<Match Review>
In the last match, Tokyo won 6-3 against Kashiwa Reysol, who are competing for the top positions, in an official match after about three weeks. This week, they faced Yokohama F.Marinos, who are also vying for the top spot, at Ajinomoto Stadium, marking their home game after about a month.
Tokyo made two changes to the starting lineup from the previous match. Kuryu MATSUKI, who scored his second goal of the season as a starter in the last match, will start from the bench, and the starting lineup features Shuto ABE alongside Koki TSUKAGAWA. Hotaka NAKAMURA returns to the starting lineup for the first time since his injury as the left back.
1st HALF - Caught off guard for a moment, falling behind by 2 points
The match continues with both teams maintaining possession and moving the ball at a fast pace, creating opportunities to advance the ball towards the goal.
Tokyo utilized Kazuya KONNO, who quickly ran into the space on the right side from the left side, in the 9th minute of the first half, heading towards the opponent's goal. KONNO cut in and took a sharp, bending shot that fell, but the ball, which went beyond the outstretched hand of the goalkeeper, unfortunately hit the crossbar.
In the 12th minute of the first half, Yuto NAGATOMO was judged to have fouled Nakagawa, resulting in a free kick awarded at the edge of the penalty area. The opponent's well-aimed shot went just over the goal.
In the 31st minute of the first half, as Yokohama was increasingly holding onto the ball, they quickly transitioned from defense to offense and approached the goal. Shuto ABE brought the ball into the opponent's penalty area and passed it to Konno, who was making a run. Konno shook off his marker in a one-on-one situation and took a shot that went through the goalkeeper's legs, but it was saved by the opposing goalkeeper.
After that, while Yokohama continued to hold the ball, in the 40th minute of the first half, a corner kick from the left side was deflected to the back at the near post, allowing player Iwata to score and take the lead.
Tokyo quickly launched a counterattack, and in the 44th minute of the first half, Konno sent a cross from the right side to the opposite side, where Ryoma WATANABE, who had jumped in behind the opponent, made a one-touch attempt but missed the ball, sending it over the goal.
Conversely, in the first 45 minutes, after being broken through on the right side and having a cross ball sent between the goalkeeper and defender in front of the goal, we were unable to clear it, allowing Nakagawa to push it in and widen the deficit.
As they pushed forward to attack, space opened up behind them, leading to scenes where they were caught by Yokohama's counterattacks. Just before the end of the first half, a looping shot was taken from outside the penalty area. The ball flew on target, but Jakub SLOWIK leaped while taking a back step and deflected the ball with his fingertips, clearing it from the goal.
2nd HALF - Secured a valuable point with two goals from set plays
Tokyo, wanting to counterattack, gets a chance in the 8th minute of the second half. After earning a free kick at the left corner of the penalty area, Kashif BANGNAGANDE, who came on as a substitute for Nakamura in the second half, delivers a sharp cross into the goal area. Tsukakawa picks up the clearance that falls into the right side of the penalty area, and with a powerful left-footed shot, the grounder finds the bottom right corner of the goal, bringing one point back.
Tokyo, wanting to strengthen their counterattack mood, immediately made a series of substitutions. Matsuki was brought in for Abe, Adailton for Kondo, and Luiz PHELLYPE for Diego OLIVEIRA.
This substitution turned the tide.
In the 18th minute of the second half, after earning a corner kick from the right side, Matsuki sent in a ball that Tsukagawa headed in at the far side. The ball, having passed through the crowd, flowed into the bottom right corner of the goal, bringing Tokyo level.
Tokyo intensified their offensive in the 30th minute of the second half, entering the vital area while sending the ball diagonally forward from the left side. In the end, just outside the penalty area, FELIPE received a pass and took a well-aimed shot, but it narrowly missed to the right of the goal. In the 37th minute of the second half, Adailton aimed for a powerful volley from just outside the penalty area, but the sharp shot went just over the goal.
In the 39th minute of the second half, Adailton reacted to Watanabe's through pass. He broke into the penalty area and faced a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his shot was stopped by the goalkeeper. Tokyo, building up from the back, began to seize control by exploiting gaps in the opponent's defense, but they lost the ball without finishing their attack and were countered by Yokohama. In the final stages of the match, both teams had open play, bringing the ball to each other's goal.
In the 45+5 minutes of the second half, a cross ball was sent into the goal area, and it was met by Anderson LOPES, but it hit the crossbar and was avoided.
