Match Review
The Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League Regional League Ground EAST Group, aiming for the championship, has completed half of its schedule. FC Machida Zelvia'sAFC Champions LeagueElite advancement to the quarterfinals caused a schedule change, with Sec. 11 being held ahead of time on this International Match Week day. As a result, Verdy is without Japan national team player Ryunosuke SATO and South Korean national team player Min Gyu JANG. Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI sent out six different starters compared to the previous match against Verdy.
At the back, Hayate TANAKA, who newly joined this season from Tokushima Vortis, stands on the pitch for his J1 League debut. The final line-up from the right consists of Naruki Muroya, Alexander Scholz, Hayato Inamura, and Kento HASHIMOTO. The defensive midfield duo is Kouta Tokiwa and Kento HASHIMOTO, with Keita Endo on the left midfield and Fuki YAMADA on the right. Up front, the kickoff is made with the two forwards Keisuke Sato and Teruhito NAKAGAWA2.
Also, on this day,Yuta SUGAWARA, who was promoted from FC Tokyo U-18 to the top team this season,was included on the bench for the first time.
1st HALF—Tanaka's great save & Endo's brilliant opening goal
Tokyo was the first to grasp the flow of the match. In the early stages of the game, they carefully passed the ball from the back and repeatedly created opportunities to advance by skillfully inserting vertical passes into the half-lane.
First HalfAt 12 minutes, Kento HASHIMOTO matched a lob pass to Nakagawa's run behind the defense.Number 39 aimed for the goal with his left foot, but this was stopped by the opposing goalkeeper's excellent save.
Ahead of this match, player Kei Sato said, "I want to target behind the opponent's last line, but how many times we can do that is important." True to his words, the entire team is highly aware of attacking behind, and by continuously and alternately moving behind the opponent, the team accelerates its momentum.
First HalfIt was the 29th minute. The ball was picked up in their own half, leaving Machida'splayer Fujio free inside the area. Then, in this critical moment, player Tanaka made a big save with a diving save against Fujio's shot, averting the danger.
It was three minutes later. When player Endo received the ball in an open position on the left side, he cut inside toward the center and struck it with his right foot. The ball slid across the rain-soaked grass, slipping past player Sato Kei's feet and beautifully shaking the goal net.
Not yielding an inch to the opponent in terms of intensity, they demonstrated their strengths to create chances and took control of the game's pace.Leading by 1 goal, they went into the second half.
2ndHALF—Kane2 goalstopull away from the opponent and secure a clean sheet victory
In the second half, Machida makes the first move. They bring in fresh players at halftime and shift up a gear. As the time spent on the defensive gradually increases, Tokyo sends Marcelo RYAN onto the pitch in place of Nakagawa. This tactical move hits the mark perfectly.
Second HalfAt 16 minutes, Lucas RIAN worked hard on defense in the opponent's territory, leading to an opponent's back pass that Ke Sato did not missand stole the ball inside the area. Approaching right in front of the goal, he calmly shook the net with his left foot. With this decisive strike as declared, the lead was extended to 2 points.
Kei Sato doesn't stop. In the second halfat the 33rd minute,he broke through the right sideand earned a penalty kick,then scored it himself to seal the victory. Immediately after, the Tokyo bench substituted Endo, Yamada, and Muroya with Leon NOZAWA, Divine OTANI, and Kei KOIZUMI.
And in the second halfat the 42nd minute, Sugawara replaced player Kei Satoto make his J1 League debut. In his first play, he showed his style by threading a through pass to his academy teammate Otani.
A roaring chorus from the city that never sleeps echoed through Machida GION Stadium, and in the two consecutive matches against Machida, the blue and red teamwon the first game 3-0. In the next round, they will face Machida again at Ajinomoto Stadium, competing for a "season double."
Interview with Manager Rikizo MATSUHASHI
Q,Please reflect on today's match.
A, I think it was a very wonderful game. However, we will soon face FC Machida Zelvia again, so I consider the first half to be just over, and I want to prepare for the second half.
Q. From the first half, there was a strong awareness of attacking behind the defense,with players making successive runs forward. Could you tell us the intention and your evaluation of this strategy?
A. Of course,there is always an aim to exploit the space behind, or rather, the fundamental premise is how to play towards the goal. Then, how we interpret the opponent's structure and target those areas, I think we executed well. However, the quality of the final distribution still has many issues to improve.
Q. This season, Keito Sato, who was often used on the right side, played as a forward today. How do you evaluate his performance?
A. Last season, he also had many opportunities to play in the front two positions,and as the matches progressed, he himself steadily developed a performance that added something extra to his natural abilities. Now, he has become a player who can effectively fulfill the tasks of any forward position, and in addition, he can score goals reliably. His decisiveness and lack of hesitation in that regard are also among his strengths.
