<Match Review>
Tokyo drew 2-2 at home against Shonan Bellmare in the last match, stopping their consecutive losses in official matches. This week, they face Cerezo Osaka in another home match. They previously met on March 8 in the first round of the Levain Cup, where they lost 0-1 due to a late goal. Although the lineup will be different, Tokyo aims to repay their debt from Osaka and secure their third victory of the season in the league.
Tokyo started Shuto ABE and Ryoma WATANABE, who returned from injury and played as substitutes in the previous match. Captain Masato MORISHIGE took the place of Henrique TREVISAN in one of the center-back positions.
1st HALF - Holding the ball and approaching the goal
In the pitch conditions soaked by the rain that continued from the morning, both sides took a cautious approach at the beginning.
As they become accustomed to ball control, Tokyo connects the ball intricately to create rhythm. Not only do they move the ball within their own half, but they also build up play vertically, penetrating the opponent's half and advancing the ball close to the penalty area.
Although there are few scenes that lead to a finish, even when the ball is lost, they maintain a high defensive line to delay the opponent's attack, quickly press back to regain possession, and then carefully build up their attack again.
Tokyo's first chance came in the 22nd minute of the first half. In the midfield battle, Abe picked up the ball and faced a situation with an equal number of players in the vital area. As he brought the ball into the penalty area, he passed to Watanabe, who was supporting from the left. Watanabe, drawing the opposing goalkeeper, sent a horizontal pass in front of the goal. Diego OLIVEIRA was diving in, but he was blocked by a defender who caught up from behind, preventing him from pushing the ball in.
Although he struggled to connect the final pass while holding the ball, in the 41st minute of the first half, Nakamura received a middle-range pass deep on the right side and sent a backward pass to Kuryu MATSUKI. Matsuki turned forward and struck with his left foot. It was a shot that targeted the bottom right corner of the goal, but it was cleared off the line by a great save from the opposing goalkeeper.
2nd HALF - Watanabe's powerful goal equalizes the score, but...
At the start of the second half. As the ball is moved from left to right in a wide play, the defense fails to slide in time, and Kluivert takes a powerful shot, but the ball flies to the upper right of the goal where Jakub SLOWIK makes an incredible save with a stretch of his right arm.
After that, the play developed with the ball moving in the opponent's territory. In the 7th minute of the second half, Shuhei TOKUMOTO, who was wide open on the left side, received the ball and passed it to Taira SHIGE, who was positioned just in front of the penalty area. Taira SHIGE, having evaded the opponent's defender, took a controlled shot, but it veered just to the right of the goal.
While progressing the match at our own pace, a momentary gap appeared. In the 14th minute of the second half, we conceded a free kick from a slightly shallow position on the right side of our defense, and a perfectly placed ball with speed was sent between the field players and the goalkeeper, allowing Okuno to rush in and score the opening goal against us.
Although it was understandable to be disappointed by the goal conceded at a moment when it seemed like they were controlling the match, the Tokyo players continued to attack positively. In the 68th minute of the second half, Nakamura sent an early cross from the right side, and Watanabe trapped the ball with his chest just before the penalty area, then fell while executing a right-footed volley. The brilliantly arced ball was drawn into the top right corner of the goal, bringing Tokyo level.
Tokyo, not slowing down, saw Kota TAWARATSUMIDA, who was substituted in at the 37th minute of the second half, break through on the right side with individual skill. After getting past the goal line, he sent a pass backward, and Abe managed to touch it in one go at the near side, but it narrowly missed to the right of the goal.
Tokyo wanted to accelerate towards a comeback by making a substitution, but instead, they were broken down from the right side in the 40th minute of the second half, allowing Okuno to score again and take the lead.