In a match where either side could have scored the final round goal, the game ended in a draw while maintaining an attacking stance.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jakub Słowik
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Hotaka NAKAMURA (substituted at 0 minutes: Kashif BANGNAGANDE)
MF Shuto ABE (substituted at 12 minutes: Kuryu MATSUKI)/Keigo HIGASHI/Koki TSUKAGAWA (substituted at 28 minutes: Seiji KIMURA)
FW Ryoma WATANABE/Diego Oliveira (substituted at 12 minutes: Luis Felipe)/Kazuya KONNO (substituted at 12 minutes: Adailton)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
FW Keita YAMASHITA
GOAL
8 minutes into the second half: Tsukakawa/18 minutes into the second half: Tsukakawa
<Yokohama F. Marinos>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Yohei TAKAAKU
DF Ryuta KOIKE/Tomoki IWATA/Eduardo/Katsuya NAGATO
MF Takuya KIDA/Joel chima FUJITA (substituted in 40th minute: Kota WATANABE)/Takuma NISHIMURA
FW Teruhito NAKAGAWA (substituted in 16th minute: Marcos JUNIOR)/Leo CEARA (substituted in 24th minute: Anderson LOPEZ)/Elber (substituted in 24th minute: Kota MIZUNUMA)
SUBS
GK Powell Obinna OBI
DF Ken MATSUBARA/Shinnosuke HATANAKA
GOAL
40th minute of the first half: Iwata/45th minute of the second half: Nakagawa
[Interview with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA]
Q, please review the game.
A, of course, at this moment, we were facing a team that is ranked above us, so I expected it to be a difficult match. For the first few minutes, we played nervously, but after that, I think we continued to control the game well. However, the long stoppage for the penalty decision broke our momentum. After that, we struggled against Marinos' high-quality high press, and there were periods where we couldn't stop them.
We still have challenges in advancing with the ball in a coordinated manner. Naturally, in the first few matches of the season, we were reluctant to take big risks, which led us to accept simply playing long balls without maintaining the proper distance. However, now we expect the entire team to advance with the ball while maintaining a good sense of distance. In the first half, we struggled to achieve that.
The first goal conceded was a significant blow for us. Furthermore, conceding the second goal and going down 0-2 created a very difficult situation. Especially since we faced an opponent last season that eliminated us after conceding a lot of goals, I think it was a challenging development. Moreover, many players who experienced that match last season are still with us and were on the pitch today. Despite that experience, the players showed their growth.
I believe that our growth in football is progressing day by day. Not only in terms of football, but also in terms of mental aspects, I think we were able to show a stronger image as winners today. The first 30 minutes of the second half was a period where we firmly dominated. After it became 2-2, we had a decisive chance to turn the game around. However, in the last 10 to 15 minutes of the match, we struggled. This was a match against Marinos, who are competing for the top spot. In that sense, it is natural to have difficult moments towards the end of the game. Although it ended in a draw, many of the players on the pitch at the end were young. Being able to play such a match with young players like Yoshifumi, Seiji KIMURA, and Kuryu MATSUKI was a plus for the team. I conveyed to the players that I am not satisfied with not winning. I will genuinely rejoice when we can win along with good plays. And today, we were able to play well at certain times. However, it ended in a draw. In that sense, it was not a completely satisfying match.
Q: In the last 15 minutes, you substituted Tsukagawa for Kimura, and it seemed like you switched to a three-back formation. It looked like you were pushed back from there; how do you feel about that?
A, that substitution was due to the situation where Koki TSUKAGAWA had no choice but to be substituted. Another point is that it was a match against a wonderful team like Marinos. I hope you remember the away match. Even with a similar lineup, we were not able to respond well. We anticipated that we would struggle against Marinos' side attacks in the latter part of the match and were on alert. It was a correction to deal with the opponent's weapon, the crosses, and by leaving Adailton and Luiz PHELLYPE up front, we aimed for chances from there. In fact, decisive chances were created. Ideally, we want to always maintain possession of the ball. However, the team has not yet grown to be able to do that. I believe I should always be a realist. We must face reality.
Q: The first 30 minutes of the second half were dominated by Tokyo, but the play became more dynamic with the substitutions. What effect did that have?
In the second half, especially with the three substitutions made at once, the expected developments occurred. However, the Marinos also made adjustments with each substitution, improving their play. The first 30 minutes of the second half were good, but there were parts where we became fatigued due to maintaining high-intensity play during that time. I want to utilize players like Xavi and Iniesta to avoid losing the ball, but they are not available to me. Our substitutions worked, but on the other hand, Marinos also played effective cards, so we had to respond to that. It was a situation where Koki TSUKAGAWA had to be substituted, and we had to adapt well considering the effectiveness of Marinos' substitutions in the late stages of the second half. The ideal scenario is to maintain possession with a four-back formation while defending better, defending with the ball. There can also be situations where we cannot ideally maintain possession. Today, the end of the match was such a scenario. To firmly defend the goal area, which would likely be challenging, it was my responsibility to make adjustments. This summer, our strengthening department made excellent reinforcements. One of them scored two goals today. The team is growing thanks to their addition.
