<Match Review>
The calendar has entered April, and this match against Vissel Kobe is only the second home game for Tokyo in the 2022 J1 League season. It is the second match in a row with only three days of rest between the three clubs participating in the AFC Champions League (ACL). After losing by one point in the previous match against Yokohama F.Marinos, Tokyo wants to show the team's growth and earn 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 selected as a starter for the first time since the opening game in the league. In the defense line, Ryoma WATANABE played as a right back and Yuto NAGATOMO played as a left back.
The opponent Vissel Kobe had Andres INIESTA as a starting player, and Kento HASHIMOTO was included in the lineup as a substitute.
Tokyo, who had possession of the ball from the start, were pressured by the opposition into the space behind their full-backs and were pushed towards their goal. In the 5th minute, the opposition made a deep run down the right side and sent in a cross, which was headed by Yuya OSAKO, but it went wide to the left of the goal. Despite not being able to maintain possession, Tokyo were once again threatened in the 12th minute from the right side, but Jakub SLOWIK made a big save in a one-on-one situation. However, the loose ball in front of the goal was pushed in by Hotaru YAMAGUCHI, giving the opposition the lead.
Tokyo, who was trailing by one point, gradually started to push the opponent back by holding onto the ball after conceding a goal. In the 27th minute of the first half, they moved the ball wide and passed it to Shuto ABE, who took a position on the right side of the penalty area. ABE crossed the ball with his left foot, and East player dropped the ball with one touch on the far side. Nagai, who had entered the penalty area, took a shot with his left foot, but it went over the goal. In the 28th minute of the first half, they pressed high and forced a mistake from the opponent. East player then passed a through ball behind the defense line of Kobe, who were trying to attack. Diego OLIVEIRA, who had made a run into the space, aimed for a shot, but it narrowly missed to the left of the goal. In the 40th minute of the first half, they had another big chance. Kimoto passed a sharp pass to the right side from the middle range. Watanabe put in an early cross, and Nagai tried to score, but was stopped by the opponent's goalkeeper's defense.
Tokyo, which has been increasing its offensive power since the start of the second half, made a strong push in the 6th minute of the second half. Eiji Nagai broke through the right space inside the penalty area and passed in a negative direction near the goal line. Watanabe, who had jumped in near the goal, took a shot in front of the opponent's defender, but the ball narrowly missed to the right of the goal. Continuing to create chances from the right side, in the 10th minute of the second half, Watanabe ran into space with a pass that passed through the crotch of the marker he was facing. Nagai, who had broken through, made a pass that curved towards the far side as he approached the opponent near the goal, and Adailton, who was in front of the goal, headed it in to equalize the score.
Tokyo's momentum is unstoppable. In the 12th minute of the second half, Watanabe, who had the ball on the left side, dribbled past Iniesta and passed it to the near side of the goal. Nagai ran in and used a heel pass, then Adailton connected it and Diego received the ball in front of the goal. Morishige then struck the ball powerfully from behind and successfully turned the game around.
In the 21st minute of the second half, Kindergarten player Nagatomo received a wedge pass just outside the penalty area and flicked the ball to the front of the goal. The ball, which the opponent defender couldn't handle, fell right in front of Diego TABA. The opponent goalkeeper also came out and closed the distance, but calmly slid the ball into the left corner of the goal, and Tokyo quickly pulled away from Kobe.
In the final stages of the match, substitute player Keita YAMASHITA was involved in consecutive chances. In the 44th minute, he broke through in front of the goal and swung his left foot, but the shot narrowly missed to the right of the goal. In the closing moments of the match, Hirotaka MITA scored with a diving header from a cross ball from the left, but it was disallowed due to a handball after VAR review. Despite this, the team continued their attacking pressure from the start of the second half until the final whistle, leaving a strong impact of attacking football at Ajinomoto Stadium for the full 45 minutes.
Albert's journey in Tokyo has just begun. With only 3 days in between, the final match against Urawa Reds, who have qualified for the ACL, is approaching. On April 10th, we will leave an even greater impact of our attacking football at Ajinomoto Stadium and continue to grow little by little in our training starting tomorrow.
[Interview with Coach Albert]
Q, please review the game.
A, we struggled for 10 minutes and 15 minutes without getting off to a good start. Then we conceded a goal from our own mistake. After that, I think we were able to get into the game well. We had several clear chances in the first half, so it would have been great if we could have scored from there, but it didn't go as well as we hoped.
