＜Match Review＞
The battle to aim for a new title fueled by frustration begins. Just two days after being eliminated in the playoffs of the J.League YBC Levain Cup, Tokyo, who will enter the 104th Emperor's Cup from the 2nd round, faced off against Mie Prefecture representatives V-Varen Nagasaki at Ajinomoto Stadium.
The team has made six changes since the previous game against Hiroshima three days ago. Starting in goal is Tsuyoshi KODAMA, who last started in the second round of the Levain Cup. The back line consists of Soma ANZAI, Masato MORISHIGE, Tetsuhiro OKA, and Yuhei TOKUMOTO from right to left. In the midfield, Kei KOIZUMI and Riki HARAKAWA are playing as defensive midfielders, while Keigo HIGASHI, who is making his first start of the season in an official game, is playing as an attacking midfielder. On the front line, Leon NOZAWA, who is also making his first start of the season, is playing on the right wing, Kota TAWARATSUMIDA is playing on the left wing, and Ryunosuke SATO, who was called back from the U-19 Japan national team's trip to France, is playing as the striker. On the bench is Divine OTANI, who made his professional debut and scored his first professional goal in the Levain Cup game against Hiroshima three days ago.
In addition, before the match, Yuto NAGATOMO, who had just returned from the previous night's Japan national team game, visited the players warming up and could be seen actively encouraging them from the sidelines.
1stHALF—3 points ahead with experienced players' goals
Tokyo continues to push the ball and dominate the game against Mie, who has adopted a 5-4-1 system. In the 11th minute of the first half, a cross was made from Tawaradzuma to Higashi on the left side. Nogizawa in the center attempted a header, but it was cleared by the opposing defender. Tokyo creates a close opportunity.
14 minutes into the first half, Mie allows a sharp dribble breakthrough into the penalty area, but player Anzai makes a desperate slide tackle to cut it off. They do not allow any decisive opportunities.
Tokyo, who had been struggling to attack the opponent who was holding the center, finally scored the long-awaited opening goal in the 21st minute of the first half.
Tsuboi Taketa player who received the ball on the left side touch line broke through vertically. When the cross ball hit the opponent player and flowed to the far side, Nozawa player headed it back while falling back, and Higashi player who was waiting in the center took a direct volley. He powerfully pierced the goal, breaking the balance with the first goal of the season. For Nozawa player, it was his second consecutive assist in two official matches following the Hiroshima match.
Tokyo continues to play the game in the opponent's territory. Player Higashi shows up in many situations with his versatile positioning, becoming the key player in both offense and defense.
The next big chance came in the 29th minute of the first half. East player received a sharp through pass in the center of the pitch after connecting the ball from their own half. Here, Sato player sharply broke through at the last moment of offside timing, kept the ball in front of the opponent goalkeeper who had come out, turned and looped a shot towards the unguarded goal. This was pushed out by the opponent goalkeeper who had desperately returned, and Nogizawa player who was further pressing in front of the goal could not push it in.
Tokyo continues to attack. The one who moved the game here was veteran TERRY. In the 37th minute of the first half, player Harakawa won the right corner kick and player Morishige won the far side. The floating header trajectory went over the goalkeeper's head and was sucked into the goal, widening the lead to 2 points.
In the 42nd minute of the first half, Haragawa scored a stunning direct free kick from about 30 meters in front of the goal, making it 3-0.
Tokyo took a big lead in the first half thanks to the experienced players' performance.
2ndHALF - Two U-18 players make their Ajinomoto Stadium debut
In the second half, Mie, who is chasing, aggressively attacks from the start, but they don't allow any chances by responding firmly to crosses. They shut down attacks from the sides and cut off passes from the center with a defense that is like a net. In the 7th minute of the second half, Nozawa aggressively pressed from the front line and cut off the opponent's pass with a sliding tackle. Although this went over the goal line, the passionate play excited the stadium and they continued to show focused play while expanding their lead.
