＜Match Review＞
The 6th match out of 8 official matches scheduled in May will be a showdown between Levain Cup and Sagan Tosu. It will be a one-game playoff where the winner advances to the playoff stage.
In the previous round of the league, with only 2 days of rest after the match against Yokohama F. Marinos, and with another league match against Gamba Osaka in 3 days, about half of the starting members were changed. In central defense, Masato MORISHIGE and Tetsuhei OKA started for the first time in an official match, while the double pivot consisted of Kei KOIZUMI and Riki HARAKAWA, who were facing their former club. Up front, Teruhito NAKAGAWA and Kuryu MATSUKI lined up, and Jajá SILVA, who scored his first goal since joining in the second round against Y.S.C.C. Yokohama, started on the right wing.
1st HALF - Despite being pushed in, counterattacks with short counters continue.
It was a game against Tosu, who has been struggling with 5 consecutive losses in the league, but from the kick-off, they were able to hold onto the ball and run for a long time, making it a difficult game.
Especially on Sagan Tosu's left side, there were many instances where they were caught off guard in their defense on their right side, allowing easy access to their own goal and resulting in a series of crosses. However, in front of the goal, they were able to repel the attacks, with player Morishige at the center, and were also helped by the opponent's missed shots from corner kicks, managing to hold off without conceding any goals.
Tokyo, who couldn't settle their defense and couldn't find a rhythm in their attack, occasionally brought the ball up from a short counter. In the 19th minute of the first half, Kota TAWARATSUMIDA made a breakthrough and passed it to Nakagawa, who swung his left foot in front of the goal but missed. In the 22nd minute of the first half, Matsuki aimed with his left foot but the goalkeeper saved it. Furthermore, in the 37th minute of the first half, Kosuke SHIRAI took the ball behind the opponent's last line and crossed it, but Kota TAWARATSUMIDA's shot only hit the outside of the side net.
The game was at a tense point as the opponent was pushing towards the goal, but we held on and waited for a chance to counterattack.
2ndHALF - Morishige scores first but is caught up at the end
First, in the second half where we want to change the flow, Tokyo improved their defense by substituting Nakagawa for Ryotaro ARAKI. Then, in the 11th minute of the second half, they succeeded in taking the lead from a corner kick. Morishige, who jumped into the near side from Harakawa's right corner kick, headed the ball into the goal.
Tokyo, who completely took control with this opening goal, went for a second goal. In the 17th minute of the second half, player Morishige once again aimed for a free kick from a corner, but unfortunately missed.
In addition, there was a big chance in the 30th minute of the second half. Matsuki was free to close in on the loose ball after Shiroi player's middle shot was saved by the goalkeeper, but he couldn't push it into the open goal and it didn't become the second goal.
As a result, Tosu gradually recovered and allowed an unexpected equalizing goal in the second half additional time. Marcelo RYAN was successfully replaced by the defense line and Taishi Brandon NOZAWA, who had jumped out, was also passed and the goal was scored.
EXTRA TIME - The intense battle with both teams having players sent off ends without any change in the score.
The extended game, which started with a change of mind, saw Tae Hyeon KIM from Tosu being sent off with a second warning in the 7th minute of the first half. This put the team in a numerical advantage situation. However, as they struggled to attack against 10 players, Harakawa also received a second warning and was sent off in the additional time of the first half. The game continued with 10 players on each side.
Both teams pushed their physical limits in the extended second half, with Tosu being pushed back. However, they held on and defended the 1-1 score. The match ended up going into a penalty shootout.
PENALTY SHOOTOUT - All of Tokyo's players were successful and Daishi saved the 5th player from Tosu!
Penalty kick match to determine advancement to the playoff round.
Tokyo, the first to attack, successfully scored with player Morishige. Then, players Araki, Endo, Tokumoto, and Koizumi also scored without fail. In the fifth round, the kicker for Tosu, player Nagasuma, had his kick stopped by player Taishi NOZAWA. With this hard-fought victory, they advance to the playoff stage to face Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Kosuke SHIRAI (12 minutes into extra time: Leon NOZAWA)/Shinjiro MORISHIGE/Tetsuhiro OKA/Shuhei TOKUMOTO
MF Kusei MATSUKI (42 minutes into second half: Keigo HIGASHI)/Kei KOIZUMI/Riki HARAKAWA
FW Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (15 minutes into second half: Keita ENDO)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (0 minutes into second half: Ryota ARAKI)/Jajashilva (15 minutes into second half: Soma ANZAI) (17 minutes into extra time: Takahiro TAKAYA)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Henrique TREVISAN
MF Ryunosuke SATO
GOAL
Second half 11 minutes: Masato MORISHIGE
Sagan Tosu
STARTING XI
GK Park Il-Kyu
DF Kosuke Yamazaki/Katsunori UEEBISU/Wataru Harada/Ikuya Kitajima (46': Kim Tae-Hyun)
MF Soh Kawahara/Ayapei Watanabe (46': Kohei Tezuka)/Shota Hino (67': Ayumu Yokoyama)
FW Cayman Togashi (83': Atsushi Kawata) (94': Taichi Kikuchi)/Yoichi Naganuma/Vinicius Araujo (57': Marcelo Hian)
SUBS
GK Arnau
DF Yusuke Maruhashi
MF Kentaro MORIYA
GOAL
45+1 minutes into the second half: Marcelo RYAN
PENALTY SHOOTOUT
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI]
Q, please review the game.
A, It was a good football match. Both teams played an entertaining game. There may not have been many things happening in the tight game. Nevertheless, our players fought hard and won in a tough away game. It was a game with one less day of rest compared to the opponent, but the players showed the performance they wanted to show. They showed our strengths and fought until the end with their belief in our football. I think that was the factor that led to our victory. Also, I would like to thank the fans and supporters who came to support us all the way to the away game on a weekday. Their support gave our players strength.
