<Match Review>
Three days after the scoreless draw in Osaka, Tokyo faced a tough opponent once again in Kansai.
Vissel Kobe, currently ranked low, is filled with players of high individual ability. On the opposing front line, there is none other than former teammate Yoshinori MUTO. The confrontation with his ally Masato MORISHIGE was the hot point of this match.
Can Tokyo correct and improve the high number of ball losses seen in the early stages of the last match against Gamba Osaka? Furthermore, Kobe is currently increasing their playing intensity and shifting to a faster vertical style of football. Along with valuing possession, not losing intensity is also an important aspect that Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA always emphasizes. Can Tokyo win the battles for the ball? That was also a key point.
1st HALF――Conceding two goals in quick succession, a difficult situation Against Tokyo's basic formation of 4-3-3, Kobe deployed the same system. Naturally, there were many one-on-one situations across the pitch. When Tokyo regained possession, for example, on the right side, Kazuya KONNO took up wide positions, while Yuto NAGATOMO made runs into the half-space inside. Additionally, left winger Ryoma WATANABE also made fluid movements to advance into the center, trying to disrupt the opponents.
However, this was all in situations where the ball was brought into the opponent's territory. In this match, Tokyo continued to struggle to evade Kobe's high-position defense from the early stages.
In the 11th minute of the first half, Yasuki KIMOTO managed to win a header from a cross by Kobe's right back, Iino, but Tokyo could not control the floating ball that became a fifty-fifty situation. Although Kono reacted to the ball that was cleared outside the penalty area, he was dispossessed by Sakai just before, and with that momentum, the ball was passed to Kobe, where Yamaguchi scored with a powerful right-footed shot from distance.
Tokyo had its first chance in the 20th minute of the first half. On the right side, player Konno dribbled and passed the ball to player Abe, who then delivered a final pass to Kashif BANGNAGANDE, who appeared on the opposite side. The advancing left back took a shot with his weaker right foot, which went over the crossbar.
Just as Tokyo was starting to find its rhythm, they suffered a painful second goal. In the 25th minute of the first half, from the opponent's right corner kick, Matsuki's kick was met by Kikuchi's powerful header that shook the goal net. Conceding from a set piece, especially with a shot that went over the heads of Morishige and Kimoto, was a bitter blow.
In the 38th minute of the first half, a short counterattack was initiated after cutting off an opponent's pass in midfield. Several players were involved, and Konno took a shot, but it did not go in. Tokyo often showed mistakes during their attacks and ended the first half still trailing.
2nd HALF――Despite multiple substitutions, Leandro's goal remains the only one In the second half, Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA brought in Keigo HIGASHI and Adailton from the start, adding stability in passing to the midfield and introducing momentum and creativity to the front line for a counterattack.
In the 4th minute of the second half, Adailton powerfully faced forward and took a right-footed shot to initiate the attack. Higashi spread the ball left and right, and Kuryu MATSUKI and Watanabe also had more opportunities to receive passes higher up the field than in the first half.
Adailton aimed for a powerful long-range shot in the 20th minute of the second half, closing in on the Kobe goal. One minute later, from a right corner kick, Morishige won the header at the near side. However, this unfortunately went just outside the right post.
Here, Luiz PHELLYPE and Leandro come on as substitutes, enhancing the attacking intent. Higashi's passing ability becomes even more effective, with Watanabe acting as a connecting point for his teammates, while foreign players with technique and power move towards the goal. As both teams gradually enter a phase of stretching, it seemed that Tokyo's attacking power would be showcased.
However, the build-up play in their own half, which was pointed out as an issue in the previous match, became a problem again. In the 31st minute of the second half, Seiji KIMURA came on and the system was changed to a three-back formation, but there were multiple passing mistakes in their own half until the end, preventing them from fully utilizing the strengths of their attacking players. In the 44th minute of the second half, Leandro scored a goal to respond, but they were unable to make use of the five minutes of added time and the match ended.
Maintain possession of the ball, take the appropriate position while observing the opponent's movements, and attack. The positional play that coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA aims for is undoubtedly a "commitment that requires time." Although the direction they aim for was glimpsed in this match, Tokyo is facing a dilemma as they have become the target of the opponent's press and are unable to connect the ball effectively.
