<Match Review>
In the previous match, Tokyo lost 2-3 away to the league leaders Vissel Kobe. Aiming for a comeback this week, they returned home to Ajinomoto Stadium to face Yokohama F.Marinos.
Teruhito NAKAGAWA, who is facing his former team, was named to the starting lineup as a right winger. Takuya AOKI, who is making his first start in league matches this season, took the anchor position, supporting Kei KOIZUMI and Shuto ABE in the inside half. Kuryu MATSUKI, who just returned from the U-20 World Cup, was included in the substitute members.
1st HALF - Diego's two goals lead to a successful comeback
The match suddenly comes to life. In the first minute of the first half, a fast cross from the left side is delivered into the goal area. Anderson LOPES, who was positioned in front, changes the trajectory of the cross with a header and scores into the top right corner of the goal.
In the 5th minute of the first half, a loose ball from a long pass flowed into the penalty area where Matheus YAN jumped in, but his looping shot was saved by Jakub SLOWIK, who closed the distance.
Tokyo's first big chance came in the 17th minute of the first half. After stealing the opponent's ball in their own half, they quickly connected and sent the ball into the space behind. As Nakagawa jumped into the space on the right side, he carried the ball with speed up to the penalty area. He aimed for the far side with a ground pass, but it was cleared by the pressing opponent defender.
In the 20th minute of the first half, Nakagawa carried the ball deep into the opponent's territory and passed it to the right space in the penalty area. Abe made a run and delivered a backward ball in front of the goal, and Ryoma WATANABE took a direct shot. After being blocked by a defender once, he struck the rebound ball again directly, but the shot went wide to the right of the goal.
The match developed with both teams maintaining possession of the ball and advancing deep into the opponent's territory. The opponent had a structure when they held the ball, and there were scenes where they smoothly carried it to the penalty area. On the other hand, Tokyo countered with quick vertical ball movement before the opponent's defensive formation was set, heading towards the goal without taking too many touches.
By continuing to fight while maintaining intensity without impatience, good opportunities will come. In the 34th minute of the first half, a middle-range pass from Aoki found space on the right side. As Nakagawa broke free with a tactical play against the opponent's defensive line, he carried the ball into the right space of the penalty area and delivered a fast cross. Diego OLIVEIRA, who dove in at the near post, connected with a one-touch finish, and the ball was drawn into the bottom right corner of the goal.
When the score is even, the intensity of both teams increases. Who will take control of the ball? In a tense struggle, Tokyo successfully converted their possession into a chance.
In the 44th minute of the first half, Watanabe, who opened on the left side, glanced at the goal and, seeing that the opponent's pressure was weak, delivered a cross ball early on. When the ball dropped in front of the goal, Diego TABA headed it in, and the opposing goalkeeper couldn't react in time, causing the net to shake as Tokyo successfully turned the game around.
Tokyo launched a rapid attack, creating a chance from a corner kick in the 45+2 minutes of the first half. Shuhei TOKUMOTO delivered the ball to the near side, where Masato MORISHIGE headed it, but it was unfortunately deflected off the crossbar. Taira SHIGE rushed in for the loose ball, but his one-touch shot was thwarted by the opposing goalkeeper's excellent save.
2nd HALF - Maintaining the fighting spirit until the end even after being at a numerical disadvantage
Tokyo substitutes Kuryu MATSUKI for Koizumi at the start of the second half.
At the start of the second half, we were pushed back by the opponent, but Tokyo launched a counterattack. In the 7th minute of the second half, they initiated a quick attack, creating a numerical advantage on the right side. Yuto NAGATOMO received a pass from Nakagawa and delivered a cross. Watanabe headed the cross that flowed to the far side, but unfortunately, it went just over the goal.
As time passed and the opponent had more possession of the ball, in the 17th minute of the second half, a cross from the right side was finished by Anderson LOPES, leveling the score.
Tokyo wanted to regain momentum for a counterattack, but in the 24th minute of the second half, Matsuki was sent off after a VAR review deemed his play of holding the ball while backing into an opponent in the opponent's territory as rough play. Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, they brought on Higashi for Aoki and PEROTTI for Diego TABA to shift the flow of the match in their favor. Additionally, in the 39th minute of the second half, Adailton was brought on to invigorate the attack.
Even with one player less, they continued to slide tenaciously to the ball side without lowering their formation, stealing the opponent's ball and creating chances for attack. However, in the 44th minute of the second half, they were drawn into a wide play, and they failed to keep up with the marking in front of the goal, allowing Marcos JUNIOR to score and turn the game around. Nevertheless, they aimed for an equalizer, and even during the 8 minutes of added time, they created chances from Adailton's breakthroughs and set pieces through aggressive defense, but they could not find the goal, and the match ended without any further scoring.
Even in a situation of numerical disadvantage, we did not lose our fighting spirit and chose to confront the opponent rather than defend. Although we allowed a comeback by conceding a goal from one of the few chances, we continued to fight for 90 minutes while maintaining our style. We want to demonstrate our clearly defined style of "this is how Tokyo plays" without lowering the quality in the next match, and aim to secure 3 points next time.