After that, I think the key to winning the game was maintaining a fast tempo. I believe that allowed us to dominate the game overall. In the second half, our pressing from the front was effective and we were able to maintain a good balance between holding onto the ball and attacking towards the goal. We also created many decisive chances in the second half and I am happy that we were able to score multiple goals from them. I am also happy that the team continues to grow.
Q, especially in the second half, the right side was functioning well, but it seemed like Nagai was giving him space. Please evaluate the right side.
A, I think it is a fact that our right side was functioning. However, what is interesting is that the same side, for the opponent, they were able to make good attacks from the left side. There was a good back and forth between the same side, our right side, and their left side. They were able to create goals from there, and we also created multiple decisive chances. It is an interesting point that many chances were created on that side for both teams. As for the second half, I think we were able to attack well not only from the right side, but also from the left side.
Q, How do you feel about the current players' positioning, as you focus on playing soccer with a specific positioning?
A, While we were able to attack from the sides with a good position overall, I think we still lacked attacks from the center. Even though we have a good position, I think it will take a little more time to build attacks from the center. Of course, this is an area that we must continue to improve throughout the season. However, we are able to construct attacks from the sides. As always, I want to continue to improve the team's completeness as we play more games.
Q, last week we talked about the importance of the wing rather than the tempo of the play. How was it this week?
A, Regarding today's match, I think there were two key points. The first one is whether we can express our playing style better. The second one is how well we can maintain our playing tempo. I believed that would lead us to victory. Kobe is good at attacking through the center, while we are better at attacking from the sides. In that flow, we struggled to respond to their attacks from the center at the start of the match. But then, we were able to find our rhythm and construct good attacks from the sides. Today, intensity and playing strength were more important than playing speed. I think maintaining a high playing intensity in the second half was the key to our victory. Not only in today's match, but also in our practices, we have been able to play with high intensity and maintain good physical condition, which led us to victory.
[Player Interview]]
＜Masato MORISHIGE＞
Q, please review the scoring scene.
A, I was in a position where I could shoot if the ball came loose because it was a set play, and I was able to score well when the ball came to me.
Q, is it more accurate to say that the ball came to you because you were in that position?
A, I took the position to avoid receiving a counterattack because there was no one there, and to be able to pick up any loose balls that came my way.
Q, After conceding the first goal, Kobe seemed to stop attacking. Was there a difficulty as a team before and after conceding the first goal?
A, We did not change what we were doing, and Kobe did not defend from the front line, so we had many opportunities to carry the ball to the opponent's territory. I wish we could have aimed for the goal while moving the ball.
Q, How did you feel about the goal scene?
A, I think I have to show my emotions in every game, and as a player in the back, I have to lift the team up, otherwise the team will sink. I have to be in a position to give the team a boost while playing stably.
Q, We have been conceded in two consecutive games, but today in particular, there was a strong impression of a steady comeback. How was the overall game play for the full 90 minutes?
A, there are still areas that need to be fixed, and Kobe is not a team that presses from the front line, so I wish we could have passed the ball more quickly. I also want to improve while talking with everyone.
Q, After the 3/12 Hiroshima match, we were still talking about "still a long way to go". Has the level improved a bit today?
A, I think we are growing, but in the game, we were not satisfied with the accuracy of conceding and ball circulation, so we want each individual and the team to continue to grow.
Q, It seems that the start of the game has been bad so far, but what do you think is the cause when watching from the back?
A, FC Tokyo has been a team that starts from defense and builds rhythm through soccer, but this season we are challenging ourselves to play soccer by connecting passes and creating rhythm. Throughout the game, I feel that we are a bit stiff, but we will continue to challenge ourselves to play with a sense of tension and if we can progress even further, we will be able to improve.
<Diego OLIVEIRA>
Q, How was it to have the ball for a long time in the first half?
A, I knew that Kobe was originally a high-quality team, so it was within my expectations that they would start the game with a good rhythm and a good way of playing. In the second half, we were able to demonstrate our own quality and control the ball, so I think that was the factor that improved. I also think we were able to use the lessons learned from the first half.
Q, I think there was a period of time when the ball didn't come to the front line, what preparations did you make?
A, I felt the difficulty of the opponent coming back and defending the block rather than not being able to receive the ball at the front line. I missed the scoring opportunity in the first half, so I was playing while thinking about scoring as a team as soon as possible and being able to reverse the game. In that process, 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 scenes where we were able to break through with one-touch and two-touch.
