＜Match Review＞
The start of the season, which is the first time as Peter Tokyo. Finally, the start of the 2024 season has arrived. Tokyo will face Cerezo Osaka away in their first match. At the end of 38 games, in order to bring the title of league champions to Tokyo--. First, take the first step of 38 steps.
Go HATANO was in charge of the goalmouth at the opening. In the center back, Kanta DOI, who is in his second year as a professional, made his first start in the league and formed a partnership with Enrique TREVISAN. On the side backs, Yuto NAGATOMO was placed on the right and Kashif BANGNAGANDE was placed on the left. The triangle in the midfield was led by new addition Ryotaro ARAKI, with captain Kuryu MATSUKI and Riki HARAKAWA forming a double pivot. In the front line, Diego OLIVEIRA, the central pillar, was used in the center, Teruhito NAKAGAWA on the right wing, and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA on the left wing.
1stHALF - First goal of the season by Araki "Taro's shot"!
The start was a back-and-forth exchange of kicks as both teams struggled to settle the ball. As Tokyo increased the pressure from the front line, they were able to create quick opportunities by connecting the ball at a fast pace and quickly entering the opponent's territory. On the other hand, there were also moments where they lost the ball in the middle of the build-up and were counterattacked, making for a tense and exciting attacking match for both teams.
Tokyo can bring the ball up to the vital area in front of the opponent's goal, but they struggle to shoot as they lack one more idea right before the finish.
In the first chance of Tokyo, at 25 minutes in the first half, Matsuki sends a big cross ball towards the far side after getting a free kick on the left side near the half line. Yoshifu wins the competition and returns the ball to the center, where Tawara Takada traps it and takes a volley shot. Unfortunately, it was blocked by a defender, but the loose ball falls in front of Nakagawa, who takes a one-touch volley shot, but it narrowly misses the goal and goes over.
It seemed like we had a good grasp of the flow, but good luck was on their side. In the 27th minute of the first half, the ball was carried deep into the penalty area by Maikuma player through cooperation on the left side. Enrique player jumped in to block the cross ball, but the ball hit his foot and floated to the far side, allowing Capixaba player to score freely and take the lead.
Even if the home team takes the lead, it wouldn't be strange to feel down, but Tokyo kept pushing forward. And they answered, "This is how we are this season."
In the 34th minute of the first half, the ball was played from the right side, and Nakagawa passed it to Matsuki, who had come to support near the right corner of the penalty area. Matsuki, who was facing the goal at a 45-degree angle to the right, swung his left foot without hesitation and shot a curving ball. The shot was heading towards the far side, but Araki, who had entered the goal area, touched the ball and redirected it into the goal.
As the game entered the final stage, both teams created scoring opportunities. In the 38th minute of the first half, Leo CEARA received a pass from Maikuma and stripped the defender with one touch before unleashing a powerful shot, but it hit the post and was saved. On the other hand, Tokyo's Araki made a run down the right side in the 41st minute and carried the ball all the way to the goal, where Tsumetai Tanaka tapped in a low cross to score. However, Araki was ruled offside in the build-up and the goal was disallowed.
2ndHALF - Bringing home points again with "Taro's goal"
As the second half begins, Cerezo Osaka continues to be pushed back. In the 5th minute of the second half, Maekuma receives the ball freely in a deep position on the left side of the penalty area, but HATANO blocks his shot in a 1-on-1 situation. However, immediately after, they concede a goal from a near post header by Tanaka from a corner kick.
In the 10th minute of the second half, Leo CEARA was able to penetrate the penalty area and take a shot in front of the goal, but Go HATANO made a great save. The rebound was then taken by CAPIXABA, but once again Go HATANO bravely blocked the shot and protected the goal.
Tokyo, who couldn't hold onto their ball, created a chance from a counter attack in the 25th minute of the second half. Jája Silva, who was subbed in at the 20th minute of the second half, received the ball in a high position on the left side and carried it with speed. He then took a strong right-footed shot from outside the penalty area, but it was deflected by an opponent defender and hit the crossbar.
