The final match of the three consecutive games against AFC Champions League participating clubs will be against Urawa Reds. Tokyo, who lost to Yokohama F.Marinos, achieved a come-from-behind victory against Vissel Kobe in the second match, recovering with one win and one loss to face Urawa Reds at home at Ajinomoto Stadium.
Urawa is in its second season under coach Ricardo RODRIGUEZ, and it cannot be denied that they have a day's advantage over Tokyo in terms of tactical maturity. Moreover, they won the Emperor's Cup last season, further strengthening the club's confidence in its direction.
The beginning of this season has been marked by losses, but in addition to existing foreign players such as Kasper JUNKER and Alexander SCHOLZ, new players David MOBERG and Alex SCHALK have joined the team.
Both Möbelg and Schalk, who scored 10 goals each in the Czech League and Swiss League last season, are talented players. Including Juncker, who scored 9 goals last season and is a key player, a strong attacking line will be formed.
In terms of the lineup, Tokyo is not losing. Rather, it can be said that they are winning in terms of their current condition and momentum. In the previous match against Kobe, both Diego Oliveira and Adailton scored goals, and Kensuke Nagai, who made his first start in the league since the opening match, created numerous scoring opportunities and showed an impressive performance that can be called key player.
Not only the quality of the front line, but also the similarity of team concepts, is the evaluation of both teams by the media and commentators. In a preview dialogue between Takashi FUKUNISHI and Ichiro OZAWA, both teams are described as "similar". Based on the advantage of position, they hold the ball and push the opponent to take control. Depending on the situation of the game, they can also play aggressively by using long balls to target points that the opponent dislikes, instead of sticking to possession with short passes.
With high-quality feeds from the defense line, Tokyo can also break through the situation with a long feed and quickly speed up to score a goal if they cannot shake the opponent with short passes. In particular, they have scored many goals from wide developments, and coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA also felt a sense of accomplishment after the Kobe game, saying, "Overall, we were in a good position and were able to attack from the sides. (Omitted) We were able to build up our attacks from the sides."
Take control by choosing the best move to match the rapidly changing battle situation. The Urawa match will not only require us to stick to our own style, but also to be flexible in responding to changes.
