＜Match Review＞
J1 League, Levain Cup Prime Stage Quarterfinals followed by a 3-game series against Avispa Fukuoka. In the J1 League Sec. 26 match held 3 days ago, we were forced to chase after being scored 2 points early in the first half, and although we managed to score 1 point towards the end, we lost 1-2.
The remaining two matches will determine the winner in a tournament format, with one home and one away game. The first match will take place at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo, the home of the team. With only two days of rest, it will be an important match to redeem themselves from the disappointment of the league game.
1st HALF - Don't miss a moment's gap and take the lead with Adagol
The beginning of the game saw Fukuoka dominating and playing in their own half, but they carefully built up from the center back and utilized space to launch quick counterattacks against the opponent's formation.
Tokyo moves the game before the flow of the game leans to either side. In the 16th minute of the first half, Adailton reacted to the ball that was played behind Fukuoka and matched up with Douglas. Douglas reached the ball first and headed it back, but the goalkeeper missed the ball. Adailton, who was still in momentum, chased after the ball and tucked it into the goal.
Tokyo, who firmly holds the ball and neutralizes the opponent's momentum. In the 23rd minute of the first half, player Erik Harakawa received the ball from the left side of the penalty area and looked up. As soon as he saw that the opponent was not approaching, he swung his right foot and scored a sharp middle shot in the upper left corner of the goal. Although this was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper, Tokyo created a chance without missing the opponent's gap in the flow of the game.
As the first half comes to an end, Fukuoka is pushed back and the defense is challenged to keep the ball from going too far. In the scene where a powerful middle shot was taken in the 45+1 minute, SLOWIK reacted sharply to the ball that flew to the left corner of the goal and deflected it out of the frame.
2nd HALF - Advance to the 2nd match with a victory
Fukuoka, who made three substitution cards from the start of the second half, comes forward with momentum, but Tokyo maintains a compact formation and does not allow any opportunities for a finish without creating space.
After taking the ball, we use the front line simply and launch a counterattack, utilizing the space inside the Fukuoka team's center of gravity that is leaning forward to attack. In the 15th minute of the second half, Adailton, who received the ball from Yuto Nagatomo, ran up the left side and entered the penalty area with momentum, but his shot was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper who closed the distance.
In the second half, they will take control by making substitution cards after passing the middle of the field. In the 30th minute of the second half, they will send in Teruhito NAKAGAWA for Adailton, Ryoma WATANABE for Higashi, and Tsubasa TERAYAMA for Tsukagawa. In the 35th minute of the second half, they will bring in Kashif BANGNAGANDE for Shirai.
As the game entered the final stages, there were more moments where we were pushed back, but instead of just defending, we continued to aggressively attack by connecting our passes and aiming for additional goals. Even in the additional time, Tokyo maintained their aggressive stance. They kept their one-point lead, securing the first victory and keeping their hopes alive for advancing to the semifinal round in the second game.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Yakubu Swobiyk
DF Kei Koizumi/Masato Morishige/Henrique Trevizan/Yuto Nagatomo
MF Koki Tsukagawa (30th minute of the second half: Tsubasa Terayama)/Keigo Higashi (30th minute of the second half: Ryoma Watanabe)/Chikara Harakawa
FW Kosuke Shirai (35th minute of the second half: Kashif BANGNAGANDE)/Naoki Kumata (45th minute + 2 minutes of the second half: Kanta Doi)/Adailton (30th minute of the second half: Teruhito Nakagawa)
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
FW PEROTTI
GOAL
16' Adailton
＜Avispa Fukuoka＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Takumi Nagaishi
DF Masato Yuzawa/Douglas Grolli (46': Tatsuki Nara)/Masaya Tashiro/Daiki Miya/Masashi Kamekawa (80': Yota Maejima)
MF Tatsuya Tanaka (46': Ryoga Sato)/Yuto Hiratsuka/Kimiya Moriyama (46': Yosuke Ideguchi)
FW Reiju Tsuruno (65': Wellington)/Takeshi Kanamori
SUBS
GK Masaaki MURAKAMI
MF Kazuya KONNO
GOAL
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[Peter CKLAMOVSKI Director Press Conference Comments]
Q, please review the game.
A, Overall, I think the performance was good. Among them, I think the players gave us something great and were able to secure the victory. As for the first half, I think we were able to show some really good parts, and in the second half, we were able to play solidly. The players showed dedication and their own strengths, and I think it was a performance worthy of victory.
Q, Today we adopted a 3-back formation, what was the intention behind that?
A, I think we were able to play according to our current situation and adapt to the current situation. The players played each and every one of their roles well and gave their all. As I mentioned earlier, we were able to produce something wonderful in the first half. However, there are still areas that need to be polished. The important thing is to recover properly from here. And since it's still halftime, we want to go for the win away from home.
Q, This was the second game of a three-game series against Avispa Fukuoka. Did you find it difficult to play against them?
A unique situation, but it is important to prepare for the next game without looking too far ahead. There are certainly difficult parts, but the performance that the players showed today was of very high quality. And they showed their strong feelings and character for this club. The players deserve praise and I think they deserve to win.
Q, this is the third consecutive match, please give us your enthusiasm for the second leg of the Levain Cup quarterfinals.
A, no matter who the opponent is, it is important for us to play solidly. As it is a series of three games, we understand each other's ways and we will focus only on our own and prepare to deliver a good performance. It's still halftime. I think it will be a tough away game, but we will go for the win there.
[Player Interview]
<Henrique TREVISAN>
Q, it was a victory without conceding any points.
A, I thought it would be a tough game today. I am very happy that we were able to finish the game without conceding any goals, prepared for the opponent's playing style.
