<Match Review>
The J1 League resumed after a two-week break, and Tokyo faced an away game against Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Both teams welcomed new managers this season and faced each other with a difference of three points in the standings. The match was a showdown between Hiroshima's aggressive press and Tokyo's ability to break through it, as well as their ability to maintain possession and build attacks.
In Tokyo, Go HATANO made his first appearance in the league match, while Hirotaka MITA, who had been mainly used as an inside half, was selected as a starter in the wing position. New signings Luiz PHELLYPE, Koki TSUKAGAWA, and Seiji KIMURA were all included in the match squad.
1st HALF - Tokyo creates many chances but concedes first goal
First chance goes to Tokyo. In the 5th minute of the first half, Mita receives the ball in a vital area, turns and is fouled, earning a free kick. Mita takes the free kick directly but the ball narrowly misses the top right corner of the goal. In the early stages, Hiroshima presses from the front, but Tokyo moves the ball with precise positioning and distance, breaking through the press and entering Hiroshima's half. The wingers also join in the build-up, preventing the opponent's press in the midfield area.
Although we were unable to create many opportunities to finish, we broke through the opponent in the 21st minute of the first half. Matsuki Kuryu, who had broken through the space in front of the penalty area, became the starting point, and Mita, who had taken a high position, entered the area in front of the left side of the penalty area with a one-two touch with Bangnagande Kashif, who had taken a high position. Mita, who had pulled the opponent's goalkeeper, chose a cross and sent a pass across the goal, but Abe Shuto, who had jumped into the far side, was unable to meet it and the shot missed above the goal.
In the 34th minute of the first half, they faced a pinch due to a build-up mistake. After losing the ball and receiving a short counter, they were pressed in front of the goal, but player Go HATANO saved a close-range shot from player Venkari Fa. The opponent player tried to follow up on the rebound, but HATANO also bravely touched the ball with his body and protected the goal.
In the 39th minute of the first half, Masato MORISHIGE received a corner kick from Mita and passed it back, but Diego OLIVEIRA's shot was blocked by the goalkeeper.
Tokyo has been playing the game with a good rhythm, but they were caught off guard for a moment. In the 40th minute of the first half, they lost the ball while trying to build up their play from their own half, and Mori Island was left free in the midfield. They tried to close in on Mori Island as they faced towards the goal, but he scored a spectacular goal from the middle range, placing the ball in the bottom right corner of the goal.
Tokyo had many chances while holding the ball, but Hiroshima took advantage of one chance.
2nd HALF - Tokyo grabs consecutive wins with 2 goals in the second half
Tokyo wants to make a comeback, but in the 3rd minute of the second half, they couldn't clear Hiroshima's corner kick and gave away a loose ball, allowing Kawamura to head the ball towards the goal, but it narrowly missed. In the 7th minute of the second half, there was another defensive situation from a corner kick on the same side, and a header from the near side flew towards the left corner of the goal, but this time Go Hatano made a sharp reaction and stretched out his arm to make a fine save.
Tokyo, who wants to change the flow, made a move in the 15th minute of the second half. They substituted Mita for debutant J-League player Felipe, and Konno for Adailton.
Tokyo, who had been struggling to create shooting opportunities, finally gets a chance. In the 22nd minute of the second half, Diego sends Adailton running into the space in the opponent's front line after stealing their pass in their own half. Adailton gains momentum and enters Hiroshima's penalty area. His shot is blocked by a defender, but Matsuki picks up the loose ball and passes it back in the opposite direction. Diego, who receives the ball outside the penalty area, controls it with his left foot and shoots it into the bottom left corner, scoring a spectacular goal and equalizing for Tokyo.
Adailton's performance brings chances to Tokyo even after that. In the 28th minute of the second half, he took the ball on the left side and dribbled it to the penalty area, evading the defender and taking a shot. It narrowly missed to the right of the goal, but the substitute's performance revitalized Tokyo's attack.
After that, Tokyo aimed to break the deadlock by bringing in new signings Tsukagawa and Kimura. Tsukagawa made simple passes and created a rhythm by winning the ball. Then, the game went into additional time. In the 45+2 minute of the second half, Tsukagawa stopped Santos' breakthrough with a brave tackle and passed the ball to Adailton, who was waiting on the left side. Adailton made a vertical run and crossed the ball towards the goal area, but it turned into a looping shot and went directly into the bottom right corner of the goal, leading to Tokyo's successful comeback in the final minutes.