However, similarly with him, there are moments when he firmly controls the ball and moments when he challenges, but behind those moments, there are times when he loses possession. Therefore, he needs to improve the quality of his decision-making on whether to hold onto the ball or to challenge. If that improves, I believe his strengths will be even more effective.
Q. Following Divine OTANI, today Yuta SUGAWARA made his professional debut. What are your expectations for him?
A. First of all, defense really requires hard work. On top of that, I told him to play boldly and show his strengths, and sent him off with that in mind. I don't think there were many such moments, but I hope that being able to stand on the pitch will become a great source of motivation for him. Also, I hope he carefully reflects on how what he experienced will help him going forward, continues his daily training, and fully demonstrates his abilities when he gets another chance to play. He is a very tricky player who excels at deceiving opponents, so I wish we could have seen more of those moments, but I look forward to seeing them next time.
Q. Goalkeeper Hayate TANAKA played in the absence of Seung-gyu Kim. He made some very good saves in the first half, and including the way he connected play on this rainy pitch, how would you evaluate his performance?
A. I think he truly delivered an outstanding performance. He fulfilled the important role of goalkeeper firmly, and as the first point of attack in connecting play, from training and training matches, ever since he joined this club, he has shown great ability in that aspect many times. So, I believe he played with confidence and without any worries. You could feel that from his posture alone. His daily curiosity, pursuit, and hardworking attitude seem to have been reflected in today's result.
Q: I felt that the key point today was that both offense and defense were approached positively. How did you feel about the players' performance?
A: Not just this time, but as we prepare for the match against Machida, I think our players had a strong awareness of switching. The precision still needs improvement, but the parts where it came out well were factors that created overall positive, forward-moving play, aiming behind the defense.
Q: This is a two-game series against Machida. Please share your enthusiasm for the next home game.
A: Of course, winning today has greatly increased both teams' motivation for the next game. However, as I mentioned at the start, I feel like the match was only half over today. We are not in a position of leading 3-0; rather, it’s as if the score is naturally 0-0 at kickoff. We must absolutely not misunderstand that positioning. I believe it will be a tough game, and how we overcome that challenge is a very important point for what we aim to achieve. We will also take advantage of the home ground advantage. Even in tonight’s rainy night game, many fans and supporters cheered us on, so next time at home, we hope for even greater support and must work hard to aim for 3 points in the next match.
Player Interview
Player Kei Sato
Q,please review your first goal.
A, I thought the opponent would kick a back pass when under pressure, so I aimed for that. At first, I intended to cross the ball to the center, but since my teammate hadn't arrived yet, there was no angle, so I took the shot myself. I'm glad it went on target.
Q. You scored a penalty kick to add another goal.
A. I kicked with confidence. I'm glad I was able to score it firmly.
Q. The movements to break behind and the coordinated attacks stood out. How do you feel about that?.
A.I think we were able to continue playing in a way that bothered the opponent today, and the buildup from the back was really good, so it was easier for the forwards to move. I believe we advanced well by effectively using the space behind and between the lines. Rather than focusing on the opponent, our own play was good, and when we play well, naturally the opponent struggles, so we want to keep that up.
Q. It seemed like you were superior in one-on-one situations and physical intensity.
A. I think the opponent was affected by the consecutive matches, but regardless of that, we talked about first surpassing them in terms of intensity. We were able to win the second ball recoveries and one-on-one situations. Today, we defended by using the opponent's intentions against them. I think we played well while controlling the opponent effectively, and it was a match where our defensive strategy worked as planned.
Q,We will face FC Machida Zelvia again on Sunday.
A,In the previous match (against Verdy), we lost to an opponent we shouldn't have lost to, and both the team and the fans and supporters felt very frustrated. That is why this match was also a game we could not afford to lose, and I’m glad we were able to win firmly first. We want to switch our focus again toward the next match. Last season, we also had two consecutive matches against Machida, but we won the first game and lost the next, so this season we want to tighten up and aim for two consecutive wins.
Q,You are at the top of the table after the first half of the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League. How do you view the season so far?
A, Honestly, I wanted to be the sole leader at the halfway point, so I think there is still a long way to go. Aiming for the championship,I want to approach the rest of the season with the mindset of winning every match from here on out.
Keita ENDO
Q, please review today's game.
A, I think we actively pushed forward from the first half, and I was able to take the initiative myself. There weredistinctive players on the opponent's side, but I thought it would be interesting if we could break through there, so it was good that we kept challenging.
Q, please review the moment of the opening goal.