Q, the defense line was in a different formation with three players. Please tell us about the points you were conscious of in terms of defense.
A, I think it was good that the attitude towards the game was significantly different from the previous match. By changing the system, we were able to defend well. We still have an away game at Avispa Fukuoka, so we want to win properly and advance to the next stage.
Q, In the league match on Sunday, we lost in a very difficult situation, but we were able to prepare for today's match in a short period of time. What were the major improvements compared to the previous match?
A, I think the key to today's victory was being able to concentrate and get into the game right after the start of the match.
Q, In the second half, Wellington and Ryoga SATO were substituted in, and I think the defensive time increased. What kind of communication did the defensive players have with each other?
A, Yuto NAGATOMO can communicate in Spanish and I have played many games together with Masato MORISHIGE. We were able to maintain a high intensity with good distance while communicating well.
Riki HARAKAWA
Q, you made a big contribution to the victory in your first starting lineup after the transfer. Can you please reflect on the 90 minutes?
We talked about playing it safe as a team because it is a cup game, and in the league game on the 3rd, we conceded a goal early on, so we were able to organize that point and approach the game. We were talking to Adailton and Naoki Kumata about playing long balls in the first period, so the play that understood the intention with a common recognition led to Adailton's goal. I think we also got a great sense of accomplishment as a team.
Q, we saw plays where the defense was taken care of at a low position in the midfield, and a balance between offense and defense was achieved. If there was something you were consciously aware of, please let us know.
A, The opponent did not actively come to take the ball when I had the ball, so there were many scenes where I received the ball freely. I think I was able to play in the first half while watching the opponent's formation and pressing. Throughout the game, rather than actively participating in the attack, I played as a link between the overall balance, reading the flow, and the front line and defense. I especially focused on positioning myself to send the ball to the front line players from a low position.
Q, I think there was a long time to switch to defense after scoring. What challenges does the team have in order to score additional points?
After scoring, the play tended to focus more on defense. Of course, defensive play is important to prevent conceding goals, but I think it is important for the team to increase their focus on scoring a second goal.
Q, previously, you said after the game that you wanted to increase the time you touch the ball a little more. How is that going?
A, The number of times I receive the ball and touch it gradually increases, and I feel that they understand my playing style as time goes by. If we can balance playing with more courage during the leading time and playing defensively, we will become a better team.
Q, the second game of the quarterfinals is coming up in 3 days. Please share your enthusiasm for Avispa Fukuoka's away game with a low winning percentage.
I have heard that Tokyo has a poor winning rate in away games in Fukuoka, but I don't know that in a good way. On the contrary, personally, I have a lot of good impressions at BEST DENKI STADIUM. With today's victory of 1-0, Fukuoka will come with even more momentum and I want to approach the game considering the position of the second game and the cup competition.
Kosuke SHIRAI
Q, it was my first start in a while. Please look back on the game.
In the A, J1 League Sec. 24 match against Yokohama F.Marinos, I made a mistake and conceded a goal, resulting in a loss. I think I was in a situation where I had to regain trust from scratch, and I was able to show my commitment to defending and running through my play. From here on, I want to take one step at a time and regain trust.
Q, I started in the left side position. Please tell me what you were conscious of while playing on the right side most of the time.
In the match against Avispa Fukuoka on the 3rd, there were few plays where we were able to get behind the opponent, and we often found ourselves in a face-to-face situation, resulting in many scenes where we were caught off guard and had to defend against the opponent's attacks. I made a conscious effort to use my speed, which is my strength, and actively get behind the opponent today. It seemed like the opponent's defense was also wary of this.
Q, there were also scenes where he made good positioning on the left side and suppressed the opponent's play both offensively and defensively.
A, while communicating well with Keigo HIGASHI and Yuto NAGATOMO, I was able to play. Higashi was able to show his face in the space between Nagatomo and me, and I was able to play with his support.
Q, please tell us the major factor that was able to be corrected from the Fukuoka match on the 3rd.
I think the team was able to express plays that the opponent would dislike from the start. In the previous game, there were many scenes where we lost in the ball contest. I think that being able to win in each situation was a factor that brought the momentum to us.
Kashif BANGNAGANDE
Q, this was my first appearance since the Cerezo Osaka match on May 24th.
It was my first official game in about 4 months, so it felt very fresh. It was just like any other day until I arrived at Ajinomoto Stadium, but when I stepped onto the pitch for warm-up, I realized that I had come back.
Q, What preparations have you made during the long rehabilitation period?
Starting with a knee injury while playing for the Japan national team, I also suffered an ankle injury, so I worked on training to review my body movements to prevent injuries. With the support of many people, I was able to overcome the 4-month period and stand on the pitch. I had been looking forward to this day for 4 months, so I put all my feelings into it today. I think this is a fresh start from here on out.
Q, After getting injured, the coach changed and there were many differences in tactics before and after returning from injury. What did you focus on during practice matches?
A, While I was injured, there was a change in coach, so I watched from the outside to see what kind of football they were playing. Today, I played in a different position, but I was conscious of not losing in the attack and defense on the side and not being able to cross. I was conscious of fulfilling the coach's instructions.
Q, what did you keep in mind when you came on as a substitute?
A, since we were playing in a good flow, I wanted to maintain that flow and bring even more momentum. As I came on in the last 10 minutes while we were winning, I was especially conscious of tightening up our defense first.
Q, depending on the results of the next round, we may advance to the semifinal round. Please share your enthusiasm for the second match.
I think that the prime stage of the Levain Cup is 180 minutes per game. Since only the first half has ended, if we don't get results in the second game, today's victory will be meaningless. This season, we lost in the away game of the league, so even though it's a short time, I want to prepare well for the next game and definitely win.