As the time spent holding the ball increases by pushing the opponent little by little, there are more situations where it is difficult to find a way to attack against the opponent who has solidified their defense block. The ball is held in the opponent's territory, but it cannot be carried to the area where decisive work can be done. The player who broke through such a sense of stagnation was Jaja, who was substituted in the middle of the game.
In the 30th minute of the second half, the ball was passed to Jaja, who was open on the left side, from a build-up play starting from the defense line. Despite the crowded opponent players, the passing lane was closed, but Jaja dribbled past two defenders and opened up the defensive block. He then advanced into the penalty area, drawing the defender and sending a ground cross ball to Araki, who was making a run, to equalize for Tokyo.
Afterwards, both teams created scenes of approaching the goal in an open development. Tokyo also increased their attacking opportunities after the equalizer, but they were unable to secure the goal that would lead to 3 points until the end. However, they fought in a very difficult situation in the away opening match, and in the second half, they were able to break through the opponent's defensive block and secure a goal, which they can take back as a gain and a source of 1 point for the home opening match.
One week later, our home will be visited by the blue and red warriors for the first time in a while. We want to continue the tough fight we showed in Osaka, facing Sanfrecce Hiroshima and aiming for our first 3 points of the season.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING XI
GK Go HATANO
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Kanta DOI/Henrique TREVISAN/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (37th minute: Kosuke SHIRAI)
MF Kusei MATSUKI/Riki HARAKAWA (37th minute: Kei KOIZUMI)/Ryotaro ARAKI
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (45+5th minute: Keigo HIGASHI)/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (20th minute: Jaja SILVA)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (20th minute: Soma ANZAI)
SUBS
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Masato MORISHIGE
GOAL
First Half 34th Minute: Ryotaro ARAKI/Second Half 30th Minute: Ryotaro ARAKI
<Cerezo Osaka>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kim Jin-hyun
DF Seiya Maikuma/Kyohei Noborizato/Sho Funaki/Koji Toriumi
MF Shinji Kagawa (33rd minute of the second half: Masaya Shibayama)/Shunta Uemoto (45th minute of the second half: Satoki Uejo)/Hiroaki Okuno (33rd minute of the second half: Vitor Bueno)
FW Leo Ceara/Capixaba (45th minute of the second half: Daiki Tamegai)/Lucas Fernandez
SUBS
GK Keisuke SHIMIZU
DF Hayato OKUDA/Ryuya NISHIO
GOAL
First half 27 minutes: CAPIXABA/Second half 6 minutes: Shunta TANAKA
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI]
Q, please give us an overview of today's match.
A, I think it was a great football battle. Cerezo Osaka is a very good team, so it was a tough away game where we respected each other. Even though we were twice behind, we were able to catch up and show that we never gave up and continued to fight. The players gave everything until the end and fought until the end to score the winning goal. I am proud of the players who fought desperately and together with the one point we earned, I think it is important to take home the performance we showed today and continue to create our own football.
Q, please tell us about the feeling of building a deep player layer so that the intensity of the game does not decrease even when changing players.
A, I talked before the game and at halftime, but it's important for whoever comes out to contribute to the team and to perform well. The players who came on during the game also did very well, and I think we are able to show our fitness and physical strength that we have been working on.
Q, please tell us your evaluation of players Ryotaro ARAKI and Kanta DOI, who started in the opening lineup.
Both players contributed greatly to the team and fought hard. Matsuki is a player with great potential and it seems like he is enjoying football right now. He can be a playmaker when he has the ball and he fought hard even when he didn't have it. I think the hard work he has put in over the past few weeks led to his two goals, and he should continue to improve even more.
I think Hoi player gave a good performance. It was a tough away game, and there were difficult parts of the battle, and I think there were parts where my own strength was tested, but he fought strongly from the beginning.Not just the two of them, but I think it is important for all players to continue to grow steadily as a team.
Q, Please tell us your evaluation of the players who fought forward even when they were behind.
