<Match Review>
The last four matches of the season have arrived. Tokyo, who has won against Kyoto Sanga F.C. and Kashima Antlers, has risen to 6th place and is now entering a home game with only three days of rest. This round, they faced Shonan Bellmare. In the last match of the first half of the season, they were defeated, but in this home game, they want to show the growth they have achieved in the past four months and prove their progress.
Tokyo started Yuto NAGATOMO, who was on the bench in the previous match against Kashima due to fatigue from national team duties, in the starting lineup. Shuto ABE, who marked the club's 1000th goal in the J1 league in the previous match, also returned to the starting lineup.
1st HALF - Unable to finish while holding the ball
At the beginning, Shonan quickly switched between offense and defense, and the ball was quickly brought to the front line, and before Tokyo's defense could form, it was brought to the finish. In the 9th minute of the first half, a free kick was given at the right corner of their own penalty area, and a shot was taken aiming for the right corner of the goal, but it narrowly missed to the right side of the goal.
After the first 10 minutes, Tokyo started to possess the ball and gradually pushed the opponent back while moving the ball wide. They tried to bring the ball into the opponent's deep position from the sides, but their crosses and through passes were not connecting, making it difficult to finish. On the other hand, they didn't focus on possession and instead tried to stop the opponent's counterattack at a high position and attack before their defense was set, but they still couldn't find the final pass to take a shot.
In the midst of struggling to create chances, in the 23rd minute of the first half, Kashif BANGNAGANDE, on the left side, carried the ball deep into the opponent's territory and sent a cross ball in the negative direction. The ball did not reach Diego OLIVEIRA and Koki TSUKAGAWA, who had jumped into the goal area, and instead rolled out to the outside of the penalty area. However, Leandro, who had jumped in, took a powerful one-touch shot. It was blocked by the opponent's defender, but finally shook off the opponent and created a chance.
In the 31st minute of the first half, Masato MORISHIGE passed a middle pass from his own zone to the back of the opponent's defense, and Ryoma WATANABE broke through into the penalty area. He sent a pass across the goal, but Yasushi ABE, who had jumped in front of the goal on the right side, could not meet it. WATANABE was slightly offside and the goal was disallowed.
To counter the opponent's counterattack, we speed up the transition between offense and defense, and quickly and aggressively press the ball holder to prevent them from functioning in the early stages of the game. Even when pushed back, we persistently stick with them and reach halftime without giving them any decisive chances.
2nd HALF - Unable to capitalize on early chances, conceding late in the game
In the second half, they earned a free kick opportunity in front of the opponent's goal in the 2nd minute. Leandro's sharp ball towards the goal was met by a header from Sandro, but it was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper.
As the tempo of passing and pressure increased in the first half, Tokyo calmly held onto the ball and looked for opportunities to speed up and aim for the opponent's goal. In the 10th minute of the second half, Tsuchikawa switched the ball on the left side of the penalty area and carried it to the goal line before crossing it into the box. Diego TABA was waiting and attempted a header, but the ball missed to the right of the goal.
In the 13th minute of the second half, Morishige player headed in a corner kick from the left side near the side. He completely shook off the marker and was able to bring the ball to a shot, but the ball narrowly missed the goal.
As the second half passed halfway, both teams gradually stretched their formations and the game became more open, with quick attacks using space. Tokyo also left space in their own half and were caught off guard for a moment. In the 33rd minute of the second half, when Abe received the ball, he was quickly dribbled past and allowed a middle shot, which ended up in the bottom left corner, resulting in the first goal being conceded.
In the 37th minute of the second half, Tokyo, who wants to make a comeback, tries to break through by connecting short passes in a narrow area in the opponent's territory, but loses the ball and receives a counterattack. Unable to stop player Machino who tries to break through the right side, they are invaded until the goal and the lead is extended by a 1-on-1 situation being scored.
