＜Match Review＞
The blue and red army has finally returned to Ajinomoto Stadium. In the previous match, Peter Tokyo showed their perseverance by coming back from behind twice against Cerezo Osaka, earning 1 point with a 2-2 draw. And in their home opener, they will face Urawa Reds, who showed their high level of completion and started with a win. The game, aiming for their first victory of the season, kicked off at 15:03.
The starting eleven has two changes from the match against Cerezo Osaka. Masato MORISHIGE has joined as center back and formed a partnership with Henrique TREVISAN, while new signing Keita ENDO made his debut in blue and red as a left winger. Teruhito NAKAGAWA, who knows the taste of winning the J1 League, stood alongside the left and right attackers.
1st HALF - The defense also shows a counterattack stance and heads into the second half with a scoreless tie.
Tokyo, who are cautious of the opponent's intense press from the start, take the ball deep and send it to the front line without taking risks. The first chance came in the 9th minute of the first half, when Endo dribbled across the pitch from the left side and moved towards the center, then switched to the right side. Nagatomo Yuto, who overlapped, crossed the ball and Bangnagande Kashif, who was waiting on the far side, took a direct volley with his left foot. Unfortunately, it missed just above the goal, but it showed an aggressive attack where the right back crosses and the left back follows up.
19 minutes into the first half, the opponent breaks through the right side on a counter attack, and Kato takes a shot from a cut-in, but it hits the opponent player and goes off target, escaping danger.
Tokyo, who wants to control the pace somehow, faces another pinch in the 23rd minute of the first half. They allow a powerful direct volley on the far side from the opponent's big left cross, but Go HATANO makes a sharp reaction and stops it. Then, the loose ball is picked up and shot, but this time Katsufu HAYASHI protects the goal with a brave block.
In the 34th minute of the first half, a quick attack from the left side created a chance. Gradually pushing forward, Riki HARAKAWA intercepted with sharp footwork. From here, Diego OLIVEIRA connected to the left side and Endo made a pass towards the penalty area corner while making a vertical run. Here, Ryotaro ARAKI turned with his back to the opponent and aimed with his right foot, but the ball unfortunately hit the top of the bar. The attacking line came close to scoring while showcasing their individual strengths.
In the 38th minute of the first half, Yuto Nagatomo crossed from a deep position on the right side, but Diego and Kuryu Matsuki were unable to convert the shot. Diego tried to return the ball to the center, but it was cleared by the opponent, and they were unable to push it in despite coming close to the goal.
The first half additional time is 2 minutes. While defending desperately in the penalty area against Hiroshima, who are actively pressing from the front line, there were also scenes where individual weapons were shown in both attack and defense. The first half ended scoreless.
2ndHALF - Equalized with "Taro's goal" immediately after conceding
In the 5th minute of the second half, without changing the members, a chance was created from a counter attack. Tokyo, who had stolen the ball deep in their own half, connected from the right side and Matsuki passed it to the center. Diego skillfully turned and faced forward, dribbling all the way to the penalty area. However, he was tripped up by the turf while trying to get past the opponent, and was unable to take a shot.
In the 10th minute of the second half, player Yoshifumi Kato skillfully dribbled past an opponent after receiving a throw-in from the left side, and unleashed a powerful shot with his non-dominant right foot. Unfortunately, it missed just above the goal, but it was a shining moment that showcased his aggressive attitude.
Tokyo, who had been patiently waiting for a chance, managed to escape a powerful long shot from the opponent with a fine save by player Go HATANO in the 19th minute of the second half. However, VAR supported the decision for the previous play. After an on-field review, it was determined that player Diego TABA had committed a handball and a penalty kick was awarded. This was converted, giving Hiroshima the lead.
Tokyo, who is chasing one point, substitutes Kei Koizumi and Jája Silva for Diego Taba and Endo, respectively. The player substitution to launch a counterattack was successful, and a tying goal was scored immediately in the 26th minute of the second half.
