＜Match Review＞
After two weeks of consecutive matches against Tokyo Verdy and FC Machida Zelvia, the team based in Tokyo was unable to secure a victory and entered the 10th round in 10th place with 3 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses. The opponent, Albirex Niigata, is tied in points, so this match holds great significance considering the current situation. In order to climb up the rankings, the team is determined to secure 3 points in this crucial match.
The starting members have changed two players from the previous match. Soma ANZAI, who has returned from suspension, has returned to the right wing, and Tsubasa TERAYAMA, who started for the first time in the league this season, has been appointed as the top midfielder. Diego OLIVEIRA has returned from injury and has been included in the substitute members, and Leon NOZAWA has also made his first appearance in the league match. Takahiro KO and Kei KOIZUMI, who will face their former team, have been placed as the key players in the defensive midfield, and the team has prepared for this match with all their might.
1stHALF—Tergol from the lightning-fast counter
For a while after the start, we were constantly defending. Facing Niigata's build-up, which boasts one of the highest possession rates in the league, we tried to press but couldn't find a way to steal the ball. Even if we managed to take the ball, the distance between players was too far and we couldn't increase our time with the ball.
In addition, an accident occurred in the 19th minute of the first half. Terayama, who was injured in a contact play, returned to the pitch once but was unable to continue playing, and was forced to be substituted in the early stages.
With Diego TABA, who came on as a substitute, taking the front line and Teruhito NAKAGAWA dropping back one position, Tokyo restarts the game and gradually becomes able to calm the ball down in the middle of the game. The double pivot starts to face forward and hold onto the ball more, increasing the number of times they enter the opponent's territory.
And in the 39th minute of the first half, they take the lead with a brilliant short counter attack.
After Enrique Trevisan's cut, Yasuaki ANZAI picks up the ball and plays a vertical pass, Diego TABA attracts the opponent with a post-play and quickly passes it to Kosuke SHIRAI with one touch. SHIRAI then accelerates and sprints through the space on the right side.
After stopping the opponent's attack, Shiroi player passed an early cross between the opponent's goalkeeper and defender, and Nakagawa player confidently jumped in and scored with one touch, turning the situation around in one go.
After a difficult start and some accidents, we were able to turn the game around with a strong presence on the ball and take the lead. It was an ideal situation to go into halftime.
2ndHALF - Dynamo Shiroi's goal and Diego's comeback lead to a great victory
Continuing the momentum from the first half, we will dominate the game in the second half. We will effectively block Niigata's build-up and aggressively press the ball when it comes in vertically, and once we have recovered the ball, we will smoothly transition to attacking using the sides.
Succeeded in scoring a valuable additional point in the 4th minute of the second half.
When pushing in on the left side of the opponent's field, Tawaratsumida Kota's lateral pass was passed through by Takashi Takahashi. The ball reached Nakagawa, who was in the penalty area, and he attracted the opponent with a shooting motion. Nakagawa, who stopped the shooting feint, dropped the ball in the minus direction, and Shirai, who was running in, slid a direct shot with his right foot to the lower right corner of the goal.
Tokyo, who completely took the lead with this goal, did not let up and scored their third goal in the 17th minute of the second half. After recovering the second ball in the opponent's territory, Takashi Takashi passed to the right side pocket (the space on both sides of the penalty area). As the third player moved in unison, Koizumi broke through to the pocket and calmly checked the position of his teammates, then put a looping cross ball in front of the goal, where Diego Taba won the header and slammed it into the goal.
After expanding the lead to 3 points, we will tighten the game while using the substitution frame. In the 23rd minute of the second half, Ryunosuke SATO, who made his J1 league debut in the previous round, and the team's oldest player Yuto NAGATOMO were sent in. In addition, in the 36th minute of the second half, Riki HARAKAWA and Leon NOZAWA, who made their first appearance in the league this season, were sent out, controlling the game and advancing the clock.
In the final stage, in the second half of the 45th minute, the cross from the left side was headed by player Hayakawa, which was a challenge, but they were able to hold on during the 4 minutes of additional time and secure a victory with 3 goals, the second time this season in the league. They were able to prevent a losing streak and accumulate 3 points for the first time in 3 games.
The next match will be back at home at Ajinomoto Stadium, where we will face Kyoto Sanga F.C. With the momentum of our recent victories and our tenacity to control the flow of the game, we will go for 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 (36th minute: Leon NOZAWA)
MF Takuya TAKAYANGI (36th minute: Riki HARAKAWA)/Tsubasa TERAYAMA (19th minute: Diego OLIVEIRA)/Kei KOIZUMI
FW Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (23rd minute: Yuto NAGATOMO)/Soma ANZAI/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (23rd minute: Ryunosuke SATO)
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Masato MORISHIGE
GOAL
First half 39 minutes: Teruhito NAKAGAWA / Second half 4 minutes: Kosuke SHIRAI / Second half 17 minutes: Diego OLIVEIRA
＜Albirex Niigata＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Ryosuke KOJIMA
DF Soya FUJIWARA/Michael James FITZGERALD/Kazuhiko CHIBA (19th minute of the second half: Shusuke OTA)/Fumiya HAYAKAWA
MF Eitaro MATSUDA (28th minute of the second half: Motoki HASEGAWA)/Hiroki AKIYAMA/Hideji MIYAMOTO/Yota KOMI (19th minute of the second half: Shunsho INAMURA)
FW Kaito TANIGUCHI (19th minute of the second half: Yuji ONO)/Yoshiaki TAKAGI (28th minute of the second half: Takumi HASEGAWA)
SUBS
GK Koto ABE
MF Yuzuru SHIMADA
GOAL
45' Second Half: Fumiya HAYAKAWA
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI]
Q, please review the game.