A, I had the option to shoot to the far post, but since the pitch was wet, I shot to the near post. It was a surprising move, or rather, I thought it was important to just take the shot, and I'm glad it led to a goal.
Q. How do you feel about the way the game progressed afterward?.
A. There were several dangerous moments, but Hayate TANAKA, who was starting for the first time, responded firmly. As a team, I think we didn’t give the opponent many big chances and made few mistakes. It was a very good game. However, I believe the opponent will prepare countermeasures for the next match, so we must stay focused and approach it seriously.
Q. Even in the rain, many fans and supporters came rushing to the game. Please share your message.
A. Even away in the rain, we could hear louder cheers than the opposing side, and it truly gave us strength. Regardless of the outcome, there is no doubt that those cheers pushed us forward, and we are very grateful.
Hayate TANAKA
Q, please review the game.
A, since it was a direct confrontation with FC Machida Zelvia at a crucial moment, we absolutely wanted to secure 3 points, and I think there were many positive aspects in both the result and the team's performance. However, we will face Machida again soon in consecutive matches, and I believe it will be a different game, so we must stay focused and perform well.
Q, please review the scene where you stopped Fujio's shot in the first half.
A, It was good that I was able to stop it in the end, but over the course of one game, allowing the opponent to enter dangerous areas or giving them attacking opportunities will show up in the stats over the course of a year. I think we need to analyze carefully and work on extending our attacking time.
Q: It was the best result to finish with a clean sheet.
A: Although we ended up scoring three goals and it might seem like a perfect result,there were also some dangerous moments, so if we truly aim to win the championship, I think we need to refine our play even more.
Q, This was your first appearance and first win since joining Tokyo, please tell us your honest thoughts.
A, Of course, I am very happy. I came to this team with the determination to contribute to winning the championship, and I want to help improve the team even more from now on.
Kota Tokiwa
Q,How do you reflect on today's match overall?
A, I think it was great to finish with an excellent result of 3-0. During this week's practice, the coach emphasized increasing the number of passes to move the opponent and create gaps, and everyone was involved in moving the ball from the first half, which paid off in the second half as the opponents started to tire.This allowed us to strengthen our offensive pressure effectively. Also, since we were told that defense would be crucial in these two consecutive matches, we managed to keep a clean sheet and hardly allowed any dangerous situations, so we were able to demonstrate what the coach expected both offensively and defensively. I think we managed the game well.
Q,You moved your head in midfield to receive passes and quickly closed down opponents. How did you feel about the balance between offense and defense?
A,I have always believed this season that it is important to play connected with those around you in the midfield position. Especially in attack, if you increase one-touch or two-touch plays in coordination with teammates, the tempo improves. I did this while watching both the opponent's positioning and my teammates. Defensively, I think I could have done a bit more. In this match, it took me a while to get going, and since there was a gap of one game, it was a bit difficult to get into the rhythm. That said, I am a player who builds rhythm from defense, so I was able to adjust and start with good defense. From the end of the first half into the second half, I got into full gear and gave my all. I have the challenge of needing to focus more when entering a match, but overall, I improved steadily as the game progressed.
Q, with the score at 1-0,I felt that the performance of Tokiwara greatly contributed to extending the lead to 3-0. Is there anything you focus on to create a similar flow in the next match?
A,Today, if we can win the second ball, we can launch secondary and tertiary attacks, increasing our chances. On the other hand, we knew that if the opponent won the ball, they would press us with powerful plays, so I felt confident in my ability to anticipate and win the second ball and challenges. Based on today's match, I don't know how the opponent will approach the next game, but they might come at us with even more power play, which would make winning the second ball even more important. That is my greatest strength. Our team this season is offensive, but within that, we focus on an aggressive defense that doesn't allow the opponent to have defensive time.
Q,Despite the rain today, many Verdy fans and supporters gathered.
A,Even though we lost to Verdy in such a way in the previous match, I am grateful that so many fans and supporters came out on a rainy weekday night and cheered us on loudly throughout the 90 minutes. I believe that all the players' feelings of gratitude and their attitude to fight for them will turn into strength, so we want to fight together in the next match as well.
Yuta SUGAWARA
Q, J1 League debut. How was your debut match?
A, I was prepared to go all out whenever the chance came. In the opportunity scene, I actually wanted to shoot, but I chose to pass. I would have been happy if it resulted in an assist.
Q, please review the chance scenes.
A, I had the option to shoot myself until the very end, but since the opposing defender blocked the cut-in route, I chose to pass.
Q, how do you want to connect this first step to the next?.
A, I am not satisfied at all. I want to keep building up in practice so that I can play in matches again and achieve results.
