<Match Review>
In the previous match, Tokyo secured a 2-1 victory against Albirex Niigata at home at Ajinomoto Stadium, marking a strong start to the series of matches during the long holiday. The remaining matches will be away games, featuring a tough schedule involving long-distance travel to Kyushu and Hokkaido.
This match will be against Avispa Fukuoka on the same day as last season.
Tokyo made changes to the selection of members in the midfield and final line. Yuto NAGATOMO started as the right side back, while Shuhei TOKUMOTO was used as the left side back for the first time in two matches. Seiji KIMURA, who is making his first appearance in the league this season, was placed in one of the center back positions.
1st HALF—In a stalemate, Watanabe hits the post with a shot
In the early stages, Tokyo, with a stronger focus on attacking, had many opportunities to enter the opponent's territory, but could not find a way to finish. They quickly returned to defend against Fukuoka's fast breaks, and although the ball was carried deep into their territory, they quickly slid to the ball side in crucial moments to prevent easy shots.
In the buildup phase, there were instances where mistakes occurred while moving the ball in the opponent's half after pushing up from the back, leading to counterattacks from the opponent that disrupted our rhythm. Gradually, the number of ball losses in midfield decreased, but we were unable to create space against Fukuoka's defensive block, resulting in a continuous process of receiving the ball at our feet and passing it back to restart the play.
In a situation where they couldn't create attacking patterns, the first chance came in the 19th minute of the first half. Teruhito NAKAGAWA kept the ball deep on the right side and passed it to Ryoma WATANABE, who had come in to support. WATANABE cut in, found a shooting lane, and aimed for the lower left corner of the goal with a ground shot. It seemed like the shot was on target, but it hit the left post and bounced back onto the field, unfortunately not resulting in a goal.
On the other hand, in the 22nd minute of the first half, a situation arose from a corner kick that was almost a goal. The corner kick from the right side flowed far to the far side, and it was met with a one-touch. Although the shot lacked power, none of the players reacted in front of the goal, and the ball headed towards the goal slightly veered to the right.
As the first half approaches its end, the flow of the match tilts towards Fukuoka. They insert the ball into the gaps between Tokyo's defenders, aiming for a central breakthrough by exploiting the marking discrepancies. In response, Tokyo's Yasuki KIMOTO and Kimura firmly tighten the center, allowing opponents to break through in front of the goal, but they closely converge on the ball, preventing any free shots.
Although there was a shot that hit the post, the team maintained intensity in both offense and defense while experimenting with ideas to break down the opponent who had pulled back, and they turned the match around.
2nd HALF—Unable to close the 1-point gap
As the second half begins, there are more situations where we are pushed back. In the 3rd minute of the second half, a free kick is awarded in a right-side position near the penalty area, and Konno's direct shot hits the right post.
In the 10th and 12th minutes of the second half, there were shooting chances created in front of the goal, but both were quickly blocked by Jakub SLOWIK, who closed the distance effectively.
Unable to grasp the rhythm of the attack, Tokyo made substitutions in the 18th and 25th minutes of the second half, bringing in four fresh players. Gradually finding their flow, they created some opportunities by pushing from the sides, but were unable to convert them into finishes.
Conversely, in the 27th minute of the second half, after a play was initiated inside the penalty area, we were unable to take the ball away, allowing player Yamagishi to score the opening goal.
