Match Review
Welcomed by the loud cheers of "We can't lose to Verdy," the blue and red eleven begin their warm-up. From behind the goal, heartfelt chants continue, saying "Put your passion into it, seize the championship!" As the capital's club, and to become a team worthy of the championship, this is a match they absolutely cannot lose—no, they must absolutely win.
The away match against Verdy held at our "Ajinomoto". For Tokyo, who are chasing the top-ranked Kashima Antlers with a 4-point difference, this is a crucial game where they want to secure a victory within 90 minutes at all costs. It is the third match in a tight schedule of three consecutive away games, with all wins on the line. The team, steadily evolving step by step, will showcase what kind of soccer in this big showdown. Facing a game that demands passionate feelings and calm responsiveness, head coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI changed six starting players from the previous match and sent them onto the pitch.
Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu was selected. The back line from the right consisted of Naruki Muroya, Alexander Scholz, Rio OMORI, and Kento HASHIMOTO. In the defensive midfield, Hiroshi Takauyo returned for the first time since the second match against Urawa Reds, partnering with Kento HASHIMOTO. The attackers were Keito Sato on the right and Ryunosuke SATO, who was selected for the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) European expedition, on the left. The two forwards were Motoki NAGAKURA and Leon NOZAWA, who made his first start of the season after recording an assist as a substitute in the previous match against JEF United Ichihara Chiba.
Truly an all-out battle. No matter who plays, the team delivers high-quality football consistently, and the players on the pitch want to take the initiative in both offense and defense by making flexible decisions. The game, approached with the determination to win at all costs to carve out the future, kicked off at 14:03.
1stHALF—Created chances early on but struggled against tight defense
In the early stages, Tokyo spent time observing the opponent's approach while progressing the match. Against Tokyo V's 3-4-2-1 formation, Tokyo, playing 4-4-2, carefully assessed which positions would be effective. They explored attacking options through build-up play with Takahashi dropping back to the defensive line, passing around the flanks, and timely long balls from the back line.
Tokyo V, who seem to have thoroughly studied Tokyo, strictly blocked passes aimed at penetrating through the two forwards. Tokyo, unable to easily create a base up front, aimed to break through by simply exploiting the space behind.
At the 19th minute of the first half, a close chance was created when player Sato Kei broke through, and then at the 21st minute, from a connection on the right side, player Scholz sent a vertical pass, and the powerful cross from player Muroya seemed to have induced an own goal by the opponent, but the goal was not recognized as the ball had crossed the goal line beforehand. At the 27th minute, coordinated pressing from the front forced a mistake by the opponent, and player Nozawa, who picked up the ball in a high position, made a sharp turn and took a right-footed shot facing forward. Although this missed to the right of the goal, Tokyo continued to add variation while seamlessly connecting offense and defense without sticking to a single pattern.
Tokyo tries to weave in sharp attacks, but the opponent is also highly aware of negative transitions and firmly responds to Tokyo's counters. In the back-and-forth battle, there are long periods when Tokyo is not allowed to play facing forward as they wish.
In defense, they have shown concentration that does not allow the opponent to create clear scoring chances, so they want to find an attack that can break through the opponent's tight defense. The first half ended scoreless, with both sides showing fierce determination in close ball contests. The outcome of the match was left to the second half.
2ndHALF—Showed fierce attacks and created scoring chances but failed to convert, lost in the penalty shootout
In the second half, we want to make changes that surpass the opponent's countermeasures. We aim to attack towards the loud cheers of the Blue-Red family saying, "Today is a day we cannot lose," and want to strike the enemy territory with even more fighting spirit on full display.
Right after the second half started, a big chance suddenly came. The ball connected by Sato Kei from Muroya, who broke through the right side, spilled inside the penalty area, and Nozawa was free to shoot on the far side. However, this right-footed kick went wide to the left of the goal, missing a golden opportunity.
Tokyo, aiming to transition from good defense to good offense, in the 5th minute of the second half, player Kei Sato won the ball in an advanced position and made a vertical pass. Nozawa, who broke through here, was fouled and earned a direct free kick opportunity. However, the ball targeted by player Ryu Sato with his right foot did not hit the goal, and they were unable to convert this into the opening goal as well.
Then, in the 13th minute of the second half, player Scholz made a sharp interception to cut off the opponent's build-up, and players Ryu Sato and Nagakura connected passes to player Kei Sato inside the penalty area. However, at this point, the opposing player threw their body to block the ball, preventing the finish despite forming a chance right in front of the goal.
