The final match against Urawa, part of the three consecutive games against clubs participating in the AFC Champions League. Tokyo lost to Yokohama F.Marinos, but achieved a comeback victory against Vissel Kobe in the second match, recovering to 1 win and 1 loss as they welcome Urawa Reds to their home Ajinomoto Stadium.
Urawa is entering its second season under coach Ricardo RODRIGUEZ, and it is undeniable that they have an edge over Tokyo in terms of tactical maturity. Moreover, they won the Emperor's Cup last season, which has deepened the club's confidence in the direction it is heading.
Although the beginning of this season has seen a series of losses, in addition to the existing foreign players Kasper JUNKER and Alexander SCHOLZ, new players David MOBERG and Alex SCHALK have joined the team.
Both Møbelg and Alex SCHALK are strong players who scored 10 goals each in the Czech League and Swiss League last season. Along with the key player Junker, who scored 9 goals in last season's J-League, a powerful lineup of attackers will be assembled in the front line.
In terms of the lineup in the front line, Tokyo is not falling behind. Rather, it can be said that they are ahead in terms of current form and momentum. In the previous match against Kobe, Diego OLIVEIRA and Adailton both scored goals, showing an upswing in their performance. Kensuke NAGAI, who made his starting appearance in the league for the first time since the opening match, created several scoring opportunities and demonstrated his performance worthy of being called a key player.
Not only the high quality of the front line but also the similarity in team concepts is the evaluation of both teams by the media and commentators. In the preview discussion between Takashi FUKUNISHI and Ichiro OZAWA, both teams are described as "similar to each other." Based on positional superiority, they maintain possession of the ball, pushing the opponent back to take control. Depending on the situation of the match, they can also adopt a fighting style that effectively uses long balls to relentlessly target points that the opponent dislikes, without sticking to short passes for possession.
In Tokyo, quality feeds from the defensive line are supplied to the front line, so if short passes cannot shake the opponent, it is also possible to break the deadlock with a long feed and quickly accelerate to score a goal. Especially, many goals have been scored from wide developments starting from the sides, and coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA also felt a sense of achievement after the match against Kobe, stating, "Overall, we were able to take good positions, and we were able to attack from the sides. (Omitted) We are able to build side attacks."
Seizing the initiative while selecting the best moves in response to the rapidly changing battlefield. The match against Urawa will not only require us to stick to our style, but also to demonstrate flexibility in adapting to changes.