A, in the second half, we were able to express the attacking patterns and rhythm that we have been practicing, and as a result, the opposing team could not keep up with us. This allowed us to surpass the opponent's rhythm and score points. This gave our team some breathing room and allowed us to control the game at our own pace, which I think was a good thing.
Q, please share your enthusiasm for the next game.
A, Today's match was attended by many fans and supporters at the stadium, and we received great support. In order to end the three-game series with a win in the next Urawa match, it is important for us to recover well and prepare properly. We hope to have many people come to Ajinomoto Stadium for the next Urawa match and share the victory with our fans and supporters.
Adailton Player
Q, please review the game.
A, I thought it would be a difficult battle from before the game because the opponent is a high-quality team. In that situation, I am happy that we were able to create chances and score a lot of goals by believing that we could show our rhythm and style.
Q, What kind of modifications did you make in the second half?
The first thing we corrected was the intensity. It's not that we couldn't do it in the first half, but we couldn't surpass the opponent, so we talked about raising the intensity again in the second half and I think we were able to recover.
Q, we were able to attack effectively while using the sides.
A, I think the second half goal was a result of being able to attack with a good balance from both sides rather than just attacking from my own side.
Q, we can switch from the defeat of the previous match and welcome the final match of the 3-game series against Urawa in a good form.
A, of course, the next game is expected to be difficult as well, but we want to play with high concentration and aim to get 3 points by playing at home at Ajinomoto Stadium.
<Kensuke NAGAI>
Q, please review the scene of the first goal cross.
When I tried to make the first timing, the opponent didn't come close, so I had time to check the inside position. I could also see Adailton's position, so it was good that I could match it well.
Q, Nagai player also left a good heel to Adailton player for the next goal.
A, I could see it clearly. When I received the ball, I didn't think I could hit it myself, so I checked the position of the defender before receiving it and chose to pass the ball to him.
Q, both of those two points were started with passes from Watanabe. In the first half, there were scenes where the passes didn't connect and the two of them were exchanging, but as time went on, it seemed like they were getting better at it.
A, At first, I couldn't catch the timing to (Ryoma) WATANABE, but when I said "If you pass it to me, I'll catch up, so please trust me and pass it to me", he started to pass it to me, which was a great help for me. From there, I was able to create a few chances, which ultimately led to calmly scoring the first goal.
Q, what was the key factor in being able to turn the game around?
A, we had chances from the first half, and at halftime we talked as a team that if we could score one goal, we could gain momentum. So while pursuing what the coach was asking for, I was able to play with confidence as a player, and I think that's what led to us scoring three goals in the second half.
Q, What do you think is the reason for the results being achieved during the season that Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA refers to as "building up"?
A, the importance of having a winning mentality is always emphasized by the coach himself in daily practices and before games. It takes time, but we are constantly told to build upon our victories, so I believe that is the key factor in our success.
Q, do you think it's also important not to lose consecutive games?
A, If we lose consecutively, it will be difficult to secure a spot in the ACL or win a title, so we were aware of that and we talked about being more aggressive since it was a home game. Personally, I had 2-3 chances, so I want to score and lead the team to victory next time.
<Keigo HIGASHI>
Q, I think the team's momentum and flow changed after scoring the first goal.
A, there were chances in the first half as well, and if we can score goals in football, it can be a good medicine for the team, so I think we were able to show the Tokyo spirit by continuously scoring goals in a good atmosphere at home.
Q, I think we were able to take the ball with a coordinated defense from the second half.
A, in the second half, the opponent's activity decreased, and the intensity was also a strength of Tokyo, so it was good that it fit well in the second half.
Q, In the first half, we couldn't quite convert our chances, but in the second half, we were able to turn our chances into goals. What changed?
A, I think it's a really good thing that we can create a lot of chances. If we can score in the first half when we have the chance, it will be an easier game and since we are still in the growth stage, I want us to score while creating many chances and win the game.
Q, How is the penetration rate of the new soccer style?
A, I still think we have a long way to go. We were able to win today, but I want to focus more on the content and push ourselves harder in practice.
Q, please share your enthusiasm for the next game.
A, it's a good thing that we didn't lose, but what's important is to win in a row, so Urawa is a really good team and the game is in 3 days, so I want to prepare well. Personally, I want to make an appeal if I can play in the game.
