<Match Review>
In the past two matches, Tokyo, who have been struggling to win, faced Júbilo Iwata at Yamaha Stadium. In the previous match against Sagan Tosu, both teams played a great game with their respective tactics, but despite hitting the post twice, Tokyo couldn't convert their chances and ended up losing by one point due to a direct free kick goal.
While focusing on the team's growth, coach Alber emphasizes the importance of winning to accelerate it. He made some changes to the lineup from the previous match. Yuto Nagatomo returns to the left back position, while Hotaka Nakamura, who has played in the right back position for the past two matches, is chosen. The system has been changed from the usual anchor position to a double pivot with Takuya Aoki and Shuto Abe. Up front, Yojiro Takahagi makes his first starting appearance in the league this season.
Tokyo, who created the starting point on the side from the beginning, pushed the ball deep into the opponent's territory and held it. Takahagi and Leandro showed their faces in the half-space between the center and the side, received the ball in the gap between the opponent's players, and shifted their marks to create chances. Although there were some scenes where they lost the ball due to mistakes in the build-up in the beginning, they were able to hold the ball with composure after about 15 minutes. In the 17th minute of the first half, they did not miss the opponent's coordination mistake during their attack, and Takahagi sent the ball to the front line by risking his body, but they could not bring it to a shot due to a slight deviation in the last pass. In the 27th minute of the first half, Diego Oliveira broke through the right side and invaded deep into the Iwata territory, and sent a pass in the minus direction, but he missed Takahagi, who had entered the goal area in a free state, and could not bring it to a shot. The chance created from the right side continued. In the 33rd minute of the first half, while passing the ball, they searched for the opponent's gap, and a cross ball entered the goal area where Diego was. He tried to hit it with one touch while falling, but he could not meet it. They were holding the ball and controlling the game, but there was a momentary air pocket in the 43rd minute of the first half after they attacked. Although the defense line players were not in sync, they were unable to press back from the midfield, and the press from the simple one-two was delayed, allowing Uehara Rikiya to score in the right corner and take the lead.
Tokyo, who wants to counterattack, substitutes Kuryu MATSUKI for Takahagi in the beginning of the second half. As the second half begins, Tokyo dominates possession and pushes Iwata back. In the first half, attacks starting from the sides failed to result in a finish, but in the second half, attacks from the center lead to chances. In the 11th minute of the second half, a vertical pass from Makoto OKAZAKI triggers an attack, and Abe slips through the gap between defenders in response to Diego's through pass. He faces the opposing goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation, but his shot is blocked by the goalkeeper who closed the distance. In the 15th minute of the second half, they are caught off guard and OKAZAKI is injured while sprinting, unable to chase after Fabian GONZALEZ in a one-on-one situation. GONZALEZ manages to evade him, but his shot misses the goal, avoiding danger.
Tokyo, who wants to add an accent to their attack, successively substitutes Kazuya KONNO, Ryoma WATANABE, and Adailton. Then, in the 33rd minute of the second half, the substitution strategy bore fruit. When Kazuya KONNO received the ball in an open position on the right side, he dribbled and cut in along the penalty area. Drawing in multiple opposing players, Kazuya KONNO passed to Adailton, who was free on the left side. With the opponent's pressure delayed, Adailton controlled the shot and scored the equalizing goal in the upper right corner of the goal. In the 40th minute of the second half, Diego and Ryoma WATANABE returned the ball in a one-two in the vital area. Diego broke free into the space on the right side of the goal and took a shot, but it was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper. Tokyo, who was aiming for a comeback, intensified their attack, but in the 43rd minute of the second half, they were unable to repel the attack from the side and were pressured by Naoki KANUMA in the penalty area, resulting in a go-ahead goal for the opponent.
Maintaining an attacking stance until the end, including 6 minutes of additional time, we pushed our opponents to the goal but were unable to score. We held onto the ball for a long time and controlled the game, but we were unable to capitalize on decisive chances. In order to change the tide in the Levain Cup match against Avispa Fukuoka in 3 days and the Kashiwa Reysol match on May 21st, the team will once again come together and continue to prepare.
[Interview with Coach Albert]
Q, please review the game.
First of all, I would like to congratulate Iwata on their victory. In the professional world, scoring goals is the most important thing. I think we were able to dominate the game for a long time, but we were not able to manage the risks well when attacking and made mistakes. In the first half, there were two dangerous counterattacks from the opponent. And from one of those, they scored a goal.
After that, we were able to push our opponents and create multiple chances as time went by. However, there were some areas where we lacked finishing power. We also made several mistakes in losing the ball that we should not have lost.