Tokyo was unable to break through the opponent while maintaining possession of the ball against an opponent that focused on solid defense and quick counterattacks. They could not close the gap of one goal and the match ended.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jakub Słowik
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Yasuki KIMOTO/Seiji KIMURA (substituted at 32 minutes: Kota Tawaratsukida)/Shuhei TOKUMOTO (substituted at 25 minutes: Kashif BANGNAGANDE)
MF Keigo HIGASHI/Shuto ABE (substituted at 25 minutes: Masato Morishige)/Kuryu MATSUKI (substituted at 25 minutes: Adailton)
FW Ryoma WATANABE/Diego Oliveira/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (substituted at 18 minutes: Kei Koizumi)
SUBS
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
FW PEROTTI
GOAL
ー
＜Avispa Fukuoka＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Takumi NAGAISHI
DF Yota MAEJIMA/DOUGLAS GLORY/Takuki NARA/Itsuki ODA
MF Kazuya KONO/ Masato SHIGEMI/Yuya YAMAGISHI (29th minute: Kennedyegbus MIKUNI)/Hiroyuki MAE/Lucian (43rd minute: Takeshi KANAMORI)
FW Reiju TSURUNO (23rd minute: Ryouga SATOU)
SUBS
GK Masaaki MURAKAMI
DF Tatsuya TANAKA
MF Sotan TANABE
FW Wellington
GOAL
27th minute of the second half: Yuya YAMAGISHI
[Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Coach Press Conference Comments]
Q, please review the game.
In the first and second halves, there were two different Tokyos. In the first half, we weren't playing particularly well, but we were able to express our play and create several chances. However, in the second half, the content was different from the first half, and we couldn't express our soccer. At the same time, we continued to lose in one-on-one situations and struggled defensively. Therefore, we switched to a three-back formation to correct our defense. However, we couldn't make the necessary adjustments, which led to conceding a goal. After we conceded the opening goal, we naturally played to equalize and turn the game around, but Avispa Fukuoka's defense after taking the lead was very solid, and they excel at controlling the match result at 1-0. We have been competing against them for four seasons, and I recognize that this is their strength. We couldn't break through their solid defense and ended up losing.
I knew that once they scored the first goal, they were good at maintaining a 1-0 lead. Therefore, we had a game plan to score the first goal, but contrary to that intention, we ended up conceding the first goal. We also failed to defend in the central zone, which we should not have allowed, and that remains a point for improvement.
Q: I think you changed your position a lot, but what points were you not satisfied with?
In the first half, I thought it would be smoother to advance the ball by positioning Ryoma WATANABE more centrally during the build-up from a low position, so I made that change. I believe that change worked well. In the second half, there were many scenes where we were dominated in the center. At the same time, we were struggling with attacks on the left center-back position, so to avoid conceding the opening goal, we tried to address that with multiple substitutions.
Q: I think you felt the pressure from the opponent in the second half. Can you tell us the reason?
A, regarding the content of the second half, I believe the biggest reason was that we were not able to play the way we wanted. Of course, in a home game, if the score is tied at halftime, it is natural to aim for a goal and seek victory. The fact that we easily lost control of the game against such a team is evidence that we were not playing our game. If we aim to be a team worthy of being champions, we must correct the parts where we lost control of the game in the second half. If we aim to be a team worthy of being champions, we will face difficult matches like today in every game. Winning those matches is the fate of a champion. For Tokyo to become that, we must firmly improve the points for improvement that emerged today.
Q: I think the movement of the third player was absent before the shot, and the initiation of movement was a bit slow.
A, that is still an area we are working on as a challenge. We are training and aiming for improvement in that area. Sometimes it goes well, but today it did not go well. I believe we must work diligently on that part. It is true that we were not able to play effectively in building our attacks. I understand that there is much room for improvement. That is why we must take our time and grow steadily every day. The matches won't wait for us, and we need to accumulate points. Therefore, we need a mentality focused on victory. However, I think we lacked that aspect in the second half today.
[Player Interview]]
<Kuryu MATSUKI>
Q: It seemed like you were experimenting from the first half.
A, when we had possession of the ball, the opponent fell back into defense, so we were communicating about how to break them down. It's good to create time on the same side, but since there was only Diego OLIVEIRA in the middle, I think it would have been better to simply cross the ball and aim for the second ball a bit more.
Q: You were quite conscious of switching between offense and defense to avoid being countered by the opponent, weren't you?
A, Avispa Fukuoka was also defending and aiming for counterattacks, so I felt it was very difficult to play. I believe we need to become a team that can win against such teams.
Q: Do you want to become a team that can ultimately break down teams that play defensively?
A, that's right. The football we are looking for is there, so I want to make sure we can build up from a low position properly.
