＜Match Review＞
Tokyo, who suffered a loss in the previous match against Avispa Fukuoka, will have a fresh start in their game to get back on track. The game was delayed by 30 minutes due to a thunderstorm and heavy rain, but the rain stopped and the pitch condition improved after adjusting the game time. The kickoff took place in the lingering humidity.
Taishi Brandon NOZAWA, who was selected for the Tokyo Olympic U-23 Japan national team, will be the goalkeeper, with Yosuke SHIRAI, Kyosei KIMOTO, Tetsuhei OKA, and Yuhei TOKUMOTO as the final line. Takahiro KO and Kei KOIZUMI will play as defensive midfielders, with Teruhito NAKAGAWA as the attacking midfielder. On the wings, Soma ANZAI will be on the right and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA on the left, with Diego OLIVEIRA as the striker. In addition, Ryotaro ARAKI and captain Kuryu MATSUKI, both members of the Tokyo Olympic U-23 Japan national team, were on the bench for the match.
1stHALF—Diego scores to turn the game around in the 2nd minute
The game starts off with a bang. From the beginning, Tokyo takes control of the ball and attacks. They use their goalkeeper to avoid pressure by passing at an angle. Then, Nakagawa is fouled and they are awarded a free kick on the right side. Shiraishi makes a forward through pass and Asai crosses it with his right foot from the goal line, where Diego TABA is waiting in the center to score. In just 2 minutes, Tokyo successfully takes the lead with a lightning-fast strike.
The team, which had left issues with their first half performance and momentum, showed an aggressive attitude from the start and took the lead. Diego TABA, who scored a goal against his former team, ran to the bench. He hugged the staff and substitute members, showing a strong and powerful fist pump.
In the 5th minute of the first half, Takase made a middle shot with his left foot from a wave-like attack. In the 13th minute of the second half, Tawaradzuma player broke through the left side and took a close shot in front of the goal. Tokyo is increasing their offensive pressure.
Tokyo created chances one after another, but conceded a goal in the 14th minute of the first half. Matheus SAVIO made a pinpoint through pass from near the penalty arc to the left side, and Diego broke through the near side to equalize.
Tokyo, who boldly approached away, developed from the left side to the right side in the 23rd minute of the first half. Diego TABA broke through diagonally and regained the corner kick after losing it once, and then continued to earn corner kicks and pushed forward to create a big chance in front of the opponent's goal. However, they were unable to score a winning goal due to the opponent's strong defense.
In the 29th minute of the first half, player Robert Tawarazumida made a powerful vertical breakthrough with a high-speed dribble from just before the halfway line. He continued to move forward and entered the penalty area, then unleashed a powerful left-footed shot. The ball grazed the crossbar and went over the goal, but he created a chance with his individual strength.
However, in the 32nd minute of the first half, the ball was lost when attempting to build up from their own half. Nogisawa's floated vertical pass was intercepted by the opponent, and Takamine quickly shot with his left foot from the trap. They were caught off guard and ended up conceding a goal, allowing the opponent to take the lead in an unexpected way.
Kashiwa, who is looking for a chance on the counter, against Tokyo who is actively attacking. They took the lead early on, but were unable to convert their chances and were instead troubled by Kashiwa's quick attacks. Tokyo also showed a persistent defense, with player Nozawa stopping a close-range shot from the opponent's corner kick just before the end of the first half. The first half ended 1-2, with Tokyo trailing by one goal at halftime.
2ndHALF— Tetsu's first professional goal is immediately followed by a go-ahead goal
First, Tokyo wants to catch up to the tie. In the second half, they show an aggressive attitude towards the goal and approach the Kashiwa goal. In the 3rd minute of the second half, they push into the opponent's territory and earn a free kick chance after Kimoto is fouled near the penalty arc. From the center of the goal, Tokumoto takes a shot with his strong left foot, but unfortunately the ball hits the top of the bar. In the 12th minute of the second half, from Tokumoto's left corner kick, Shirai takes a shot with his left foot, but he also fails to hit the target.