The defense also energizes the team with their determined play. In the 17th minute of the second half, when a loose ball in their own half was targeted with a mid-range shot, Min Gyu JANG made a superb save, deflecting the difficult trajectory that changed course after hitting a defender with just his right hand! With a fierce determination to never concede the opening goal, he protected the goal until the end.
At the 18th minute of the second half, both teams made two substitutions simultaneously. Tokyo sent Fuki YAMADA and Keita ENDO onto the pitch as left and right attackers, replacing Nozawa and Ryu Sato. Consequently, the two-top formation was changed to a combination of Nagakura and Kei Sato. They aimed for a goal with this new organization.
At the 26th minute, we substituted Takahashi with Kouta Tokiwa in the defensive midfield position. For Tokiwa, who had been a regular starter from the opening match until the previous game, this was his first appearance as a substitute this season. This is the moment where he wants to show his presence as a "game changer."
Tokyo, increasing pressure from the front, created chances through coordinated pressing. At the 30th minute of the second half, after a cut by player Hashimoto, the ball was sharply switched to the left, and player Endo carried it forward with a dribble and delivered a fast cross. However, this did not connect with player Yamada, who was running in from the far side. Then, at the 32nd minute, player Endo broke through on the left side and sent a grounded cross ball, which player Nagakura skillfully flicked through, confusing the defense, allowing player Yamada, who was free, to strike the ball into the goal with his left foot. However, with VAR support, Endo's run was judged offside, and the goal was disallowed. They created consecutive close chances but still could not score here.
Tokyo made their final substitution in the 41st minute of the second half. Replacing Kento HASHIMOTO, Kashif BANGNAGANDE was sent to left side back, and Teruhito NAKAGAWA was brought on as one of the two forwards in place of Megumu SATO, entrusting the outcome to the players on the pitch.
Tokyo aggressively advances in close ball contests aiming for 3 points. Player Scholz boldly attempts overlaps, while Kento HASHIMOTO maintains team balance with smart positioning, pushing the entire team forward.
After the 5 minutes of displayed second-half additional time, the blue and red family behind the goal continued to encourage the team launching a fierce attack with loud cheers of "Put your passion into it, seize the championship!" In the 90+4th minute, player Muroya, who broke into the penalty area from a long feed, was brought down but the referee ruled no foul. The game could not be changed. In the end, the match ended scoreless and went into a penalty shootout to decide the winner.
The penalty shootout, which was faced behind the opponent's goal for the first time in the fourth attempt. For the first-shooting Tokyo, the first player Scholz and the third player Yamada were stopped, while Tokyo V scored with all players and won 4-2. The crucial away match, aimed for a sure victory, ended in a frustrating result with only 1 point.
MATCH DETAILS
Match detailed data is here
Interview with Manager Rikizo MATSUHASHI
Q, please provide an overview of today's match.
A, it was a very disappointing result, but the players really gave their best during the consecutive matches, and I am grateful that everyone who played fought for victory until the very end. Although the lack of results may highlight many negative aspects, the players consciously played with the preparations we made firmly in mind. I feel that if the players' condition had been a little better, we could have shown something even better. However, it is very frustrating to have lost this match. We want to prepare again so that we can turn this frustration into motivation for the next game.
Q: The first half was tough, but you pushed back in the second half. What instructions did you give at halftime?
A, in the first half, while we were conscious of what we had properly prepared, on the flip side, there were parts where we allowed the opponent to create a good rhythm in their attack. Also, in terms of how we planned to advance, all the outlets became isolated, and although there were some actions such as movements behind the goal and the quality of passes to those areas, the ball did not reach them. The accumulation of such technical errors made the situation difficult. At halftime, I said we must completely change our mindset and play dynamically like a different team even in such circumstances. We were able to achieve that to some extent, including game changers, but it was very unfortunate that we couldn't score in the end.
Q. How do you feel about the defeat in the penalty shootout?
A, of course we have to be prepared, but we have always won in penalty shootouts until now, so we accept that things like this can happen.
Q: You mentioned that the negative aspects stood out, but on the other hand, what were the positive aspects you felt in today's match?
A, The players were fully committed to executing the preparations, and the team was aligned in their focus, which was a very positive aspect. Additionally, being able to play while creating our own momentum in the second half was important. Despite some players not being in perfect condition, they played with determination for the full 90 minutes. The substitutes also demonstrated their strengths. I believe these were all positive points.