MATCH DETAILS
＜F.C.Tokyo＞
STARTING XI
GK Jakub SLOWIK
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Masato MORISHIGE/Yasuki KIMOTO/Yuhei TOKUMOTO
MF Kei KOIZUMI (0' Kuryu Matsuki)/Takuya AOKI (28' Keigo Higashi)/Shuto ABE
FW Ryo WATANABE (21' Takaki Tsukagawa)/Diego OLIVEIRA (28' Perotti)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (39' Adailton)
SUBS
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Henrique TREVISAN
GOAL
34th minute of the first half: Diego OLIVEIRA/44th minute of the first half: Diego OLIVEIRA
<Yokohama F. Marinos>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jun IIMORI
DF Ken MATSUBARA/Shinobu HATANAKA/Eduardo (substituted in 19th minute: Takumi KAMIJIMA)/Katsuya NAGATO
MF Kota WATANABE (substituted in 32nd minute: Joel chima FUJITA)/Takuya KIDA/Takuma NISHIMURA (substituted in 19th minute: Marcos JUNIOR)
FW Yan Matheus (substituted in 36th minute: Kota MIZUNUMA)/Anderson LOPEZ/Elber (substituted in 36th minute: Ryo MIYAICHI)
SUBS
GK Powell Obinna OBI
MF Riku YAMANE
GOAL
1st Half, 1 minute: Anderson LOPES/2nd Half, 17 minutes: Anderson LOPES/2nd Half, 44 minutes: Marcos JUNIOR
[Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Coach Press Conference Comments]
Q, please review today's game.
At the start of the match, Shuhei TOKUMOTO slipped and we conceded an early goal. However, after that, the team firmly reset their mindset and played clearly better than the opponent. They demonstrated good soccer, and after regaining possession, they were able to quickly launch aggressive attacks toward the opponent's goal. In the first half, we created many decisive chances. Because of that, I wish we could have scored not just 2 goals, but 3 or 4 additional goals in the first half.
In the second half, Yokohama F.Marinos started to play more aggressively in their pursuit of a comeback, but I believe we also entered the second half in good shape. However, we made a mistake in dealing with a cross ball, resulting in the second goal conceded.
From this point on, I would like to refrain from commenting. This is because I would have to comment on matters outside of football. Our players fought until the final whistle, aiming for a draw and then for victory, and I am proud of that.
Today, we were able to create many chances. However, I believe that connecting those chances to goals remains a challenge. Additionally, I want to improve our response to crosses. Japanese defenders tend to struggle against larger forwards from the opposing team when it comes to dealing with crosses, but we cannot accept this tendency; we must respond properly and work on improving it.
Once again, my team expressed good football today. They valued the ball and showed a strong awareness of attacking the opponent's goal. They were able to move the ball quickly and with good tempo in the midfield, and the side attacks were functioning well. I want to continue to refine that going forward. I hope the team will continue on this path, and that is what I want to leave behind at this club. This season, I want to continue to uphold that and further refine our skills.
Q: I think Takuya AOKI's performance as an anchor today was wonderful. How did the coach feel about it?
A, Aoki's play today was truly wonderful. I expect players who can perform like that. I really appreciate and am satisfied that the players are making daily efforts to level up. The players are now adapting to the style we aim for, and I am satisfied with that. However, there are players struggling to adapt, and there are young players with little experience who are still in their growth phase, so we have to wait for their development. We struggled last season, and there are still challenges in the past six months of this season, but I believe this struggle must lead to the club's future growth and success, and we must ensure that it does.
[Player Interview]]
<Diego OLIVEIRA>
Q, please review the game.
A, this is a very disappointing result. Yokohama F.Marinos is a wonderful team, so we knew it would be a tough match. It was good that we quickly turned the game around after conceding early in the first half, but the second half ended with a regrettable outcome.
Q: I think it was a good flow until the turnaround.
A, I think we had a very good flow in the first half even against a strong opponent, and we were able to play good soccer. There were good aspects in today's match, as well as bad parts that need to be corrected. We want to make sure to properly fix those for the next game.
Q, both were wonderful goals.
A, of course, I am happy to have scored a goal, but I am very disappointed that the team could not win. I want to score in the next match as well and contribute to the team's victory.
<Masato MORISHIGE>
Q: How was the defense against Yokohama F.Marinos?
A, I think we were able to maintain good defensive shape. We successfully targeted the opponent's center backs, and I could see that they were confused. I believe we defended well today.
Q: You executed counterattacks from ball recovery multiple times. Was it as intended?
A, we prepared for a week to firmly bring out our strengths and were able to go for the goal in good form. I believe the difference in finishing the final goal led to the result.
Q: We were able to turn the game around in the first half.
A, there were other chances besides that scene, so including myself, not being able to finish decisively led to the result.
Q: A goal was conceded from a cross. What do you think should be improved?
