<Match Review>
The calendar has entered April, and this match against Vissel Kobe is finally the second home game for Tokyo in the 2022 season of the J1 League. It is the second match in a series of three games in a row within three days against three clubs participating in the AFC Champions League (ACL). After suffering a narrow defeat by one goal in the previous match against Yokohama F.Marinos, Tokyo aims to show its growth as a team and secure three points at home at Ajinomoto Stadium.
In this match, Kuryu MATSUKI was suspended, and Keigo HIGASHI was used as an inside half. Up front, Kensuke NAGAI was used as a starter for the first time since the opening match of the league. In the defense line, Ryoma WATANABE played as the right side back, and Yuto NAGATOMO played as the left side back.
The opponent Vissel Kobe has Andres INIESTA starting in the lineup, and Kento HASHIMOTO is included as a substitute member.
From the start, Tokyo, who maintained possession of the ball, was pressured in front of the goal as the space behind the side backs was targeted. In the 5th minute of the first half, they penetrated deep into the right side and delivered a cross, which was met by Yuya OSAKO's header, but it went wide to the left of the goal. While unable to maintain possession, they were again pressured in front of the goal from the right side in the 12th minute, where Jakub SLOWIK made a big save in a one-on-one situation. However, the ball spilled in front of the goal and was pushed in by Hotaru YAMAGUCHI, allowing the first goal to be conceded.
Tokyo, trailing by one goal, gradually began to retain possession of the ball and push the opponent back right after conceding. In the 27th minute of the first half, they moved the ball wide, and Watanabe passed it to Shuto ABE, who positioned himself towards the right side of the penalty area. When ABE sent in a cross with his left foot, Higashi made a one-touch drop at the far side, and Nagai, who entered the penalty area, tried to connect with his left foot, but the shot went over the goal. Just after that, in the 28th minute of the first half, they induced a mistake from the opponent with high pressing, and Higashi sent a through pass behind the Kobe defense line, which was trying to launch an attack. Diego OLIVEIRA, who jumped into the space, aimed for a precise shot after checking the position of the opposing goalkeeper, but this also slightly missed to the left of the goal. Another big chance came in the 40th minute of the first half. Kimoto sent a sharp pass from mid-range to the right side. Watanabe delivered an early cross at a fast pace, and Nagai tried to connect, but was thwarted by the opposing goalkeeper's defense.
Tokyo, increasing their offensive pressure from the start of the second half, saw Nagai break into the right space inside the penalty area in the 6th minute, delivering a backward pass along the goal line. Watanabe, who rushed in at the near post, connected with the ball in front of the opposing defender, but the shot went just to the right of the goal. Continuing to create chances from the right side, in the 10th minute, Watanabe made a pass that slipped through the legs of his marker, sending Nagai running into space. Once Nagai broke free and drew the defender towards the near post, he delivered a high pass to the far side, which Adailton, who was lurking in front of the goal, headed in to equalize.
Tokyo's momentum is unstoppable. In the 12th minute of the second half, Watanabe, who had the ball on the left side, dribbled past Andres INIESTA and made a pass to the near side in front of the goal. Nagai, who ran in, flicked it with his heel, and then Adailton connected it to Diego TABA, who received the ball in front of the goal. Masato MORISHIGE then struck the ball powerfully, shaking the net and successfully turning the game around.
In the 21st minute of the second half, Nagatomo received a wedge pass just outside the penalty area and flicked the ball towards the goal. The ball spilled in front of Diego TABA after the opposing defender failed to clear it. The opposing goalkeeper also advanced to close the distance, but Diego calmly slotted the ball into the left corner of the goal, allowing Tokyo to pull ahead of Kobe.
In the final stages of the match, Keita YAMASHITA, who was brought on as a substitute, was involved in several chances in quick succession. In the 44th minute, he broke free in front of the goal and struck with his left foot from a position diagonally to the left of the goal, but the shot narrowly missed to the right. Just before the end of the match, Hirotaka MITA connected with a diving header to a cross from the left, which seemed to be a goal, but it was disallowed due to a handball decision supported by VAR. Nevertheless, the team maintained their offensive momentum from the start of the second half until the final whistle, leaving a strong impact of attacking football at Ajinomoto Stadium in that 45 minutes.
Albert's journey in Tokyo has just begun. With a three-day gap, he is preparing for the final match against Urawa Reds, a club participating in the ACL. On April 10th, he aims to leave an even greater impact of attacking football at Ajinomoto Stadium than today, and will continue to grow little by little in training starting tomorrow.
[Interview with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA]
Q, please review the game.
