<Match Review>
This season has reached the last four matches. Tokyo, after winning consecutive matches against Kyoto SANGA F.C. and Kashima Antlers, has risen to 6th place and is entering a home match series with a three-day interval. This week, they faced Shonan Bellmare. In the last match of the first half, they suffered a defeat, and as they welcome this match at home, it has become a crucial game to showcase what the team has built up over the past four months and to firmly prove their growth.
Tokyo started Yuto NAGATOMO, who was on the bench in the previous match against Kashima considering the fatigue from national team activities. Shuto ABE, who marked the club's 1000th goal in the J1 League in the last match, also returned to the starting lineup.
1st HALF - Despite maintaining possession of the ball, unable to finish
At the start, Shonan's transition between offense and defense was quick, swiftly moving the stolen ball forward and finishing before Tokyo's defensive formation could set up. In the 9th minute of the first half, a free kick was awarded at the right corner of their own penalty area, and a shot aimed at the right corner of the goal was taken, but it narrowly missed to the right side of the goal.
After the first 10 minutes, Tokyo maintained possession of the ball, gradually pushing the opponent back while moving the ball wide. They carried the ball deep into the opponent's territory starting from the sides, but the crosses and through passes did not connect well, making it difficult to finish effectively. On the other hand, they did not insist on breaking through with possession; instead, they aimed to disrupt the opponent's counterattacks at a high position and tried to attack before the opponent's defense could organize, but still, the passes just before the finish did not connect, preventing them from taking a shot.
In a situation where chances were hard to come by, in the 23rd minute of the first half, Kashif BANGNAGANDE brought the ball deep into the opponent's territory on the left side and delivered a cross ball in a backward direction. The ball spilled outside the penalty area without connecting with Diego OLIVEIRA and Koki TSUKAGAWA, who had rushed in front of the goal, but Leandro, who came in, took a one-touch powerful shot. It was blocked by the opposing defender, but they finally shook the opponent and created a chance.
In the 31st minute of the first half, Masato MORISHIGE made a middle pass from his own half behind the opponent's defense, allowing Ryoma WATANABE to break free into the penalty area. He sent a pass across the goal, but Abe, who had rushed in from the right side, couldn't make solid contact. Watanabe was judged to be slightly offside as he broke free too early.
Against the opponent's counterattacks, we accelerated the transition between offense and defense, and deployed a defense that prevented them from functioning as effectively as in the early stages by quickly and aggressively closing in on the ball holder. Even when pressed, we persistently followed their movements, ensuring that we did not give away any decisive chances as we headed into halftime.
2nd HALF - Unable to capitalize on the early chance, conceded a goal in the final minutes
At the start of the second half, a free kick opportunity was gained in front of the opponent's goal in the 2nd minute. Leandro sent a sharp ball towards the goal, but Watanabe, who rushed in, headed it but was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper.
As both teams increased the tempo of their passing and pressure compared to the first half, Tokyo calmly maintained possession of the ball, looking for opportunities to speed up and aim for the opponent's goal. In the 10th minute of the second half, Tsukagawa switched positions in the left area of the penalty box, carrying the ball to the goal line and delivering a cross in front of the goal. Diego TABA, who was waiting, attempted a header but missed the connection, sending the ball to the right of the goal.
In the 13th minute of the second half, Morishige headed the corner kick from the left at the near side. He completely shook off his marker and managed to get a shot off, but the ball went just over the goal.
As the second half progresses past the halfway mark, both teams' formations begin to stretch out a bit, leading to an open game where space is quickly utilized for attacks. Just as Tokyo finds some space in their own half, they are caught off guard for a moment. In the 33rd minute of the second half, when player Abe has the ball, he is evaded with a one-on-one move, allowing a middle shot that flows into the left corner of the goal, giving up the first score.
In the 37th minute of the second half, Tokyo, wanting to counterattack, tried to break through by connecting short passes in a tight area within the opponent's half, but lost the ball and faced a counterattack. They couldn't stop player Machino, who was trying to break through on the right side, and after being penetrated up to the goal, they conceded a goal in a one-on-one situation, widening the lead.