They fought with all their might, but there were no smiles. The players' expressions reflected the difficulty of the reality they faced.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jakub Słowik
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (31 minutes into the second half: Seiji KIMURA)
MF Koki TSUKAGAWA (21 minutes into the second half: Leandro)/Shuto ABE (0 minutes into the second half: Keigo HIGASHI)/Kuryu MATSUKI/
FW Ryoma WATANABE/Diego Oliveira (21 minutes into the second half: Luis Felipe)/Kazuya KONNO (0 minutes into the second half: Adailton)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Hotaka NAKAMURA
GOAL
45 minutes into the second half: Leandro
<Vissel Kobe>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Hiroki IIKURA
DF Nanasei IINO (substituted at 32 minutes: Ryo HATSUSE)/Ryuho KIKUCHI/Mateus TUREL (substituted at 26 minutes: Yuki KOBAYASHI)/Takahiro SAKAI
MF Hotaru YAMAGUCHI/Leo OSAKI/Yuki KOBAYASHI (substituted at 26 minutes: Yuta GOKE)/Koya YURUKI
FW Daiju SASAKI (substituted at 9 minutes: Tetsushi YAMAKAWA)/Yoshiki MUTO (substituted at 32 minutes: Noriyuki FUJIMOTO)
SUBS
GK Daiya MAEKAWA
MF Takahiro OHGIHARA
GOAL
11th minute of the first half: Yamaguchi / 25th minute of the first half: Kikuchi
[Interview with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA]
Q, please review the game.
In the first 20 minutes of the first half, we were unable to press effectively in terms of tactics, and our fighting spirit was lacking, allowing the opponent to take control. It was not the form we had hoped for. We must balance not only having the ball but also defensive pressing; otherwise, we cannot express the play we expect. In the previous match, we lost the ball frequently at the start, making it difficult to play well. We had those issues, but today we faced a different challenge at the start, specifically with pressing. After conceding two goals, the opponent was obviously fighting to secure three points, while we found ourselves in a situation where we had to recover from being down 0-2. As time went on, we were able to play better, but I believe we reacted too slowly. Today, the issue was more about our fighting spirit than tactics. The opponent, being in a relegation battle, expressed a strong desire to win the match, but we were unable to show a fighting spirit that matched that. After that, we made various tactical adjustments to draw out better play, and I think we functioned a bit better.
[Player Interview]]
<Leandro>
Q: There was a wonderful goal at the end. Do you feel that the counterattack was a bit late?
We conceded two goals at the start. It was a match where we had to fight for a long time from a 0-2 situation. It was a very difficult match to score even one goal.
Q: This season has reached 6 matches. What kind of play do you want to show again?
A, I will approach the remaining matches with the intention of winning them all.
Q: Today was an away game, but it was a match where vocal support was allowed. Did you hear the cheers from the fans and supporters?
A, it was an away game, but I sincerely thank you for coming all the way here. The cheers from the stands are reaching us, and I believe that those cheers will continue to strengthen us in the future.
<Keigo HIGASHI>
Q, please review today's game.
A, at the fundamental level, we need to surpass our opponents, and I believe that is important regardless of the style of football we play. Even though there are challenges in the away matches, I feel there is more we can do, and I approached the second half wanting to change those aspects. It would have been better if the performance had improved, and while we scored one goal in the second half, the result is disappointing.
Q: It seems like we were slow to get back a point.
A, yes. It may be a hypothetical situation, but I think it's important to limit the goals conceded in the first half to just one, or to prevent the opponent from scoring in difficult situations. Regardless of the style we aim for, I want to focus on that.
Q: It seemed like the opponent was targeting the area next to the anchor in the first half.
In the second half, with the opponent having scored 2 goals, our approach changed compared to the first half. There were parts we were able to execute in the second half, and I would like all the players to share this experience as we prepare for the next match.
Q, another match will come in three days.
A, next is the match at National, and the entire club is trying to get excited about it, so we need to have a focused match once again. I believe that regardless of the type of soccer, the pressing aspect and what we need to do remains the same. If we don't do that, it won't make sense, so we will discuss it together, and as veterans, we will lead the way, raising our motivation and wanting to do even more.
<Kuryu MATSUKI>
Q, please review the game.
We had a poor start to the match, and the coach pointed that out. Since we were not satisfied with the first half, we discussed that we should apply pressure from the front and aim for the goal.
Q: We scored a point, but I think the counterattack was too slow.
A, that's right. If we had been able to make the third movement after breaking through the side, I think the opponent would have taken a different position, and we need to improve the quality in front of the goal even more.
