After struggling in the relegation zone during the first half of the season, the team made a remarkable comeback in the second half, aided by the contributions of new players acquired during the special registration period in June. The 2025 season, fought under the new management of Rikizo MATSUHASHI, was a year of clear progress, marked by challenges and achievements. While football performance showed gradual improvement, the business side recorded the highest sales in the club's history and announced plans for a new training facility, bringing a series of positive developments. In this season review, President Shigeya Kawagishi reflects on the year. The first part covers the evaluation of the first year under the Matsuhashi regime, changes observed in the team, and the support provided for strengthening the squad.
Coverage and Composition = Kei Sato (Freelance Writer)
──The 2025 season of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League ended with an 11th place finish. This is a decline compared to last season's 7th place. First, how do you perceive this result?
Of course, we are not satisfied with our ranking. As I mentioned in the previous (interview after the financial results announcement conducted this June), we struggled quite a bit in the first half of the season and at one point fell to 18th place, which is in the relegation zone. In the first few matches of the season, we played with a three-back formation and felt the team was progressing, and I even exchanged words with fans and supporters saying "we could check our answers after each match." At that time, the staff also felt a sense of progress, but because the results did not follow as expected, the team may have gradually become distrustful and doubtful. After all, we dropped to 18th place in the standings.
However, the team did not collapse. There was unity. Although it was disappointing to be eliminated in the 3rd Round of the J.League YBC Levain Cup, it allowed us to take time in June to reset, add new players, and switch tactically to a four-back formation. Being able to restart from there was positive.
──Since the resumption, we have steadily accumulated points.
I think the players were also familiar with the 4-back formation. Since the restart, I heard from the field that both the mindset and the approach have been organized. The tough times were long, but the team was united in facing them. Considering the period after the break as the second half of the season, including the postponed matches, there were 20 games, and we earned 31 points. In terms of ranking, if we look only at the second half, we were in contention for the top positions. It is natural to say we were far from winning the championship, but I believe the team fought as one until the end to secure the highest possible position in the second half.
──Was the poor performance in the first half of the season largely due to the impact of welcoming a new coach?
No, I don't necessarily think so. From the beginning, there was a shared understanding that the team built by Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI would primarily use a four-back formation, and depending on the situation, they would also try a three-back formation. In fact, during the Okinawa camp, training with the four-back formation continued until the final stages, and in the training match on the last day, they played with a three-back formation and were able to get a very good feel for it. On top of that, as the season opener approached, there were some concerns about the full-back positions due to injuries and conditioning issues, so after careful consideration by the coach, it was decided to adopt the three-back formation for the opening match.
Judging from the results, the conclusion is that the three-back formation did not fit well after all. There was a sense of progress right after the start, but it can also be pointed out that when the team lost form, they couldn't find a place to return to as a team. This is something I discussed with the coach as well, but it was quite difficult to switch from a three-back to a four-back formation amid a congested schedule. Therefore, it was necessary to have some time to revert back to the four-back formation at some point. Being able to dedicate the two-week break at the beginning of June to that was significant. There were other minor adjustments, but fans and supporters might have felt that the formation after the break suited the team better.
For example, Kota TAWARATSUMIDA, who had been playing as a shadow, seemed to be able to bring out his strengths more by moving to the left side. As a result, I believe that the formation change allowed the players to play more vividly. Of course, the difficulties faced in the first half of the season were not solely due to the formation, and there is no doubt that the team had built up something, but it is also certain that the adjustments made during this period were significant and cannot be ignored.
── As a way of thinking about team formation, is it difficult to prepare a lineup that can adapt to any formation?
There is no particular issue with this season; I have heard about the team composition approach every season. Simply put, the idea is to have two regular-class players for each position to encourage competition. With a congested schedule and various competitions intertwined, there is inevitably a risk of injury. Therefore, having a third backup player is necessary, but preparing that for every position is difficult from a personnel standpoint in the first place.
For example, the number of left side backs is not large even when looking at all of Japan. The same can be said for left-footed center backs. It is also difficult to have multiple regular-class players. In that sense, certain positions inevitably become highly contested among teams. I feel that organizing the envisioned lineup in a perfect form is a challenging task.
──Please tell us how you perceived the performance in the second half of the season.
First, I think it was significant that we were able to strengthen the team by acquiring some of the targeted players, and the new players who joined the team performed well. As we switched to a four-back formation, Alexander SCHOLZ and Sei MUROYA joined the squad, and the addition of goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu was also important. With the defense stabilized, the attacking players were able to move forward with confidence. The team's mentality changed significantly, and with Motoki NAGAKURA, who holds the ball up front, joining, a good flow was created.
