Match Review
In the two-week series against Verdy, FC Machida Zelvia, and other Tokyo-based teams, they were unable to secure a victory. After finishing 9 matches since the start of the season, they have 3 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses, placing them in 10th position as they approach Sec. 10. Given that their opponent, Albirex Niigata, is tied on points, the outcome of this match holds significant importance. They are determined to fight for the top and desperately need the 3 points in this crucial match.
The starting members have changed two players from the previous match. Soma ANZAI, who has returned from suspension, is back in the right wing, and Tsubasa TERAYAMA has been assigned to the attacking midfielder position, making his first start in the league this season. Diego Oliveira has returned from injury and is included in the substitute members, while Leon NOZAWA has also made his first appearance in the match squad for the league. Takahiro KO and Kei KOIZUMI, who are both facing their former club, are positioned as the central midfielders, and the team is ready for the kickoff of this crucial match.
1st HALF - A lightning-fast counter leads to a goal
For a while from the start, there was a period of being chased by defense. Facing Niigata, which boasts one of the highest possession rates in the league, they tried to apply pressure, but it was difficult to determine where to win the ball back. Even when they did regain possession, the distance between players was too far, preventing them from increasing their time with the ball.
Furthermore, in the 19th minute of the first half, an incident occurred. Player Terayama, who was injured in a contact play, returned to the pitch once but was unable to continue playing, forcing an early substitution.
Diego TABA, who came in as a substitute, took the front line position, while Teruhito NAKAGAWA moved to a position one line back. As they restarted, Tokyo gradually began to settle the ball during the middle of the match. The double pivot increased their ball possession while facing forward, leading to more entries into the opponent's territory.
And in the 39th minute of the first half, they took the lead with a brilliant short counterattack.
Henrique TREVISAN's cut was picked up by Anzai, who played a vertical pass, and Diego TABA, from a post play that attracted the opponent, one-touched it to Kosuke SHIRAI. Shirai accelerated rapidly and sprinted through the space on the right side.
After stopping the opponent's attack, Shirai quickly turned the situation around by delivering an early cross between the opponent's goalkeeper and defender, allowing Nakagawa to dive in without hesitation and score with a one-touch finish.
Despite being at a disadvantage in the early stages and facing some accidents, they rallied based on their strength in ball contests and turned the game around, taking the lead in an ideal development.
2nd HALF - A great victory with Shirai's Dynamo shot and the revival of Diego
Continuing the momentum from the first half in the best possible way, we will dominate the game in the second half as well. While effectively blocking Niigata's build-up, we will strongly close in on the balls that come in vertically, and once we regain possession, we will smoothly transition to attack using the flanks.
In the 4th minute of the second half, they succeeded in scoring a valuable additional goal.
As they pushed into the opponent's territory on the left side, Kota TAWARATSUMIDA's sideways pass was let go by Takahashi. The ball reached Nakagawa, who was in the penalty area, drawing the opponent in with a shooting motion. Nakagawa, who stopped the shot fake, dropped the ball back, and Shirai, who was making a run, sent a direct shot with the outside of his right foot into the bottom right corner of the goal.
With this goal, Tokyo completely took control of the game, and without easing their attack, they scored their third goal in the 17th minute of the second half. After recovering the second ball in the opponent's territory, Takashi received a pass from Anzai with a one-touch to the right side pocket (the space on both sides of the penalty area). Koizumi, moving in sync with the third player, broke into the pocket, calmly checked the position of his teammates, and delivered a looping cross into the goal area, where Diego TABA outjumped his opponent and headed the ball into the net.
After extending the lead to three points, they began to close out the game while utilizing their substitutions. In the 68th minute of the second half, they brought in Ryunosuke SATO, who made his J1 League debut in the previous match, and the team's oldest player, Yuto NAGATOMO. Furthermore, in the 81st minute of the second half, they sent in Riki HARAKAWA and Leon NOZAWA, who made his first appearance in the league this season, controlling the game while running down the clock.
In the final moments, conceding a goal from a cross delivered from the left side that was headed in by Hayakawa in the 45th minute of the second half is a concern, but they held on firmly during the 4 minutes of added time and secured victory with three goals, marking their second win of the season in league matches. They accumulated 3 points for the first time in three matches, stopping the losing streak.
In the next match, we will return home to Ajinomoto Stadium to face Kyoto SANGA F.C. With the momentum from our victory and the tenacity to control the flow of the game, we aim to secure our first win of the season at Ajinomoto Stadium.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Go HATANO
DF Kosuke SHIRAI/Kanta DOI/Henrique Trevisan/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (substituted in 36th minute: Leon NOZAWA)
MF Takahiro UHIRO (substituted in 36th minute: Riki HARAKAWA)/Tsubasa TERAYAMA (substituted in 19th minute: Diego Oliveira)/Kei KOIZUMI
FW Kota TAWARA (substituted in 23rd minute: Yuto NAGATOMO)/Soma ANZAI/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (substituted in 23rd minute: Ryunosuke SATO)
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Masato MORISHIGE
GOAL
39th minute of the first half: Teruhito NAKAGAWA / 4th minute of the second half: Kosuke SHIRAI / 17th minute of the second half: Diego OLIVEIRA
<Albirex Niigata>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kousuke KOJIMA
DF Soya FUJIWARA/Michael James FITZGERALD/Kazuhiko CHIBA (substituted in 19th minute: Shusuke OTA)/Fumiya HAYAKAWA
MF Eitaro MATSUDA (substituted in 28th minute: Motoki HASEGAWA)/Hiroki AKIYAMA/Eiji MIYAMOTO/Yota KOMI (substituted in 19th minute: Hayato INAMURA)
FW Kaito TANIGUCHI (substituted in 19th minute: Yuji ONO)/Yoshiaki TAKAGI (substituted in 28th minute: Takumi HASEGAWA)
SUBS
GK Koto ABE
MF Yuzuru SHIMADA
GOAL
45th minute of the second half: Fumiya HAYAKAWA
[Peter CKLAMOVSKI Coach Interview]
Q, please review the game.