The players who came on as substitutes increased the attacking gear and pressed towards the opponent's goal, but they were unable to break through. The failure to capitalize on the chances at the start of the second half was costly, and they missed out on a third consecutive win.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jakub Słowik
DF Yuto NAGATOMO (substituted at 38 minutes: Hotaka NAKAMURA)/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Kashif BANGNAGANDE
MF Shuto ABE (substituted at 38 minutes: Kazuya KONNO)/Keigo HIGASHI/Koki TSUKAGAWA (substituted at 28 minutes: Kuryu MATSUKI)
FW Ryoma WATANABE/Diego Oliveira (substituted at 22 minutes: Luis Felipe)/Leandro (substituted at 28 minutes: Adailton)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Seiji KIMURA
GOAL
―
<Shonan Bellmare>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Akio TANI
DF Koki TATE/Yuto YAMAMOTO/Daiki SUGIOKA
MF Hirokazu ISHIHARA/Masaki IKEDA (substituted in 13 minutes of the second half: Shuto MACHIYANO)/Akimi BARADA (substituted in 41 minutes of the second half: Naoki YAMADA)/Taiyo HIRAOKA (substituted in 13 minutes of the second half: Yusuke SEGAWA)/Yoshihiro NAKANO
FW Wellington (substituted in 41 minutes of the second half: Takushi YONEMOTO)/Tariq (substituted in 31 minutes of the second half: Hiroyuki ABE)
SUBS
GK Kotaro TACHIKAWA
DF Hayato FUKUSHIMA
GOAL
33rd minute of the second half: Abe/37th minute of the second half: Machino
[Interview with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA]
Q, please review the game.
A, I knew today's match would be difficult. I had concerns about motivation, but the players approached today's match with a strong fighting spirit.
In terms of tactics, we were unable to control the game by holding the ball in the first 10 minutes. I think Shonan is a wonderful team when they have the ball. After the first 10 minutes, I believe we were able to firmly control the game with the ball. I think both our opponent Shonan and Tokyo understood that the first goal would likely be important in this match.
In the second half, we were able to maintain possession of the ball and control the game. However, we couldn't finish our chances, and when the match opened up in the last 10 to 15 minutes of the second half while the score was still tied, there was a possibility that one side could score and decide the match.
In the match against Kashima Antlers, it was us who managed to win with a wonderful goal. However, this time the shot came from a position far from the goal, so it seemed there was no danger, but Shonan's shot went in. When you concede a goal in the last 10 to 15 minutes, the opponent tends to go on the defensive, making it difficult to catch up and turn the game around.
This week, I believe the team has had excellent training and has approached the game with a strong fighting spirit and motivation. In terms of soccer, we need to actively aim for the opening goal from the first half and challenge ourselves to decide the match within the last 10 to 15 minutes of the second half. However, to do that, we must dominate the opponent right from the start and create decisive chances, but I think we have not yet reached that level. If we cannot control the game from the beginning, it will lead to a scoreless and open match, creating a situation where both sides have opportunities, and the opening goal will become a significant key to determining the outcome of the match.
What I want to say again is that the fighting spirit of the players is something that no one can criticize, and I have no doubts about it myself. However, we must improve in terms of soccer. It's not about Shonan being good and us being bad; this can happen to any team. I wish Shonan good luck. We have the next match against Cerezo Osaka coming up soon, so we want to focus and prepare for that.
Q: Shonan is working on a style of football that takes positions while observing the opponent. What are your thoughts on the quality of that?
I think Shonan is a wonderful team like Tosu. However, when we concede the first goal and the opponent starts attacking us, it becomes more difficult. I believe that is the reason we are in our current position.
In terms of defense, this team has a clear style of keeping the defensive line very compact, effectively using high press and mid press to confuse the opponent, and once they take the lead, everyone drops back to defend.
If we focus on ourselves, the mentality that Tokyo must aim for moving forward is to score the opening goal in the first half and work to finish the match. Especially this season, the J1 League is highly competitive. As the data shows, we have won 100% of the matches where we scored first. In a competitive league, it can be said that the team that scores the opening goal can take the lead in the match. Particularly in home games, I believe it is necessary to have a mentality to attack aggressively from the first half and aim to score the opening goal. This means being greedy for goals from the first half and becoming more aggressive.
[Player Interview]]
<Koki TSUKAGAWA>
Q, please review the game.
