<Match Review>
Finally, Albert Tokyo has welcomed the day of its debut at Ajinomoto Stadium. It has been about three months since the last home game. The stadium was filled with the warm weather announcing the arrival of spring and the anticipation of the packed fans and supporters as they took the first step.
Takuya AOKI will be replaced by Yasuki KIMOTO, who will take the anchor position, while Henrique TREVISAN, who will be making his first appearance since the opening match, will partner with Masato MORISHIGE in the center back position.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima took control in the early stages. Right from the kickoff, they applied intense pressure from the front, disrupting Tokyo's buildup. Faced with the sharp pressing of their opponents, Tokyo struggled to move the ball effectively, and until the middle of the first half, they continued to be pressured near their goal due to lost possessions. The momentum began to shift around the 25th minute of the first half. In the 27th minute, Kuryu MATSUKI intercepted an opponent's pass. He passed it to Diego OLIVEIRA, initiating a quick counterattack. Diego played a pass into the space on the left side, utilizing Adailton. Breaking free, Adailton aimed powerfully from a diagonal position to the left of the goal, but his shot narrowly missed to the right of the goal. In the 33rd minute, during a midfield battle, they regained possession just as the opponent was launching an attack. While Diego was being tackled by an opponent, he managed to keep the ball, which was picked up by Adailton, who then spread it wide to the right side. Kazuya KONNO, who had made a run, took a touch before breaking through and shooting with his right foot. The shot was blocked by an opponent's defender, and the rebound was pushed again by KONNO with his left foot, but it also failed to find the back of the net, leaving the match scoreless at halftime.
Tokyo, wanting to make a change, started moving from the beginning of the second half. Hirotaka MITA was sent onto the pitch in place of Henrique, and Yuto NAGATOMO was sent onto the pitch in place of Ryoma WATANABE.
Tokyo wanted to take control of the game after the substitutions, but the match changed with a set piece. In the 15th minute of the second half, Mita took a free kick from the left, and Morishige won the header at the far side. The ball, which went over the opposing goalkeeper's head, was drawn into the upper left corner of the goal, giving Tokyo the opening goal. Tokyo, riding the momentum, was unstoppable. Just after the goal, in the 16th minute of the second half, Diego received a pass from Mita and made a through pass. Shuto ABE broke into the penalty area and took a shot from slightly right of center. This was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper, but Adailton calmly slotted the rebound into the lower right corner of the goal, pulling ahead of Hiroshima in one fell swoop.
After taking the lead, Tokyo faced continued pressure from Hiroshima. In the 29th minute of the second half, they encountered a free kick near the penalty area, but the shot aimed at the top of the goal was saved by Jakub SLOWIK, who reacted sharply. Tokyo had been holding on, but in the 29th minute of the second half, they were caught off guard for a moment. A through pass was sent behind the last line, and Shun AYUKAWA broke free and scored in a one-on-one against SLOWIK, bringing the score to 1-1.
While continuing to face the opponent's momentum, we tried to find a breakthrough by making substitutions, but we couldn't reach the point of controlling the game with ball possession. However, in a critical moment, the defense, led by Jakub SLOWIK, held firm, maintaining a one-point lead and securing a significant three points in our home debut.
[Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Interview]]
Q, please review the game.
It started in a way that made it quite difficult to break through Hiroshima's intense pressing. It was very challenging to overcome the defense of a team that applied pressure almost like man-marking.
In the first 10 to 15 minutes after kickoff, we struggled to find a breakthrough, and perhaps because of that, we couldn't start the match with a good feeling. After that, while we didn't necessarily start playing well, we improved to some extent and were able to play with a bit more composure.
There were many simple mistakes in the attacking part, and at the same time, our pressing in defense was often slow to start, resulting in a first half where we couldn't play well.
We made adjustments at halftime and changed our positioning to a 4-2-3-1 formation from the start of the second half. Kimoto played as a lone defensive midfielder for the first time in a while, but he showed signs of fatigue, so we switched to a double pivot. We also brought in Yuto NAGATOMO on the right side of defense to leverage his experience for defensive improvements. Additionally, to calm the game down a bit, we introduced Mita into the midfield to utilize his technical skills and decision-making abilities.
