<Match Review>
In Sec. 37 of the 2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League, aiming for a third consecutive league victory, we head to NOEVIR Stadium Kobe to face Vissel Kobe.
Tokyo's starting members include Go HATANO as the goalkeeper, with the back line consisting of Yuto NAGATOMO, Alexander Scholz, Masato MORISHIGE, and Naruki Muroya from right to left. The midfield duo is Kei KOIZUMI and Takahiro KO, with Leon NOZAWA positioned as the left attacker and Keita ENDO on the right. The two forwards for the day are Megumu Sato and Marcelo Hian.
1st HALF—Endured the opponent's pressure in the first half. The match remained unchanged going into the second half.
To overcome the frustration of being eliminated in the Emperor's Cup Semifinal Round two weeks ago, a team full of talented players challenges the two-time consecutive champions. From the start, the game continued with pressure in their own half. However, they repelled it with tenacious and physical defense, and a good opportunity came from a counterattack in the 15th minute of the first half.
When player Sato recovered the second ball in his own half, he immediately dribbled it quickly into the opponent's territory. Although the shot did not connect well, the rebound was picked up to launch a secondary attack. Finally, player Koizumi aimed a mid-range shot from outside the area, but it was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper.
One minute later, they face a crisis. The right side is breached, and a grounded cross is delivered. Player Muroya bravely clears it with his body.
Just before the end of the first half, Go HATANO touched a shot by Kobe's player Ideguchi with his fingertips, and Nagatomo also reacted to the rebound, preventing it right at the water's edge.
The early part of the match was tough, but gradually the team began to look for opportunities on the counterattack. The first half ended scoreless. The team went into halftime with the challenge of how to deal with the opponent's pressure.
2nd HALF—With tenacious defense, no goals were allowed. The teams shared 1 point each.
In the decisive second half, Kobe was the first to have a clear chance. Four minutes into the second half, a long throw-in from the right sideline was flicked on, and Kobe's player Iino struck the loose ball. However, Go HATANO made a great save to deny the goal.
After that, intense battles for the ball continued with neither side giving in. Gradually, the game became a back-and-forth struggle. In the 22nd minute of the second half, as the time spent attacking the opponent's territory increased from a one-sided game, Kobe made the first move, sending Erik and Sakai onto the pitch in place of Muto and Iino.
Next, Tokyo also made substitutions at this crucial moment, replacing Nozawa, Ryan, and Endo with three players: Marcos Guilherme, Teruhito NAKAGAWA, and Soma ANZAI.
Immediately after, Go HATANO's goal kick was picked up by the opponent, creating a dangerous situation. In this crisis, Muroya threw his body to block Erik's cross in front of the goal. Furthermore, Morishige cleared the consecutive crosses.
Then, at the 30th minute of the second half, Anzai broke away following a long kick from Go HATANO, persisted, and Sato swung his right foot at the loose ball. However, it missed the target.
In the 34th minute of the second half, player Taka made a bold forward run to create a chance. He connected from the back line while moving forward, appeared in the front, and finally headed Anzai's cross. However, although it was on target, it lacked power and was caught by the opposing goalkeeper.
However, Kobe did not remain silent. In the 41st minute of the second half, from a scramble in front of Tokyo's goal, Osako took a shot with his left foot, but was saved by the post.
In the final moments of the match, Marcos broke free on a through pass from Anzai and took a shot, but was stopped by the opposing goalkeeper's defense. Tokyo intensified their attack in the closing stages, but the goal remained elusive, and the match ended in a goalless draw with both teams sharing one point each.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING XI
GK Go HATANO
DF Sei MUROYA/Masato MORISHIGE/Yuto NAGATOMO/Alexander Scholz
MF Takahiro KO/Keita ENDO(26th minute second half: Soma ANZAI)/Leon NOZAWA(26th minute second half: Marcos GUILHERME)/Kei KOIZUMI
FW Keisuke SATO/Marcelo HIAN(26th minute second half: Teruhito NAKAGAWA)
SUBS
GK Masataka KOBAYASHI
DF Teppei OKA/Kanta DOI/Kosuke SHIRAI
MF Kyota TOKIWA
FW Keita YAMASHITA
MANAGER
Rikizo MATSUHASHI
GOAL
―
<Vissel Kobe>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Daiya MAEKAWA
DF Nanasei IINO (22nd minute second half: Gotoku SAKAI) / Tetsushi YAMAKAWA / Mateus Tourel / Katsuya NAGATO (38th minute second half: Yuki HONDA)
MF Takahiro OHGIHARA / Daiju SASAKI / Yosuke IDEGUCHI / Yoshinori MUTO (22nd minute second half: Eliki)
FW Taisei MIYASHIRO / Yuya OSASAKA
SUBS
GK Powell Obinna OBI
DF Takuya IWANAMI
MF Haruya IDE/Rikuto HIROSE/Yuya KUWASAKI
FW Ren KOMATSU
MANAGER
Takayuki YOSHIDA
GOAL
―
[Interview with Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI]
Q, please review today's game.
