<Review of the previous match against Vissel Kobe>
It was "Aoiaka no Taro" who cast a spell on the away pitch in Kobe.
First, in the 5th minute, a brilliant turn induced a yellow card for the opponent. The team saw Taishi Brandon NOZAWA make a series of fine saves from the 15th minute of the first half, and "after a pinch, there is a chance." Tokyo succeeded in breaching the Vissel Kobe goal with Taro's fantastic play.
It was the 24th minute of the first half. After exchanging passes with Takahiro KO on the left side, Keigo HIGASHI faced forward and delivered a cross into the near zone. At this moment, Ryotaro ARAKI, who had broken into the penalty area, skillfully twisted his body and dropped the ball backward with his chest, assisting Keita ENDO's brilliant finish. He created the opening goal with a light and graceful post play, as if watching in slow motion.
Taro's magic doesn't stop. In the 7th minute of the second half, he thrilled the stadium with a magnificent looping shot, and just two minutes later, in the 9th minute of the second half, he added another goal from a set piece on the right side after being fouled.
The ball released from Taro's right foot, aimed with sharp eyes, skillfully slipped between the opposing goalkeeper and the last line of defense. Running towards the far side at the end of a low trajectory that arched over the pitch was Soma ANZAI. With a powerful header, wearing number 38, he scored from Taro's fantastic right foot, extending Tokyo's lead to two goals.
However, the opponent is the defending champion, Kobe, who is aiming for consecutive titles this season and is just one point behind the leader. They employ aggressive high pressing and long balls as their weapons, playing strong football, and even in the final stages, trailing by two goals, they resorted to power play without holding back.
However, the blue and red team did not back down. With determination and pride, they continued to focus on defense until the end, successfully protecting their goal. They put an end to Kobe's impressive run of six consecutive league victories and twelve unbeaten matches in official competitions, securing another win after a draw following three consecutive league victories. They demonstrated resilience and strong defense throughout the 90 minutes, achieving a satisfying victory away from home.
Match Preview
After a 1-1 draw at home against Sagan Tosu, the previous match saw a 2-0 victory away against Vissel Kobe. In this match, an incident occurred during warm-ups when Kota TAWARATSUMIDA was injured, and Keita ENDO took his place in the starting lineup. Coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI encouraged Endo by saying, "Show the mentality you have," and in response to that expectation, Endo scored the opening goal in the 24th minute of the first half. Endo praised his teammates, saying, "It wasn't just me; my teammates were amazing too. We couldn't play beautiful soccer, but we maintained our focus and played well," expressing his admiration for the teammates who fought for 90 minutes.
Since September, we have maintained a good form with no losses in 5 matches, and this week we welcome Shonan Bellmare, who has won three consecutive matches at Ajinomoto Stadium. Shonan recently achieved a comeback victory against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who are at the top of the league, and they are a team riding high on momentum. For Tokyo, the key will be to effectively avoid the opponent's high press, which is based on hard work, while taking control of the match.
Masato MORISHIGE, who has played full matches in the last six games, stated, "Doing good training and playing good games has become our strength. I want to challenge without breaking our routine to maintain that flow," vowing to continue the winning streak. To break into the top ranks in the last four matches, Tokyo will fight as one team until the very last moment.
This matchday program is here
[Interview with Coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI]
Q: In the recent matches, it seems that you have shown flexible responses to opponents with various styles and have been accumulating victories.
A. I believe that maintaining our discipline and following the rules leads to hard work, and continuing to play with trust is reflected in the result of victory.
Q: This week's opponent is Shonan Bellmare.
A. We truly respect Shonan. Shonan has many young and talented players. It is also a club where players under 21 get a lot of playing time. However, there is one team that surpasses them in this regard. Do you know which team that is? Yes, it is us, Tokyo. In our last match, we won 1-0, but it was a very tough game. I think this match will be a big challenge, and we are preparing as much as possible for it. We want to give our best performance and make it an exciting game.
Q, There are only 4 matches left in the J1 League.
A, of course, we focus on each match and fight accordingly. No matter which team we face, our motivation and challenge is to compete strongly ourselves. We just give it our all for that.
[Player Interview]
＜Teppei OKA＞
Q: In the last match against Vissel Kobe, my position changed from the previous game, and I played as a center-back.
A. We focus on firmly connecting the ball from the back to the forward players, so naturally, the view changes between center backs and side backs, but the awareness of what needs to be done for the team remains the same. We maintain solid communication with the players we regularly train with and those playing nearby. We take care to ensure that changes in the positions of surrounding players and myself do not significantly alter our style of play.
Q: This match is against Shonan Bellmare.
A, in both offense and defense, we want to coordinate and align our understanding. Communicating with the players on the defensive line and figuring out how to push out Shonan's attacking players will be a key point in defense. We want to focus on quality, anticipate various situations, and approach the match accordingly.
Q: We hope that Okada's hard work will lead to the team's victory this match week.
A, the ideal situation is to have a short defensive time and few critical moments. However, when faced with such situations or when pressed by the opponent, we want to show solid defense that does not give them freedom. And we want to achieve a victory at home and continue our winning streak in the league matches.
<Ewerton Gaudino>
Q: In the last match against Vissel Kobe, I stepped onto the official match pitch for the first time in about a month and a half.
A, there were times when I was injured and couldn't play in matches, but I am glad to have safely returned. Above all, I believe it was very valuable to earn 3 points in an important game. Personally, my condition is improving, and I want to prepare so that I can play in good shape for the Shonan Bellmare match.
Q: The team has been in good form, remaining unbeaten in the last 5 official matches.
A. I believe that every team can experience periods during a long season when victories seem out of reach. However, it is precisely because Tokyo has the strength to overcome difficult situations with a sense of unity as a team that I think the team's condition is once again improving and moving in the right direction. It is important to keep improving our form until the end of this season.
Q: There are only 4 matches left this season. What kind of play do you want to show to the fans and supporters?
There were times when I couldn't play in matches, and I felt the frustration of not being able to contribute. That's why, first and foremost, I want to step onto the pitch and help the team win with my play. My goal is to keep winning until the end without stopping the team's current good momentum and condition.
