<Match Review>
The J1 League, which had a three-week interval due to the national team activities, is finally resuming. This match marks the halfway point of the season, with a total of 34 matches to be played in the year. We faced Shonan Bellmare away. We have already played against Shonan twice this season in the Levain Cup, with one win and one loss, resulting in an even record. However, unlike the Levain Cup, where young players were actively utilized, we will compete in the league with our best lineup. Most of the injured players have returned, and except for Kuryu MATSUKI, who is participating in the U-21 Japan national team overseas expedition, we approached this match with nearly our best squad.
The Tokyo squad composition is based on the previous match against Kashima Antlers before the break. Yuto NAGATOMO, who just returned from national team duty, took a rest, and Hotaka NAKAMURA stepped in as the right back. In the absence of Matsuki in the inside midfield, Ryoma WATANABE and Shuto ABE were lined up. Enrique Trevisan, who returned from injury, and Leandro also made the bench. Although there are some effects from national team activities, Coach Alber chose today's eleven as the best option at the moment.
After kickoff, under difficult conditions with rain intensifying as the match progressed, both teams disrupted ball possession by pressing from the front line and coordinated sliding toward the ball side in midfield. In the early stages, Tokyo used a mix of short passes and mid-range passes to push Shonan back and approach the goal, but they could not get a shot on target. Conversely, in the 12th minute of the first half, players were drawn into the penalty area, allowing a free mid-range shot from a backward pass. In the 14th minute, Shonan threatened the goal again with a close-range shot following a midfield ball loss. Then, in the 26th minute, after Tokyo became ball watchers while appealing for a handball, a lobbed pass behind the defensive line was played, and Masaki IKEDA scored a looping shot over Jakub SLOWIK’s head to take the lead. As Shonan decisively filled the space in their own half, Tokyo struggled to find attacking opportunities. Even with the speed of Kensuke NAGAI and Adailton, the lack of space behind made it difficult. While moving the ball and searching for openings, Tokyo repeatedly suffered counterattacks from mistakes and were pushed back, ending the first half in that pattern.
Tokyo, eager to counterattack, in the 5th minute of the second half, Nagai received a side change pass from Ryoya OGAWA and launched an attack, crossing the ball in front of the goal, where Adailton came flying in with a header. Although the shot missed the target, after struggling to break through the narrow area in the first half, they created a chance with a simple attack from a wide play. However, after that, they struggled to bring the ball into shooting positions, and in the 14th minute of the second half, they made three substitutions at once. Kashif BANGNAGANDE came on for Nakamura, Keigo AZUMA replaced Takuya AOKI, and Leandro replaced Nagai. Immediately after, the substitutes got involved with the ball and created scenes approaching the opponent’s goal, showing signs of change. On the right side, Leandro held the ball high and challenged, while on the left side, Kashif BANGNAGANDE did the same, delivering sharp balls in front of the goal. However, before regaining control, they conceded from a corner kick in the 25th minute of the second half, extending the deficit.
Tokyo continued their counterattack without losing momentum. In the 31st minute of the second half, Adailton broke free from a long feed and approached the Shonan goal, but his shot was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper's excellent save. In the 39th minute of the second half, Kazuya KONNO, who came on as a substitute, delivered an early cross into the goal area, and once again Adailton dove in to take a header, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. Tokyo attacked while changing sides significantly. In the 41st minute of the second half, Yasuki KIMOTO received the ball deep on the left side and sent a pinpoint fast ball to Diego OLIVEIRA, who had made a run into the center of the goal. Diego made a one-touch attempt, but it also went over the goal. In the 45+5th minute of the second half, they created a situation where many players entered the opponent's penalty area starting from the left side, but the ball that Yasuki KIMOTO connected with near the goal could not find the target.
Despite launching a fierce attack towards the end, they were unable to counterattack, resulting in a frustrating defeat in the last match of the first half. They will face V-Varen Nagasaki in the 3rd Round of the Emperor's Cup in three days, and then in another three days, they will head into the first match of the second half of the J1 League against Sagan Tosu.
[Interview with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA]
Q, please review the game.
First of all, I would like to commend Shonan, our opponent today. Although the match kicked off in the rain, I believe Shonan showed a stronger determination to win this match than we did, especially given the circumstances where we needed to demonstrate our commitment to victory from the start.
Throughout the first half, especially in the first 20 minutes, we did not play well. The intensity, particularly in terms of defensive strength, was not at the level we expect. This allowed the opponent to create chances. I believe that conceding a goal at that point significantly affected the flow of the game afterwards.
After that, Shonan solidified their defense. Therefore, they made three substitutions early in the second half, bringing in more attacking players who could play in tighter spaces. I think there was improvement in the second half. However, they conceded an additional goal from a corner kick, making the match even more difficult.
This season, I think the J1 League is a very competitive league. If you are outmatched in intensity even a little, results like today's can happen in this season's J1 League.
There were times when we played well in terms of the quality of soccer. However, I think it was a match where we couldn't properly express one of our characteristics, which is intensity and defensive fierceness.
This season, the team must continue to grow, including in mentality. Our playing style also needs to evolve, and I believe we must change the mentality of the entire club, including not just the players but also our staff, to a winning mentality. To become a club that consistently competes at the top, improving the quality of our football and changing our mentality are both crucial. The second half of the season begins next week, and I want to ensure we develop both of these aspects effectively.
The playing style is gradually improving. I am very satisfied with that aspect. Furthermore, I want to stabilize the winner's mentality and grow to express a competitive mindset. If we are satisfied with our current ranking, we cannot aim higher. We must have a winner's mentality that insists on always being at the top. I have communicated this to the players, and including myself, we must reflect on today's match with a focus on ourselves. This season, in order to establish a foundational style and winner's mentality for this club, we must learn from today's match.