In that flow, it was wonderful to score the opening goal from a set piece. After the opening goal, when the opponent pushed forward, it was a plus that we were able to quickly switch from defense to offense and score an additional goal after regaining possession. While we were leading 2-0 in the match, it was unfortunate that we lost the ball due to our mistake and conceded a goal from a short counterattack.
In the second half, there were moments when we were able to control the game to some extent, but it was not consistent, and ultimately it is disappointing that we could not maintain control throughout the 90 minutes.
The team has just begun to grow and is still in the process of being built. Henrique has also returned to official matches after a long time. I think it's natural that Kimoto didn't function well in his first game as a defensive midfielder, especially at the start of the season. Instead of being satisfied with today's match result, I believe it's important to focus on ourselves. This season, it is most important to continue to work hard every day and grow. Additionally, it is necessary for players to give their all on the pitch, just like today. Since the next match is coming up soon, I want to concentrate on preparing thoroughly in this short time.
Q: I think you anticipated the opponent's press, but what do you think were the factors that caused you to struggle despite that?
A, they applied pressure with an equal number of players at the opponent's defensive line and also had an equal number of players in the front line. I believe their defense comes with such numerical risks.
I believe that if we had been able to skillfully break through the opponent's high press while they took risks, we could have created multiple decisive chances from there. However, we were not able to do that well today. When we couldn't do that effectively, we lost control of the match.
Since Aoki was sent off in the last match, we utilized Kimoto, who has previously played as a defensive midfielder, but the team's situation meant he had to play in a position that is not his usual role in Tokyo, which I believe affected today's performance.
Q, among them, I think it is commendable that the coach is focused on the strategy he has instructed.
I am truly happy that we were able to secure 3 points, but I believe that especially when we win, we need to reflect more on ourselves. The players have a high level of quality. The team is still in a growth phase. I think there will be matches that do not go well, like today. However, I believe this was the first match in the fourth game of the season where we struggled to play with a good sense from the start.
Q: Please explain the reason for choosing Morishige as captain again and your evaluation of his performance.
First, I evaluated him as a player who represents the team, so I chose him as captain. He is one of the players highly regarded by his teammates. I also appreciated that he has been playing for this club for a long time. I see him as someone who will carry this club even after retirement. I am grateful for all that he has provided to the team as captain this season. He continues to take appropriate actions as captain. Together with Diego (the 2nd captain), he is leading the team in the right direction. I have also chosen four veteran players as the 3rd captain, and I am proud and thankful that they, along with him, are guiding the team in a positive direction.
[Player Interview]
<Masato MORISHIGE>
Q: It was the long-awaited home opener. I think the first half was a tough match.
It was a tough match. I'm happy we won, but since the performance wasn't up to par, I feel there is still much to be done.
Q: With Aoki absent, what specific defensive aspects were you paying attention to?
A, I thought the task was simple, so I believed it was about executing it without major mistakes. However, I feel that we may have lacked our own variations and ideas within that.
Q: This season's first goal was a result of a pass from player Mita. What was the feeling like?
A, it was just barely able to hit my head, so fortunately it flew to a good spot.
Q: In a rather difficult situation, looking back, how do you think you could have broken through Hiroshima's press?
I felt that we might have been too fixated on what we had been doing, so I think it would have been good to take a more flexible stance and change our positioning a bit.
Q: It seemed that Coach Albert was observing the situation in the first half. What kind of communication did the players have on the pitch to break through the opponent?
A, we were also unsure about how to approach things. After today's match, I would like to have a thorough discussion with the coach and work towards the next game.
It's a good thing that the team can grow while winning, so regarding today, it's good that we were able to secure at least 3 points today, but I want to keep in mind that we need to improve the quality of our performance even more as we prepare.
<Adailton>
Q: There were times when you couldn't grasp the rhythm of the attack, what were you conscious of during those moments?
A, from the start, the opponent was organized in their defense, making it difficult to attack. However, regarding today's match, I was conscious of fighting, and I wanted to play thoroughly in that regard.
