Match Review & Preview

Review of the Previous Match Against Yokohama F.Marinos

It was truly a brilliant game. The red and blue army was dynamic in both offense and defense at "our National". Captain Sei MUROYA also expressed his confidence, saying, "It was truly our best game."

The game changed just 32 seconds after kickoff. From the back line, the ball was connected to Muroya, who played a vertical pass, and Keito Sato, facing forward, delivered an exquisite early cross on the ground so skillful that he said, "Iniesta came down on me." Motoki NAGAKURA broke free there and scored with a one-touch left-footed goal. With a lightning-fast strike, Tokyo took the lead.

He continued to show strength in one-on-one situations, preventing the opponent from playing to their strengths, and overwhelmed them with a mix of possession-based attacks and fast-paced, simple attacks. In the 16th minute of the first half, Ryunosuke SATO cut in from the left side, brought the ball to the center, and scored his first league goal in Tokyo with a powerful right-footed shot.

At halftime with a 2-0 lead, the locker room was filled with the energy of voices saying, "Let's go for one more goal," which led to an early additional goal in the second half. After multiple players surrounded and took the ball, Alexander SCHOLZ intercepted and advanced with a through pass. Marcelo RYAN finished it to score the third goal. This time, it was just 54 seconds after the restart. This perfectly embodied the "+1 GOAL" philosophy of football, pulling away from Yokohama FM.

They continued to play with concentration until the very end to close out the match, recording their first clean sheet of the season. The team, whose winning streak from the opening had stopped at three, showed improvement in their finishing ability and game management, which had been identified as issues, and successfully secured a solid victory in the restart match.

This Week's Preview

After five opening matches, 4 wins and 1 loss. So far, they have achieved 3rd place in the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League EAST Group. After a strong start with three consecutive wins, they suffered their first defeat in Sec. 4 against Kashiwa Reysol, but fueled by that frustration, they achieved a commanding 3-0 victory over Yokohama F.Marinos in the previous match. Recording their first clean sheet of the season, they made the best possible restart toward the top, living up to the saying, "The team that wins the championship does not suffer consecutive losses."

In the previous match, the team took the lead by scoring decisive goals right after the start of each half, with positive highlights such as Ryunosuke SATO's first goal in Tokyo and Rio OMORI's strong presence in both offense and defense in his first start. The team also learned from the reflections on the match against Kashiwa and demonstrated greater adaptability than ever before. They displayed intense pressing from the front line, immediate recovery after pressing forward, sharp attacks with a sudden speed increase from possession, and simple counterattacks exploiting space by drawing the opponent in. Not only did they play seamless soccer in both offense and defense, but they also showed a chameleon-like ability to change their style of play according to the surrounding situation.

Kota Tokiwa, who has started all five matches so far and has been entrusted with steering the team from midfield, said, "The match against Kashiwa was a costly lesson, but it was truly educational. It was the first time this season we faced a team using a three-back formation, and while they made significant positional changes, we struggled to unify and share our approach on how to respond. Reflecting on that, in the match against Yokohama FM, we were able to communicate effectively about which spaces to use. Mito Hollyhock also employs a flexible system, so we want to show our growth here. We want everyone to bring out what we learned from the Kashiwa match and fight well together." He expressed his enthusiasm to demonstrate the team's evolution.

Mito, on the other hand, moved to compete in the J1 League stage for the first time in the club's history this season. They have struggled so far with only one win in a penalty shootout, but they are fighting hard with a style of play that is based on a four-back formation and shifts to a three-back during attacks while valuing ball possession. Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI said, "This is a team that sticks firmly to its philosophy and way of thinking. There were games where the results could easily have been different, even in matches we lost. The past results do not matter at all. There are no matches that can be won easily, and it is completely nonsense to think that because we are a newly promoted team, things will somehow work out. We must always approach every match with the mindset that 'the next opponent is the strongest enemy.'"

Behind those words lies a strong determination for the upcoming three consecutive away matches starting this round.

So far, 10 points. They are 3 points behind the top-ranked Kashima Antlers and tied on points with the second-placed Urawa Reds. After the early season, which featured many home games, they now face a three-game away stretch including midweek matches. Of course, head coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI remains steadfast in his principle of "winning every match." In that context, he delivered a single message to the team during the meeting ahead of the Mito game.