I think the opponent showed their determination. They were able to score when it mattered, while we couldn't finish our chances. However, I don't think we played poorly. I believe that being able to finish in the final moments is crucial in determining the outcome of a football match, so we need to focus on that.
Q: I feel that there were plays where we couldn't break through the center or get behind and go for the goal.
I don't think it's something to be pessimistic about, as we were able to get through the back as well. At the beginning of the first half, the opponent's man-to-man pressure was more than I expected, and I felt like I wasn't used to it. There are areas that need improvement, but once I started to see things better, I was able to get behind after engaging. It wasn't that we couldn't break through in the center, so I want to raise our quality and increase those opportunities.
Q: Do you feel that today's challenge is more about the quality than the quantity of such plays?
A, that's right. Quality is always important, and I believe it's something that the team must maintain.
<Yasuki KIMOTO>
Q, please review the game. How was Shonan?
A, the opponent came at us with momentum while they are fighting to avoid relegation, 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. When I had the ball, there were no options to pass, so since the opponent was coming back from the front line to defend, I think kicking the ball behind them was one option.
A, the opponent was coming from the front, so I think the area behind was certainly important for creating chances. However, I believed that we shouldn't rely solely on long balls, so the balance between using long balls and short passes has been very difficult this year. Looking back at today, I have the impression that it was challenging. I am considering what the right answer was, but (at this point) I can't find it. The opponent's pressing was good, so breaking through that will be a challenge moving forward.
Q: There were moments when we had to endure, but we conceded 2 goals.
To move up in the rankings, I believe it is necessary to endure there as well. It was very good that we did not concede a goal in the first half, but conceding a goal in the final moments is something that is lacking to reach the top.
<Diego OLIVEIRA>
Q, please review today's game.
It was a very difficult match. The opponent played compact defense and aimed to score by sending long balls forward to induce our mistakes. In the second half, we conceded a goal, and from there, the match turned into one that the opponent wanted to play. It's not anyone's fault, but it's very disappointing that we ended up with a result we did not desire.
Q: It seemed that Diego TABA did not receive good balls. What are the points of reflection for the team?
A, it was natural that we faced difficulties in our attack as the opponent set up a high line with a system similar to a five-back. We need to find solutions during the match and ensure we connect well to take shots. I want to reflect on today's lessons and approach future matches with that in mind.
Q: Was it a match where you wanted to win more than the content?
I understand that in soccer, the result is the most important thing, and not being able to win in today's difficult match is one of the things to reflect on. However, instead of lowering our heads because we couldn't win while being fixated on the result, we want to properly regroup for Wednesday's match. Even if it's a tough game, we can fight together with our fans and supporters at home, so we want to prepare thoroughly.
Q: What kind of game do you want to have against Cerezo?
We aim for a winning style of football. No matter who plays, the players who take the field will run and fight with all their might. I want to show that kind of spirit.
<Ryoma WATANABE>
Q, please review the game. It was a disappointing result.
If we had scored when we needed to at the start of the first half and the start of the second half, and if we had done what we were supposed to do, I don't think we would have ended up in such a difficult situation. I believe that is still an area where we are lacking.
Q: It felt like a breakthrough strategy to target the opponent's back was found.
A, it also gave the impression of being a desperate struggle. I personally reflected on the fact that I couldn't find the right positioning during the build-up from the center back throughout the 90 minutes. I need to watch the video of today's match and reflect on it to apply it to the next game.
<Masato MORISHIGE>
Q: Considering the pressure from the opponent in the first half, what strategies were you thinking of to break through?
A, my impression after the first half is that I wanted to defend a bit more from the front and increase the number of times we win the ball from the opponent.
Q: In the second half, as we made a comeback, I think the substitution of Diego TABA resulted in less movement in the front line.
When Diego was substituted and the opponent came in, we continued to have no options for passing when they came back to defend from the front. We wanted to press more from the front and win the ball, but we couldn't coordinate well, and we had a hard time finding passing options, which was the impression in the second half.
Q: How do you feel about the match against C Osaka in three days?
A, since the match is coming up soon, I believe we can be more aggressive in both offense and defense, so I want us to discuss it again and show a good performance to all the fans and supporters.