A, Overall, we are pleased with our efforts and performance. We were able to put on a great performance and have a worthy battle for victory. In the first half, we were able to move the ball well in attack. Our defense was also solid. In the second half, we continued to play our football and were able to maintain the same level of performance as in the first half. We were able to use the space we wanted while moving the ball well. In the midst of that, we were able to score a good goal. I am proud of the players who were able to do what they needed to do.
During our preparations as a team, Tsubasa TERAYAMA unfortunately got injured in the first half and had to be substituted. However, Diego OLIVEIRA, who came on as an emergency replacement, showed a fantastic performance. I am proud of all the players for giving their all and fighting until the end. However, the last goal was unnecessary and we should have closed the game with a 3-0 score.
The important thing is to thoroughly analyze our performance and prepare for recovery from here. I would like to express my gratitude to the fans and supporters who came to support us all the way to Niigata. They pushed the players forward and they are the best fans and supporters in Japan.
Q, Please evaluate Kosuke SHIRAI's performance involving multiple goals.
A, he gave us the best performance. Kosuke SHIRAI played in three positions today. That represents the mentality that this team has. He understood what he needed to do in any position and was able to perform as a team. The 11 players who played in the game played their own football. I hope we can continue to grow and improve. SHIRAI's goal was truly amazing. It was an important goal for us in the beginning of the second half. He also contributed to the team performance and gave us the best individual performance.
[Player Interview]
＜Kosuke SHIRAI＞
Q, please review today's game.
I am happy to have achieved a result of 1 goal and 1 assist. It was a difficult away game, but I am most happy to have contributed to the victory.
Q, After the result of the previous match against FC Machida Zelvia, what points did you organize for today's game?
Both as a team and as an individual, I feel that we have been improving since last season. Although there is regret that we couldn't show our strengths in the Machida match, my teammates understand my strengths. I feel that our cooperation and understanding of each other's play is bearing fruit as a result. I think we are moving in a good direction.
Q, please review the assist for the first point.
Player Soma ANZAI brought the ball inside instead of the side, thanks to Takahiro KO and Diego OLIVEIRA assembling in the central area, which allowed us to keep the opponent's defense on their toes. As the right side vertical lane was completely in my zone, I sprinted and focused on breaking through vertically. I was able to send a cross exactly where I aimed, between the opponent's goalkeeper and defense line, and Teruhito NAKAGAWA also jumped in with the same mindset, resulting in a great goal. It was a series of plays that reflected the team's common understanding and what we have built up until now.
Q, May 1st is my 30th birthday, and the match right after my birthday is against my former team, Kyoto Sanga F.C. The perfect conditions have come together.
A, I was raised in Kyoto, but I am a player from Tokyo and I want to contribute to Tokyo by scoring and assisting. Thinking about the Kyoto match, today's victory and goals have become something truly special. I want to work hard to show my strong performance to many people.
<Diego OLIVEIRA>
Q, it was a comeback game. Please review the game.
It was a long-awaited game, and although I didn't expect it, Tsubasa TERAYAMA got injured and entered the game in a troublesome way. Thanks to the hard work in our usual practices, we were able to enter the game smoothly. The loud support from our fans and supporters gave us a boost, and the medical team did everything they could to help him recover, so I want to thank them. We were also able to score a goal, thanks to the support of many people.
Q, Goal scene, and please tell me the factors that led to the goal.
For us forwards, the goal is a very important thing. Kei KOIZUMI gave us a good cross ball from the right side, and all I had to do was score. I am happy to have scored a goal, but what makes me even happier is that the team was able to win.
Q, I felt a hunger and intensity for victory as it was our first game in a while.
A, since I haven't been playing in the games for a while, I could only support from the outside. The players who have been playing so far have all been working hard. It's been a while since I played in a game, but above all, experienced and great players like Yuto NAGATOMO and Masato MORISHIGE have been making a big contribution to the team, even though they are not starting members. We are learning from them and the whole team is fighting together with that as our foundation, and I am truly grateful to them.
Q, I think we need to continue the consecutive battles from here and overcome them with all our might.
A, we will have a very tight schedule from now on, so it is important for everyone to prepare to fight and for the players who enter the game to run for the team. In order to achieve victory, I want to fight together with the strength of the entire team.
Teruhito NAKAGAWA
Q, please review today's score.
It was a goal that connected what the team has been doing, as it was the shape we were aiming for. The two goals by players Diego OLIVEIRA and Kosuke SHIRAI were also as planned.
Q, we were able to accumulate 3 points without losing consecutive games.
A, I am glad that we were able to achieve a victory away from home because we made good preparations. In May, we will have a lot of games and back-to-back matches, but we want to put all our efforts into fighting as a team.
Q, we want to continue scoring multiple goals from here and improve our ranking.
A, It is a good trend for the team to be able to score multiple goals. However, since we have conceded a goal at the end, I think it is important for the team to not give such opportunities in order to improve our ranking.
Q, it seemed like Tsubasa TERAYAMA was also focusing on defense after being substituted.
Player Diego TABA also did his best, and although there were scenes where he had the ball, I think it was the team's overall defense that led to the victory.
Q, this season we have not been able to win away from home and at Ajinomoto Stadium, unlike last season.
A, I also think that we should be more aware of winning firmly at Ajinomoto Stadium. While continuing this good flow, I think we can become a team that can win by keeping a clean sheet, so I want to avoid giving any openings.
