<Match Review>
Tokyo, in the midst of a tight schedule of 7 games in 2-3 days. The 4th consecutive game is an away game against Shonan Bellmare in the group stage of the Levain Cup. They recently faced each other in the 3rd round of the Levain Cup, winning 2-1, but both teams have made significant changes to their lineups due to the consecutive games. As coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA mentioned the day before the game, "Both Shonan and us are expected to have different lineups from the game two weeks ago, so it will be a new game."
Tokyo made a complete change to their starting lineup from the Urawa Reds match three days ago, with 2nd registered player Renta HIGASHI making his first start as center back. Sodai HASUKAWA, who returned from a long-term injury, and Kashif BANGNAGANDE were also named on the bench.
In the early stages, Shonan struggled to keep up with the speed and tempo of Tokyo's passing, and were pushed back as Tokyo controlled the vital areas. However, Tokyo was able to break through the press with short passes and create chances with wide attacks. In the 12th minute, a crowded penalty area was broken down with quick touches and a shot was taken, but Go HATANO tenaciously stuck to the ball and cleared it from the goal. Tokyo's counterattack came in the 14th minute, as Yojiro TAKAHAGI on the left side received a ball from a side change on the right side and Ryoya OGAWA took a one-touch shot, but it went wide to the top left corner. In the 22nd minute, another chance was created from the left side. Yojiro TAKAHAGI received a one-two pass from Hirotaka MITA and sent the ball to the goal, but Keita YAMASHITA's header also missed the target. As Tokyo struggled to find their rhythm, Masaki IKEDA received a forward pass in the vital area in the 37th minute, and after a feint to shake off his marker, he scored a powerful long-range shot to take the lead.
Tokyo, who wants to counterattack, allowed the opponent to invade deep into the penalty area in the 3rd minute of the second half, and the shot missed the frame. Immediately after that, in the 5th minute of the second half, Suzuki Junya, who reacted to Mita's pass, broke through to the deep right side. When a pass in the minus direction was put in front of the goal, Ogawa, who had jumped in, slid it in with one touch and Tokyo caught up. After catching up, they were unable to hold onto the ball for a long time, and were pushed back. In the 19th minute of the second half, Tariq, who was free in the vital area, took a shot at the left corner of the goal, but Hatanaka made a sharp reaction and deflected it. Tokyo, who wanted to change the flow of the game, tried to turn the situation around by bringing in Nakamura Hotaka, Kajiura Yuki, and Hirakawa Rei. However, they were unable to take the flow away from the opponent who continued to push forward, and in the 27th minute of the second half, they gave away a penalty kick for a handball, which was scored by Machino Shuto to take the lead.
Tokyo, who was behind, brought on players Kashiho and Naoki Kumata, who was registered as a type 2 player, in the 33rd minute of the second half. They wanted to hold onto the ball and push back, but the ball couldn't settle in the front line, and the game ended with a one-point difference. In the next match, they will play an away game against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in the J1 League with only 2 days of rest.
[Interview with Coach Albert]
Q, please review today's game.
A, First of all, I am delighted to finally be able to hold a press conference in person.
For me, the Levain Cup is a place to confirm and encourage the growth of each player. It has been a time to secure playing time for players who have had short playing time so far, and also a time to try various options. It is also an opportunity to give chances to young players with potential for the future.
No one knows how long I will be with this club, but I want to contribute to the growth of players who will lead this club in the future. I thought Renta HIGASHI's performance as a center back today was fantastic. His success is good news for Tokyo. I also want to commend Naoki KUMATA's debut in the latter half of the game.
I think our play was not bad when we had the ball throughout the game. However, we struggled when we didn't have the ball and our defense did not work well. In particular, we were unable to close the spaces. As a result, our defensive line kept dropping back. Since today's team has never played an official match together, it is natural that we face such defensive challenges.
I want to pick up positive aspects from today's Levain Cup and connect them to the next growth. This season, I believe it is a season to challenge and establish a new playing style. And I think we should give many players a chance, so I am glad that many players were able to play today.
Q, how about Kashif, who returned today after a major injury in September last year?
A, he has returned from a major injury through rehabilitation. Therefore, I think it is necessary to give him some time to return to official matches. For example, this Levain Cup was a good opportunity for his return. It is difficult to suddenly give him a chance in the league after a long period of injury. Today, we had a pre-game discussion with the medical staff and decided on the playing time. We have set a time to gradually go through the process of returning. And today, we played him in the front row to reduce the tactical load.
Q, Please give us your evaluation of Renta HIGASHI.
