Match Review
In the previous match, we achieved a convincing victory against Albirex Niigata in an away game, and this week, the blue and red players have returned home to secure their first win of the season at Ajinomoto Stadium. There are two changes in the starting lineup from the match against Niigata, with the reliable center-back Masato MORISHIGE returning to the starting lineup for the first time in six matches. Diego OLIVEIRA, who scored his first goal of the season in the Niigata match, also started on the pitch for the first time in eight matches.
Fans and supporters filled the goal area with blue and red at home Ajinomoto Stadium for victory. To bring the joy of victory to their "home," the team pushed forward with Tokyo's colors from the beginning, closing in on the Kyoto SANGA F.C. goal.
1st HALF—Kashif's first goal at Ajinomoto and Diego's goal give a 2-point lead
It was a lightning-fast opening goal.
Diego TABA collected the loose ball in midfield and simply dropped it to Teruhito NAKAGAWA, who then spread the ball to Soma ANZAI on the right side. Soma, gaining speed, opted for a direct cross, which didn't reach Kota TAWARATSUMIDA, who was making a run, but Kashif BANGNAGANDE came charging in from behind at full speed and struck with his left foot. Although the shot hit the opposing defender, it still found its way into the goal net.
The voltage in the stadium surged after the opening goal in the 4th minute, and the team continued to press towards the Kyoto goal. However, as they struggled to secure an additional goal, Kyoto gradually regained their composure and took back the pace of the game.
Even so, in the 15th minute of the first half, during a critical moment, Morishige defended against a header from Hara, who connected with Toyokawa's cross, ensuring that the shot did not reach the goal by staying close to him and maintaining concentration in the penalty area, preventing a goal.
Then, in the 21st minute of the first half, an additional goal was scored. Pressing on the left side, player Taba dribbled into the center while providing a cross. Diego TABA, who lost his marker, headed the ball into the goal.
Tokyo, which efficiently piled up goals, does not ease its attacking efforts. In the big chance at the 32nd minute of the first half, Nakagawa failed to score, and in the scene where Morishige connected with a free kick at the 39th minute of the first half, although the net shook, it was disallowed for offside.
Although they were unable to secure a decisive third goal in the first half, they turned the match around with a wonderful performance.
2nd HALF - Although we were on the defensive, we limited the goals conceded to 1, achieving our second consecutive win of the season.
Before the start of the second half, Teppei OKA, making his J1 debut, was brought in to replace Kanta DOI, who had injured his foot towards the end of the first half. Despite the rookie being called up unexpectedly, Tokyo continued to take control and advance the match in the second half.
That said, there weren't many chances to score the decisive third goal, and in the 16th minute of the second half, Kei KOIZUMI and Teruhito NAKAGAWA were substituted for Riki HARAKAWA and Jája Silva. The fresh players aimed to close out the game.
In the 30th minute of the second half, Diego TABA's skillful ball control and turn turned the situation around for a counterattack, but the cross from substitute Leon NOZAWA was cleared by the defender, and Takahiro KO's attempted long shot from the second attack was also blocked by the defender.
In such a development, the next goal is born in Kyoto. In the 34th minute of the second half, from a corner kick on the right, Sora HIRAGA headed in a precise kick from Daiki HIRATO at the near side, closing the gap to one goal.
Immediately after that, a big chance came for Tokyo. Nozawa broke free into the space behind the opponent, but his shot was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper, who closed the distance at just the right moment. In stoppage time, a handball by Morishige in the penalty area was called, resulting in a penalty kick. The stadium fell silent for a moment due to the significant crisis created just before the end of the match, but the decision was overturned with the support of VAR. In the end, they avoided the biggest crisis at the last moment and achieved their second consecutive win of the season.
After a perfect first half, the team experienced a hectic end to the second half, but ultimately managed to defend well by closing down space in their own half, winning 2-1. They secured their first victory at Ajinomoto Stadium and achieved their second consecutive win.