The team stepped up their attack, focusing on the players who came on as substitutes, and pushed towards the opponent's goal, but they were unable to break through. The missed opportunity at the start of the second half proved costly, and they ended up losing their third consecutive match.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Yakubu Swobick
DF Yuto Nagatomo (38th minute of the second half: Hotaka Nakamura)/Yasuki Kimoto/Masato Morishige/Kashif BANGNAGANDE
MF Shuto ABE (38th minute of the second half: Kazuya KONNO)/Keigo Higashi/Koki TSUKAGAWA (28th minute of the second half: Kuryu MATSUKI)
FW Ryoma WATANABE/Diego Oliveira (22nd minute of the second half: Luis Felipe)/Leandro (28th minute of the second half: Adailton)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Seiji KIMURA
GOAL
―
＜Shonan Bellmare＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Akihisa Tani
DF Yukinori Tachi/Shuto Yamamoto/Daiki Sugio
MF Hirokazu Ishihara/Masaki Ikeda (13th minute of the second half: Shuto Machino)/Akimi Barada (41st minute of the second half: Naoki Yamada)/Taiyo Hiraoka (13th minute of the second half: Yusuke Segawa)/Yoshihiro Nakano
FW Wellington (41st minute of the second half: Takushi Yonemoto)/Tarik (31st minute of the second half: Hiroyuki Abe)
SUBS
GK Kotaro TACHIKAWA
DF Hayato FUKUSHIMA
GOAL
33' Second Half: Abe/37' Second Half: Machino
[Interview with Coach Albert]
Q, please review the game.
A, I knew today's game would be difficult. I was concerned about the motivation, but the players approached today's game with a strong fighting spirit.
On the tactical side, in the first 10 minutes, we were unable to control the game by holding onto the ball. I think Shonan is a great team when they have the ball. After the first 10 minutes, I think we were able to dominate the game with the ball. Both Shonan and Tokyo probably knew that the first goal would be crucial in this match.
In the second half, we were able to dominate the game by firmly holding onto the ball. However, we were unable to make a decisive goal, and in the last 10 to 15 minutes of the game, it became an open match where either team could score and determine the outcome of the game.
In the Kashima Antlers match, we were able to win with a great goal. However, in this game, the shot was taken from a far distance from the goal, so it seemed like there was no danger, but Shonan's shot went in. When we are scored against in the last 10 to 15 minutes, the opponent also starts to defend, making it difficult for us to catch up and turn the game around.
This week, the team had a great training and I think they approached the game with a strong fighting spirit and motivation. In terms of soccer, we need to actively aim for the first goal from the first half and challenge ourselves to decide the game within the last 10-15 minutes of the second half. However, in order to do so, we need to dominate the game from the beginning and create decisive chances, but I don't think we have reached that level yet. If we can't dominate the game from the start, the game will become scoreless and open, and the first goal will become a key factor in determining the outcome of the game, with both teams having a chance to win.
What I want to say again is that I don't think anyone can criticize the players' fighting attitude, and I myself have no doubts. However, we need to improve more in terms of soccer. It's not about Shonan being good and us being bad, it's something that can happen to any team. I wish Shonan luck. We have the next match against Cerezo Osaka coming up soon, so we want to focus and prepare for it.
Q, Shonan is working on playing soccer while watching the opponent, what did you think about the quality of that?
A, I think Shonan is a great team like Tosu. However, when they are scored on first, it becomes more difficult when they are drawn in by the opponent and then attacked. I think that is the reason why they are in their current ranking.
In terms of defense, they keep their defensive line very compact and use high press and middle press effectively to confuse the opponent. If they can take the lead, they have a clear style of dropping back and defending as a team.
When we focus on ourselves, what Tokyo needs to aim for is a mentality of scoring the first goal in the first half and finishing the game. Especially this season, the J1 league is very competitive. As shown in the data, we have a 100% winning rate when we score the first goal. In a competitive league, I think it's fair to say that the team that scores the first goal has an advantage in the game. Especially in home games, we need a mentality of going on the attack from the first half and scoring the first goal. It means being greedy for goals from the first half and becoming more aggressive.
[Player Interview]
<Koki TSUKAGAWA>
Q, how was the game review?
