Match Review
Just one week after the match against Verdy, we will now face FC Machida Zelvia at Ajinomoto Stadium. We cannot afford to lose at home against a Tokyo-based team in our first official encounter. On the 17th, we will compete in the J.League YBC Levain Cup 1st Round 2nd Round against Y.S.C.C. Yokohama, where Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA and SILVA scored their first goals in blue and red, leading to a big victory with four goals, boosting the team's morale.
In the match against YS Yokohama, Keita ENDO scored a goal, marking two consecutive games with goals since the match against Verdy. He has been named in the starting lineup for the first time since the Sec. 5 match against Kawasaki Frontale on March 30, while the other 10 players remain from the previous match. Vowing to achieve their first victory of the season at Ajinomoto, they entered the game with momentum from the kickoff.
1st HALF - A rapid development but a one-point deficit
It was an intense 45 minutes. Amidst the cheers of both teams' fans and supporters, each player showcased high-intensity play. The first chance came in the 6th minute of the first half for Tokyo. Kota TAWARATSUMIDA cut in from the left side to deliver a final pass to Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA, who took a shot but hit it straight at the goalkeeper.
From there, the game moved rapidly. In the 13th minute of the first half, Machida quickly initiated a throw-in and managed to take a shot. This was saved, but immediately after, from a corner kick, Na SANGHO struck a direct volley to score the opening goal. Nevertheless, in the 19th minute of the first half, they attempted to break through in front of the goal, drawing a handball from the opposing defender and earning a penalty kick. This was converted by Kogashi, who managed to score despite being touched by the goalkeeper, equalizing with his first home goal wearing the number 11 jersey.
However, they could not capitalize on the momentum of catching up. Just 4 minutes after the score was reset, in the 25th minute of the first half, a long feed from the final line caught the left side behind, and a ball that was returned by Mochizuki near the goal line was headed in by Se Hun OH.
FC Tokyo, who allowed the lead again in the blink of an eye, created a chance starting from a dribble by Kota TAWARATSUMIDA. However, in the 39th minute of the first half, a cross from Kota TAWARATSUMIDA was headed by Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA but cleared by the defender. In the 42nd minute, Kota TAWARATSUMIDA cut in and took a shot with his right foot, but it missed the target, leaving them trailing by one goal at halftime.
2nd HALF - A chance that hit the crossbar, but still far from scoring.
First, Tokyo, wanting to catch up, suddenly faces a big chance. Endo receives the ball on the right side, skillfully controls it inward, and makes a through pass. Teruhito NAKAGAWA breaks free and approaches a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper, but his control becomes too heavy, preventing him from finishing.
Tokyo continued to attack in succession, and in the 15th minute of the second half, they passed the ball around on the right side, leading to Kosuke SHIRAI taking a shot. In the 17th minute, Yasushi ENDO changed the course of the shot from Tawaratsukita, who cut in from the left side and struck with his right foot, but the ball hit the crossbar. They were unable to capitalize on the rebound.
After that, Jája Silva and Ryunosuke SATO were sent to the front line, and Riki HARAKAWA, the playmaker, was also brought in as a defensive midfielder, but they struggled to break through Machida's block, and time continued to pass. Although they moved the ball wide across the pitch, they could not manage to send vertical passes that would break through the center of the block, failing to create chances.
In the final stages, Yuto NAGATOMO was sent onto the pitch, but no equalizing goal was scored, and the match ended with a score of 1-2.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Go HATANO
DF Kosuke SHIRAI/Kanta DOI/Henrique Trevisan/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (substituted in the 43rd minute: Yuto NAGATOMO)
MF Takuto UHI (substituted in the 28th minute: Riki HARAKAWA)/Tsuyoshi KOBAYASHI (substituted in the 20th minute: Jaja Silva)/Kei KOIZUMI
FW Keita ENDO/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (substituted in the 28th minute: Ryunosuke SATO)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Masato MORISHIGE
MF Tsubasa TERAYAMA
GOAL
21st minute of the first half: Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA
<FC Machida Zelvia>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kosei TANI
DF Henry Mochizuki/Gen SHOJI/Dreshevich
MF Kazuki FUJIMOTO/Zento UNO/Keiya SENTO (substituted in 26th minute: Takuya YASUI)/Kotaro HAYASHI/Daigo TAKAHASHI (substituted in 0th minute: Byron VASQUEZ)
FW Na Sang-ho (substituted in 16th minute: Shunta ARAKI)/Oh Se-hun (substituted in 26th minute: Mitchell DUKE)
SUBS
GK Koki FUKUI
DF Jurato IKEDA/Junya SUZUKI
GOAL
14th minute of the first half: Na SANGHO / 25th minute of the first half: Se Hun OH
[Peter CKLAMOVSKI Coach Interview]
Q, please review the game.
