TOKYOism

Match Review

The final match of the season, which serves as a conclusion, was a matchup against Shonan Bellmare at Lemon Gas Stadium Hiratsuka. In place of the suspended Yuto Nagatomo, Kosuke Shirai took the right side back position, and Tsubasa Terayama made his first league start in four months as a defensive midfielder. Kuryu Matsuki, returning from suspension, was utilized as an attacking midfielder.

It has been a difficult season, but we have secured a double-digit ranking for the first time since the 2017 season, and we want to end it with a win. We want to fight aggressively to deliver three points to the blue-red fans and supporters who came all the way to the away match in Hiratsuka.

1st HALF—Gradually gaining momentum with tenacious defense

The momentum of Shonan Bellmare heading into the final home match prevailed. They started sharply and were not outdone in recovering second balls. However, in the final moments near the goal, Tokyo gradually took control of the pace and increased the scenes ending with shots.

In the 9th minute, Adailton headed a shot from Matsuki's corner kick that went wide of the goal. In the 12th minute, Adailton carried the ball on a counterattack and passed it to Diego OLIVEIRA in the center. Diego then faced the goal and struck the ball with his right foot, but it missed the target.

The first half continued with a back-and-forth battle without any change in the score. Both teams created attacking opportunities, but mistakes occurred in the finishing accuracy and the processes leading up to it, resulting in no clear chances being created as the first half came to a close.

2nd HALF - Koizumi's first goal in Tokyo leads to victory after 5 matches

In the second half, which started without any player substitutions, Tokyo actively initiated attacks. Matsuki dropped back to the midfield to draw out the ball, and with his vertical passes, the number of times Diego TABA and Adailton surged towards the goal increased.

In the 2nd and 5th minutes, there were decisive shots in the area. In the 2nd minute, Diego TABA's powerful shot with his right foot hit the target but was saved by the opposing goalkeeper. In the 5th minute, Tsubasa TERAYAMA, who jumped in from the third row, aimed for the goal, but it only shook the outside of the side net. Nevertheless, Tokyo did not ease their attack and took the lead in the 7th minute. Masato MORISHIGE at the final line made a long feed. Adailton, who broke free from this, created time on the left side, and Kei KOIZUMI, who jumped in front of the goal, calmly evaded the opposing defender and scored.

After gaining a one-point lead, including the players who came on as substitutes, we managed to control the game well while running down the clock. Specially designated Soma ANZAI and Kanta DOI, who made his J1 debut, both delivered impressive performances.

In the final stages, we faced a fierce attack from Shonan, but our concentration today was excellent, and we secured a victory with a clean sheet until the end. This is our first "Uno Zero" victory since the match against Cerezo Osaka in Sec. 22, achieving our third win of the season away.

As a result, they accumulated 3 points for the first time in 5 matches and finished in 11th place.

MATCH DETAILS

<FC Tokyo>

STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Kosuke SHIRAI/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (substituted in 35th minute: Kanta DOI)
MF Keisuke KOIZUMI/Tsubasa TERAYAMA (substituted in 27th minute: Keigo HIGASHI)/Kuryu MATSUKI
FW Teruhito NAKAGAWA (substituted in 31st minute: Soma ANZAI)/Diego Oliveira (substituted in 27th minute: Naoki KUMATA)/Adailton (substituted in 27th minute: Jaja Silva)

SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Seiji KIMURA

GOAL
7 minutes into the second half: Kei KOIZUMI

<Shonan Bellmare>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Son Bum-gun
DF Takuya OKAMOTO (substituted in 27th minute: Sho FUKUDA)/Kazuki OIWA/Min Tae KIM/Kazunari OHNO/Daiki SUGIOKA
MF Masaki IKEDA (substituted in 27th minute: Akito SUZUKI)/Akimi BARADA (substituted in 12th minute: Kohei OKUNO)/Taiyo HIRAOKA (substituted in 12th minute: Junnosuke SUZUKI)/Hiroyuki ABE
FW Yuki OHASHI

