<Match Review>
In the last two matches, Tokyo has been away from victory and faced Júbilo Iwata at Yamaha Stadium. In the previous match against Sagan Tosu, both teams displayed a good game with tactics that did not give an inch. However, they failed to convert decisive chances, hitting the post twice, and conceded a direct free kick, losing points by a margin of one goal.
While focusing on the team's growth, Coach Alber emphasizes that victories are essential to accelerate this process, and made slight changes to the lineup from the previous match. Yuto NAGATOMO returns to left back, and Hotaka NAKAMURA is chosen for right back after two consecutive matches. The system has changed from a basic anchor to a double pivot with Takuya AOKI and Shuto ABE. Up front, Yojiro TAKAHAGI made his first start in the league this season.
Tokyo created opportunities from the sides early on, pushing deep into the opponent's territory while maintaining possession of the ball. Takahagi and Leandro appeared in the half-spaces between the center and the sides, receiving the ball in the gaps between the opposing players, shifting the markers, and creating chances. In the beginning, there were moments when they lost the ball due to mistakes during build-up and faced counterattacks, but after about 15 minutes, they began to maintain possession with composure. In the 17th minute of the first half, they capitalized on a mistake in the opponent's attack; Takahagi put his body on the line to send the ball forward, initiating a counterattack with a numerical advantage of 2 against 1, but the final pass was off-target, preventing a shot. In the 27th minute of the first half, Diego OLIVEIRA broke through the right side, penetrating deep into the opponent's territory and sending a pass backward, but it barely missed Takahagi, who had entered the goal area in a free position, and they could not take a shot either. Chances continued to arise from the right side. In the 33rd minute of the first half, while circulating the ball and looking for gaps in the opponent's defense, a cross came in for Diego in front of the goal. He attempted to connect with a one-touch while falling, but he could not make contact. They maintained possession and controlled the game, but in the 43rd minute of the first half, after launching an attack, there was a moment of vulnerability. Although the defenders were aligned, they failed to press back from the midfield, and a simple one-two led to a delayed press at the ball, allowing Rikiya UEHARA to slot the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal, conceding the first goal.
Tokyo, wanting to counterattack, brought in Kuryu MATSUKI in place of Takahagi at the start of the second half. As the second half began, Tokyo maintained possession of the ball even more than in the first half, pushing Iwata back. In the first half, attacks originating from the sides struggled to connect with finishes, but in the second half, attacks from the center led to chances. In the 11th minute of the second half, after a vertical pass from Makoto OKAZAKI initiated an attack, Abe reacted to Diego TABA's through ball, slipping through the gap between defenders and heading towards the goal. He faced a one-on-one with the opposing goalkeeper, but his shot was blocked by the advancing goalkeeper. In the 15th minute of the second half, they were caught out from behind as they pushed forward, and Makoto OKAZAKI was injured while sprinting, unable to chase after Fabian GONZALEZ, leading to a one-on-one situation with Jakub SLOWIK. SLOWIK was evaded, but the shot went wide of the target, escaping danger.
Tokyo, wanting to add some accent to their attack, brought in Kazuya KONNO, Ryoma WATANABE, and Adailton one after another. Then, in the 33rd minute of the second half, the substitutions paid off. With the ball at his feet in an open position on the right side, KONNO made a dribble and cut in along the penalty area. Attracting several opposing players, KONNO passed to Adailton, who was free on the left side. As the opponent's pressure was delayed, Adailton controlled the ball and slotted a shot into the top right corner of the goal to equalize. In the 40th minute of the second half, Diego and WATANABE executed a one-two return in the vital area. Diego broke into the space near the right side of the goal and took a shot, but it was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper. Tokyo intensified their offensive in search of a comeback, but in the 43rd minute of the second half, they failed to clear an attack from the side and allowed Naoki KANUMA to score in the penalty area, giving up the lead.
Maintaining an attacking posture until the end, including 6 minutes of additional time, we pressed the opponent against their goal but could not score. Despite having long possession of the ball and controlling the match, we failed to capitalize on decisive chances. With just three days until the Levain Cup match against Avispa Fukuoka, we will prepare as a united team once again to change the flow in the match against Kashiwa Reysol on May 21.
[Interview with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA]
Q, please review the game.
First of all, I would like to commend the victory of Iwata. In the professional world, scoring goals is the most important thing. I believe we had long periods of controlling the match, but we were not managing the risks well during our attacks, which led to mistakes. In the first half, two dangerous counterattacks from the opponent arose from that, resulting in their goal.
After that, I think we pushed our opponents more and created multiple chances as time went on. However, there were areas where we lacked decisiveness. Additionally, there were several mistakes where we lost balls that we shouldn't have lost.