Q: I think the movement towards the front has increased compared to the Gamba match, but I believe we are still a little short of reaching the goal.
A, we need to continue to improve in that area, and since we are in a position where we can aim for the top in the few remaining matches, I want to make sure we improve through practice.
Q: Given the consecutive matches, was it difficult to adjust your condition?
I don't think there are players who make excuses about their condition. We will prepare ourselves in the best condition to win the next match.
Q: The coach mentioned that there are issues with the press.
There were various discrepancies in the front line, and there were some differences between the pressing method the coach intended and the way we actually pressed during the match. In the second half, we were able to apply more pressure from the front line, but it would have been better if we could have done that from the first half.
<Seiji KIMURA>
Q: How did you feel about the match when you watched from the outside and then participated, looking back on it overall?
A, the coach said at halftime that we were not fighting for the ball. The impression from the first half was that we were outperformed by Kobe in aspects other than tactics. It was frustrating because we know that the players gathered here can perform much better based on our usual training and other matches.
I think we were able to fight for the ball in the second half, and we didn't concede any goals, and we were able to score one point back. I feel that the mental aspect will show in those areas, so I felt again that everyone needs to demonstrate that from the start of the match.
Q: You came on as a substitute in the second half, but what were you focused on as you entered the match?
Recently, we have been practicing with a three-back formation, and we were able to work on various aspects such as positioning during build-up play and confirming our roles during defense, so I entered the match with that in mind.
In terms of aspects that are not tactical, regarding the plays at the start, the two instances where the ball was intended for Matsuki and the long ball to Nagatomo ended up being mistakes are related to individual quality. Therefore, I believe I need to improve myself further and prepare to be able to perform from the beginning even when coming on as a substitute.
Q: The opponent was applying pressure from the front, did you feel the pressure?
Yes, I feel pressure, but when asked if I usually train under that level of pressure, I would say that's not the case. I think if we improve our spacing and focus on creating passing lanes, we would be in a much better position to compete. I felt that we need to share our visions more effectively.
Q: The next match will be at the Japan National Stadium. Please share your enthusiasm for the upcoming match.
I believe there will be opportunities somewhere in the series of matches, and I am always preparing for that. If the chance comes around next, I will just play as I usually do. We haven't been able to win in the last few matches, so if I can keep the score at zero when the opportunity arises and lead the team to victory, I think the option to start me will become stronger. Therefore, I will continue to aim for that and keep preparing to seize the opportunity.
<Kazuya KONNO>
Q, please review the game. I felt there were many scenes where we created opportunities from the side.
I think we should have been more proactive in defending from the front right from the start of the match, but we couldn't quite get into it, and we ended up falling back a bit and got caught out there. We need to improve on that.
There were scenes where we created chances from our own plays, but the opponent has also prepared countermeasures. I believe that if we can increase the patterns of initiating plays ourselves and utilizing our teammates a bit more, it will broaden our attacking options.
Q: I think there were difficulties due to the humid weather.
There was a unique humidity in Kansai, but that's not an excuse. Regardless of that, we had all talked about going for it from the start, but after we couldn't push forward midway and conceded two goals, it made the game difficult.
Q: The opponent was actively defending from the front.
A, the build-up was not as smooth as usual, and that is something we need to improve. I haven't watched the footage yet, but I want to review it thoroughly and discuss what we should have done before the next match.
Q: The next match is against Kyoto at the National Stadium.
A, it is quite rare to play at the National stadium, and I believe many fans and supporters will come, so I want to prepare my condition well, strategize against the opponent, and practice thoroughly to ensure we win next time.
<Masato MORISHIGE>
Q, please review the game and how was the defense part?
I think we were too heavy in the back. We were unable to be aggressive, which is something we discussed before the match. I believe it's a matter of slight unification of intent, so I think there is room for improvement there.
Q: What were you careful about in terms of defense?
I didn't want to be used next to the anchor, so I was initially concerned about being a bit behind, as I mentioned before the match. However, that would not allow us to build momentum in defense, so I discussed with the midfield players that it was okay to be used a few times and to go forward and take the ball.
Q: It seems that you haven't been able to move forward for a while.
In the match against Shimizu, as well as today, I realized that if we focus too much on the two players behind the midfield, we lose our strength in defense from the front line. Keeping that in mind, I want to think about how we will fight in the remaining matches.
