＜Match Review＞
In the previous match, Tokyo climbed up to 4th place with a 3-game winning streak after winning in Sapporo for the first time in 12 seasons against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo. As they can now see the back of the top team, they returned to their home ground, Ajinomoto Stadium, and aimed for a 4-game winning streak for the first time in 3 seasons against Kashiwa Reysol.
After about a month of fierce battles in Qatar as a member of the U-23 Japan national team, Kuryu MATSUKI returned home with a spot in the Paris Olympics and was named as a starting member. Despite it being his first official J-League match in a while, he wore the captain's armband as a symbol of leadership. In place of Kei KOIZUMI, who was suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, Takahiro KO formed a midfield partnership with Diego OLIVEIRA, who has scored in three consecutive matches. For Diego, it was a match against his former team.
1st HALF - Despite conceding an early goal, they steadily added two goals to take the lead.
After conceding the opening goal early in the previous match against Sapporo, we were once again caught off guard and had our own goal net shaken. Teruhito NAKAGAWA tried to keep the ball in our own penalty area, but was tripped by the opponent, resulting in a loose ball that was kicked into the goal by Matheus SAVIO.
However, Tokyo now does not look down on things lightly.
Matsuki encouraged Nakagawa and the whole team switched gears, resulting in a tying goal in the 6th minute. Tawaratsumida quickly started a short corner kick and dribbled to send a cross ball, but Henrique Trevisan's header was saved by the goalkeeper. However, Nakagawa pushed in the rebound. Number 39 quickly made up for his own mistake and brought the score back to a tie.
After catching up, the build-up from the defense line worked and brought about a push. Breaking through with the combination of Tsumari Tatsuta and Kashif BANGNAGANDE on the left side, a quick cross ball was put in and Soma ANZAI, who had rushed in at full speed from the far side, was fouled in the penalty area, earning a penalty kick. In the 32nd minute of the first half, Diego TABA scored this chance and successfully turned the game around with his fourth consecutive goal.
In addition, in the 37th minute of the first half, Matsuki reacted to a loose ball from a left corner kick and kicked it powerfully with his left foot, sending the stadium's voltage to its peak in an instant.
However, just after entering additional time, an accident strikes the team that was on a roll.
When the ball was lost on the defense line and the opponent forward broke through, Go HATANO, who had come out to cover, was judged to have brought down the opponent player and was shown a red card, resulting in his dismissal. In place of goalkeeper Tsuyoshi KODAMA, who made his first appearance in the J1 league this season, Nakagawa player dropped back.
2ndHALF - Unable to overcome numerical disadvantage, ends in a draw
Conceded a goal at the start of the second half. It happened within a minute of the kickoff. When the center back Inukai was holding the ball beyond the center circle, no one was able to close him down and he took a powerful shot from the middle. The ball flowed into the top left corner of the goal, closing the gap in the lead.
After that, the tough time continued and we couldn't turn the tide in the numerical disadvantage situation. In the 13th minute of the second half, we were shaken from side to side and a cross ball was thrown into the penalty area, but we managed to bounce it back. However, we allowed another middle shot when the loose ball was picked up. While Koda made a save on Shirai's middle shot, the second ball fell at Shimamura's feet in front of the goal and was pushed in, equalizing the score.
Tokyo has been trying to move forward since being sent back to the beginning of the game, but they are forced to endure a difficult game as they struggle to keep possession of the ball.
Still, in the 27th minute of the second half, they tried to push back by sending in Riki HARAKAWA and Yuto NAGATOMO. However, despite having several chances from set pieces, they were unable to capitalize and the game ended in a 3-3 tie. It resulted in earning only 1 point in a numerical disadvantage.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Go HATANO
DF Kosuke SHIRAI/Masato MORISHIGE/Henrique Trevisan (45th minute: Yasuki KIMOTO)/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (45th minute: Jaja Silva)
MF Kosei MATSUKI/Takuya TAKUYA/ Teruhito NAKAGAWA (45th + 5 minutes: Tsuyoshi KODAMA)
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (27th minute: Riki HARAKAWA)/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (27th minute: Yuto NAGATOMO)/Soma ANZAI
SUBS
DF Shuhei TOKUMOTO
FW Leon NOZAWA
GOAL
First half 6 minutes: Teruhito NAKAGAWA/First half 32 minutes: Diego OLIVEIRA/First half 37 minutes: Kuryu MATSUKI
＜Kashiwa Reysol＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kentaro MATSUMOTO
DF Diego (33rd minute of the second half: Yugo TATSUTA)/Taiyo KOGA/Tomoya INUKAI/Daiki SEKINE (29th minute of the second half: Naoki KAWAGUCHI)
MF Nagichi SHIRAI/Takumi TSUCHIYA (0 minutes of the second half: Sachiro TOSHIMA)/Takuya SHIMAMURA (44th minute of the second half: Kazuki KUMASAWA)
FW Mateus SAVIO/Tomoya KOYAMATSU (0 minutes of the second half: Kosuke KINOSHITA)/Mao HOSOYA
SUBS
GK Tatsuya MORITA
FW Fumiya UNOKI
GOAL
1st Half 2nd Minute: Matheus SAVIO/2nd Half 1st Minute: Tomoya INUKAI/2nd Half 13th Minute: Takuya SHIMAMURA
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI]
Q, please give us an overall review of today's match.