[Player Interview]]
<Koki TSUKAGAWA>
Q: What are your thoughts on the result of the draw?
I was frustrated with the first goal we conceded, as it was a disappointing situation, but I felt that we absolutely could not allow a second goal. Honestly, it hurt a lot. However, in the second half, we all felt the urge to fight back, and I realized that courage is important. There was a gradual emergence of courage to receive the ball and to attack. As everyone started to receive the ball more, we increased our chances of going towards the goal, which led to more set-piece opportunities. Ultimately, I scored, but I believe those two goals were a result of the entire team working together.
Q, please review the first goal.
I thought there were a lot of people in front of the goal, so I swung with all my might, believing that something would happen if I shot, and the ball went to a good spot.
Q: How was the scene of the second goal?
A, it was significant that Kuu provided a good ball. We had shared that the far side was a bit low as a team, so I thought I could make it if I jumped in there, and a good ball came. I want to thank Kuu (laughs). I just said, 'Nice ball.'
Q, the scoring was really high, wasn't it?
I was able to jump higher because I had been crouching for a year and a half (laughs). When I was substituted, I couldn't return because I cramped up after just a little running, so I thought it would be a burden on the team if I stayed on the pitch, so I was replaced.
Q: I think the first goal was your first goal in the J1 League. You seemed happier with the second goal.
A, since we were losing, I didn't have the luxury to be that happy, so I tried to look cool with the next goal (laughs). The second goal was the equalizer, and my teammates were happy too, so I was honestly glad.
Q: You were doing a goal celebration with Go HATANO, right?
A, Go HATANO is always joking around, and it was a performance done on a whim, but it was really uncool, so I didn't want to do it (laughs). However, since Go came, I did it just a little bit (laughs).
Q: It was said that you had been squatting for a year and a half.
A, I am often asked by various people, but it was a year and a half that changed my football life. That year and a half is filled with many emotions. Without that period, I wouldn't be who I am today, and I don't think I would be standing here. Honestly, even though the team is different today, I feel like I was able to give back a little.
Q: Are you able to showcase your strengths?
A, it is a place where we can score goals, and it also reflects our decisiveness, so I would like to work on building more here.
Q: How do you feel about the team's challenges?
In the first half, I think we couldn't see ahead due to the opponent's pressure. Everyone was showing their faces, but we succumbed to the opponent's pressure, resulting in many back passes, which allowed Marinos to switch and increase their press. I think that was the reason we couldn't move forward. However, I don't believe the distance was bad. There were moments when the distance to the center backs was a bit far, but there were instances where we managed to make one-touch passes when the side backs came in, so I think that's an area for improvement. In the second half, the opponent's press seemed to drop relatively, creating space, and we were able to use that space effectively.
Q: What are your honest feelings about scoring a goal?
A goal is something that makes the fans and supporters the happiest, and it is also the greatest thrill of being a football player, so I was eager to score quickly, and I’m glad I was able to do so.
<Keigo HIGASHI>
Q, please review the game as it ended in a draw.
A, it was a home game so I wanted to win, but I think there were also very positive aspects, so I want to continue.
Q: Was there a significant difference between the first half and the second half?
In the first half, the opponent was fresh, so there were times when we could build up, but we also lost possession many times. I think we were able to focus on what we needed to do and play the match today.
As the second half became somewhat open, it turned into a Tokyo development, but I believe we need to build on such things, and I want us to become a team that can win matches like this without being satisfied with a draw.
Q, I feel a sense of resilience and tenacity from player Higashi, continuing from the match against Kashiwa.
A, both offense and defense are important positions, so I want to reduce the goal difference even more regarding defense, and while the offense has been increasing in scoring, there is also a connection between the two. I hope to keep it to just one goal conceded today, so I want to focus on the details.
Q, can you tell me specifically what parts you feel positive about?
A, I think we have been able to connect the ball and advance more positively than in the matches at Nissan Stadium during the first half of the season, so I view that positively. I want to continue this and challenge ourselves to turn this into victories.
Q: Which is greater, the positive aspects or the frustration of not being able to win?
Personally, I approached this match with strong feelings because we lost 0-8 away last season. It's disappointing that it didn't lead to a win, but I believe it was a draw that can lead to better things next time.
Q: You have been continuously participating, how is your fatigue?
A, I had few opportunities to play in the first half of the season, and today many fans and supporters are cheering for us. The club is also creating a great atmosphere, so I feel I need to give my best. I want to savor the joy of being able to play in each match as a professional and play with responsibility.