"In order to get closer to where we aim to be, it is necessary to firmly win these three consecutive matches. Of course, each match is important, but I want you to imagine where our position will be after these three games. We may still be in a position of looking up, but there is also a good possibility that the situation could be reversed. Let's create that view once. To build that view, let's focus carefully on what we can do and fight each match one by one."

To become a "team worthy of the championship," it is required to always be conscious of winning the title and to win while feeling the pressure. There is no goal on the path of continuously aiming higher. However, it can be said that the early season results have earned us the right to take on that challenge. We must maintain the stance of winning every match, and at the same time, have the determination to seize the championship together as a team. This three-game away stretch holds the potential to lead to a great future. The first game against Mito will be a match where we raise our own hurdles and prove further growth and evolution by overcoming them.

Interview with Manager Rikizo MATSUHASHI

Q. The last match was excellent. After the week started, what kind of feedback did you give to the team?
A, it is natural that we must continuously surpass what we achieved in the previous match. We have discussed with the players what is important to move even higher from here and have been building up our training accordingly. On the first day, due to the snow, we couldn't train outdoors, but over the three days, we have steadily addressed even the small challenges.

Q: In the post-match press conference of the previous game, you mentioned that you need to set higher hurdles for yourselves and overcome them. How would you describe or define these "hurdles" in words?
A, that applies to everything. This includes both technique and tactics. We had a good start to the game, and both the content and the result were positive. When thinking about how to continue this and improve it further while maintaining it, I believe tactics come first in some aspects. However, I think we should focus more on the individual. Even if there are good tactics, if the individual skills and decision-making that support them do not improve, it won't become something truly good. Ultimately, it comes back to the individual, so I talked about how important it is for us to reflect on that ourselves.

Q. What kind of encouragement was given during training to improve individual decision-making?
A, it is not that difficult to create such situations through the organization of training, but we have truly incorporated and worked on each small essence within the training.

Q. Is there anything you consciously focus on to develop those aspects in the long term?
A, of course feedback is important, but rather than just looking back, I believe the key is to keep trying and challenging ourselves on what to do next. There is no time to stop and dwell on errors. Errors are inevitable, and players must always think about what to do next based on them. Maintaining the same form or condition is difficult, and even in such challenging situations, we must always be conscious of continuing to try.

Q. From here, there will be three consecutive away games. How do you plan to approach them?
A, we have no choice but to fight each match carefully. However, in the meeting, while emphasizing the importance of valuing each match to get closer to our goal during this three-game stretch, I also asked everyone to imagine where we would stand after these three games are over. "We are still looking up at the top positions, but there is a real possibility that the situation could be reversed. Of course, the results of our opponents and other teams will have an impact, but there is also a good chance that we could be in a position to be looked up to. Let's create that view." I explained that it’s not just about chasing all the time; depending on the results of these three matches, positions could change, and I asked everyone to imagine that. It’s not impossible, and we understand that it will naturally be influenced by how the opponents play and the results, but to create that view, we need to focus on what we can do and fight each match carefully. I asked them to imagine what the view will look like when these three games are finished. 

Q. Mito Hollyhock, the opponent in this round, has won one penalty shootout, but the team seems to have been struggling a bit since their promotion to the J1 League. How does the coach view this?
A, I believe we are sticking firmly to the team's philosophy and way of thinking. Even though the results haven't come through, I think this is a team that plays matches where the outcome can change with just a small trigger. I've also told the players this, and it was the same during the match against Kashiwa Reysol at TOHO S., but the past results don't matter at all, and there is absolutely no guarantee that those results will increase our chances of winning. I haven't said much this season, but "the enemy in front of us is the strongest enemy," and no matter the situation, the ranking doesn't matter; the next opponent we face is the strongest enemy for us. I believe we must approach it with that mindset and position. I don't think we need to be especially cautious just because they were promoted, nor do I think we can win easily. It's nonsense to think that things will work out just because of past results. We must always take the stance that the next opponent, the enemy in front of us, is the strongest enemy, and we must tackle it with that attitude.

Player Interview

Alexander SCHOLZ

Q. What do you think was the key to victory in the match against Yokohama F.Marinos?
A, first of all, I think the start of the match was very good. We were able to score right at the beginning of both the first and second halves. If you can do that, the chances of winning increase. In addition, I think the level of individual performances was also high. As a team, we have always worked hard, but individual play has been steadily improving since the start of the season, and I feel that confidence has been growing throughout the team. Although we lost 0-2 against Kashiwa Reysol, it was a match from which we gained something in terms of content. With that experience, we have now set our standards a little higher. I think that is also reflected in our matches.