A, I feel pain regarding the result. Looking back at the performance, I believe there were many positive aspects, and it was a match we could have won. It is also important to discuss the result without emotions. Analyzing the performance is key, and it is crucial for our process of moving forward and aiming for the peak. We were decisive in two situations where the opponent scored. We must learn from that as a harsh lesson. Machida was able to finish decisively in those moments. That is something that can happen in football, and we need to learn from this and become stronger from here.
Despite being led, the players gave their all to catch up. I regret the corner kick that led to the first goal. There was an offside in the play before that, so it shouldn't have resulted in a corner kick. However, even in that situation, we had to respond well to the corner kick and not give the opponent the lead. The important thing is that after going down 0-1, the players fought hard without losing focus to equalize. I believe we easily gave away the second goal, and I feel frustrated and disappointed to go into halftime at 1-2. The players fought desperately to make a comeback, and if we had scored the second goal, we might have been able to add to our own goals. However, I want to accept this defeat properly and work towards coming back stronger.
Q: Do you think the second goal was due to a mistake on our part, or was it something unexpected?
A, it was not unexpected. We knew the opponent would kick long balls, and they managed to score against us, but I believe we could have responded a bit better. That was the difference between us and the opponent, and there were moments in our attack where if we had been able to make one more touch in front of the goal, it could have changed things. That was the difference today. If we are not creating chances, we obviously need to improve in other areas as well. Today, while we were able to create chances, we could not find the back of the net. Conversely, in that sense, there were also areas where we needed to defend more solidly, and while I don't know how many chances the opponent had, they were able to capitalize on the few opportunities they had.
[Player Interview]
＜Kei KOIZUMI＞
Q: Please reflect on the match.
A, today we did not start the match well, and I think the way we conceded goals from set pieces was also not good. This was an important match where winning would allow us to move up, while losing would drop our ranking. The poor start in the first half is something that can be changed with our mindset, so I want to tighten our focus and do better.
Q: After the match, the players were talking to each other for a long time.
A, this season I am serving as captain, so I feel that I must take the initiative to create a stronger atmosphere of 'winning spirit' or something along those lines. After all, since I have been entrusted with this role, I must fulfill my responsibilities properly, and I want to commit myself to doing this for the team.
<Takahiro KO>
Q: Please reflect on the match.
We created many chances, so we needed to capitalize on them. Clearly, we conceded too many goals, so we need to tighten up as a team to pick up points, and each individual must maintain their focus at all times. We need to reinforce these aspects in our training.
Q: It felt like we conceded the second goal too easily.
It was honestly tough to concede a goal from a situation where we were just starting to fight back after scoring one point. However, we have proven our ability to equalize again in the past. Not being able to secure that equalizer shows that we still lack strength, and we need to reduce the number of goals conceded.
Q: How well were you prepared for FC Machida Zelvia?
I think we didn't allow the opponent to create chances except for the goals conceded. Especially Se Hun OH in the front line is strong in duels, so while communicating with Kanta DOI, he was able to effectively position himself to make contact first during goal kicks and then let DOI compete for the ball. Kei KOIZUMI was also able to recover a lot of second balls, so in the second half, we were almost playing a half-court game, and I think our strategies there were not bad, but it doesn't mean anything if we don't win, so I want to pursue that further.
Q: What play do you think was necessary to get one step closer to the goal?
I think we need more intensity when entering crosses. It's about swinging your legs, and there are countless other aspects, but I believe we can only improve by training diligently.
Q: The next match is against my former team, Albirex Niigata. How do you want to prepare for the game?
I believe that consecutive losses are absolutely unacceptable, and only 3 points are permissible, so I want to make good preparations to win.
<Ryunosuke SATO>
Q, this was your first appearance in the league match.
There was a completely different atmosphere and tension compared to the J.League YBC Levain Cup. Since different players are participating than in the Levain Cup, there were aspects that could only be understood by participating, but I was able to feel it clearly today.
Q, please review the game. I think I was able to showcase my strengths.
In a short amount of playing time, there were moments where I was able to showcase my strengths, such as pressing from the front, but I wasn't able to make plays that threatened the goal or posed a threat to the opponent, so I want to improve on that. In terms of play, I wanted to receive the ball and create tempo, but there were many instances where I couldn't connect passes, leaving me with a sense of regret.
Q: In the same position, there is Ryotaro ARAKI, who is currently participating in the AFC U23 Asian Cup.
A, I have the desire to perform and play in that position, and I want to continue working hard so that I can compete when Araki returns.
Q: What kind of play do you want to focus on for the next match?
Once on the pitch, age doesn't matter, and I believe that winning is everything. I don't know when I will get to play or who I will be playing with, so I want to value the common understanding within the team, actively communicate during the match, and work hard to contribute to the team's strength.