SUBS
GK Hiroki MAWATARI
DF Shuto YAMAMOTO/Koki TACHI

GOAL
―

[Comments from Coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI at the Press Conference]

Q, please review today's game.
I think we were able to deliver a high performance and play in a way that deserved to win. We fought with great respect for our opponent, Shonan Bellmare, and I believe we managed to respond well and keep a clean sheet. In that process, I think we were able to effectively use the spaces we wanted and create good scenes. The players fought firmly with their commitment and strong beliefs, and I believe they gave it their all.
We are proud that all the players were able to share the victory with our fans and supporters. I believe we were able to deliver a good victory for Adailton, a special player who has contributed to this club.

Q: Tsubasa TERAYAMA has returned to the starting lineup for the league match after a long time.
A, you were working hard while paying attention to the details. That play was something you had shown during practice, and I believed it was worthy of being in the starting lineup. I think you maximized your abilities and worked hard.

Q, please review the goal scene.
I think we were able to play well while controlling the game ourselves, especially in build-up scenes. I knew how the opponent would move when we got into that position near the goal, so I believe we were able to make good plays within that context. I think we were able to get into dangerous areas, and it was Kei KOIZUMI's best goal. Moreover, I believe it was a wonderful goal by the entire team.

[Player Interview]]
<Adailton>

Q: It was the last match in Tokyo, what was your mindset going into the game?
A, regardless of the fact that today is my last match as a player for Tokyo, I played as usual to end the match with a good result. As a result, I was able to achieve victory in my last match in Tokyo thanks to all my teammates. I am very happy to have finished my last match with a win. I would like to thank all my teammates.

Q: In the first half, there were many breakthroughs utilizing the characteristic speed and power.
A, this week we have been working on strategies against Shonan Bellmare in practice. I focused on getting behind the opposing defenders during training. My teammates also passed the ball to me while observing my movements, and I believe the results of our practice showed.

Q, please review the scene where Kei KOIZUMI assisted the goal.
A, I think this is a scene that came from the part we were working on in training this week. A good pass came from Masato MORISHIGE, and the pass he made to Koizumi, who was making a run, was the best option he considered.

Q: After the match, the calls for Adailton did not cease. Please give a message to the fans and supporters.
A, it has come to the last match, but I am filled with gratitude for all the fans and supporters who have cheered for me. Despite coming from a distant country, I always felt the support of many people, and today I felt their appreciation. It made me very happy and reaffirmed that choosing Japan was not a mistake. Thank you very much.

<Kei KOIZUMI>

Q、The first goal after the transfer led to a victory after about two months. Please reflect on the choices made for the shot and how it led to the goal.
When I received the ball from Adailton, I hesitated to shoot immediately, but since I saw the opponent closing in, I chose to take a touch on the ball. To be honest, shooting is all about feeling for me. I didn't think too much about it and focused on my instincts when I took the shot. I'm glad the shot went in well.

Q: Your hard work on both offense and defense stood out. Please reflect on the entire match.
There are areas for improvement in build-up play and awareness of the space behind, but the most important aspects such as hard work, commitment in defense, and not losing battles for the ball were expressed collectively with a sense of unity. It was a match worthy of victory.

Q, Please tell us the reason why Koizumi, who is known for his strong defensive image, was able to advance to that position and contribute to the goal.
A, Adailton made a move on the side, so I also sprinted to match that. I saw that there was space available, and since Adailton was in a one-on-one situation, I advanced with the awareness to support from the midfield position. It was good that my awareness of participating in the attack led to a positive outcome.

Q, In the first half, it seemed like you received the ball in a low position, with a lot of supply to the front line and disruption from the opponent's midfield.
A, throughout the entire match, there were certainly some tense moments, but we were particularly able to express our commitment to play at the crucial moments today. We were able to play for 90 minutes without losing communication. If we could express games like today throughout the season, the results and standings might have been different. Personally, I feel that my involvement in the attack has been limited throughout the season. I regret that I should have increased my involvement from the very beginning.