As time passed in a tied state, we lost a point due to a defensive mistake against Iwata, resulting in their second goal.
In today's match, I think we were able to create more decisive chances than our opponents. However, football is not a competition of chances, but a sport where we compete for the number of goals. Each team fights with their own playing style, with Tokyo sticking to their style and Iwata aiming for victory by utilizing counterattacks.
Our playing style is one that brings success to the club over a long period of time, and I have no doubt about that. Although we haven't won in the last three league matches, if we abandon our playing style and aim only for victory by playing more directly, we cannot expect growth. I believe in this playing style, so I will stick to my beliefs for its growth.
Today's loss is tough. Both the players and I feel angry. Our amazing fans and supporters continue to support us with patience, even when we lose. Other fans and supporters may criticize the team for not winning, but our fans and supporters warmly watch the team grow and support us even when we lose. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude.
Recently, I think fans and supporters are also suffering because we haven't been able to win. In that sense, I feel sorry that we can't deliver victory to our fans and supporters. However, we are still in the top ranks of the standings. We must not forget that. I think Tokyo is a club that must always aim to be in the top ranks. I hope we can achieve that in the near future.
I would like to express my gratitude to Makoto OKAZAKI, who gave a good performance despite suffering from knee pain. I hope that the center back players who are currently injured will recover as soon as possible. There is no secret. Even after a loss, I will reflect on it and prepare for the next game with a renewed mindset. That is the only way.
Q, How did you use the shapes of equilateral triangles, inverted triangles, and midfielders, and where was your aim?
A, I think Iwata is a team that tends to give the ball to the opponent. And they tend to lower their block and defend. We expected that we would have a longer time to push in, so we hoped to use (Yojiro) Takahagi and play in the gap of the opponent. And we had to be careful about responding to Iwata's long balls and recovering second balls, so we started with a double pivot to focus on recovering second balls.
On the other hand, if we were in a losing state, we had to take more risks and attack, so we returned to our usual position.
[Player Interview]
＜Adailton＞
Q, please review the goal scene.
A, I was able to imagine cutting in and shooting from the moment I received the ball, so it was good to be able to score a goal just as I had imagined.
Q, did you have various emotions after scoring a goal?
I have been playing for Júbilo Iwata for a long time, and there have been good times and bad times. When I scored a goal, various emotions welled up and I remembered many memories.
Q, what are your thoughts on playing at this Jubilo Stadium?
A, I still feel like it's my own home and today I came back as an opponent, but I was able to stand on the pitch with a feeling of being at home.
Q, it was our third consecutive loss as a team.
A, this three-game losing streak is not the result we wanted as a team, and it is not a positive thing, but I think there are times when things don't go well in the process of growth. I will never bow my head, and I want to prepare well and have a good game so that we can end the next game with a victory.
<Yasuki KIMOTO>
Q, How was the game, even if it ended with only 1 point?
A, we wanted to take 1 point away, and I think the players in the back had to finish with a 1-1 draw. I think it was a game with a lot of reflection because we lost a little too easily while thinking we could go for another goal mentally.
Q, how is the team coping with the difficult situation of having an injured center back?
A, I think only we, the players, can change this result and the fans and supporters have given us a lot of positive support today. I really think we have to change this result ourselves, and we have the Levain Cup as well, so we want to win at home and connect it to the league matches in order to grow together, not just for the sake of playing.
Q: How was the game looking back, despite the bad flow in the first half?
A, While the opponent was playing defensively, we couldn't create many attacking opportunities in the first half. However, we had some good chances in the second half. I think having the ability to finish will be crucial for us to win in the future, and personally, I want to improve the accuracy of my passes from the back.
<Shuto ABE>
Q, please review the game.
A, we conceded a goal on the counter in the first half and I think we made it difficult for ourselves.
Q, it felt like the switch was a little late when we lost the opening goal.
A, I felt that the transition after losing the ball was slow today. If we had switched faster and held the front line, we wouldn't have conceded counterattacks. I feel that this aspect was not good today.
Q, in the second half we changed our system and I think it created a good flow.
A, The system returned to its usual form, and it became a development of moving forward, and I also had a 1-on-1 chance. However, I couldn't make use of that opportunity and ended up allowing the winning goal.
I feel responsible for today's defeat, and I realized once again that if I don't make those kinds of plays, this is the result that will happen.
Q, it was a frustrating second goal.
A, the second goal was my responsibility. I couldn't see the ball because I was overlapping with the opponent, and it ended up at my feet. I was caught off guard and we conceded a goal. If I had been in that position, there was no point in not clearing the ball, so I think it was a completely unnecessary goal to give away.