Nagatomo player overlaps at full speed with a vertical pass from Nakagawa player who kept it on the right side. Araki player who received it near the side skillfully removes the mark with his footwork while being surrounded by the opponent defender, powerfully swings his right foot and shoots through the near side, immediately returning the game to a tie score. Araki player scored his second goal in a row following his two goals in the opening game. He showed a splendid result in his Ajinomoto debut game, supported by many fans and supporters.
Tokyo, aiming for a go-ahead goal while maintaining balance, sent Tawaratsumida Kota and Higashi Keigo onto the pitch in the 37th minute of the second half, replacing Nakagawa and Harakawa. The substitute players immediately created a decisive chance.
Tsubakazeta Matsuki, who received the ball on the left side, made a vertical attack and advanced deep into the enemy territory. There, he was fouled by an opponent player and earned a penalty kick. However, with the support of VAR, it was determined to be a foul outside the penalty area, and the restart was changed to a free kick. Araki's kick was blocked by the opponent and could not shake the goal net.
A fierce battle for victory was waged even during the 6 minutes of additional time. As Tawarazumida player made a long distance dribble to approach the goal, Hatano player made a solid save with precise steps and catch on the opponent's cross ball. And towards the end of the game, Nagatomo player broke through with Jaja player's vertical pass and supplied a sharp ground cross between the opponent's goalkeeper and defender. Araki player and Tawarazumida player slid in, but just barely missed.
The game ended in a 1-1 tie. Following the opening game, the team fell behind, but with the support of 32,274 fans and supporters who packed the stadium, they were able to rally and secure 1 point, resulting in a second consecutive draw since the start of the season.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Go HATANO
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Masato MORISHIGE/Henrique TREVISAN/Kashif BANGNAGANDE
MF Kuryu MATSUKI/Riki HARAKAWA (37' 2nd half: Keigo HIGASHI)/Ryotaro ARAKI
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (25' 2nd half: Kei KOIZUMI)/Keita ENDO (25' 2nd half: Jaja SILVA)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (37' 2nd half: Kota TAWARATSUMIDA)
SUBS
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Yasuki KIMOTO/Kosuke SHIRAI
GOAL
26' Ryotaro ARAKI
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Keisuke OSAKO
DF Tsukasa SHIOTANI/Hayato ARAKI/Sho SASAKI
MF Shuto NAKANO/Takumu KAWAMURA/Toshiki HIGASHI/Makoto MITSUTA
FW Patric/Patrick KATO/Yuki OHASHI
SUBS
GK Goro KAWANAMI
DF Taichi YAMASAKI
MF Taishi MATSUMOTO/Takaaki SHICHI/Ezequiel/Gakuto NOTSUDA
FW Airin INOUE
GOAL
24' Yuki OHASHI
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI]
Q, please review the game.
It was a highly intense game. I think it was an entertaining match where both teams showed everything they had. We were able to show our good elements and what we are currently creating. In the midst of that, we need to continue to improve ourselves. And I think it's important to continue to create our football. Even when looking at the data, it was a very intense game. The players gave everything they had to aim for victory. In the second half, we were able to play with a high intensity and fought until the end to score the winning goal. I want to thank all the fans and supporters who continued to support us until the end.
Q: After conceding one point, we substituted players and moved Kuryu Matsuki and Ryotaro Araki to the front position. Was that substitution planned in advance?
A, it was one of the substitution plans we had considered. It was unfortunate that we conceded a penalty kick from a set piece, but we had planned to use it before conceding that goal. Against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, we made effective substitutions while playing our own game. The players showed a good reaction even after conceding, and they fought with a strong mentality, characteristics, and character. They desperately played their own game to equalize and fought to score the winning goal.
Q, After the substitution, the overall speed increased and I got the impression that it became more aggressive. Is there a plan to play with the members who were substituted in from the first half?
A, as one of the options. Then, there were some difficult things in terms of content from the start of the second half, but we were able to make a good change with the first substitution and launch a different attack against Hiroshima. The players did a very good job.
Q, there were a lot of counters and it felt like we couldn't build up from the backline to the midfield.