A, we are overall pleased with our efforts and performance. We were able to deliver a very good performance and fought hard for the victory we deserved. In the first half, we moved the ball well in attack. Our defense was solid as well. In the second half, we continued to play our football and I believe we delivered a performance similar to the first half. We were able to move the ball effectively and utilize the spaces we wanted. In that process, we scored some good goals. I am proud of the players who executed what needed to be done.
As a team, we had prepared well, but in the first half, Tsubasa TERAYAMA got injured and had to be substituted. However, Diego OLIVEIRA, who came on as an emergency substitute, showed a wonderful performance. I am proud that all the players gave their all in the match. However, the last goal conceded was unnecessary, and we should have finished it at 3-0.
The important thing is to thoroughly analyze our performance, recover from it, and prepare well from here. I would like to thank the fans and supporters who rushed to Niigata to cheer for us. They supported the players, and they are the best fans and supporters in Japan.
Q: Please evaluate Kosuke SHIRAI's involvement in multiple goals.
A, he delivered an outstanding performance. Kosuke SHIRAI played in three positions today. This reflects the mentality that this team possesses right now. He understood what needed to be done regardless of the position he played and was able to deliver a team performance. The 11 players on the field were able to play their football. I hope we can continue to grow that. Shirai's goal was truly wonderful. For us, it was a crucial goal at the start of the second half. He contributed to the team performance and delivered an excellent individual performance as well.
[Player Interview]
<Kosuke SHIRAI>
Q, please review today's game.
I am happy to have achieved 1 goal and 1 assist. It was a difficult away game, but I am most pleased to have contributed to the victory.
Q: Following the result of the previous match against FC Machida Zelvia, what points have you organized in preparation for today's game?
I have a sense that what we have been building up as a team and as individuals since last season is improving. I feel regret that we couldn't showcase our strengths in the match against Machida, but my teammates understand my characteristics. I feel that our cooperation and mutual understanding of each other's play are bearing fruit as a result. I believe we are moving in a good direction.
Q, please review the assist for the first goal.
A, thanks to Soma ANZAI bringing the ball inside instead of to the side, and Takahiro KO and Diego OLIVEIRA building up in the central area, we were able to draw the opponent's defense in. The vertical lane on the right side completely entered my zone, so I sprinted and focused on breaking through vertically. I was able to send a cross exactly where I aimed, in the area between the opponent's goalkeeper and the defensive line, and Teruhito NAKAGAWA also came in with the same awareness, resulting in a well-formed goal. I believe this was a series of plays that reflected our common understanding as a team and what we have built up to this point.
Q: On May 1st, I will celebrate my 30th birthday, and the match right after my birthday is against my former club, SANGA S. The best conditions are in place.
I was raised in Kyoto, but I am a player from Tokyo, and I want to contribute to Tokyo with goals and assists. Thinking about the upcoming match against Kyoto, today's victory and goal have truly become something special. I want to work hard to ensure that many people can see me performing well.
<Diego OLIVEIRA>
Q, please review the game. It was a comeback match.
It was a long-awaited match, but unexpectedly, Tsubasa TERAYAMA got injured and entered the match in a troubled state. However, I was able to perform well in the match because I had been building up during regular practice. The loud cheers from many fans and supporters encouraged me, and the medical team did various things to help with recovery, so I want to thank them. I was also able to score a goal, thanks to the support of many people.
Q: Please tell us about the goal scene and the factors that led to the goal.
A, for us forwards, scoring a goal is very important. Kei KOIZUMI sent a great cross from the right side, and all I had to do was finish it. I'm happy to have scored, but what makes me happiest is that the team was able to win.
Q: After a long time without a match, I felt a hunger for victory and a sense of passion.
A, since I hadn't played in a while, I could only support from the outside. The players who had been participating until now have all been doing their best. I played in a match after a long time, but more than anything, experienced and great players like Yuto NAGATOMO and Masato MORISHIGE, despite not being in the starting lineup, have made significant contributions to the team, including today's match. Following their example, everyone in the team is working together, relying on that, and I am truly grateful to both of them.
Q: I think we need to get through this series of consecutive matches with all our strength.
A, we will have a very tight schedule from now on, and it is important for everyone to prepare to fight and for the players on the field to run for the team. I want us to unite our strength as a team to achieve victory as a result.
<Teruhito NAKAGAWA>
Q, please review today's goals.
It was a goal that connected what we have been aiming for as a team. The two goals from Diego OLIVEIRA and Kosuke SHIRAI were exactly as planned.
Q: We were able to accumulate 3 points without losing consecutive matches.
A, I am glad that we were able to achieve a victory away, as we had prepared well. May will have many matches and will be a series of consecutive games, but I want to fight with the full strength of the team.
Q: We want to score multiple goals from here and move up in the rankings.
It is a good trend that the team is able to score multiple goals. However, since we conceded a goal at the end, I believe it is important for the team to avoid such gaps in order to improve our ranking.
Q: It seemed that Tsubasa TERAYAMA focused on defense after being substituted.
A, Diego TABA also worked hard, and there were moments when we had possession of the ball, but I believe that the team's overall defense contributed to our victory.
Q: This season is different from last season, as we have been able to win away games, but we have not been able to win at Ajinomoto Stadium.
Yes, I think that myself, and I will be more conscious of winning firmly at Ajinomoto Stadium. While continuing this good momentum, I believe we can become a winning team by keeping a clean sheet, so I want to avoid giving any openings.
