Match Review
The first match after a break of about two weeks was the round of 16 of the Emperor's Cup, where we faced Roasso Kumamoto on their home ground. The team, which has been focusing on continuity and development, has been undergoing rigorous training even during the period without official matches and is feeling a solid sense of progress. After a month and a half since his appointment, the influence of head coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI is also becoming more evident.
The starting members of note are the goalkeeper Jakub SLOWIK and captain Masato MORISHIGE, who are absent. Goalkeeper Taishi Brandon NOZAWA makes his debut in this tournament, and Kosuke SHIRAI, who joined in the summer, is utilized as the right side back. In the new formation, Kei KOIZUMI, who had been playing as a side back, moves to the defensive midfield, while familiar faces line up in the forward positions.
Amid the unique heat of Kyushu, the battle to show the difference in strength against Roasso Kumamoto, which belongs to the J2 League, has kicked off in order to advance to the Semifinal Round.
1st HALF - Conceded an early penalty kick to take the lead
It was an unexpected start. In the 2nd minute of the first half, Ryoma WATANABE threw in a throw-in from the right side, and after Diego OLIVEIRA dropped it, Koki TSUKAGAWA took the first shot. Following a clearance in front of our goal, we allowed Ito to break through the high line and go on a solo run, and within the penalty area, Taishi NOZAWA fouled him, resulting in a penalty kick. In the 4th minute of the first half, this was converted by Hirakawa, who was with Tokyo until last summer, allowing us to concede the opening goal early on.
After losing the lead, they began to push forward from both sides, but perhaps because it had been a while since they played an official match, the tempo of moving the ball did not increase. There were noticeable discrepancies in passing and control, and conversely, there were continued situations where they faced danger from counterattacks. They managed to hold on thanks to a good save by player Taishi Nozawa, preventing any additional goals, but the difficult situation continued.
In the 42nd minute of the first half, a chance finally arrives. After connecting passes in the center, a cross from Shirai, who was waiting on the right side, is spilled by the goalkeeper, but Kota TAWARATSUMIDA is there to follow up, and his shot rattles the side netting, preventing the equalizer.
2nd HALF - Allowed an additional goal and exited the tournament in the round of 16
First, they wanted to catch up in the second half, and although they did not make any substitutions, they quickly took control. In the 5th minute of the second half, they approached the goal from the right side. The key player was Watanabe. Standing at the corner of the penalty area, he delivered a near miss cross, then broke free from Tsukagawa's last pass, entered the penalty area, and created a scene that ended with a shot. However, the ball that was on target was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper.
Just as a good flow was beginning to emerge, another pitfall awaited. In the 9th minute of the second half, a pass mistake in the opponent's territory was picked up by Matsumoto, who was raised in Tokyo's academy. Watanabe, who chased from behind, couldn't catch up, and Henrique TREVISAN was evaded and swiftly dribbled to the goal, ultimately shaking the net calmly.
As the team fell behind by 2 goals, they made an early substitution to bring in fresh faces, but were unable to make a significant change. In the 19th minute of the second half, Adailton made a through pass to Leon NOZAWA, and the two substitutes created a big chance, but Leon NOZAWA's shot went wide of the target.
After the water break in the second half, space opened up in the opponent's territory, and the number of shots increased, but there were continued instances of weak shots or missing the target, resulting in no goals and the match ending. The Emperor's Cup concluded with the team finishing in the top 16.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Yasuki KIMOTO/Yuto NAGATOMO (27th minute: Shuhei TOKUMOTO)/Henrique Trevisan/Kosuke SHIRAI
MF Kyu Matsuki/Koki TSUKAGAWA (11th minute: Leon NOZAWA)/Kei KOIZUMI (26th minute: Keisuke HIGASHI)
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (31st minute: Perotti)/Ryoma WATANABE/Kota TAWARA (11th minute: Adailton)
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Kanta DOI
GOAL
―
<Roasso Kumamoto>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Ryuga TASHIRO
DF Kohei KUROKI/Ryotaro ONISHI (38th min: Takumi SAKAI)/Takuro EZAKI
MF Shuhei KAMIMURA/Yuki OMOTO (38th min: Keisuke TANABE)/Yuhi TAKEMOTO (26th min: Kazuto FUJITA)/Rei HIRAKAWA
FW Toshiyuki ITO (7th min: Yutaka DOUWAKI)/Rumu MATSUOKA (26th min: Tatsuki HIGASHIYAMA)/Takuya SHIMAMURA
SUBS
GK Yuya SATO
FW Shohei AIHARA
GOAL
4th minute of the first half: Rei HIRAKAWA/9th minute of the second half: Rimu MATSUOKA
[Comments from Coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI at the Press Conference]
Q, please review the game.
A, I think it was a good battle of football. I believe Roasso Kumamoto fought very well, and I want to say congratulations.
We have prepared with respect for Kumamoto and have done what we can. However, I think our strength was not enough. It was a game where the goals decided everything, and we had a few chances that seemed like we could score. I believe Kumamoto capitalized on their chances effectively.
The players fought dedicatedly, and I am very proud of their desperate efforts. The players continued to fight to give their all. I believe we were able to create decisive opportunities during that time. The players here, those who remain, must be feeling pain and disappointment. I want us to move forward with that pain and become a strong team, a strong group, a strong club.
Q: What is your game plan for the match against Kumamoto, and how much of it was executed?
A, Kumamoto is a very good team, and they fought hard to secure a victory in front of their home fans. Even in such situations, I wanted to take the initiative against the opponent, and I believe we were able to do that. We anticipated that Kumamoto would play by moving the ball, and we fought while understanding how to exploit that space. It was a match where both teams tried to practice football.