We struggled for the first 10 to 15 minutes without being able to start the match well. Then we conceded a goal due to our mistake. After that, I think we were able to get into the match well. We created several decisive chances in the first half, so it would have been good if we could have converted those into goals, but it didn't go that well.
I believe what decided the match afterwards was maintaining a fast tempo. Because of that, I think we were able to dominate the game overall. In the second half, the pressing from the front was effective overall, and I think we maintained a good balance in holding the ball and actively moving towards the goal. I am also pleased that we created many decisive chances in the second half and were able to score multiple goals from them, and I am happy that the team has continued to grow.
Q: The right side was particularly effective in the second half, and it seemed like you were allowing Nagai to take width. Please evaluate the right side.
A, I think it's true that our right side was functioning well. However, it's interesting that the same side, from the opponent's left side, they were also making good attacks. There were good offensive and defensive plays on the same side, our right side and their left side. They created goals from there, and we also made several decisive chances. It's an interesting point that many opportunities arose on that side for both teams. Regarding the second half, I believe we were able to attack well not only from the right side but also from the left side.
Q: You are particular about player positioning in your football style. How do you feel about the current players' positioning?
A, overall we have been able to maintain a good position, and while we were able to attack from the sides, I think our attacks from the center were still lacking. Even though we are in a good position, I believe it will take a bit more time to build attacks from the center. Of course, this is an area we need to continue to grow throughout the season. However, we have been able to build our side attacks. As I always say, I want to enhance the team's completeness as we progress through the matches.
Q: In the last match, you mentioned that there were points on the wings rather than the tempo of the play. How was it in this match?
A, regarding today, I think there were two key points. The first was which team could better express their playing style. The second was how well we could maintain a fast tempo of play. I believed that would lead to victory. Kobe excels at attacking through the center. On the other hand, we are better at attacking from the sides rather than the center. In that flow, at the start of the match, we struggled to respond to their build-up attacks from the center. After that, I think we managed to find our rhythm and effectively build our side attacks. Today, intensity was more important than the speed of play. I believe maintaining a high level of intensity in the second half was a key point for our victory. Not only in today's match but also in practice, we have been able to play with high intensity, and we have maintained good physical condition, which I think contributed to our victory.
[Player Interview]]
<Masato MORISHIGE>
Q, please review the scoring scene.
It was a set play, so I was in a position to strike when the ball came loose, and I was able to finish it well.
Q, is it more accurate to say that the ball came to you because you were in that position, rather than you called the ball to you?
A, since there was no one in that position, I made sure to avoid being countered and took a position where I could pick up any loose balls that came my way.
Q: After conceding the first goal, it seemed that Kobe didn't attack much. Was there a difficulty for the team during the periods before and after conceding the first goal?
A, what we do remains unchanged, and Kobe did not defend from the front, so we had many opportunities to carry the ball into the opponent's territory. I wish we could have aimed for the goal while moving the ball.
Q: It seems that emotions were expressed during the goal scene, what do you think?
A, we have to express our emotions in every match, and if the players in the back don't lift the team, it will sink, so I believe I must be in a position to motivate the team while playing steadily.
Q: You have fallen behind in two consecutive matches, but especially today, it felt like you steadily turned the game around. How do you feel about the overall game management throughout the 90 minutes?
A, there are still areas that need improvement, and since Kobe is a team that doesn't press much from the front, I think it would have been better if we could have moved the ball more quickly. I also want to discuss with everyone to make things better.
Q: After the match against Hiroshima on March 12, there was talk about still having more to achieve. Has today's performance shown a slight improvement in that regard?
I think we are growing, but there were also matches where we were not satisfied with the goals conceded and the accuracy of our ball movement, so I want each individual and the team to continue to grow.
Q: It seems that the team has had a poor start in the matches so far. From your perspective at the back, what do you think is the cause?
A: Until now, FC Tokyo has been playing a style of football that starts with defense to gain rhythm, but this season we are challenging ourselves to create rhythm by connecting the ball. Throughout the matches, I feel we are a bit stiff, but I believe that by continuing to challenge ourselves to circulate the ball with a sense of tension, we can make further progress.
<Diego OLIVEIRA>
Q: I think there were long periods in the first half where we were on the back foot with the ball. What are your thoughts on that?
A, I knew that Kobe was originally a high-quality team, so it was somewhat expected that they started the match with a good rhythm and a strong entry. In the second half, on the contrary, we were able to showcase our quality and maintain possession of the ball, which I believe was a factor in our improvement, and I think we were able to learn from our mistakes in the first half.
Q: I think there was a period when the ball didn't come to the front line. What kind of preparations were you making?