Recently in practice, I learned from Keigo HIGASHI about how to engage in attacks and positioning before receiving the ball, focusing on the finer details. His way of communicating was very effective, allowing me to play with understanding in practice and today's match. In Tokyo, there are many excellent players, starting with HIGASHI. Whether they are experienced players or younger, dynamic players like Tsubasa TERAYAMA and Kuryu MATSUKI, I want to absorb what I can and make it my own. I cannot grow solely on my own strength. I wasn't able to approach the season with that mindset from the beginning, so I want to reflect on this and make use of it moving forward.

<Tsubasa TERAYAMA>

Q: It has been since the match against Sagan Tosu on April 1 that you started in the league. How do you reflect on the game?
A, it was my first start in a while. I believe my performance in daily practices and practice matches was recognized, which led to my starting position, so I made an effort to play in a way that would meet expectations. There were still areas where I fell short, but there were also many things I was able to accomplish, so that was a positive aspect.

Q: What specific things that you have built up through daily practice were you able to demonstrate in today's match?
A part that Coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI always demands is hard work and the transition between offense and defense. I think I was able to do it to some extent because I have been consciously working on it in practice. However, I feel that I need to improve on the number of times I get involved with the ball and my attitude to move forward, so I want to work on that in the future.

Q: In the first half, I think there was a lot of focus on dealing with the two shadows of Shonan Bellmare. How were you aware of that?
A, I believe my strength is being able to take the ball away by tackling the opposing forward who receives a vertical pass, so I was focused on recovering the ball through defense. Today, there were many scenes where I could recover the ball, so it was good.

Q: I think there were many scenes where you participated in the attack in the second half. Did you change your mindset at halftime or when the second half started?
A, we are playing to win, so we discussed at halftime within the team that we need to score points, and we were conscious of increasing the number of times we broke into the pockets that were few in the first half. I believe that being able to maintain the ball in a high position and continue attacking with secondary and tertiary attacks also contributed to our victory.

<Soma ANZAI>

Q: It was a difficult situation coming in as a substitute in a match in Tokyo after a long time. How did you approach it?
A, previously, when I participated in the J1 League, it ended in a frustrating way, so I personally had a strong desire to make up for it. This season, since I was registered as a specially designated player, I didn't have many opportunities to be involved with the team, but I wanted to prove that I was fighting as a member of Tokyo. I wanted to deliver a victory to the fans and supporters who supported me throughout the season, so it was good that we were able to win.

Q, I think there were many parts where Soma ANZAI's characteristics were highlighted.
I often played as a full-back, but this time I played in a higher position as a winger. The winger position is also where I usually play when I represent Waseda University. Since we were leading 1-0, I focused on creating time when I received the ball and on my strength, which is breaking through. In terms of defense, when I came on as a substitute, we were winning but it was a tough time, so I was particularly conscious of battling for the ball.

Q: Although the duration of participation in practice was not very long and I entered the game midway, did you feel any difficulties?
It was my first time playing on the right side with Kosuke SHIRAI, but I was able to organize what I needed to do in my mind. While watching the matches in Tokyo, I imagined various situations, so when I got on the field, I had no choice but to solve things by communicating with my teammates. I think it was good that I was able to communicate, starting with SHIRAI.

Q: How does Anzai want to grow in the future?
A, I mentioned this when I joined, but I want to be a player who can convey my feelings to those who are watching. Ultimately, I want to become a player who can deliver victories.

Q, please give a message to the fans and supporters who came to the away game today.
A, I was only able to participate in 4 matches this season, but just like in my debut match, the cheers from the fans and supporters truly gave me strength. Although I couldn't achieve the results I wanted, I am filled with gratitude for the fans and supporters who sent their passionate support throughout the entire season, both at home and away.