<Last Match・Gamba Osaka Review>
As the game continued with a back-and-forth battle from the beginning, the young guardian of the blue and red team, Taishi Brandon NOZAWA, stood in front of the goal.
The first highlight was in the 41st minute of the first half. Despite being caught in a long counter attack and facing a 1-on-1 situation with the opponent, they calmly assessed the situation, limited their options, and reacted sharply to the shot. They stretched out their left hand and deflected the ball.
In the 3rd minute of the second half, he firmly blocked the opponent's middle shot with his right hand and defended the goal. And even in the 22nd minute of the second half, his big save saved the team from a pinch.
He was headed from the near side from a set play, but he stretched out his right hand with superhuman reflexes to change the course of the shot from close range and successfully deflected it just above the goal.
Continuous fine saves. It cannot be overlooked that the ability to quickly reach out and save the opponent's shots has improved.
"Goalkeepers need to be in a defensive position and react while keeping an eye on the opponent and the ball, as their play is crucial."
However, in the 40th minute of the second half, we allowed the first goal to be scored by taking advantage of the gap created by the opponent's player substitution.
Tokyo, who is trying to counterattack, launches a fierce attack towards the end. In the second half additional time, it seemed that Henrique TREVISAN scored an equalizer from a left corner kick, but the previous play was judged offside and the goal was not allowed. The time was up. They suffered a bitter defeat at home and remained winless in the league for 4 games.
His performance has been improving with each game. "Personally, I feel like I've been getting better and better in the past few games," says number 41, who also feels confident. That's why he wants to win.
"It's really frustrating because we were able to hold on as a team until the end. Of course, it's important for everyone to put their bodies on the line, and the goalkeeper also needs to put their body on the line as the last line of defense. My biggest wish is for the team to win, so I want to make sure we bring home a victory in the next match against Sagan Tosu."
<Match Preview>
Following the 3rd round of the YBC Levain Cup held last Wednesday, the 17th round will be played in Tosu. After a tight schedule of games every 2 and 3 days during Golden Week, this round will see the team face the "Golden J" away with only 4 days of rest.
This round, attention is focused on the players who have been selected for the Japan national team in each age group. Following his selection in March, Yuto Nagatomo will also be joining the U-23 Japan national team aiming for the Paris Olympics, along with four other players: Kuryu Matsuki, Taishi Brandon Nozawa, Kashif Bangnagande, and Ryotaro Araki.
In the away match against Avispa Fukuoka, which was held immediately after the announcement of the March representative members, three players, Nagatomo, Yoshifu, and Araki, who were released to play with the Hinomaru, scored goals and achieved a great victory. They contributed to the team's first victory of the season in an away match in Fukuoka for the first time since July 2000. We cannot help but expect a high performance from them in their blue and red uniforms in this match as well.
The away game in Tosu marked the first victory in the cup tournament since the 2019 season, but it has been a "difficult place" where they have not been able to win a league game since June of the 2015 season. The team has not been able to produce the desired results with four winless games in the league, but they hope to use the victory they won in the penalty kick battle in the previous week's Levain Cup as a source of resurgence and make it a game that will be a turning point.
[Interview with Peter Cklamovski]
Q, we did concede a goal, but last match was a game where we could see the strength of our defense.
A, I think we had a good overall performance. However, I don't think it was our best, and I am disappointed that we conceded and lost. I still feel that there is a lot we can learn and improve on. And I feel the pain of not being able to achieve a victory against Gamba Osaka. Nevertheless, I see it as something necessary for our journey. We will focus on developing our fighting style and head towards the next game.
Players understand what they can do and what their challenges are. We must continue to evolve in order to get closer to our ideals. Of course, it is also important to pay attention to details. We believe that in order to become an unstoppable team, it is important to make corrections and improvements, and to move forward.
Q, it will be a rematch with Sagan Tosu in a short period of time.
A, First of all, we want to focus on our own way of playing and play. I think this match will also be tough, but we are making good preparations. If we can play our football, we can score and we are in a situation where we are regaining our defensive solidity. We will continue to pursue our team's goal until the end of the match and aim to take 3 points.