Tokyo, who seized the momentum with great plays from the substitute players, achieved back-to-back wins following their previous match against Júbilo Iwata. They will have two consecutive home games starting from the next match. They will continue to evolve their style of possession-based play and aim to grab joy at home with this momentum.
MATCH DETAILS
＜F.C.Tokyo＞
STARTING XI
GK Go HATANO
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Kashif BANGNAGANDE
MF Kuryu MATSUKI/Keigo HIGASHI (42nd minute: Seiji KIMURA)/Shuto ABE (27th minute: Takaki TSUKAGAWA)
FW Keiki MITA (15th minute: Luiz PHELLYPE)/Diego OLIVEIRA (27th minute: Keita YAMASHITA)/Kazuya KONNO (15th minute: Adailton)
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Junya SUZUKI
GOAL
22' Second half: Diego OLIVEIRA/45+2' Second half: Adailton
＜Sanfrecce Hiroshima＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Keisuke OSAKO
DF Tsukasa SHIOTANI/Hayato ARAKI/Sho SASAKI
MF Tomoya FUJII/Taishi MATSUMOTO/Takumu KAWAMURA (Substitute at 40th minute: Yuta IMAZU)/Toshiki HIGASHI (Substitute at 40th minute: Yusuke CHAJIMA)/Tsukasa MORISHIMA (Substitute at 32nd minute: Kosei SHIBASAKI)/Makoto MANDA (Substitute at 32nd minute: Ezequiel)
FW Nassim BENKHALIFA (Substitute at 23rd minute: Junior SANTOS)
SUBS
GK Goro KAWANAMI
MF Yuya ASANO
GOAL
40' First Half: Morishima
[Interview with Coach Albert]
Q, please review the game.
First of all, in the first half, it was proven that we are growing as a team and moving in a good direction. I think our desire to keep possession of the ball was clearly conveyed. Especially against Hiroshima, who are a good team that puts intense pressure on us. It is not an easy task to keep possession of the ball against them.
And in the first half, there were two clear decisive chances. However, the defense without the ball was also struggling in the first half. It was a difficult situation where we couldn't defend well, and the opponent scored the first goal with a great long shot.
And in the second half, we struggled for a difficult period of time. I think we were suffering when we lost the ball. However, we had multiple players on the bench who could change the flow of the game. I believe that the game changed significantly after we substituted them in. That's when the comeback started.
Not only did the team demonstrate the ability to hold onto the ball, but also the ability to score goals. This caused fear in the opposing players. When Tsukagawa and Keita YAMASHITA were brought in, they also brought a good flow to the team. They were able to create multiple decisive chances. On the other hand, there is still room for improvement as we allowed the opposing team to create some decisive chances as well.
Football is not a sport where you compete for the number of decisive chances. It is a sport where you compete for goals, and today, we were fortunate enough to score more goals than our opponents. Above the result of today's match, what remains in my heart is that the players always had the intention to move forward by connecting from the back for the full 90 minutes. We are not like Guardiola's (Manchester City manager) team, where we can immediately play amazing football. We still have a process of growth ahead of us. However, I am proud that the players always played with the intention of keeping possession of the ball and moving forward with it.
I would like to praise the three new players who made their debut today. It was only 5 days since they joined the team, but they adapted well. Despite the absence of important players due to the impact of the new coronavirus infection, they provided us with something wonderful. I also want to praise Go HATANO. The team must continue to grow, but having a tailwind of victory makes it easier to progress in the process of growth. Finally, I would like to praise today's opponent, Hiroshima. They are playing well with a good style under the new coach. It was an honor to compete against them.
Q, Please tell me specifically about the parts of player Go HATANO that can be positively evaluated.
A, If you are a member of the media who has been following Tokyo for the past few years, I think you can understand it well. I think there were some unstable parts in the previous team. There were times when they played great in a game, but there were also times when they played unstable. I think it is important for a goalkeeper to give the team stability. I have been emphasizing this to him since the beginning of the season. And today, he continued to play well and his footwork was also great. What I expect from a goalkeeper is their contribution in attacking with their feet and stopping what needs to be stopped. It makes me happy when they make great saves, but what I value is stopping what needs to be stopped. I think Tokyo is moving on to the next phase of growth.
[Player Interview]
＜Adailton＞
Q, please review the game.