A, I think we were able to show our determination to our opponents. Our opponents were able to make the final decision, but we were unable to make it. However, I don't think we were bad. I think that being able to make the final decision is crucial in determining the outcome of a football match, so we need to focus on that.
Q, I think there were plays where we couldn't break through the center or get behind the defense to score.
A, I think it's not as pessimistic as it was because it was passing through the back and not just the front. At the beginning of the first half, I felt that the opponent's man-to-man pressure was more than I imagined and my eyes were not used to it. Although there are areas that need to be improved, we were able to take advantage of the back after we got used to it. We also want to increase the number of times we can peel off the opponent in the center by improving the quality.
Q, do you feel that the quality of play is more important than the quantity for today's task?
A, yes. Quality is always important and I think it's something that a team must have.
<Yasuki KIMOTO>
Q, how was Shonan when you looked back on the game?
A, the opponent came in with great momentum while fighting for survival, and I think we let them play at their own pace. In the end, we conceded a goal from an open play, which was not the scenario we had envisioned.
Q, I think one of the options was to kick the ball to the empty space behind the opponent's defense, as there was no place to pass the ball when I had it.
A, I think it was important to create chances in the back because the opponent was coming from the front. However, I didn't want to rely solely on long balls, so the balance between long balls and short passes was very difficult this year, and looking back today, it was a tough impression. I'm thinking about what was the right answer, but (at this point) I can't find it, the opponent's press was good, so breaking that down will be the challenge from now on.
Q, We conceded 2 goals while enduring the situation.
In order to reach the top position, I think it is necessary to endure there as well. It was very good that we did not concede in the first half, but I think that conceding in the final minutes is not enough to go to the top.
<Diego OLIVEIRA>
Q, please review today's game.
A, it was a very difficult game. The opponent defended compactly and tried to score by putting long balls forward and inducing our mistakes. We conceded a goal in the second half and the game became what the opponent wanted. It's not anyone's fault, but it's very disappointing that we ended up with a result we didn't want.
Q, it seemed like Diego TABA didn't receive any good balls. Where does the team need to reflect on?
A, the opponent naturally had difficulty in attacking because they set a high line with a 5-back system, and even within that, we need to find countermeasures during the game and connect our shots firmly. We want to use today's reflection to face future games.
Q, Was it a game where you wanted to win more than the content?
A, as it is soccer, I understand that the result is the most important thing, and I do reflect on not being able to win in today's difficult match. However, instead of lowering our heads because we were focused on the result and couldn't win, we will regroup and prepare for Wednesday's match, so that we can fight together with our fans and supporters at home, even in a difficult match. We will do our best to prepare.
Q: What kind of game do you want to make the Cerezo match?
A, we aim to win in soccer. No matter who plays, the players who come out will run and fight desperately. We want to show that kind of attitude.
Ryoma WATANABE
Q, please review the game despite the disappointing result.
A, If we had made the decisions we needed to make at the start of the first and second half, and if we had done what we were supposed to do, I don't think we would have had such a difficult game. I think that's still an area where we are lacking.
Q, I felt like a breakthrough strategy of aiming for the opponent's back was found.
A, I also had the impression that it was a desperate struggle. It was a personal reflection that I couldn't find where to position myself during the 90 minutes of building up from the center back. I also need to reflect on today's game by watching the footage and use it to improve for the next game.
Masato MORISHIGE
Q, How did you think about breakthrough strategies while receiving a lot of pressure from the opponent in the first half?
A, I wanted to increase the number of times we could steal the ball from the opponent by defending a little more from the front line, and that was my impression after the first half ended.
Q, During the second half comeback, I think Diego TABA changed the movement of the front line when he was substituted.
A, when Diego (substitute) and the opponent came in for a substitution, there were no passing options when they came back to defend from the front line. We wanted to press higher and win the ball, but we couldn't coordinate well and there were not many passing options in the second half.
Q, how is the C Osaka match in 3 days?
A, since the game is coming up soon, I think we can be more aggressive in both offense and defense, so let's have another discussion together and show a good performance to our fans and supporters.