As time progressed in a tied game, a defensive mistake on our part led to the second goal for Iwata, and we missed out on earning 1 point.
In today's match, I believe we created more decisive chances than our opponents. However, soccer is not a competition of the number of chances but a sport that competes for the number of goals. Each team fights while sticking to their play style, with Tokyo playing their style and Iwata aiming for victory by utilizing counterattacks.
I have no doubt that our playing style will bring a lot of success to the club over a long period of time. We haven't won in the last three league matches, but if we abandon our playing style solely to aim for victory and try to play more directly to earn points, we cannot expect our growth. I believe in this playing style, and I am committed to it for our growth.
Today's loss is painful. Both the players and I feel anger. Our wonderful fans and supporters continue to support us patiently, even in defeat. If they were fans and supporters with different characteristics, there might be those who criticize the team, prioritizing results, especially when victories are hard to come by. However, our fans and supporters warmly watch over the team's growth and support us even in losses. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude.
Recently, I believe that our fans and supporters have been suffering due to our inability to win. In that sense, I feel the pain of not being able to deliver victories to our fans and supporters. However, we are still positioned near the top of the standings. We must not forget that. I believe Tokyo is a club that must always aim to be among the top. I hope we can achieve that in the near future.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Makoto OKAZAKI, who performed well until midway despite suffering from knee pain. I hope that the center-back players who are currently sidelined due to injuries recover as soon as possible. There is no secret. Even after a loss, I want to reflect and then switch my mindset to prepare for the next match. That is the only way.
Q: You used a regular triangle, an inverted triangle, and a midfield shape. What was your intention behind this?
I think that Iwata is a team that tends to give the ball to the opponent. They also have a strong tendency to drop back and defend. We anticipated that we would have a long period of pressing, so we expected to use (Yojiro) Takahagi to play in the gaps of the opponent. Additionally, we had to be cautious about Iwata's response to long balls and recovering second balls, so we started with a double pivot to focus on recovering second balls.
On the other hand, when in a losing situation, we had to take more risks and go on the attack, so we returned to our usual position.
[Player Interview]]
<Adailton>
Q, please review the goal scene.
I was able to imagine cutting in and shooting from the moment I received the ball, so I was glad to score just as I envisioned.
Q: After scoring a goal, didn't you have various feelings?
I have played for a long time with the team Júbilo Iwata, and during both good times and bad, when a goal was scored, various emotions surged up, and many memories came to mind.
Q: What are your thoughts on playing at Jubilo Stadium?
A, I still feel like it's my home, and although I returned today as an opponent, I was able to stand on the pitch with a sense of being at home.
Q: The team has suffered three consecutive losses.
A, this three-game losing streak is certainly not the result the team desired, and it is not a positive situation, but I believe there are times in the process of growth when things do not go well. I want to make sure we do not bow our heads and prepare well so that we can end the next match with a solid victory and play a good game.
<Yasuki KIMOTO>
Q: Do you think it was a good match even if we ended with 1 point?
I wanted to secure 1 point away, and I think the defenders should have held on to the 1-1 score. I felt we could have gone for another goal, but we conceded a bit too easily, so I believe it was a match with a lot of reflection needed.
Q: There have been injuries among the center-backs, and the difficult situation continues. How are you handling it?
A, I believe that only we, who are playing, can change this result, and all the fans and supporters have given us incredibly positive support today. I truly think we have to change this result ourselves, and since there is the Levain Cup, we want to make sure to win at home to connect it to the league matches, not just as a formality, but for everyone to grow together.
Q: It was a difficult flow in the first half, but how do you reflect on the match?
A, although we couldn't create much of an attacking shape in the first half as the opponent played defensively, there were better formations in the second half. However, I believe that the ability to finish is necessary for us to win going forward, and personally, I want to improve the accuracy of my passing from the back.
<Shuto ABE>
Q, please review the game.
We conceded a goal on a counterattack in the first half, and I think we made the situation difficult for ourselves.
Q: It felt like the switch was a bit slow when we conceded the opening goal.
I felt that the transition after losing the ball was slow today. If we had transitioned quickly during the goal-scoring scene, we could have contained the counterattack at the front, and I believe that part was not good today.
Q: I think changing the system in the second half created a good flow.
A, we returned the system to its usual form, and the game developed into a forward push, where I also had a one-on-one chance. However, I couldn't convert that opportunity, and as a result, we allowed the winning goal.
I feel responsible for today's defeat, and I realized once again that if we don't convert those situations, we will end up with results like this.
Q: The second goal was frustrating.
The second goal was my responsibility; I lost sight of the ball as I collided with an opponent, and it ended up at my feet. We were exploited there, and we conceded a goal. If I'm back in that position, there's no point in being there if I don't clear the ball, so I really think it was an unnecessary goal conceded.