[Player Interview]
Teruhito NAKAGAWA
Q: How do you plan to tighten up the team, especially since you have been struggling to win in recent official matches?
A, We want to aggressively go after the ball as a team from the start of the match, and show the intensity of our play by finishing with shots. As for defense, I think it is important to not give the opponent any freedom and maintain a strong presence. We want to thoroughly review our team's defensive strategy.
On the offensive side, monotony was also noticeable. In recent games, we have felt a lack of threat in scenes where we properly rotate the ball and in the length of time we hold possession in the opponent's half. We need to raise our level even more to become a threat to the opponent and a monotonous attack will not scare their defense. In addition to the league matches, we will have a busy schedule in June with the Levain Cup and Emperor's Cup. As a team, we want to share again how we can maintain a high level of performance with the same mindset regardless of who is on the field. We believe that by clearing each challenge on both offense and defense, the most important thing is to "keep doing it".
Q, Please tell us about what Teruhito NAKAGAWA is focusing on and what he is conscious of in his own play.
A, it depends on the position you play. When playing in the center, such as attacking midfielder or lone striker, I always try to support the team by receiving the ball and creating rhythm, as well as making runs behind the defense, using my own strengths. When playing on the right wing, I communicate with the players behind me and not only focus on staying wide, but also make runs towards the center to create space for the fullbacks to join the attack.
Basically, I am not always playing in the front line, but I am conscious of increasing the number of times I touch the ball by dropping back to the midfield position. I do not want to be too caught up in my position, but rather want to sense the situation on the pitch and make the best decisions.
Q, this is a match against Sagan Tosu that we played in Levain Cup about a week ago. What kind of performance are you expecting?
A, Through the recent Levain Cup match, we were able to experience the opponent's playing style and tactics on the pitch to some extent, and I believe the opponent team is in the same situation. Tosu is a team that connects from the back, and in the previous match, we played with the consciousness of aggressively taking the ball from the front. It's not about recklessly trying to take the ball from the front line, but if we can compactly take the ball in the opponent's territory as a team, it can lead to attacking opportunities. I think the opponent has also scouted us, so I want to make plays based on reading the flow of the game. Especially in the first 10-15 minutes, it will be crucial to create chances and score the first goal, which I believe is the key point to winning a difficult away game.
Kashif BANGNAGANDE
Q, we are in a situation where we have not won in four league matches.
A, we are far from victory, but when looking at the details, I think there has been improvement in the defensive aspect compared to the beginning of the season. If we say that there were no chances or opportunities in the games we lost, that is not true. There are many cases where we are unable to take the final step or where we give the opponent the only chance they need to score. First of all, we want to fix those areas. In terms of attack, we feel that we are able to create the shape we aim for. We want to improve the quality of our final shots and, personally, I want to increase the accuracy and timing of my crosses. If we can solve these challenges during the game and turn them into victories, I believe we can continue to aim higher as a team. I think other players also feel the same way on the pitch. We want to continue to strive for correcting our challenges and turning them into results.
Q, Victory, please tell us what is necessary to continue winning streaks.
When it comes to crucial moments, it's about being able to finish and throw your body into the ball even in the last defensive situation, and how much attention you can pay to the small details. During the game, it may feel like you're doing it, but when you look back, it seems like you're lacking more than when you were on a winning streak. I want to demand it from myself and those around me. By conveying it to those around me, I think the responsibility for my own play will increase, and I want each and every one of us to play with a heightened awareness.
Q, Sagan Tosu, who played against us in the Levain Cup, is our opponent this round.
A, although we did not participate in the Levain Cup, I think it was a very tough match when watching the footage. Looking at the past match results, we have been far from winning in Tosu's away games (league matches), and I believe that if we can win, we will definitely gain momentum. It is a turning point match, and I want to make it a game where we can settle the score in 90 minutes, which we could not do in the Levain Cup. I want to bring back only a victory to Tokyo.