Tokyo, who continues to push in, takes the ball at a high position and creates chances with one-touch combinations and vertical passes, with Takashi changing the rhythm.
In the 20th minute of the second half, three players were substituted at once. Araki was placed as the top striker, Matsuki as the attacking midfielder, and Keita Endo as the left winger to increase the pressure on the attack.
The defense also holds on. In the 26th minute of the second half, the right side was broken and the near side was targeted, but Nogisawa made a save by jumping sideways. With a determined shot stop to prevent any further goals, Tokyo continues to defend with all their might to turn the tide in their favor.
In the 30th minute of the second half, Yuto NAGATOMO was sent in as a right back, and in the 33rd minute, he chest-trapped a loose ball from a right corner kick and took a left-footed shot. He continued to encourage his teammates and energize the pitch with his words and play. In the 38th minute of the second half, he made an inner lap and appeared in front of the goal, exchanging direct passes with players Araki and Matsuki while creating chances.
And in the 43rd minute of the second half, from a free kick opportunity on the left side, player Tokumoto supplied a sharp dropping ball, which was powerfully headed in by player Oka on the far side. The rookie, who has started in four consecutive games, scored his first professional goal with a header, saving the team and bringing Tokyo back into the game. On the bench, players Go HATANO and Nakagawa pumped up the team, raising their hands high to energize the supporters behind the goal and creating an atmosphere for a comeback.
Tokyo continues to attack relentlessly even during the 8 minutes of additional time. However, during this period of pressure, the final line of defense left the vital area open, allowing for a free floating pass which resulted in a goal being scored in the midst of a chaotic scramble in front of the goal. With little time remaining, they ended up conceding a goal and losing the lead.
Immediately after, a sharp left cross from player Tokumoto was met with a powerful direct volley from player Anzai, but it hit the opponent's goalkeeper head on and the net was not shaken. Despite continuing to attack with long balls into the front line, they were unable to counter. A disappointing loss away from home and the first consecutive defeat of the season.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Kosuke SHIRAI (30th minute of the second half: Yuto NAGATOMO)/Yasuki KIMOTO/Tetsuhei OKA/Shuhei TOKUMOTO
MF Takauyo TAKA (36th minute of the second half: Riki HARAKAWA)/Kei KOIZUMI/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (20th minute of the second half: Ryotaro ARAKI)
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (20th minute of the second half: Kusei MATSUKI)/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (20th minute of the second half: Keita ENDO)/Soma ANZAI
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Masato MORISHIGE
GOAL
2 minutes into the first half: Diego OLIVEIRA / 41 minutes into the second half: Teppei OKA
＜Kashiwa Reysol＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kentaro MATSUMOTO
DF Daiki SEKINE/Hiroki NODA/Taiyo KOGA/Diego (36th minute: Eiichi KATAYAMA)
MF Eiji SHIRAI/Tomoki TAKAMINE (36th minute: Kazuki KUMASAWA)/Yuji YAMADA (27th minute: Takuya SHIMAMURA)
FW Matheus Savio (27th minute: Sachiro TOSHIMA)/Tomoya KOYAMATSU (15th minute: Kosuke KINOSHITA)/Mao HOSOYA
SUBS
GK Masato SASAKI
DF Naoki KAWAGUCHI
GOAL
First Half 14th Minute: Diego / First Half 32nd Minute: Tomoki TAKAMINE / Second Half 45+4th Minute: Sachiro TOSHIMA
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI]
Q, please give us an overview of the match.
A, I think it was a highly entertaining football battle. The players gave their all, showing their performance and football skills. However, I am very disappointed and frustrated that we did not get the desired result. There were moments in this match where we were able to show what we are capable of, but there are still things we need to learn. We must continue to work hard and improve in order to reach our full potential as a team. I am proud of the players for giving their all and fighting fiercely to achieve a positive outcome. However, we must eliminate the easy goals we have been conceding. These easy goals have made our battles more difficult and have become a big obstacle for us to overcome. I am truly grateful to all the fans and supporters who came to cheer us on and pushed us forward. I hope you will continue to support us without giving up.