I felt more difficulty in the opponent's defensive block tightening up rather than the challenge of receiving the ball in the front line. Since I missed a crucial chance in the first half, I was thinking about scoring as a team as quickly as possible to turn the game around while playing. In that context, I think it was good that I was able to score in a more difficult situation than in the first half.
Q: There were many situations where we were able to break through with one or two touches.
In the second half, we were able to express the attacking patterns and rhythm that we practice regularly, and the opposing team could not keep up with us. As a result, our rhythm surpassed theirs, allowing us to score. This gave the team some breathing room, and I think it was good that we could control the game at our own pace.
Q: Please share your enthusiasm for the next match.
Today’s match saw many fans and supporters come to the stadium, providing great support. To secure 3 points and conclude the three-match series with a win against Urawa, it is important to recover well and prepare properly. For the next match against Urawa, I hope many people will come to Ajinomoto Stadium to support the team, and I want to share the victory with all the fans and supporters.
<Adailton>
Q, please review the game.
A, the opponent is a high-quality team, so I thought it would be a difficult battle from before the match. However, I believed that if we could show our rhythm and style, we could create chances, so I am happy that we were able to score many goals and win.
Q: What adjustments did you make in the second half?
The first thing we corrected was the intensity. It wasn't that we couldn't do it in the first half, but we couldn't surpass our opponent, so we talked about raising the intensity again in the second half, and I think we managed to recover.
Q, you were able to attack effectively while utilizing the sides, weren't you?
I believe that rather than being able to attack from my side, the good balance of attacking from both sides led to the goals in the second half.
Q: After switching from the defeat in the last match, we can welcome the final game of the three consecutive matches against Urawa in a good way, right?
A, of course, the next match is expected to be difficult as well, but since we can play at home at Ajinomoto Stadium, I want to maintain high concentration and aim to secure 3 points.
<Kensuke NAGAI>
Q, please review the scene of the first cross.
At first, I thought I would raise it, but the opponent didn't come close, so I was able to create some space and confirm my position well. I could also see Adailton's position, so I was glad I could match it well.
Q: The next goal was skillfully left by Nagai to Adailton with a heel pass.
A, I could see it clearly. When I received the ball, I thought I couldn't shoot, so I checked Ada's position before receiving it and chose to pass the ball to him.
Q: Both of those two points started with Watanabe's pass. In the first half, there were moments when the passes didn't connect, and the two of you were exchanging plays, but as time went on, it seemed like you started to sync up.
At first, Ryoma WATANABE was also struggling to find the right timing to pass, and when I said, 'If you pass it to me, I will catch up, so please trust me and pass it,' he started to pass it to me, which was a great help for me. From there, I was able to create several chances, which ultimately led to calmly connecting for the first goal.
Q: What were the factors that allowed for a successful comeback?
We had chances from the first half, and we discussed as a team that if we could score one goal by halftime, we could gain momentum. While pursuing what the coach is asking for, I feel confident as a player, and I believe that ultimately led to us scoring three goals in the second half.
Q: Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA says it is a season of building, but what do you think is the reason for achieving results during this time?
A, the coach always emphasizes the importance of having a winner's mentality during daily practice and before matches. It takes time, but he constantly says that we should build up while winning, so I believe that the factors contributing to our victories lie in that aspect.
Q: I think it's also important not to have consecutive losses. What do you think?
If we continue to lose, it will be tough to stay in the ACL zone and compete for titles, so we were aware of that, and since it was a home game, we discussed being more aggressive. Personally, I had two or three chances, so I want to make sure I score next time and lead us to victory.
<Keigo HIGASHI>
Q: I think the team's momentum and flow changed after scoring the first goal.
In the first half, we had chances, and scoring goals is a good remedy for the team. We were able to score consecutively in a good atmosphere at home, so I think we showed our Tokyo style.
Q: I think we were able to win the ball with our coordinated defense from the second half.
In the second half, the opponent's intensity dropped, and the strength is also one of Tokyo's strengths, so it worked well in the second half.
Q: In the first half, you struggled to convert chances, but in the second half, you were able to turn those chances into goals. What changed?
I think it's really good that we are creating many chances. If we can score when we have the opportunity in the first half, it will lead to an easier game. Since we are still in the growth stage, I want us to create many chances together, score goals, and win the matches.
Q, how is the penetration of the new soccer style?
A, I still think we have a long way to go. We won today, but I want to delve deeper into the content from practice.
Q: Please share your enthusiasm for the next match.
It's good that we didn't lose consecutively, but what's important is to win consecutively. Urawa is a really good team, and the match is in three days, so I want to prepare well. Personally, if I get to play in the match, I want to make an impression.