Q: There were scenes that seemed to show frustration with the decisions.
A, I haven't seen the footage, but regarding the scene where a handball was appealed, the VAR check concluded that it was not a handball, which means that is the case. I don't think the referee influenced the outcome of today's match. Regarding the result of today's match, I believe we should focus on ourselves. If the opponent is fighting fiercely, we must show an equal or even greater fighting spirit.
This is the scene where I received a yellow card. The ball went out, and the assistant referee raised the flag indicating it was out. However, there was a development where the ball curved and came back into the pitch. It was an action that was by no means important.
Q: Does the playing style compatibility with Shonan affect the results?
I think soccer is very simple. At the very least, you must compete with the same intensity as your opponent. Setting aside systems and playing styles, if the intensity is not equal or greater, it won't be a competition. If you are expressing equal intensity, then we can discuss tactics related to soccer, such as systems, but that was not the case today. To achieve success in the future, we must develop these two aspects.
Our team has expressed a winner's mentality so far, but when it comes to consistently demonstrating that, we are still in an unstable situation. There have been times when we played with high intensity but ended up losing the match in the final moments. Regarding today's match, I analyze that we lost due to a lack of intensity. The rain may have also had an impact. In any case, I believe we did not fight in the right way today.
[Player Interview]]
＜Ryoya OGAWA＞
Q, please review today's game.
A, we made many mistakes, and when that happens, we can't pick up the tempo, resulting in a match like this, and we couldn't push up the defensive line. We also ended the match without scoring, so we need to learn from this match and apply it to the next one.
Q. What factors contributed to our inability to express our uniqueness?
After winning the ball, the passing connection that usually doesn't go wrong was off, leading to the opponent regaining possession quickly, which increased our defensive time and caused us to tire ourselves out more and more. I feel like we allowed the opponent to play the way they wanted.
Q: Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA has taken office and the first half of the season has ended with today's match. Although we lost today, how do you feel about the progress and results so far?
I believe there are definitely areas where we are growing, and while I can't say that every match has been good, there have been matches with good content, as well as matches like today where we still have a long way to go. This season, the coach has said it is a season for building, so we need to be patient and continue. I feel very frustrated, but we must continue to pursue what we want to do without wavering.
Q, there have been fewer league matches for you at FC Tokyo.
A, I still don't feel it much, but after finishing the match at Ajinomoto and giving a speech in front of everyone, my determination to challenge overseas has solidified. Now, the next match will be the last one in the league for FC Tokyo, so I want to win it decisively.
Q: What kind of play do you want to show in that final match?
A, Tosu is a very aggressive team, and they have a good record against us. We want to play our style of soccer, neutralize Tosu's game, and increase our possession time while winning in a convincing manner. If possible, I would like to repay the team with goals or assists, but more than that, I want to express my feelings from playing for FC Tokyo for seven and a half seasons by helping the team win.
<Shuto ABE>
Q: I felt that it was difficult to carry the ball to the finish.
I think there were many simple mistakes. There were also moments when we were countered after losing the ball. I believe that directly affected the result.
Q: There was a period without matches, but did you feel like the ball wasn't sticking to your feet?
The entire team seemed sluggish and I felt that we weren't moving much. As preparation for the match, we need to work harder during warm-ups; otherwise, our physical sharpness won't come out, and I think this is how we end up with such a match development. I want to be more conscious of this next time.
Q: The opponent has reportedly been preparing quite a bit since losing in the Levain Cup. Did you feel their enthusiasm and the areas they have improved upon?
A, simply put, I think the opponent had a stronger desire to win today's match. We were losing in crucial moments, and if you can't win those, it will reflect in the match result. We lost in really simple aspects, and the opponent was winning in terms of mentality as well.
<Kazuya KONNO>
Q: How did you feel watching the match from the bench?
I felt that we struggled to find our pace from the first half. However, I thought the opponent would drop in (physical intensity) in the second half, so I was thinking about what I could do when I entered the pitch in that state.
Q: It felt like the momentum changed with the player substitutions, but we were unable to score.
I think we were able to create our own flow and generate many chances. However, if we can't score, it means nothing, so I felt that we need to fine-tune the final part. I want to build on that as much as possible for the next match.
Q: Today's match marked the halfway point of the league. Please share your enthusiasm for the second half of the season.
A, no one is satisfied with our current ranking. We want to practice to avoid such matches from now on and aim to rise up.
<Kensuke NAGAI>
Q, please review the game. How was it?
There were many easy mistakes, and the way we lost the ball was poor. As a result, I feel that the burden on the defense increased significantly. I believe there are many things we need to work on and areas for improvement moving forward.
Q: What specific points do you feel did not go well?
A, throughout the match, we made mistakes at crucial moments and couldn't maintain the momentum, which led to conceding a goal. There were times towards the end of the first half when we pressed forward, but we had too few crosses and shots. I felt that we need to increase those numbers to score goals, and I want to work on being able to commit more players to that and eliminate mistakes.
<Masato MORISHIGE>
Q, please review the game.
A, we lost the ball many times throughout the match. We exhausted our own stamina.
Q: It was a chasing game, but what was the team focused on in order to turn the game around?
It would have been good if we could push into the opponent's territory, but we lost the ball before that. As a result, the players in the back had to cover a wider area. I think the mistakes in the build-up were everything today.
Q: What preparations are you making for the next match?
I think we can only improve the accuracy of our play. Since we are playing soccer aiming for the goal while maintaining possession of the ball, if we lose the ball due to simple mistakes before reaching the goal, it becomes physically demanding. Today, I personally believe we ended up tightening our own noose, and that led to the result.