Q: I think it was a match where we wanted to at least earn 1 point, but how was it?
It is frustrating that we couldn't earn 1 or 3 points in a difficult away match, and with only two days until the match against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, I want to prepare to win there.
<Seiji KIMURA>
Q: It was your first appearance and first start in the league this season, but the result was tough. Please share your thoughts on the match.
A. During the scouting phase, I knew that Avispa Fukuoka was a team that would kick the ball, so I understood that we had to bounce everything back. However, since we were also losing second balls, I think we needed to push the line higher to compact the distance with the midfield, and if we couldn't connect clearances accurately, we had to clear the ball far. In the scene where we conceded a goal, the cover was late, and there was a situation where someone close to the goal had to clear the ball, but we lost sight of the ball and ended up relying on Yasuki KIMOTO. We wasted time, made a pass, and conceded a goal. I believe that scene was definitely my responsibility. The inability to build up play throughout the match was also my responsibility as someone in the back, so I think we need to raise our level to win in such difficult matches. I realized that there are still many areas for improvement to become a player who can shine not only when the team is in good condition but also when it is in bad condition.
Q: Regarding the first half, there were times when we pushed back, but A: We were often losing the second balls and simply couldn't advance the ball forward. There were also moments where we lost the ball due to our own mistakes. We struggled to create time on the ball, so I think the opponent gained the rhythm.
Q: You had only 2 shots throughout the match. What do you think was lacking?
In the first half, we were able to carry the ball to the middle zone, but I think we need to be more patient when moving forward and to spread the ball to the opposite side when there are too many players gathered on the same side. This is something we have been working on in practice, so I believe it should be applied in matches as well. Additionally, I felt that if we don't reduce the scenes where we lose the ball due to our own mistakes, it will be difficult to reach the goal. If we could have advanced a bit more, I think we could have given the forwards more space, and I believe the result of only two shots is not solely the responsibility of the forwards.
Q: You changed to a three-back system during the match. Were you working on it in practice as well? Did you have any concerns about the system change during the game?
I have done it several times in matches, and of course, I practice it as well. With three at the back, my positioning range becomes narrower as there are more players behind, but I need to carry the ball a bit further forward, which is different from four at the back. With three at the back, we basically have to solidify our defense, but after switching to three at the back, we conceded a goal, so I feel a heavy responsibility. I think we were caught off guard for a moment and conceded, so I want to work hard to become a center-back who can be aware of the whole game.
<Shuto ABE>
Q: The milestone 100th match turned out to be a tough game.
A, looking back at today's match, personally, there were many poor plays and noticeable mistakes. I felt heavy physically and wasn't able to perform well. It's unfortunate that the 100th match didn't become a good memory.
Q, you changed the system from the first half. How did it feel as a player on the pitch?
Until the last shot, our attack lacked structure, so I spoke with Ryoma WATANABE and Kuryu MATSUKI about being aware of receiving the ball in many situations, regardless of the formation. However, we couldn't create a good shape and ended the first half like that. In the second half, we entered the match with the same flow, which led to conceding a goal without things going well.
Q, until now, there have been many scenes where Hotaka NAKAMURA's aggressive and dynamic play has shifted the opposing defenders.
A, all the players seemed heavy. There were few instances of chasing back, and if they can't run when they should, I don't think the team will have any energy, nor will they be able to put pressure on the opponent. I felt once again that such play is important.
Q: I think we continued to play while feeling the pressure from the opponent in the second half.
A, there were many good scenes from Avispa Fukuoka, but we also had many passing mistakes, and there were many moments where we had to deal with the opponent's long balls. Tokyo had to endure that style of play for a long time. After all, if we are on the back foot for too long, we will eventually break down, as seen in today's conceding scene. Therefore, first and foremost, I want to focus on not losing the ball and minimizing passing mistakes.
Q, There is a match against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in two days. Please share your enthusiasm for it.
It's a tight schedule with returning today and moving the day after tomorrow, but I believe it will be a total effort, so I want to rest when I can to recover from fatigue and face the match in as fresh a state as possible.