I strongly felt this during the two consecutive matches in Yokohama in June. We won 3-0 away against Yokohama F. Marinos (Sec. 15 / June 25), and then won 2-1 at home against Yokohama FC after just two days (Sec. 22). Especially in the Yokohama FC match, Masato MORISHIGE scored a penalty kick in the last play of additional time to secure a come-from-behind victory. Both the players and the entire team gained confidence, and I felt that after that, they were able to play with conviction.
──The hesitation seen in the first half of the season has been dispelled.
That's right. After overcoming the matches against Yokohama FM and Yokohama FC, which were battles between lower-ranked teams, the team developed a stronger mindset to move forward positively. From there, the mentality shifted to trying to climb even one spot higher in the standings. Specifically, the defensive adjustments I mentioned earlier succeeded, and we were able to seriously focus on how to minimize conceding goals. The increasing number of clean sheets is proof of that. Compared to the first half, we have become more resilient in defense. We have been able to hold close matches even against the top teams in the league, and in away games against Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Vissel Kobe, we showed defensive improvements by persevering and bringing back 1 point. There have been more matches where we secured points without collapsing easily, and within the team, there was a sense and feeling of improvement.
──I believe there were many things shared with Coach Matsuhashi through competing for one season.
Of course, that exists. On top of that, we are carefully examining the budget for next season. First, we consider how the initial setting for this season was. We increased the team's personnel expenses this summer, and including effectively utilizing the transfer fees left by Seiji KIMURA and Taishi Brandon NOZAWA from their overseas transfers, we have been reflecting on how the original budget should have been set. The 2025 season has made us think about many things. We are currently progressing with the formation for next season, but when considering competing at the top of the J1 League, we feel that the previous approach will not be enough. While slightly changing what we have considered our standard, we want to face the new season. Although we have not neglected investing in the football side until now, considering our management scale and capacity, we are discussing doing our utmost effort.
── On December 4, just before the final matchday, it was announced that Coach Matsuhashi would continue in his role. Please tell us again the reason for this decision.
When examining the battles of the second half of the season, we concluded that continuing rather than resetting here would allow us to reach greater heights more quickly. This was also explained to the media by General Manager Mitsushiro OBARA, and the main reason was the clear sense of progress the team had made. Looking only at the second half, the team earned 31 points in 20 matches (30 points in 19 matches), and simply doubling that number would result in 60 points, which would place us tied for 6th in this season's standings. Considering the quality of the matches in the second half, we recognize that the team had the potential to break into the upper ranks.
It is true that the number of goals conceded in defense has decreased, and the number of matches where we secured points has increased. Additionally, the metrics we use as benchmarks have also shown solid improvement compared to past seasons. For example, one of these is the expected goals value. Although this figure slightly declined in the second half of the season due to many tight matches, it still remained at a higher level throughout the season than before. We have also improved in metrics such as the rate of entering the 30-meter line, the number of entries into the penalty area, and ball possession time in the opponent's half. The offensive indicators were not bad.
However, there is the result that the number of goals scored has decreased compared to the previous year, so it is necessary to acknowledge this and recognize the challenges. I also feel that it has become clear what we need to pursue, such as improving accuracy in front of the goal, not just delivering simple crosses, but increasing the number of challenging passes. Increasing effective set plays, and addressing details such as the easy ball losses from our own throw-ins seen in the final match against Albirex Niigata that led to conceding goals—if we thoroughly work on these details continuously, I believe we will be able to see a new perspective. Based on this way of thinking, we asked Coach Matsuhashi to extend his contract.
── Chose to continue for the benefits.
Tokyo has a history of changing managers approximately every year and a half, but when the club aims for a league title, there is an image of climbing the ladder together with a manager who leads a long-term regime of three or four years. If that manager is Coach Matsuhashi, it would be wonderful, and the club must strive to make that happen. However, if that situation does not arise, it is natural that we must think strictly about various aspects.
──At the final home game, boos were heard from the stands. How did you honestly feel about the reaction from the fans and supporters?
Although Director Matsuhashi was speaking at the time, I take that as an expression of opinion toward the club. From the perspective of the fans and supporters, I understand that it was a stressful season, and I believe they wanted to express those feelings somewhere. It was a sign of "Please do better," and we received such encouragement and admonishment. We will firmly pull ourselves together here and work toward the new season and the future beyond.
The latter part ishere
♢Previous Management Reports are here
2024 Fiscal Year Financial Report and the Club's Current Status (Part 1)
2024 Fiscal Year Financial Report and the Club's Current Status (Part 2)
2024 Season Summary: Business and Football (Part 1)
2024 Season Summary: Business and Football (Part 2)
2023 Fiscal Year Financial Report and the Club's Current Status (Part 1)
2023 Fiscal Year Financial Report and the Club's Current Status (Part 2)