A, He participated in the camp. He also participated in practice and practice matches. At that time, I evaluated him as a promising player based on his play. He has the physicality suitable for a center back. In order to aim for a higher level center back in the professional league, physicality including height is necessary.
I was surprised by his high adaptability in the preseason. And, he was selected to play in the previous Levain Cup. As I have said many times, age is not important to me. If he continues to grow steadily, I believe he will make a significant contribution to this club.
I can only give him a chance to encourage his growth. However, I think it is the most important thing for him. I tell him not to be afraid of making mistakes. The important thing is how he can react after making a mistake.
He showed us a performance that met our expectations. Despite being only 17 years old, he was able to compete against high-level forwards such as Wellington and Lins.
[Player Interview]]
Ryoya OGAWA
Q, it was the first official game in a while, what did you focus on when entering the game?
A, the team's victory is a major premise, but personally, since it was my first official game in a while, I was conscious of improving my condition and taking care of U-18 player Renta HIGASHI, who was next to me, as instructed by the coach.
Q, There was talk from the coach that we didn't do well defensively, how did you feel on the pitch?
A, there were also times when the press did not work well on the front line, and I feel that there were parts where the push from the back was slower compared to the league match members. I think we should raise the line more and do the work of raising the line more finely, even if it's just one meter with the opponent's side pass.
Q, was the goal scene also one of the forms to aim for, with the side back to side back?
A, the goal itself did not come from the flow, as it started from a set play. However, even within the flow, there are times when I take the inside position while attacking from the right side, and I think it is a scene that I want to aim for in the future.
<Go HATANO>
Q, Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA talked about how the defense kept dropping back and couldn't get into a rhythm during the press conference. What did you see from the back?
A, There were many situations where the final line dropped too far back and we couldn't put pressure on the front line, so we were calling out but couldn't make corrections, so I think there are still some challenges remaining.
Q, we couldn't put pressure on the opponent because we also dropped in the first goal.
A, we needed to put more pressure on earlier, and I also made a mistake that led to a goal, so I want to improve.
Q, What are your thoughts for the future as the same players are expected to continue to be used in the Levain Cup?
A, I want the title and I personally want to be more involved in the league games and if I get another chance, I want to produce results. I want to continue to prepare for that in my daily practice.
Q, I think I was able to save close-range shots and perform well, but do you feel like it's natural for you to do this much?
We are still lacking as we have conceded two points, and after conceding, we immediately watched the scene of the goal on the big screen. We still need to improve our footwork and we want to reflect on our own play from practice.
Q, I think there are also difficulties in playing with U-18 players who are not usually playing together. What kind of words did you say to Renta HIGASHI?
A, I had no worries because we played together at the camp. (Renta) HIGASHI asked me before the game, "Are you nervous?" and I said, "No, I'm not," so I thought it would be okay. There were also scenes where he aggressively went after the opponent's forward player, and I am the same, but since we are still young, I want him to challenge more and if I can help him there, I want him to play with all his might.
<Renta HIGASHI>
Q, please tell us about your feelings when you found out you were starting for the first time.
A, I was surprised, but since I had a chance to play for 90 minutes, I prepared more than usual. I think I was able to play better than usual, but I didn't do much against Wellington, so that's something I need to work on. I want to continue to improve and be able to play even better when I get another chance.
Q, Did you feel like you were able to demonstrate the results of your efforts in the U-18 team in your first appearance the other day during today's match?
A, The speed of each pass was the focus of the previous task, but it is also something we have been working on with Coach Yasuma during U-18 practice, and I think we were able to challenge with a good pass speed in today's game.
Q, Do you have a sense that you were able to fight against Wellington, who is physically strong, to some extent?
A, I think we still have a long way to go as we were attacking from Wellington. There were a few scenes where we stopped with fouls, but I think my role is to take the ball without fouling and connect it to the attack, so I want to do my best for the next time.
Q: Do you feel like you have made any changes on the offensive side?
A, I was able to make good passes to players Higashi and Mita several times, but I couldn't take the ball and avoid the opposing forward, so I think I could have helped the team a little more if I could have done that.
Q, I had the impression that the combination with Okazaki was solid.
Player A, Okazaki, led and helped me. I feel like if I could have controlled the line a little better, I could have prevented the first goal.
Q, do you think there were any experiences in this game that will lead to future growth?
I had a big experience playing against Wellington, who is physically strong even in the J-League, and was able to fight for 90 minutes and make good plays. I also found some areas for improvement, so I will go back to the youth team and work on them to move on to the next level.