The substitution cards that were prepared before conceding a goal were used as is, bringing on Koki TSUKAGAWA and Keigo HIGASHI in an attempt to turn the game around, but they were unable to create effective attacks. The match ended 1-2, marking the first home defeat of the season.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jakub Słowik
DF Hotaka NAKAMURA/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Shuhei TOKUMOTO
MF Shuto ABE (41st minute: Keigo HIGASHI)/Kei KOIZUMI/Kuryu MATSUKI
FW Ryoma WATANABE (32nd minute: Kota TAWARATSUMIDA)/Diego Oliveira (41st minute: Koki TSUKAGAWA)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (18th minute: Adailton)
SUBS
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Henrique TREVISAN/Yuto NAGATOMO
GOAL
23 minutes into the second half: Ryoma WATANABE
<Cerezo Osaka>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kim Jin-hyeon
DF Riku Matsuda/Ryosuke Yamanaka/Matej Jonić/Koji Toriumi
MF Riki Harakawa/Seiya Maikuma (20 minutes into the second half: Hikaru Nakahara)/Hiroaki Okuno/CAPIXABA (9 minutes into the first half: Jordi Cluys) (31 minutes into the second half: Satoki Uejo)
FW Shinji Kagawa/Leo Ceara
SUBS
GK Keisuke SHIMIZU
DF Ryosuke SHINDO
MF Tokuma SUZUKI
FW Mutsuki KATO
GOAL
14 minutes into the second half: Hiroaki OKUNO/39 minutes into the second half: Hiroaki OKUNO
[Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Coach Press Conference Comments]
Q, please review the game.
A, I think there wasn't a significant difference in the flow of the game between the first and second halves today. I feel that we were able to improve on the build-up from the back and the simple ball losses. We were able to control the game well, but we couldn't translate that into awareness towards the opponent's goal or creating chances. I believe I need to improve in that area as well, and I want to direct the arrow towards myself.
After equalizing, we had a decisive chance, but we couldn't convert it, and due to a defensive mistake afterward, we conceded a second goal. We prepare for victory in every match, so of course, today's defeat is frustrating. However, I believe we have made significant improvements in areas such as building up from a low position, reducing simple ball losses, and controlling the game, showing the team's growth with each match. Still, we need to connect that to a greater awareness of attacking the opponent's goal and link it to creating decisive chances.
Q: Please tell us the intention behind bringing in Tsukagawa.
A, Diego OLIVEIRA was feeling discomfort in his muscles, so we tried to send Tsukakawa out in the role of a false 9. It was unfortunate that we conceded a goal while preparing for the substitution.
Q: Why was the center forward not included in the substitute members?
A, PEROTTI's condition was poor, and since Kumada is a rookie, Tsukakawa was included on the bench as a substitute for the midfield.
[Player Interview]]
<Ryoma WATANABE>
Q, that was a nice goal.
A, it would have been nice to win, but I was honestly happy to score.
Q, please review the scoring scene.
I am good at receiving diagonal passes from the fullback, like in that scene, and I was thinking of receiving it at my feet first. At first, I saw that the goalkeeper was coming out, so I thought I would take a direct shot if it was a ground pass, but when a lofted pass came and I trapped it, I was able to control the ball well, so I chose to shoot.
Q: Were you thinking about shooting when you trapped the ball?
A, I knew the goalkeeper was coming out, so I took a shot with all my might.
Q: Have you ever scored a goal like that?
A, no. There will definitely not be any from now on (laughs).
Q, please review the game after it became 1-1.
When going for a goal, I often get anxious and lose the ball more frequently, which leads to more time spent on defense. It would have been better if I could improve on that. I believe the way to defend changes depending on the opposing player. Since you can't defend alone, I thought we need to start over on the communication aspect while watching from the bench.
Q, I believe that your play and the way you built up to equalize have improved in the last few matches.
I think we need to increase the number of shots and take deeper positions in the penalty area to create more decisive scenes. There may be scenes that contradict what we discussed earlier, but including myself, we were too careful with the ball in the first half, which reduced the number of shots we could take. Therefore, I thought it would be good to be more bold and careful in our approach.
Q: You have been experiencing a series of losses. What are your thoughts on this?