Q, I think we are able to take advantage of the characteristics of our front line players and get to the opponent's goal, but how do you think about the final accuracy?
A, the finishing part is still an area that we need to improve on. We are able to enter dangerous areas and the penalty area, which is a part of the football we have been playing. Today, we were able to show that our football is growing in that aspect. However, there are still things we need to learn and improve on. Today was one of the matches where we were able to earn points on our own. We need to feel, grow, and learn from this experience.
[Player Interview]
Teppei OKA
Q, this was my first professional goal. Please review the scoring scene.
It was a situation where we had no choice but to catch up, and I was able to get into a good position and become free by making eye contact with Ryotaro ARAKI, so it was good that I was able to put it in front of the goal at a good timing. Shuhei TOKUMOTO sent a good ball there, so all I had to do was to match it.
Q, We had a long time with the ball, but we couldn't keep attacking for a long time.
It would have been better if we could have attacked more effectively by cooperating with the midfield players when speeding up. It was difficult to make an effective pass on my own because the opponent defenders were also wary, but I was conscious of using the central midfielder to release the pressure while developing the play.
Q, How did you respond to the opponent's attacks from their side?
We were particularly aware of the preparation and coordination with Kei KOIZUMI, who was one row ahead, as there were many attacks from the side and we were attacked in our own area in the previous match against Avispa Fukuoka. However, there were some instances where the ball was played backwards and the midfielder was late to apply pressure, so I think I needed to push the midfielder out. There were several scenes where we were shot in the middle, so we need to improve on that.
Q, I have been playing in the starting lineup.
A, I am conscious of growing with each game. I think it's the worst to repeat the same mistakes. As a first-year professional player, I think there is only room for growth, so it's important to absorb and grow from the corrections. I haven't achieved results yet, so I want to increase the plays that contribute to the team.
Q, from here, we have a game against JEF United Chiba in the Emperor's Cup in 3 days, followed by a match against Albirex Niigata at the Japan National Stadium. How will you approach these games?
We must absolutely avoid a 3-game losing streak, so first we want to prepare ourselves to pursue our own style of soccer and win the Emperor's Cup.
<Shuhei TOKUMOTO>
Q, it was a frustrating defeat with a lot of time holding the ball. Please review the entire game.
A, we were able to move the ball fluidly while watching the opponent's space and the movement of our teammates, centered around the volante. However, as a team, we want to increase the accuracy of our final shots and the number of chances created.
Q, we were making good progress in the game, but then we conceded goals one after another.
A, we conceded an easy goal that could have been prevented. None of the players were careless during the goal scene, but we will take it as a good lesson and move on to the next game.
Q, Teppei OKA's first professional goal was born from an assist by Shuhei TOKUMOTO, who successfully overcame a difficult time.
We were in a situation where we were behind the opponent by 1-2, but we had the ball and were able to create chances by repeatedly passing the ball through the center of the field with our midfielders. The assist came from a free kick, but I was able to confidently take the shot. We also had a chance to score a third goal after equalizing, but unfortunately the opponent had a stronger finishing ability and we ended up losing.
Q, it was reminiscent of the free kick that assisted Soma ANZAI's goal in the Júbilo Iwata match.
Before kicking with Riki HARAKAWA, we talked about wanting to surpass the opponent player who was at the minimum near side. With that advice, I was able to kick a good ball. When I assisted ANZAI's goal in the Iwata match, I had a good feeling, so I was able to aim aggressively and the cheers from the fans and supporters in the goal end also gave me strength, so I was full of feelings to want to respond to expectations somehow. I am also grateful to OKA for scoring with a good header.
Q, Next weekend, we also have a match against Albirex Niigata at the Japan National Stadium.
A, I think this result is a matter of mentality, and it is important how we switch it. We want to communicate among players, centering on the three captains, and make solid adjustments. In the 3rd round of the Emperor's Cup on Wednesday, we want to win against JEF United Chiba and create a good flow so that we can achieve victory at "our national stadium".