A, I think it was a game with many different things and a lot going on. The first and second halves had completely different developments. As for the first half, we were able to play the football we wanted to play and had good attacks by utilizing the space we wanted while moving the ball. We want to continue that kind of play.
In the second half, we were in a situation where we had to play with 10 players. Of course, playing with 10 players is always difficult, but the players gave their all. Even in a numerical disadvantage, they were able to clear their minds, unite, and show their character in the second half. After this, we will reflect on our performance and continue to recover our condition while following our process, and prepare for the next game. It's disappointing that we couldn't win, but we will take this one point and prepare for the next game.
Q, In the tight schedule, I think it is a tough situation with injuries and condition adjustments, but what is important to overcome consecutive games?
A, What is important is to continue the process that we are doing. I think there were many positive aspects in today's game, so it is important to continue that. For the next game, it is also important to have a good recovery, and to determine which players are in a fresh state and ready for good preparation for the next game, I still believe there is time to assess that.
However, as always, it is necessary for everyone to contribute in a long season. Of course, there may be difficult situations, but we must ensure that whoever comes in can make an impact and contribute to a good performance. No matter who plays, we must continue to develop our football. We can already see signs of this. I believe there is still room for growth, so we must continue to strive towards our goal without wavering.
[Player Interview]
＜Kuryu MATSUKI＞
Q, please review the game.
A, We conceded a goal early in the first half, but I think we were able to express the type of football we want to play and score three goals in the first half. The opponent also scored a super goal early in the second half, and we ended up defending too much as a team, making it a difficult time to endure. We also had one player sent off in the first half, so we had to defend for a longer period of time in the second half.
Q, it was a well-placed volley shot.
A, I had the intention of shooting loose balls from the previous day's practice. Since my ball feeling was very good from the previous day, I think I was able to make a good impact. Personally, I am happy to have scored my first league goal at Ajinomoto Stadium.
Q, How did the team as a whole organize themselves when entering the second half with one less player?
A, at halftime, we talked about setting up a solid defense and aiming for additional points on the counter. However, we focused too much on defense and were unable to create many chances in the second half, which was regrettable.
The game ended with a 2-point deficit.
A, As I mentioned earlier, we were able to play the football we are aiming for today, so we are not feeling too pessimistic. The atmosphere in the locker room is not very depressed, and there is a feeling of clearing our heads and organizing ourselves for the next game.
<Takahiro KO>
Q, please review the game.
It was a game where we lost 2 points. The early goal we conceded was a big point of reflection, but looking at the entire first half, I felt confident in myself. Personally, I was able to pull out the ball, manage risks, and recover the ball almost perfectly. As a team, we were able to score 3 points and we were able to push the opponent for a long time, including the distance. It was a very good performance. However, we had a player sent off and it became a very difficult situation. Still, we were only 2 points behind and we had a chance to score another goal, so I think it was still our lack of strength that we couldn't win. We need to thoroughly reflect on our mistakes and improve.
Q, What was your mindset going into the second half with one less player?
A, we talked about attacking without ever receiving. However, we conceded early in the game. In that scene, we should have put more pressure on ourselves and not let the other team take control. We needed to focus more and enter the game with more concentration. We were also conscious of not just kicking long balls, but also moving the ball well. There were some good moments, so we want to fine-tune the details even more.
Q, What were you conscious of when playing after the score became tied?
A, we had been conceding goals in succession, so we shared that we absolutely cannot concede a fourth goal. In the midst of that, there were scenes where the side players could get involved if we could peel off one or two, so I was thinking of making one stab there. However, we conceded another goal and were able to take only one point instead of losing all points, so I want to take it positively.
Q, there were many scenes where players were talking to each other throughout the game.
A, even after scoring 3 points, no one was satisfied and I personally wanted to dominate more. Even if it's just my personal thought, I want to share and improve it when I realize it, regardless of age. I think that will become a common understanding within the team and naturally lead to more conversations. In that sense, I think that as more opinions are expressed by the entire team, it will gradually improve, so I want to continue doing it.
Kosuke SHIRAI
Q, please review the game.
A, we conceded a goal early in the first half, but we were able to score 3 goals in a good manner afterwards. It would have been better if we could have finished the first half without any red cards, but unfortunately we conceded a goal at the beginning of the second half and it became a difficult situation.
Q, How did you feel about the measures and match-ups for Diego and Matheus SAVIO?
A, I don't think we fell apart too much, but the opponent is also a hard-working player, so we were also struggling to attack. It was an impression that we were canceling each other's strengths while playing.
Q, please reflect on the defensive aspect.
A, the second goal was scored at a crucial time that we should never have conceded. While the opponent's shot was impressive, we still should have closed down the ball holder more. In the second half, we let our guard down and that was a point of reflection. After that, we conceded another goal and were caught up, but even considering our lead, it was important to see how long we could maintain our advantage. It's a shame that we were caught up so early.
Q, We needed a little more power in our attack due to the long defensive time.
A, we were unable to produce enough attacking power and the opponent also managed risks well, so we were constantly pushed back. There were a few counterattacks, but I think there were few scenes where we were able to fully attack.
Q, we will continue to have back-to-back games. How do you want the team to switch gears?
After 3 consecutive wins, the draw in the last game makes the next match crucial. The matches in May will be a battle of strength, so we need to come together and secure 3 points to stay in the top rankings.