Q: I think Adailton's additional goal showed his quality. How do you feel about it in retrospect?
A, calmly scored while observing the position of the opponent's goalkeeper for the spilled ball.
Q: Why is the team able to fight without conceding goals even when the situation worsens?
The game plan that the coach is seeking is to reduce goals conceded, dominate the game, and achieve victory. There may be times when things don't go well, but I hope that as we continue to practice, we can build our strength. We aim to reduce goals conceded and dominate the matches.
Q: You are defending high up the pitch, winning the ball, and transitioning to quick attacks, but do you want to continue this approach?
A style of football that involves stealing the ball from the front line and connecting it to a counterattack is one of the patterns of attack, so I want to improve the quality to lead to goals.
<Shuto ABE>
Q: I believe there was information that the opponent is a team that applies pressure from the front, but it seemed like we took that on directly from the start.
A, the opponent's intensity was high, and we ended the first half not knowing how to break through while being quite pressured. There were parts that we managed to adjust well during halftime, but overall, I have the impression that we couldn't play the kind of football we are aiming for.
Q: In the middle of the first half, there were scenes where we stole the ball high up the pitch and created chances from short counters. Still, were you unsatisfied with the first half?
A, stealing the ball from the front is also our intention, so that part went as planned, but conversely, it felt like that was the only style of football we could play. In reality, we wanted to break the press, control the ball properly, and push the opponent back to advance the game.
Q: How was the communication on the pitch in terms of making improvements during the match?
A, today the distance between the players was too far, and when the center back had the ball, it was difficult to pass it to the side back, so I was encouraging them to shorten the distance, but it wasn't working well and we were playing like that.
Q: What factors contributed to the improvement in the second half?
Well, the positioning and formation have changed somewhat, so there were parts that fit, but the only good moments were when we were able to score goals. If we could have maintained possession of the ball for a longer time, I think the game could have developed more calmly.
Q, I think we are in a stage of growth through trial and error while working on a new style. Are there any areas for improvement to grow for the next match?
When we are pressured man-to-man from the front with high intensity, we need to think about how to break free. Otherwise, we will face the same situation in the Levain Cup match against Jubilo Iwata and the league match against Kyoto. We need to move fluidly without being too rigid in our formation, assess the opponent's movements, and play thoughtfully. Otherwise, maintaining possession will become difficult.
Q, is it an improvement in team tactics rather than individual tactics?
A, while always creating a triangle, it is necessary not only to focus on the feet but also to aim for behind, so we need to determine whether to connect or to push the ball forward.
Q: Isn't it fair to evaluate the fact that they won?
A, the coach also said after the match that although the performance was not good, it was significant to secure 3 points, so even though the content was poor, winning is still a gain, and I think we can view that positively.
<Hirotaka MITA>
Q: You came on in the second half, how do you feel about it in retrospect?
We were able to show some good parts, but there were also long periods where we were under pressure defensively, so it would have been better if I could have played in a way that helped the team more.
Q: What did you keep in mind when participating in the match?
In the first half, I felt that the ball was not settling down, so I wanted to change the flow when I came on. There were some parts where I was able to contribute, but after we took the lead, we played more long balls, and I often didn't get the ball, so I am not satisfied with my performance.
Q, you wanted to be more involved with the ball and play a role, right?
A, as Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA also mentioned, I wanted to calm the game by touching the ball more. It was a match where we did some things well and some things not so well.
Q: The opening goal was a score that created momentum for the team in a difficult situation, but was the assist for the first goal as you intended?
A, Morishige is not aiming for it, butit was good to score since we had been working on flowing in fast balls during practice.
Q: You were also the starting point for the second goal; how was that?
I believe that being able to defend from a high position instead of pulling back immediately after the first goal led to the score. I hope we can effectively combine breaking down while maintaining possession and launching quick attacks.
Q. Could the match have developed in a more composed manner?
A, I think we can do it. Since it is still a short period with the new style, we should not be satisfied with this content. I believe the fans were pleased with the victory, but I am not satisfied with the match performance, so I want to keep that in mind and work hard in practice.