Q. Regarding defense, what were the key points in the match against Yokohama F.Marinos?
A focused on a high defensive line, the so-called high block. This brought confidence to the team because we could win the ball in advanced positions and launch short counters from there. This style of defense is not only effective for controlling the game but also prevents the opponent from attacking confidently, keeping them away from our goal. I believe this was a key point in this match.

Q, In this match, I teamed up with Rio OMORI for the first time. Did you have any communication before or during the match?
A, as usual, we communicated well. Although he hasn't had many appearances with FC Tokyo, he has extensive professional match experience. There is absolutely no lack of experience. To be honest, he is a very easy player to play with. His play style is easy to coordinate with, and I think our playing styles are very compatible. Also, in this match, he himself played truly excellently. In this game, his condition was so good that I believe he would have performed well with anyone.

Q. Based on the matches so far, what are the team's strengths and challenges?
A, I think we have created plenty of chances, and in every match, we have not given the opponent many opportunities. We achieved our first clean sheet in the match against Yokohama FM, but I believe we could have done it even earlier. The first two matches ended in draws, and we won after penalty shootouts, but now we aim to win within 90 minutes, and I believe that is possible. We should continue what has been going well so far. This team’s strength lies in being able to play in various styles, such as building up from deep positions, short passes, and physical play. I think it is a team that is difficult for opponents to prepare against. We also have an excellent striker. He is truly a troublesome presence for the opponent’s defense. That is why we need to keep up the good parts we have now and continue without letting up at all.

Q. We will play three matches in the next week. What are the important points?
A, the important thing is not to overthink the upcoming matches even if we have consecutive games. It's true that there are three matches, but first, we are focusing on the match against Mito Hollyhock. Since it's an away game, I don't think it will be an easy match. They also play good football, and we have prepared for this match for a week. At this point, what I am thinking about is not "playing three matches in a week," but only the upcoming match against Mito. We can think about the next matches afterward. I want to get 3 points in the Mito match and start off well.

Q. Lastly, please give a message to the fans and supporters.
A, thank you very much for the wonderful support during the Yokohama FM match. Playing at the Japan National Stadium in front of over 50,000 people was amazing. As always, your support was truly fantastic. The players are also enjoying it. We strive to deliver entertaining matches to give something back to you. There are games we can't win, like the one against Kashiwa Reysol, but we always give our all. We hope you can feel what we are trying to do.

Kento HASHIMOTO

Q. We were able to secure a solid victory in the match against Yokohama F.Marinos.
A was in a situation where they had to avoid consecutive losses to win the championship. The team spent a tense week leading up to the match, and it was good to secure 3 points with a solid performance. I believe this gave us good momentum going into the next three consecutive matches.

Q. It feels like your coordination with Kouta Tokiwa has been improving with each match.
A, not only with player Tokiwa but also as a whole team, we have good connections and can launch good attacks from solid defense. Even during build-up from the back, it feels like we are advancing while maintaining good positioning. Right now, we are truly able to play fluidly as a whole, and everyone is making plays suited to the situation, such as finding space behind and moving into gaps, not just focusing on the ball at their feet. I believe these efforts are what bring victories to the team.

Q, the upcoming match against Mito Hollyhock comes during this good momentum. Please share your impressions.
A, Mito works hard and is a team that tries to maintain strong ball possession, so I think it will be a difficult match. However, we will not back down there; each individual must play without losing to the opponent. It was the same in the match against Yokohama FM, but the start of the first half is extremely important. We want to approach the game aggressively, always aiming to take the initiative without being passive.

What do you think will be important to win against Mito?
A, it is important to work harder than the opponent. When in possession of the ball, the entire team must stay connected and attack together. Since the opposing team will exploit even the slightest lapse in concentration, I believe that by fighting without any gaps for the full 90 minutes, we can get closer to victory.

Q: From here, there will be three consecutive matches. I believe winning the first match will lead to success in the following matches as well.
A, I believe the entire team's strength is truly necessary to fight through consecutive matches. First, we want to win the first game of the three-match series and earn 3 points. It is important not to lose in individual aspects. If we can overwhelm the opponent in individual battles, I think we can also tactically dominate as a team, so we want to firmly express our style of soccer and win.