Q. What are your thoughts on the parts that could not be decided within the 90 minutes?
A, the point we must thoroughly address is how to decisively finish, and this has always been the case whether we win or lose. Although the game turned out like this, there was naturally a part where we wanted to show the strength to win in consecutive matches, and we must firmly accept the reality that we have not yet reached that point. We will analyze what we are lacking in response to that and prepare for the next challenge. However, after seeing the players today, I view their attitude in this entrusted game positively, and I believe it is important to consider how to move forward from here.
Player Interview
Sei MUROYA
Q, please review the game.
A, it was a match we had to win. In terms of content, we created many chances. Especially in the second half, the opponent had almost no chances, so it was a match where we hoped to score at least one goal, but unfortunately, we couldn't.
Q. In the first half, it seemed that the options for passing were limited and you couldn't create a starting point in the front line. What aspects were difficult?
A, since the opponent was pressing high with a three-back formation, I tried to create space by moving into higher positions or playing like a forward, allowing Motoki NAGAKURA to exploit the spaces that opened up. After the ball reached NAGAKURA, there were many moments where we usually would have been able to develop the play better, but the ball didn’t connect well. I think we could have been more precise in those short counterattacks. In the second half, we were able to control the ball and create chances ourselves, so I take that positively. However, since the result was everything today, losing means it was all meaningless, so it’s truly disappointing.
Q. What aspects improved in the second half?
A, we were consciously trying to create space from the first half, and since we knew the opponent's wing-backs were pushing forward, we aimed to move the opponent while connecting passes at a low position. The opponent can't maintain that for the full 90 minutes, so we were breaking through during the first half as well. Because of that, the opponent shifted to a five-back formation, and in the second half, spaces opened up and the opponent was no longer able to apply pressure. In that regard, I believe there were no issues with how we managed the game.
Q. What is necessary to secure a win in matches like this?
A, I believe it is important to finish the few chances we get. We had opportunities today as well, and since the content is not something to be pessimistic about, I want to connect this positively to the next game.
Q. The fans and supporters were cheering passionately even before the match started. Did you feel that energy?
A, of course, created a wonderful atmosphere, and that's why I feel very sorry that we couldn't win. However, next time we will be playing at our home ground, so we want to make sure to take our revenge then.
Q. There is a bit of time before the next match; how are you preparing for the upcoming game?
A, I think some players are tired from consecutive matches, so first we want to make sure to properly refresh. Then, by sharing this frustrating feeling throughout the entire team once again, we will organize what we could and could not do, and aim to be in a much better condition for the next FC Machida Zelvia match.
Rio OMORI
Q, please review the game.
A, overall I think it was not a bad performance, but there are parts I am frustrated with. In particular, I regret allowing the opponent to create chances several times.
Q. Was there any difficulty in the build-up phase?
A. When Takahiro KO had the ball, the defensive midfielders and the back line were being marked tightly, and I could see that there was space behind them. However, we couldn't create space effectively through rotation and positioning, so overall, we were caught by the opponents.Since it was a different formation than usual, I feel we should have moved the ball more decisively and with better tempo.
Q,What were your thoughts on ball possession as a team?
A, I was cautious because I felt the risk of being trapped by the opponent when making lateral passes, but on the other hand, moving the ball quickly and repositioning might have been more effective as it would force the opponent to react.
Q. Were there any improvements made in the second half?
A. Since the opponent was pressing high, we focused on turning the game around once. There were actually moments when we were able to carry the ball to the front line with long balls, and as time went on, the opponents got tired and spaces opened up, allowing us toincrease plays that broke through the center. I think that was an area we improved.
Q. How do you feel about the impact on the attacking players?
A. I feel that in the first half, I put a bit of stress on the attacking players. They couldn't get much touch on the ball, so that is something I reflect on myself.
Q. How do you think we should have secured the win in this match?
A. I believe we need the ability to finish decisively at the end. If we can't win matches like this,I feel we cannot become a team that reaches the top.
Q. How do you evaluate the fact that you kept a clean sheet?
A. Finishing without conceding is important, buttoday's match was one we had to win.I strongly feel that we wanted to secure the win within 90 minutes.
Q. How was your first experience playing against Tokyo V?
A. I am frustrated because we ended up losing. More than the content or my own performance, this was a match we had to win as players of this club, and in that regard,I feel sorry to the fans and supporters.
Q. Please share your enthusiasm for the future.
A. From here on, we have to keep fighting to move up,and we also have consecutive matches against FC Machida Zelvia. Since important games continue for us, we want to thoroughly reflect, reset, and move forward as a whole team.