A. It was a very difficult game, but I think it was good that we were able to come back and win in the end.
Q, How did you feel about the team's play before participating?
A, I thought it wasn't bad to watch from the outside, and we were able to hold the ball in a good rhythm. However, to be honest, it looked bad because we conceded a goal. We were conscious of continuing to play while holding the ball and scoring.
Q, was the scene of the goal as you imagined it?
When I looked inside, there were three players, so I kicked with the intention of crossing, but to be honest, it just happened to go towards the goal.
Q, I think I was able to change the flow of the team by playing from the middle.
A, not only myself, but each player who participated played with the desire to contribute to victory by showing their own strengths, and in that regard, it was not because I joined, but the entire team was conscious of it.
<Go HATANO>
Q, this was my first appearance in the league.
A few days ago, I felt that this opportunity would come and I prepared myself well. I was determined to win this match, so even though we conceded a goal, I am glad we were able to win.
Q, what kind of thoughts have you had so far in preparing for this?
A, as I am still young, I have always practiced while waiting for the chance to play and have also been working while referring to the play of Jakub SLOWIK. Recently, Hayashi has also returned from injury and I have been able to learn from him as we have been working together since my first year as a professional. I think that is why I was able to play like that.
Q, I think we showed a stable performance today. What aspects have you improved?
A, In the 2021 season, I was focused on my own play and had the mindset that I had to do something about it because I was allowed to play in the game, but this year I was trying to play a role in brightening the atmosphere in a good way. As a result, I was able to approach today's game in a relaxed and fast-paced manner without becoming too stiff, and I want to continue to work towards being able to make good plays if given the chance, no matter what position I am in next.
<Koki TSUKAGAWA>
Q, please review your first appearance in Tokyo.
A, I am grateful to my teammates. They made it the best first game, so I want to work harder from here to repay the team.
Q, I think you were very conscious of actively receiving the ball.
A, the play that the coach is looking for is like that, and I think the team will be saved by the player who came in from the middle and received the ball in a tough time. I played with that in mind. I think there were other things to do, such as getting more involved in the attack, so I want to pursue it further.
Q: What were the successful aspects of the team's cooperation?
A, personally, there are still many parts that need to be adjusted, and there were also moments where I wanted more at this timing. I think it's important for me to make requests and for everyone else to have things they want to request, so I hope we can work together to align ourselves.
Q, the next game will be at Ajinomoto Stadium.
A, I don't think I have earned your trust yet, so I want to produce more results and contribute to the team. I am looking forward to fighting together at Ajinomoto Stadium.
Masato MORISHIGE
Q, How valuable is it to win such a tough game?
A, In the end, it's about individual abilities, but I think we were able to catch a glimpse of the team's desired form. If we can continue that and connect it to goals, I think it will be even better.
Q, I think we were struggling at the start of the second half, what was your intention in terms of defense?
A, the ideal is to always have the ball, but when that is not possible, if we can endure without conceding, our time will come again. Enduring patiently during difficult times led to today's result.
Q, Today I played with Go HATANO for the first time in a while, how was his growth?
A, he was good at handling the ball and was able to create time without rushing at the Australian's place, and was able to make the opponent bite. I think that's where he showed his strengths.
Q, I think it is ideal for the team to continue growing while winning. Please tell us about your enthusiasm to connect to the next home game after winning.
A, we want to continue winning games that could go either way. We still don't know what the difference is, but we have to focus on what we need to do, and keep pushing forward.
<Kuryu MATSUKI>
Q, we won a tough game. How do you look back on it?
A, we were able to have a very good game by taking home 3 points in such a difficult match, especially in a difficult away game environment.
Q, I think we were able to play as planned from the start of the first half, but it was difficult to handle being scored on during that time.
A, there were also parts where the opponent had control from the start, so that's a point that needs to be fixed. Also, in terms of conceding goals, it's difficult for the center back to come out at that point, so I think it was a goal that could have been prevented if I had been able to slide.
Q, in the second half, the start was pushed as if it became a different team.
A, I think it is important that the substitute players performed well and were able to win in that situation.
Q, isn't it a big deal to win the first game after the league resumes?
A, winning the first game after the break is a big deal, and we want to continue this momentum by winning the next game at home.
Q, have you had a good impression of Shizuoka in the first half of the season?
A, it doesn't matter which team we play against. First of all, I want to contribute to the team's victory by not losing our pace.
