Maintain a position within the top 10 from May onwards
The season that Tokyo positioned as the first year of reform is now down to the last three games. Two of those games will be played at home at Ajinomoto Stadium. The first is against Cerezo Osaka on Oct 12 (Wed) and the final game will be against Kawasaki Frontale on Nov 5 (Sat) (the other game will be against Nagoya Grampus away on Oct 29). Both teams are ranked higher than Tokyo. These two games will truly test the worth of Albert Tokyo.
The team attempted a major transformation this season from a counter-oriented playing style. To put it simply, it is a style of play where the team takes the optimal position, holds onto the ball, and advances the game in their favor. In order to achieve stable results, it is necessary to actively fight instead of being passive, as emphasized by coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA during his inauguration press conference.
However, the saying "easier said than done" applies to changing styles. Even current Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo coach PETROVIC, during his time at Sanfrecce Hiroshima, needed a lot of time to incorporate his philosophy.
Now, as the manager of Celtic, Ange POSTECOGLOU has also gained fame in Europe. In his first year leading Yokohama F.Marinos in 2018, he was unable to fully implement his high-pressure, high-tempo style and finished in 12th place. He experienced the pains of building a team. These past examples prove that a change in style cannot be completed overnight.
Albert Tokyo also saw many cases of losing points due to careless mistakes in the middle of the season. Rather than being aware of the situation and the state of the game, they focused too much on their positioning, resulting in a lack of successful passes and losing the ball when trying to attack. As a result, they were also vulnerable to the opponent's counterattacks.
However, it has not fallen into a slump like the aforementioned example. The commander can be said to have successfully managed the difficult task while maintaining a good relationship. Moreover, without committing the foolishness of abandoning the concept midway, the ranking has only been below 10th place in the early stages. Looking at the ranking changes up to Sec. 32, they have consistently remained within the top 10 since May.
Currently, Tokyo is in 7th place, but only 1 point behind 6th place Kashiwa Reysol and 2 points behind 5th place Kashima Antlers. Moreover, they have played one less game than these two teams. If they win against 4th place C Osaka and 2nd place Kawasaki in their last two home games, they can climb even higher in the rankings.
Facing a different C Osaka match from last time!
The team's evolution can be seen from the fighting style shown on the pitch. For example, in the 30th round match against Kyoto Sanga F.C. at the Japan National Stadium. They connected passes from deep in their own half and repeatedly broke through the opponent's pressing net. The players worked together and accurately advanced the ball, something that was not seen in the early stages of the season.
Kashima Antlers, who won 1-0 away, showed an impressive performance in the 31st round. In particular, in the first half, coach Albert Puig Ortoneda was satisfied with the aggressive pressing and high ball recovery rate, and they were able to play as planned on both offense and defense. They demonstrated the ability to execute "their own play" against a strong opponent.
After the Kyoto match, Keigo HIGASHI, who had been circulating the ball with an anchor, said, "That is the shape the team aims for. We have been able to show what we have been doing," and while acknowledging that they are still in the developmental stage, he also spoke about how they are getting closer to their ideal form. It seems that the players also have a sense of progress.
In fact, in terms of possession, which the commander uses as one of the indicators of concept realization, Tokyo has been surpassing their opponents more often. In 5 out of 6 games since September, they have outperformed their opponents (reference: J STATS). Although there is still room for improvement in dealing with cases where they are allowed to hold the ball and counterattack, they generally take the lead and have time to push their opponents.
One thing to watch out for in the match against C Osaka on the 12th is the possession game. In other words, "do we have the ball or are we being forced to give it up?" In the previous away match (March 6th), we spent a lot of time without the ball and often found ourselves on the back foot. We were able to win 1-0 with Kazuya KONNO scoring the goal after stealing the ball in the opponent's half, but overall we were unable to take control and struggled. In this match, we want to show a different side from the previous one where we had just started implementing a new style. Our ideal would be to have possession and attack.
The opponent has improved their completion level compared to the March match, but there is still a way to attack. It is still effective to attack the space behind the attacking fullbacks, Ryosuke YAMANAKA and Riku MATSUDA. The attacking runs of the fullbacks are the lifeline of C Osaka, creating width in the build-up and in the attack. There should be several chances to exploit the space behind them in one match. The key for Tokyo is how they can send players and the ball into space in those opportunities.
There is of course the option to aim for a goal with a short counterattack from a high press, just like last time, but the opponent will surely be more cautious not to fall into the same trap. This time, not only with that attacking method, but also by involving the inside half and side back in the wing, we want to take advantage of the space behind and open up a route to the goal by passing the ball through. If we are forced to hold onto the ball and the opponent sets up their defense, we should use passing to move their defensive formation and attack faster than they can slide and change sides.
Albert Tokyo has been working hard without wavering for a year. Can we make the C Osaka game a stage to show our growth? In order to end the 2022 season in a good way, we need a victory with substance.
Text by Sato Kei (Soccer Magazine Web)