A, I believe that earning 1 point while the players fought tough until the very end is something very valuable. Of course, Vissel Kobe also delivered a wonderful performance, and being able to hold them to zero goals is something we can appreciate. On the other hand, in terms of offense, this was a match where many aspects were overall unsatisfactory. While we were conscious of executing what we had prepared, the level of execution was low, and there were many visible technical errors. This also applies to our relationships on the field, and there were moments where we were beaten by the opponent’s quick starts. Not being able to turn those situations around made the match difficult. We believe we must be able to demonstrate that going forward.
Q. At the 26th minute of the second half, when three players were substituted, wasn't it a moment where you hoped to make a decisive move?
A, there were several issues, but today it felt like we lacked smoothness in our attack. The timing was off, and there were moments when the relationship between the passer and receiver did not connect. On the other hand, this also reflects how Kobe's quick transitions and tight defense troubled us. That said, since they are a high-level team with skilled individuals, the players probably realized in this match that unless we learn how to break through and overturn such situations, it will be difficult to aim higher.
Q: Next week will be the final match of this season. Please share your enthusiasm for that game.
A, since there is only one match left, we can play the final game at home, so I want to show everyone a good performance and have a game where we can celebrate together. With the toughness and aggressiveness we showed today, I aim for a game where we can earn 3 points..
[Player Interview]
＜Alexander SCHOLZ＞
Q, It was a tough match. How do you look back on the game?
A, I think it was a match similar to those we've had before. The defense was very good. When we had the ball, there were chances created through combinations. However, many players ran ahead too early, causing the distance between players to widen, and overall the play was often a bit too fast, resulting in many scenes that didn't go well. That said, as a whole team, we were able to maintain our work rate and hard work, producing a very good performance. Vissel Kobe is a very excellent team, so I think it was not a bad result.
Q: After the substitute players came in during the second half, the attacking opportunities increased. There were also scenes where we couldn't finish. What do you think was lacking?
A, the final stages of the match became open. Kobe applied pressure from a high position, which created some space. The forwards ran well and created chances, and there were moments where they broke through the opponent with combinations like one-twos, but I think it still wasn't enough. I believe both sides had chances to score, so I am satisfied with the result of earning 1 point.
Q: Next match, we will have the final game of this season at Ajinomoto Stadium. Please share your enthusiasm.
A, of course, our goal is to win at home. Since we haven't been able to earn many points at home, we want to prepare to secure 3 points in front of Tokyo's fans and supporters in the final match of this season. We have received wonderful support throughout the season, and many people came to Kobe today as well. Therefore, not only will we work hard during matches, but even when there are no games, we want to continuously respond to the cheers of our fans and supporters without stopping.
<Go HATANO>
Q, please review today's game.
A, I think it was good that we were able to keep a clean sheet. However, there were moments where my own mistakes caused dangerous situations, and I felt that my match sense still has a long way to go.
Q. Please tell us about the scene where you saved Ideguchi's shot in the first half.
A, recently after practice, I have been doing dozens of save drills every day with Assistant GK Coach Inoue in those kinds of scenes. I honestly think it was good that I was able to show that in the match.
Q. What do you think about the scene where you saved Iino's shot in the second half?
A, I have been continuously training my reactions during training sessions with Coach GK Yamashita, so I think I was able to respond calmly as practiced.
Q. I think the number of long balls increased midway through the game. Was there a specific strategy behind that?
In the Emperor's Cup Semifinal Round, I felt that I was not fully involved in the match myself. Watching the footage of that game again, I thought I wanted to control the game a bit more when the ball was with me.It was good that I was able to try that, but I need to improve the quality even more, so I want to work harder in practice.
Q. I think there was a scene where Go HATANO's strengths were shown in the kicking part.
A, watching Vissel Kobe's matches so far, I felt that their stamina drops a bit towards the end of the game. In that context, players with strong power like Soma ANZAI and Marcos Guilherme came in, and I myself was conscious of playing in a way that makes the most of such players, so I think it was good that I was able to show that even a little.
Q, the next match will be the last game of this season.
A, I believe we must play matches and perform in ways that lead into the next season, so I want to continue making good preparations.
<Takahiro KO>
Q: Please reflect on the match.
A, it turned out to be a very difficult match. There were some dangerous moments in defense, but I think it was good that we maintained our concentration until the end and managed to finish without conceding any goals. However, on the offensive side, it became a challenging game. In the early stages of the match, we were able to move forward while being mindful of our positioning, but easy mistakes stood out. Including myself, I think the long period during which the whole team was out of sync made the match more difficult.
Q. The match opened up towards the end, and there were also forward runs by player Takahashi.
A, there were times when the players' movement slowed down, so I focused on individually breaking away from opponents and finding ways to break through. There were several such moments in the first half as well, and when we attacked in open play, we felt we had chances. I think we need to better organize the overall shape after pressing and finishing off those opportunities.
Q. There were also scenes where you received instructions from Coach Matsuhashi during the match.
A, while the forward players dropped back slightly and one of the defensive midfielders took a higher position in the formation during the match, we coordinated our response to the opponent's long balls and the recovery of second balls.
Q: The match ended in a draw, but you have gone undefeated in the league for 5 games. Please share your enthusiasm for the final home game of the next round.
A, we just need to take 3 points. We can play the last match of the season at home, and there are fans and supporters who came all the way to Kobe today. We want to finish with a win for everyone.