This marks the fifth win of the season, bringing the points total to 18. We can clearly see the backs of the top teams now.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Go HATANO
DF Kosuke SHIRAI/Masato MORISHIGE/Kanta DOI (substituted at 0 minutes into the second half: Teppei OKA)/Kashif BANGNAGANDE
MF Hiroshi TAKAU/Yoshikazu KOIZUMI (substituted at 16 minutes into the second half: Chikara HARAKAWA)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (substituted at 16 minutes into the second half: Jaja SILVA)
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (substituted at 35 minutes into the second half: Yuto NAGATOMO)/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (substituted at 27 minutes into the second half: Leon NOZAWA)/Soma ANZAI
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Shuhei TOKUMOTO
GOAL
4th minute of the first half: Kashif BANGNAGANDE / 21st minute of the first half: Diego OLIVEIRA
<Kyoto Sanga F.C.>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kwon Sun-yong
DF Shinnosuke FUKUDA (substituted in 31st minute: Yuta MIYAMOTO)/Shogo ASADA/Keita MATSUDA (substituted in 0th minute: Toichi SUZUKI)/Hisashi APPIAH TAWIAH
MF Shohei TAKEDA (substituted in 0th minute: Taiki HIRATO)/Temma MATSUDA (substituted in 14th minute: Sora HIRAGA)/Daiki KANEKO/Hibiki SATO
FW Daichi HARA/Yuta TOYOKAWA (substituted in 14th minute: Kazunari ICHIMI)
SUBS
GK Gakuji OTA
DF Yoshinori SUZUKI
GOAL
34 minutes into the second half: Sora HIRAGA
[Peter CKLAMOVSKI Coach Interview]
Q, please review the game.
A, I think there were various things in today's match. Especially in the first half, we played powerful football, creating exciting plays and dangerous situations for the opponent, and it wouldn't have been surprising if we had scored several goals. On the other hand, in the second half, we struggled as we deviated from our style of play. I believe we made it difficult for ourselves. Despite that, the players showed a wonderful mentality and fought desperately. I also think they fought until the end to earn 3 points for the club and the fans and supporters. I am very pleased with their efforts to secure those 3 points.
The players delivered a performance worthy of victory. I am glad that the fans and supporters are happy. Today's victory is because they strongly supported the team. Today, there were many positive aspects in our football that will help us grow. I believe there are areas where we can improve and do better to become a stronger team, so I want to learn from those lessons. Today, we celebrate the victory, and the players will immediately focus on recovery and prepare well for the match on Monday.
Q: With various reasons for player absences, Masato MORISHIGE and Diego OLIVEIRA participated as starting members.
A, I think their performance was excellent. I believe they greatly contributed to the performance needed to secure 3 points, and they fought with strong leadership and character. Although we are in a difficult situation with several players absent, all the members who can practice are approaching daily training with a mentality to grow. Morishige and Diego TABA have clearly demonstrated the results of that effort, but I think this applies to all players.
Player Morishige has continued to prepare to contribute to the team with a hungry attitude. He demonstrated that in today's performance. There were times when there were issues with his condition and Diego TABA could not practice, but it is wonderful that he has returned. I believe their performance today is the result of their daily efforts.
To fight through the season, we need all players. This is exactly the situation where everyone's strength is required. I believe we have grown both in football and mentality, and this is an important point. I think we fought as a really strong team today, but there is still a lot of potential. We must continue to work hard and grow as a team to become the team we dream of. We want to move forward humbly. We will continue to work hard and improve what we are doing as we progress.
[Player Interview]
<Kashif BANGNAGANDE>
Q, please review the opening goal.
A, this season, as a team, we have been working on having the opposite fullback move in for crosses from the other side, and there have been several close chances so far. We were able to score the first goal of the season in the way the team intended, and it was great to see our daily efforts pay off.
Q: It felt like the positioning of the full-backs was organized as a team.
A. We work as a team in regular practice on various patterns, not only where to move when breaking down the opponent, but also patterns such as crosses coming from the opposite side, not just our own side. The tasks are organized and understood not only for the full-back positioning but also including the wing and other positions, so I feel we can play boldly.