A, It is important to understand how we will create football and continue to do so. That is, we want to do something that our fans and supporters can be proud of, and something that is highly entertaining. When analyzing the game, there were also parts where we were able to do things that Hiroshima did not like, by connecting from the back.
There were also positive aspects within that, and I think there were parts where we could have controlled the game a little more. As a result, we were more compact and had more space to use. I think it's important to build up such things in our attacks. The players are giving their all every day to become a good player and a good team. We want to continue to improve while maintaining our performance, add positive elements to ourselves, and become the team we have dreamed of. We want to achieve this with all the fans and supporters who love Tokyo.
[Player Interview]
Ryotaro ARAKI
Q, please review today's game.
A, In the previous match, we conceded the first goal and it was a tough game in terms of momentum, but I want to take a positive view that we were able to draw. As a way of fighting, I want to increase the time with my ball a little more. I hope we can discuss and improve among the players during the game.
Q, please review the scoring scene.
A, I knew what I was carrying, so even if I couldn't avoid it, I thought it would go in if I could hit it into the frame, so I took the shot with that image. I thought the only way to change the flow was to score, so I'm glad I was able to score at that time.
Q, today was our home opener. I'm sure you were looking forward to playing at Ajinomoto Stadium.
A, the cheers of the fans and supporters were truly a great source of strength. There were many tough times, but I believe we were able to overcome them thanks to their support.
Q, What do you think the team needs to do in order to turn this 1 point into 3 points?
First of all, I think it is necessary to have a defense that does not allow any goals. In addition, I think it is also a matter of the team's overall awareness, but I believe that each individual should have a stronger presence.
Q, please share your enthusiasm for the next section.
A, I want to be able to take 3 points with my own goal this time. I want to win quickly and be happy with the fans and supporters.
<Keita ENDO player>
Q, please review the game.
A, I played with a determined attitude, feeling that I could substitute at any time. In the second half, it became a back-and-forth counter, but I wanted us to control the game a little more on our own.
Q, What did you focus on in Keita ENDO's position in a game that was like a brawl?
A, I was thinking of creating a build-up at my own place. When on the counter, I used my teammates with an advantage and was conscious of entering from the opposite side for a cross.
Q, I think you avoided playing in the last game considering your condition and challenged today's game after watching it. Is there anything you felt about the team from the outside?
A, I wanted to keep the ball more and move the game forward. It's also good for the team to be able to quickly recover one point after conceding, so I want to continue doing that.
Q, Despite having a good flow, we were unable to turn the game around. What improvements do we need to make in order to win the next match, considering the current team situation?
A, We were able to go until the end of the game today, so I think if we do what we have to do, the results will come. I hope we can work on the details without cutting corners.
Masato MORISHIGE
Q, please review the game.
A, I think we were pushed back for a long time overall, but we were able to get a point because we were able to hold off the minimum number of goals.
Q, How did Sanfrecce Hiroshima's attacks and strong plays look from the back line?
A, coming aggressively in both offense and defense, was a threat as they kept pushing forward. There were also scenes where we were able to make adjustments and respond well. I think that was good.
Q, we played against each other in practice matches during the pre-season camp.
A, practice matches and official matches are completely different. Since Coach Skibbe took over, our aggressive style of play has made it difficult for our opponents to fight against us. Although we were pushed back in the first half, it was a positive aspect of the game that we were able to go into the second half without conceding any goals.
Q, we equalized before the bad atmosphere set in after conceding a goal. Please tell us what is important in order to score the second and third goals from here.
A, We were able to create chances. Now, it's just a matter of finishing. We want to continue to demand precision and quality in our finishes as a team. Even in a disadvantageous game, we want to take advantage of our few chances and turn them into victories.
Q, What differences or changes did you feel on the pitch as a starter for the first time this season compared to last season?
I felt the attitude of all players working hard for the team in both offense and defense, and the depth of the player layer that cannot be involved in the game if it is not done even a little. I feel reassured by the high quality of the attacking players, including Araki and the wing players who entered the game in the middle.