As I mentioned earlier, the important point is that we continued to play our way. Once we scored one goal, we could have followed with two or three more. I believe we were able to create chances. If we weren't able to create chances while holding the ball, there are areas where we need to improve, but today we were able to create opportunities. I think there were chances where we could have scored a few goals, but we couldn't finish them tonight. What matters is that the players fought to continue their play until the end and tried to find solutions. However, we couldn't convert our chances into goals.
Q: It seemed that we struggled quite a bit against the opponent's press, especially in the first half. Was it that we needed a second plan, or did we not have enough time to prepare? Which was it?
A, rather than a second plan, the opponent was also applying very good pressure. There were parts where we managed to relieve the pressure, and parts where we couldn't. As the match progressed, I think we regained our rhythm and were able to break through the opponent. A positive point was that the players were able to clearly find solutions.
Q: What are the points for reflection from today's match?
A, I would like to analyze all the elements. The biggest point is that the players bravely and dedicatedly continued to play their football and kept fighting. That is the most important thing and an element that will lead to future success.
We will thoroughly analyze performance and provide feedback. This is something we always do. However, what I felt from the players in today's match was the courage to play our football, the dedication to do so, and the attitude to fight with spirit. In such matches, players may sometimes hide when faced with pressure. However, our players tried to believe in their football and sought solutions while fighting. I believe this is important for becoming the team we envision for the future.
To answer the previous question, it is everything. I believe we must solve everything. We need to improve in every aspect and continue to get better.
[Player Interview]]
<Kosuke SHIRAI>
Q: Please reflect on today's match, which was your debut game in Tokyo.
I am very regretful that I couldn't lead the team to victory and that the possibility of winning a title has decreased by one.
Q: You maintained balance in both offense and defense, and there was also active participation in the attack. Please tell us what you were conscious of on the pitch.
A, we conceded a goal early on, but as a defender, I was particularly conscious of not allowing consecutive goals. While defending well, I was always looking for opportunities to join the attack and kept a constant awareness of moving forward to contribute to scoring. First, I was thinking about how to play to score a goal and equalize.
Q: In the first and second halves, the players who partnered with Ryoma WATANABE and Leon NOZAWA in a vertical relationship changed, but I think each of their strengths were showcased.
I was conscious of playing in a way that brings out the strengths and characteristics of the previous players. In that context, I believe that my participation in the attack as a supporting role adds depth. In the recent practice match, we had good coordination in that aspect. I think we were able to show it well through our play.
Q, there were many instances where Kosuke SHIRAI's characteristics were evident in his play.
There were moments when I was able to express the movement of sprinting past the outside space and delivering a cross ball deep into the position. From here, while deepening our collaboration, I want to increase the number of times I participate in defense coverage and attack, which is part of my characteristic sprinting.
Q: Please tell us about the sense of achievement and challenges you experienced in today's match.
As a team, we want to reduce the scenes that led to the first goal conceded while setting our defensive line higher. On the other hand, it is important for the team to take on challenges, and we want to improve while correcting our mistakes. I believe there were good moments in today's match as well. We want to improve as a team and make it better.
<Kuryu MATSUKI>
Q, please review the game.
A, when you concede a goal at the start, it really takes away the momentum. The opponent presses with intention, and when they enter the sides, they apply pressure, and it feels like we fell into that trap.
Q: Did the opponent's attack cause any defensive misalignments or was there anything different from the expected battle?
A, the opponent was pressing with a lone striker against our back line, so I thought it was surprisingly easy to break through. However, when the ball was played to Diego OLIVEIRA from the center back, there were many scenes where we lost the ball due to a lack of support. I believe the defensive midfielders can also go to pick up the ball, but if we don't push up from the center backs, it becomes difficult against an opponent that is slightly deeper.
Q: It seemed that Matsuki was closely marked when he had the ball during the attack. How was the buildup of the attack?
In the latter part of the second half, the opponent was also getting tired, but we were able to execute our combinations, and we need to be able to do this from the first half. The match is still ongoing, so I want to take this challenge back with us and prepare to win in the next match against Cerezo Osaka.
<Leon NOZAWA>
Q: You came on in the second half. What instructions did Coach Klamovski give you?
A, I was told by Coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI to utilize my strong points while executing the defensive duties on the right side and the team's established protocols, and to exploit the opponent's blind spots. Since I came on as a substitute, I aimed to contribute to the scoring with plays that would create a good flow.
Q, I had the impression that you were able to work well with Kosuke SHIRAI and create plays that led to scoring opportunities.
A, Shirai was always calling out to me from behind. We were able to play in coordination while confirming each other's movements through overlapping and playing inside. While understanding each other's characteristics, we were able to break through with a good relationship, but my own issue is that I couldn't finish at the crucial moment. I repeated the same mistake as in my debut match of the Levain Cup against Cerezo Osaka, and I feel that I still have a long way to grow.
Q: The playing time is gradually increasing, but please tell us again about the challenges and gains from this match.
I think we lost the ball too many times. The accuracy of our one-touch plays was low, and there were noticeable scenes where we easily lost possession and handed the ball to the opponent. Another issue was that we couldn't finish in one-on-one situations with the opposing goalkeeper or take advantage of volley shot opportunities. If we don't capitalize on important moments, I believe we won't survive from here. Regarding breaking through behind the defense, I have been getting a good feel for it in today's match as well as in the recent practice match. I want to organize my instincts as a striker and turn them into goals.
Q: I think we are in the process of getting closer to the goal, so please share your enthusiasm for the future.
I feel that I am getting closer to scoring, but I believe that a striker must deliver results in official matches, even if they can express themselves in practice games. If I have the opportunity to play in the next matches, I want to leave visible results as an individual, and I want to improve from my daily training.