Q. On the other hand, I believe that risk management in defense is also required. How are you addressing this?
A is pushing forward aggressively, so correspondingly, more focus is required on defensive risk management. There were several dangerous moments when the defense was caught off guard, and both as a team and individually, we want to focus on and improve that aspect.
Q: Around the 15-minute mark of the second half, we spent a long time on defense and conceded a goal in the final moments. What challenges do you see?
A, the start of the second half was good, but we couldn't score an additional goal at a good time, and gradually matched the opponent's pace, getting pushed back little by little. As a team, I think there is an issue with how we manage the end of the game, so we want to correct it immediately for the upcoming consecutive matches.
<Diego OLIVEIRA>
Q: Please reflect on the match.
A, it was an extremely tough match. The opponent applied pressure with their power, and I believe that our ability to fight tenaciously as a team until the very end led to our victory. The support from our fans and supporters was a great encouragement for us players. Although I was able to play in the early matches of the season, my condition did not improve well, and I was able to return to the match starting from the previous game against Albirex Niigata. During that time, I want to express my gratitude to my teammates, the team staff who supported me to be able to play, and the fans and supporters.
Q: Please reflect on the goal scene that led to the first victory at Ajinomoto Stadium this season.
A, today's match started well from the first half. We created many chances, and Kashif BANGNAGANDE scored the opening goal early on, which helped us gain good momentum. At the moment when the number of plays in the opponent's area increased, Kota TAWARATSUMIDA delivered a wonderful cross with his right foot. It was a well-timed header shot, and I want to thank TAWARATSUMIDA for the assist. Today, we want all the players, fans, and supporters to celebrate our first victory of the season at Ajinomoto Stadium together.
Q: We have entered an 8-game stretch in May, including today's match. How will you approach it?
A, we all need to get through a schedule where matches continue in a short period. The next match against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo is a tight schedule with only two days in between. Away games against Sapporo.D are always difficult and tough matches, so we want to prepare thoroughly for the match to be able to seize victory as a team like we did in today's game. The players have the quality to perform well no matter who plays. To be able to play our style of football, we will rest well today and aim to improve again starting tomorrow.
<Teppei OKA>
Q, I made my professional debut in the Levain Cup, but suddenly I got my chance in the J1 League match, and it was at home at Ajinomoto Stadium.
<div>A, I was always ready to come on, and I think it was good to finish with a win at home like this, but we conceded a goal after I was brought on at 2-0. We need to create an atmosphere where we absolutely do not allow goals, and on an individual level, I wasn't aware of my surroundings, and defensively, I was relying too much on others for positioning. I feel there are many points that need to be corrected.
Q, you didn't seem to be in such a hurry.
A, I was conscious of creating an atmosphere and behavior that made it seem like we were not in a flurry, and to act confidently.
Q: How was it to play in front of the roaring crowd at home Ajinomoto Stadium, different from your debut match at NHK Spring MitsuzawaFootballStadium away?
A, I have wanted to play here since my academy days, and one of my goals was to play and definitely win a match at Ajinomoto Stadium, which has now been achieved. I believe this is just the beginning. Standing on this pitch, I realized that I must keep improving my level even more and more.
Q: Please tell us about the gains and challenges from today's match.
A, I think it was a positive that I was able to get into the flow of the game even as a substitute and that we won. As for challenges, positioning is important, especially for center backs to avoid being pulled wide, and we still have a lot to work on in terms of raising and lowering the defensive line. In the build-up phase, I tended to look only at nearby options and was unable to utilize my strength, which is delivering long passes.
Q: Is there anything you would like to change in your play for the next match?
A, my strength is being able to deliver passes with both feet that create chances in a single play when looking at players far up the field, so I want to try focusing on that first. Defensively, I want to create an atmosphere that doesn't allow the opponent to play, and I aim to stay alert to nip the opponent's attacks in the bud at my position and immediately become a starting point for our offense.
Q: Please give a message to the fans and supporters.
A, first of all, I want to say "I'm home." To show that I have grown and returned, I want to continue my daily efforts without fail from here on.
