their play even more, and I want to focus on this consciously during practice as well.
Q: What factors contributed to the emergence of the attacking rhythm?
A, although the intensity of the opponent's press has decreased, I think it was good that we were able to move the ball with good tempo. Increasing the tempo can lead to mistakes, but we want to continue challenging ourselves for the team to grow.
Q: It is significant that we were able to earn 3 points against the team at the top of the group.
In the Levain Cup, we lost the first match and drew the second, so we hardly earned any points, but I'm glad we were finally able to win today. I think the competition is becoming tight, so I want to do my best to advance through the group stage.
Q: Next, there will be consecutive league matches. How will you prepare?
A, For next week's match against Yokohama, we aim for our fourth consecutive win, and everyone wants to work hard with high intensity starting from practice.