A, I still haven't sorted out why we lost, so I want to review the match and find areas for improvement. Within the team, we had good discussions before yesterday's and today's matches, so I want to focus on what we need to do to earn points without being overly pessimistic.
Q: I think we were moving the ball and advancing compared to the match against Shonan Bellmare.
If everyone takes a good position and keeps passing the ball, it will be easier to defend even if we lose the ball, so I want to remember this based on today's match.
Q: If that part becomes unstable, will it become problematic?
I think it's not good to just kick long balls, believing that passing the ball around is meaningless. I believe there is value in accumulating points with the style of football we are trying to play. I feel that we are improving, so winning would be even better.
Q: Did you change the number of defensive midfielders? Is there a difference?
I believe that the arrangement has a significant impact on defense. There are aspects that make it easier or harder to defend. The three midfielders moving fluidly during attacks remains unchanged, so I think the difference lies in whether Diego OLIVEIRA applies pressure on the opposing center-back or if the winger does.
Q: There was a close moment in the first half.
I wanted to receive the ball in front of the opponent, not between the opponent's defender and the goalkeeper, but since Shuto ABE was making a move, I changed my target position. At first, I thought the goalkeeper would take it, but since he hadn't come out, I passed to Diego TABA, who I had originally seen.
Q: I think there are few scenes like today's goal in Tokyo. Are we being too particular about our style?
A, it is ideal not to have goals like that. I personally did not want to score goals like that either. Ideally, we would score from what the team has worked on, but for teams at the top, there are times when goals just happen, or when set pieces lead to scrambles resulting in own goals or accidental scores. I think such goals are necessary, but I don't believe we need to be fixated on them. It's not that we can't win because of those goals, and while having them might help us reach the top, I don't think the opposite is true.
<Hotaka NAKAMURA>
Q, please review the game.
I am filled with a sense of regret towards the fans and supporters. That is all I can say.
Q: We saw plays that adapted to the situation, including assists.
A, because it was a good tempo, I wanted to show more plays that the opponent would dislike, especially in the first half, and there were scenes where we should have scored. Not being able to finish those chances made the game difficult, which is a point of reflection for the team.
Q: Was there a difference between the last match and this match?
A, in terms of defense, Yuto NAGATOMO and Masato MORISHIGE took the lead in communicating with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA about how to respond to the opposing players. In the first half, individually, the feeling was not bad and there were good scenes. There were also things gained from being able to play with a good sense. I would like to further brush up on this.
Q: It seems that improvements have been made in passing and positioning.
A, today's match had a good tempo from the first half, and we were able to move the ball well, but we couldn't score. As time went on, fatigue set in, and we weren't able to approach every play with freshness, which created gaps for both the team and individuals, and I believe that made the difference in the match. There were things we need to improve, but there were also positive aspects. I want us to elevate as a team for the upcoming Levain Cup.
<Masato MORISHIGE>
Q, please review the game.
A, it wasn't a bad performance, but we could see the challenges of expressing this style of football. It was a match where we wanted to create more scenes with intensity in front of the goal, ideas, and finishing with shots.
Q: I think the system has changed and the content has improved.
A, we had thorough discussions among the players regarding defense. In terms of offense, we are able to share individual ideas and freedom regarding distance and positioning. Although the results have not followed, which can lead to negativity, there were certainly good aspects as well. It is important to connect the good aspects to victories. We are choosing our methods and strategies to win. I believe that if we do not start accumulating wins from here, the opportunities will decrease.
Q: The second goal conceded felt regrettable, especially considering the timing. Please reflect on that.
A, I broke the balance of my own defense and gave the opponent space. I would like to correct the mistakes in team tactics and individual defensive responses and build upon them.
Q: It feels like the cheers from the fans and supporters are getting louder with each match. Do you feel anything when you are on the pitch?
A, I want to meet those expectations. I believe the fans and supporters have high hopes, and we want to respond to that. I hope we can move forward together in a positive direction.