Manager Peter CKLAMOVSKI made his move in the 12th minute of the second half. He made four substitutions at once, sending Hotaka NAKAMURA, Takahiro KO, Shuto NAGANO, and Yuya OTANI onto the pitch. With this, the final line consisted of NAKAMURA, NAGANO, OKA, TOKUMOTO from right to left, with HARAKAWA and TAKA in the midfield, and OTANI, SATO, and NOZAWA in the front line. NAGANO made his debut for the first team, while OTANI made his debut at Ajinomoto Stadium.
In the 30th minute of the second half, Diego OLIVEIRA was substituted for Higashi. Sato was moved down one row and we will aim for additional points in a vertical relationship. There have been numerous "Ryunosuke!" calls echoing throughout the stadium since the first half, so Sato is eager for some results.
In the 38th minute of the second half, player Nozawa, who also wants a goal, launches a high-speed dribble from the left side on a counterattack. He cuts in near the penalty area and swings his right foot from the center, but unfortunately it goes just left of the goal.
In the final stages, a scene that makes the whole stadium hold its breath is born. Tokumoto makes a long ground pass from the left side. Oya, who started running at full speed from behind, overtakes the opponent's DF and dribbles towards the goal. And from near the penalty arc, he powerfully swings his right foot! The powerful trajectory hits the crossbar, and the dry sound and the roar of the crowd echo throughout the stadium. Although it was not the first goal at Ajinomoto Stadium, the 17-year-old from the U-18 team leaves a strong impression with his brilliant play.
The match ended after 4 minutes of additional time. With the strong performance of veteran players and the debut of academy players at their home Ajinomoto Stadium, it was a fruitful victory that secured their spot in the 3rd round.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Soma ANZAI (12th minute of the second half: Hotaka NAKAMURA)/Masato MORISHIGE (12th minute of the second half: Shuto NAGANO)/Tetsuhei OKA/Yuhei TOKUMOTO
MF Keigo HIGASHI (30th minute of the second half: Diego OLIVEIRA)/Kei KOIZUMI (12th minute of the second half: Uto TAKA)/Chikara HARAKAWA
FW Ryunosuke SATO/Leon NOZAWA/ Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (12th minute of the second half: Divine OTANI)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Henrique TREVISAN
GOAL
First half 21 minutes: Keigo HIGASHI/First half 37 minutes: Masato MORISHIGE/First half 42 minutes: Riki HARAKAWA
＜V-Varen Nagasaki＞
STARTING XI
GK Kenji Mori
DF Keitaro IYORI/ Shun Nogaito/ Mizuki AIBA/ Tsubasa KUSUMOTO (12th minute: Tatsuhiko NOGUCHI)
MF Naoki HATTA/ Jun Kanenari/ Taku INAFUKU (0th minute: Reiji MORI)/ Junki SEO (12th minute: Kenta KAWANAKA)
FW Hiromi KAKURA (0th minute: Hyun-Joo YANG)/ Shogo OTAKE (30th minute: Koki KIDO)
SUBS
GK Ryotenn Matsumoto
DF Kenshiro Tanioku
GOAL
―
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI]
Q, please share your thoughts on today's match.
A, I think we were able to give a really good performance overall, and I am proud of the players' efforts. The football they showed today is what we wanted to do. Some people may see the game against the team in the lower category as an easy game, but we do not see it with that mentality. I think it was a game where we had to grab our football against a tough opponent. We were able to work hard and get the result. We were able to score multiple goals, and the fans and supporters were also happy, and I am also happy. I am also happy that we were able to keep a clean sheet. Even when players who have not had many opportunities to play so far, we were able to play really good football without any gaps. We were able to catch the flow in a good rhythm, and I think there were scenes where we could have scored a few more goals. And the important thing is to recover from here and prepare for the next game.
Q, How did you approach the players with only 2 days between Levain Cup matches and no preparation time?
A, there is nothing new. It's about creating the team's character. By continuing to do so, it will lead to our football and what we want to do. I think we were able to do that today, and with this victory, we want to prepare for the next one.
Q, there were 2 goals from set plays. Please tell us your evaluation of kicker Riki HARAKAWA and the set plays themselves.