There are tough times, but I realize more and more each year how important preparation and care are. I also learn from senior players like Morishige and Nagatomo, who have worked on these aspects and are able to play at the top level even at that age.
<Yasuki KIMOTO>
Q: After conceding 2 goals in the first half, what adjustments did you make in the second half?
First of all, regarding tactics, it was a home game, and we thought we had to score to equalize and then take the lead. Until now, we might have ended up losing by conceding more goals, but we all decided to put an end to that and talked about having a strong mindset to score and catch up to equalize and then take the lead.
Q, we scored 2 goals and caught up.
Both goals were from set pieces, but I think it would be good if we could make that a weapon. We were also able to create chances from the flow of the game, so there were opportunities to turn the game around, and I believe the team is gradually growing.
Q: What were the things the team was able to do and unable to do?
In the first half of the attack, we wanted to take care of the ball, but we struggled from the back and couldn't effectively circulate the ball. We conceded 3 goals in the last match and 2 goals this time as well. Although we haven't lost, as a defensive player, I believe we need to make corrections and eliminate the goals conceded.
In the parts we succeeded, being able to catch up to a tie gives us confidence above all, and I think it was good that we were able to approach the top teams with a positive mindset.
Q: What preparations do you want to make for the next match?
A, I believe it is important to continue what we have been doing so far. I don't think we need to change what we should be doing, so while continuing that, we need to achieve results and steadily improve our ranking. In the remaining matches, we want to unify our path and move forward together.
<Kuryu MATSUKI>
Q: What did you focus on when taking the assist corner kick?
In the first half, I noticed that the far side was quite open. I thought that if I could kick the ball to a position where the goalkeeper couldn't reach on the far side, it might go in, so I aimed for Morishige in the first attempt and targeted the far side again in the second. I'm glad that led to a goal.
Q: Tsukakawa said, "It's thanks to Kunio."
A, no doubt about it (laughs)
Q: What were you conscious of while watching the first half of the match?
I believe that substitutes are there to change the flow of the game. I was watching while thinking about what kind of play could change the flow from the first half.
Q: What do you think is necessary to win a match like today's?
In the end, I think the individual aspect will become important. The players who started the match fought tough for 90 minutes, so while we want to continue that, we also want to raise our awareness in practice about the final decisive moments.
Q: Have you noticed anything compared to when you faced each other in the first half of the season?
A, (In today's match) we had possession in the first half, but we struggled to advance and lost the ball in our own half quite often. However, I believe we definitely had better possession compared to when we played in the first half, but I wanted to convert that into goals.
<Seiji KIMURA>
Q: You came on as a substitute, what instructions did you receive from the coach?
There were no clear instructions, but I am a defensive player, and I understood that the intention was to switch to a five-man defense to avoid conceding any more goals. Therefore, I focused on not conceding any goals during the match. Since the opponent has many skilled players, I thought that if I rushed in for the ball, I would easily be shaken off, so I made sure to be patient and aimed to get my foot out at the last moment for the shot.
Today, whether I was on the bench or in any situation when I entered the game, I prepared by imagining that I would focus and get into the game with determination from the moment I stepped on the field. I believe that showed in my play.
Q: Your confident play stood out. Has your previous experience in matches influenced this?
Although I haven't had a lot of playing time in J2, I believe I have learned about the mindset needed when I do get to play in matches.
Q: I could see that you definitely won't lose your play at your feet.
A, I don't think that's the case. There were moments when we lost about two opportunities and managed to escape danger by splitting the sides, and there were also scenes where we were intercepted. It would have been better if those moments hadn't happened, but we are consciously working on that in our regular practice, so I feel we need to eliminate easy mistakes.
Q: Were you able to demonstrate your individual defensive skills against Marinos today?
A, I sell my physical abilities, so I knew that Marinos had fast and strong players, but I cannot afford to lose in the running aspect, and I was prepared for that. I believe I was able to demonstrate that part well.
Q: I think it's your first time on the Ajinomoto pitch, were you aware of that?
A, no, I wasn't aware of that at all. There were a lot of fans in the stands today, and the pre-match show was amazing. I had never played in such a large stadium before, and I was overwhelmed, but I felt that playing at Ajinomoto Stadium is what it's all about.
Q: Since your return, you have been on the bench for every match. It seems that you have gained the trust of the coach.
A, I think I have been recognized by the coach for fulfilling my role as a closer up to this point. I believe that the results I have achieved have led to my participation in matches, so I think I have gained some trust in that regard. However, I feel that there are many challenges in areas such as footwork, positioning, and prediction compared to the two starters, so I hope to improve in those areas.