A, we have no choice but to sort things out one by one. Regarding the second goal conceded, it was due to a slight misalignment in our decision whether to push the defensive line up or drop it, which led to the goal. We must build up our play to avoid conceding goals in the same way.
Q. Even when we were down a player, we continued to play aiming for a goal.
A, after all, our strength lies in our momentum, so we dropped back and aimed for the goal to avoid receiving the opponent's attacks. Of course, we also considered the possibility of a draw, but we couldn't show a pathetic appearance in front of our fans and supporters, so I think we were able to fight courageously throughout the 90 minutes.
Q: There were several scenes where cuts were made in front of the final line.
A, I believe that the way everyone thinks can change the way we play, so if we lose confidence, we can't play aggressively, and a vicious cycle of retreating backward will occur. The first goal was also scored after Yuto NAGATOMO firmly fought for the ball and took it, then carried it forward. Whether in attack or defense, if we don't challenge up front, I don't think we can overcome the current difficult period.
Q: Kuryu MATSUKI played with strong determination. Did you say anything to him after the match?
A, since he is a player with a strong sense of responsibility, I first told him that Matsuki's play had nothing to do with today's result. Looking at Matsuki's attitude so far, I don't think anyone can blame him.
Q: Before the match, there was a large banner that said, "CAPTAIN 3."
A, I was honestly happy, and I was grateful because an atmosphere was created that made me want to fight for the fans and supporters. Since the previous match against Vissel Kobe, they had been giving such congratulations and support, so I felt I couldn't show a pathetic appearance.
<Teruhito NAKAGAWA>
Q: How was the reunion match against Yokohama F.Marinos?
A, it was a very enjoyable match. Although we ended up losing, until the sending off, we were able to create chances, and I believe we were able to show an exciting game.
Q: It was a unique match with a distinct tension, as if everyone was aware of Teruhito NAKAGAWA. How did you feel about that atmosphere, Teruhito NAKAGAWA?
I believe the boos from Yokohama FM fans and supporters contained affection. It was the first match against my former club, filled with many emotions, and I really wanted to win, but honestly, I thought, "They were strong."
Q: I think it was a wonderful first half with a comeback from conceding a goal. Please reflect on the scoring moments as well.
A, this also applies to the scoring scenes, and we knew that space would open up in that area. It was precisely because we were able to exploit that well that it led to chances and goals. I think if we had scored one or two more goals in the first half, the result of the match would have changed. Moving forward, to improve, we need to play with even more passion. Diego OLIVEIRA's two goals came from good opportunities. In the past few matches, we hadn't scored in this way, so we want to make use of today's positive elements to connect to the next game.
Q: In the second half, do you feel that Yokohama FM became passive as they stepped up their game?
A, by having received it, felt the pressure from the opponent. I do not intend to argue about the decision, but it is undeniable that the flow changed due to a player being sent off.
Q: After a player was sent off, what kind of communication did the players have to switch focus as a team?
A, since the opponent is Yokohama FM, even if we defend by dropping back, we end up conceding goals due to being broken down, so we discussed the timing to apply pressure on the ball holder. It feels like we were undone by the final quality.
Q: Compared to the previous few matches, I felt that the ability to make adjustments in the second half has improved.
A, I think we especially emphasized fighting with the spirit of a challenger, but I felt a lack of seriousness in the way we conceded goals. We have continued to concede in similar ways from crosses, so I believe marking adjustments are necessary. Conceding a goal to the opponent within the first minute is something that must never happen in a home game. However, I think the fact that we were able to properly reset after conceding in today's match led to the comeback. We want to express that momentum from the start, further strengthen our unity and family spirit, and meet the expectations of our fans and supporters.
<Takuya AOKI>
Q: It was your first start in the league in a while. How do you reflect on your performance?
A, I counted myself, but it was my first league start in 11 months. It has been a long time until now, and I finally feel like I was able to play in this way.
Q. Although we conceded a goal right after the start, the attacks from the sides were effective, highlighted by a goal from Diego OLIVEIRA.
A, conceding such a goal so early in the game causes us to drop matches we could have won. I believe it is important to eliminate such mistakes. I think we were able to score in a good way through quick attacks.
Q: Please tell us about the role you were conscious of in the midfield.
A, the whole team was able to consciously play with high intensity in one-on-one situations. The first half gave the impression that this was progressing well. Personally, I focused especially on communicating with the defenders and taking care of the opposing forwards and attacking midfielders.
Q: In the second half, we were turned around to 2-3 due to the impact of a player being sent off. How did you perceive the flow of the match?
A, I think we also had many chances to score additional goals, and the simple difference of either finishing those scenes or defending them clearly was reflected in the match content.
Q: The score was the same as the previous match against Vissel Kobe, resulting in a loss.
Compared to the match against Kobe, I think we were able to express defense with a clear intention this time. Especially in the previous game, it felt like the opponent had the ball for a very long time. I believe our defense with our own will was better in this match, and although the score was the same, I interpret the meaning differently. However, a loss is a loss. We want to work hard to be able to win in matches like this.