First of all, I think today's game showed how important it is to restart. Masato MORISHIGE's goal also came from a restart. Harakawa's goal was also a great free kick, but that's something he practices and scores often. We always talk about doing what we do in our daily training, and I think he showed that today. He gave a really strong performance. The midfielders also played well, and that helped us gain momentum.
Today, everyone gave a good performance. Teppei OKA, Soma ANZAI, Kota TAWARATSUMIDA, and Reo NOZAWA all played exciting football. And Shuto NAGANO and Divine OTANI also gave us good performances. Goh HATANO, who didn't play, also prepared for the team. I am proud that so many players who have come through our academy gave such good performances. In today's performance, no matter who played, we were able to play our football and continue to create it. I think that's because the players and staff are doing a good job.
[Player Interview]
＜Keigo HIGASHI＞
Q, I think there is a difficulty in playing against teams from different categories.
A, speaking of the unique atmosphere of the Emperor's Cup, I have experienced various matches in the past and have had many unpleasant experiences. Even looking at the results of other venues today, there were clubs with difficult game content and results. I think it's a difficult tournament. If we become loose in the transition of offense and defense or in the ball-winning situation, we will be easily taken advantage of. I was conscious of not letting that happen. We were able to score 3 goals on the attacking side, but I think it is important to share and polish our ideas a little more. There was also information that V-Varen Nagasaki would defend with a 5-man block, so I think it would have been even better if we could express more ideas in our play.
Q, please tell us what you were conscious of while the opponent was forming a solid defense.
A, I thought it would be good if the team could create space by me moving around, taking up the middle position well, pulling back and dropping back, and occasionally breaking through. In addition, I asked the defensive players to play the ball vertically. In terms of combination, I think we could have created even better attacks if we could have coordinated more with Ryunosuke SATO.
Q, please tell us about the feeling of combination with player Sato.
A, I think it would be good if players could differentiate between controlling the ball firmly and taking bold challenges. I believe that quality will deepen through game experience and collaboration on the pitch, and it is an area that we need to study. I also want to communicate with such players from practice so that I can play with them more.
Riki HARAKAWA
Q, What preparations did you make for the game in a difficult situation of only two days after losing in the Levain Cup?
A, I prepared as usual. There are some tough aspects in terms of physical strength, but playing consecutive games allows me to establish a rhythm, so even when I'm tired, I can keep my mind clear. I don't think it's as hard as I thought it would be. It's mentally tough when there's a gap in between games, but having another game right away allows me to focus on the next one, so I think it's just right.
Q, it was a cup match different from the league match. I think there is difficulty in playing against opponents in a different category.
A, I thought the timing of the first goal would be important, so I'm glad Keigo HIGASHI scored it and it made the game easier to play. V-Varen Nagasaki played with 5 defenders, so we were waiting for Tokyo's vertical attacks, so we were able to use more width and shake things up more than usual. However, I think we need to share that more as a team.
Q, please review the scoring scene.
A, Tokyo has many dribblers, and when set plays are successful, the opponent cannot commit fouls, so I think a good cycle will be created. If we can score free kicks like that, I think it will give the dribblers more life.
Q, there is a Júbilo Iwata match in 3 days.
A, although my body is tired, as long as my mind is clear, it's not too much of a problem, so I don't think it's too difficult.
<Shuto NAGANO>
Q, I contributed to the victory with no goals conceded despite coming on as a substitute.
A, It was my first appearance in the top team, and I was a little nervous when I played. However, I was able to quickly adapt and play my own game thanks to the advice I received from my senior teammates.
Q, Was there anything you were particularly conscious of?
During build-up, I was told not to easily pass to the outside, but to pass to the central player. We were thinking of plays that could firmly connect to the attack as a team during build-up.
I think I was able to play calmly in the right position.
A, We have been working on not losing in one-on-one situations in our daily training at FC Tokyo U-18, so I think we were able to demonstrate what we have been building up consistently in the top team as well.
Q, In the future, the top team will continue to play and the Emperor's Cup JFA U-18 Soccer Premier League will also resume.
First of all, I think that if I don't show the difference between myself and the other players at FC Tokyo U-18, I won't be called up to the top team again. So, I want to show my play at FC Tokyo U-18 and work hard to get the opportunity to play in the top team.