In a very tough match, there were some difficult moments for us, but I think we showed a strong mentality. We allowed the lead to slip twice, but the players fought with a strong mental and spirit. They worked hard and believed in each other. It was a tough battle, but we were able to earn 1 point and we will continue to prepare for the next match.
[Player Interview]
＜Kuryu MATSUKI＞
Q, please review the 90 minutes first.
A, Today, I wasn't able to play calmly, but I think it's a big deal to bring back 1 point from the away game. However, I felt that we can't break into the top without winning these kinds of games, so I want to make some adjustments there.
Q, this season is the season to face as captain. There was also an assist, but how was your personal performance?
A, I wanted to be more involved with the ball and I think I could have come up with more ideas to make a difference in my position. However, in a game like today's, there are also difficult moments, so in that sense, I want to increase the number of times I jump out in front of the goal in future games.
Q, As the captain of Tokyo, what kind of season do you want to have this season?
A, I want to win, and I want to become a strong team that can bring back 3 points even in away games like this.
<Ryotaro ARAKI>
Q, What was your first game like after joining?
A tough 90 minutes. I think it was good that we were able to get at least 1 point. I think it was a tough battle throughout the game, and the fact that we conceded first made it even tougher.
Q, however, we quickly scored an equalizer after conceding the first goal.
A, I was running thinking "I wish the ball would come here", and luckily it came there, so it was a scene where I just had to touch it to score.
Q, in the second half, Jája Silva scored the second goal by connecting with a cross ball.
A, I had been working on cross ball situations a lot during practice, so when the ball came there, I believed and ran.
Q, Ryotaro ARAKI's crucial season has begun. Please share your enthusiasm for the upcoming matches.
A, I want to continue to achieve results like this.
<Kanta DOI>
Q, this was your first start in a professional league match. Please review the game.
In terms of attack, our traps were completely ineffective, but in terms of defense, we were able to have a good performance throughout the 90 minutes thanks to the close communication between players such as Henrique TREVISAN and Yuto NAGATOMO. However, conceding 2 goals is not acceptable for our defense. Moving forward, we will work on improving and keeping a clean sheet in our practices.
Q, How much preparation did you make for Cerezo Osaka?
A, 1 week ago, we thoroughly analyzed Leo CEARA's playing style by watching videos, so we had a good understanding of the opponent.
Q, I could see the parts that needed to be fixed without major disruptions, but what were you focusing on in terms of communication on the pitch?
A, I talked frequently with Henrique and Go HATANO about our positioning when dealing with cross balls. We were able to make adjustments and change our positioning by communicating with HATANO and moving one step inside or outside. That was the part that we were able to fix in the second half.
Q, please tell us about your feelings and enthusiasm for the next game after making your first start in the league.
A, the defensive part is working, but there were a few moments where I lost to Leo CEARA in heading, so I think that's an area where I can grow, so I want to work on it in the future.
<Jája Silva>
Q, the play that changed the flow from the middle of the second half was shining. Please review the game.
A, it was a very difficult game. In the unique atmosphere and tension of the opening match, the actual game development also became difficult. Today's draw, which earned 1 point, so let's think positively and try for the next match.
Q: How were you watching the game from the bench until the middle of the second half?
There were two times when we were behind, and it was a long game where we had to focus on defense, so I thought it would be difficult to come into the pitch in the middle.
Q, Contributed to an assist from the side by defeating Maikuma, a member of the Japan national team.
A, he was a very wonderful player, and I knew he was a highly skilled player even before the match. He was a player with high defensive abilities, but I am happy that I was able to dodge Maikuma player in one-on-one situations and connect to an assist.
Q, please review the scene of the assist that created the equalizing goal.
I think I was able to receive the ball on the side and successfully avoid the defender and move the ball forward. I first saw Diego Oliveira making a run into the goal, but I am grateful that Ryotaro Araki was able to skillfully connect with the ball that flowed to the far side.
Q, You can see the good condition from the camp. What kind of performance are you expecting from here?
A, my physical condition and condition have been good since last season. Although my playing time was short in today's game, I believe that if my playing time becomes longer from here, I will be able to show you an even better performance.