Q, Please tell us about the defense that withstood the opponent's attack in the final penalty kick battle, even though it may have been a game with many things that didn't go well.
A, Looking back at the game, I think there are still areas that need improvement. In the first half, it was an even match and in the second half, we were able to use the areas we wanted to. I think we were able to take a 1-0 lead and put in a performance worthy of the lead, even in the midst of this consecutive games. However, it's disappointing that we couldn't close out the game in the full 90 minutes. The way we closed out the game in the final minutes is something we need to improve on. And we need to learn from this moving forward.
The extended game was filled with various things. There were situations where we could fight with an advantage because the opponent player was sent off. However, in the end, the number of players became the same. We were in a situation where we had to finish the game with ten players, but that was where we were becoming capable. The players fought until the penalty shootout with their own strengths, individuality, and beliefs.
We are proud of our players. It is difficult for players who have had few opportunities to play to enter such games, but they fought hard. All players, individually and as a team, were connected and played together. It is not possible to play perfect football at all times. However, there were elements that allowed us to grow. We were able to show our special mentality in our daily practices, and I believe that is the mentality of a winner. Our players gave their all.
Q, What kind of encouragement did you give to the players before entering extra time?
A, We talked about the summary of places that seem to be available in the next time zone. It's about what will be important in the next 15 minutes. We were thinking of giving them strength, including the details. The players showed us what kind of men they are and I am proud of them. I want to recover firmly and prepare for the next game when we return to Tokyo.
[Player Interview]
＜Masato MORISHIGE＞
Q, please review the game.
It was a tough game, but I think our desire to win was stronger than the opponent's, which led to the result. It was good that we were able to fight tough in a difficult away game. In various situations, if we don't have the same understanding on the pitch, it can lead to situations like conceding a goal. It's something we need to reflect on.
Q, please review the scoring scene.
A, I had a good feeling and confidence in scoring from set pieces if we got a good ball. I also thought that there would always be openings in the opponent's defense. I was relieved when it went into the goal. I think it will be important for our team to score in crucial moments and finish the game strongly in the future.
Q, there was a consistent focus on building up while keeping an eye on the opponent's back.
A, We distributed the ball with the image of dropping it behind the opponent's high line. It was a part that the opponent disliked and also a team's aim. I myself was conscious of actively aiming for a chance after receiving the ball.
<Shuhei TOKUMOTO>
Q, please review the game.
I didn't have the opportunity to start in the league games, but I always kept in mind that I could play in the game like today and prepared for it through daily training. It would have been the best if I could decide the game with my own assist or goal, but I'm glad I was able to firmly score as the penalty kick taker in the penalty kick shootout.
Q, Throughout the 120 minutes, the strengths of Shuhei TOKUMOTO were evident.
A, both Taishi Brandon NOZAWA and Teppei OKA have been asking for the ball to be sent to them more and more, and I have confidence in my play after receiving the ball. I think being able to play with the belief that bringing out our strengths will lead to victory has been a positive factor in our progress.
Q, however, the late goal made the game difficult.
It was a goal that we could have prevented. I think we can fix it and move on to the next game. We will be playing against Gamba Osaka in the league in three days, and then we will face Sagan Tosu in the league next Friday. I want to share the challenges with the whole team. We just need to trust our attacking players and the defenders need to defend tenaciously.
Q, it seems that we have gained the ability to score even in a disadvantageous game situation.
There were many chances to score additional points in today's match. It is important to pay attention to details from practice, and to take advantage of winning and making corrections in difficult matches like today's. I hope to build on this and move on to the next match.
<Teppei OKA>
Q, please review the game.
A,There was certainly tension, but my goal was to contribute to the team's victory. In defense, I challenged and covered with Masato MORISHIGE, coached my teammates, and was aware of the opponent's attempts to attack from behind. On the offensive side, I played with the mindset of being aggressive and challenging even if I made mistakes. I deliberately made cuts and showed confidence to play aggressively. It was a huge victory and I hope to build on this experience and make improvements in the future.
Q, Wasn't the support from your seniors also significant?
Players Kei KOIZUMI and Riki HARAKAWA, who were in the defensive midfield, showed up at the perfect timing and made it really easy to build up. I think it was thanks to the support from the team that we were able to win.
Q, I think it's a new start. Please tell us your enthusiasm for the future.
A, I want to seize the chance from here and contribute to the victory with no goals conceded in the game I played. As I felt today, everything we do in the training at the Kodaira Ground is important, so I want to continue to grow without wasting a single day.
<Keigo HIGASHI>
Q, it was my first official game after returning from injury.
A, winning was an absolute condition before the content. It would have been good if we could have finished the game firmly in 90 minutes, but we allowed the opponent to score due to their momentum. Although the penalty kick battle was prolonged, it was good that we were able to win.
Q, Please tell us what you were conscious of during the unsettled time from the end of the second half to the end of the game.
Both teams had players sent off and irregular things happened on the pitch, so we were conscious of not giving the opponent any more points and taking advantage of opportunities to score ourselves. I think the hard work of everyone led to the victory.
Q, I played in the position of a defensive midfielder during the extra time.
A, receiving the ball and moving it, creating rhythm, and since the opponent was playing a high line, I had the intention of sending the ball behind them and building up our attack, but overall we were fatigued, so I prioritized maintaining balance. Considering Kei Koizumi's consecutive appearances, I was also conscious of how I could support the team and work hard, as I came on as a substitute.
Q, reducing goals conceded continues to be a challenge for the team, what approach is necessary?
A, we needed to finish the last part firmly. We want to organize how to defend and finish the game as a team throughout the 90 minutes.
