Match Review
Tokyo, which won against Albirex Niigata at the Japan National Stadium in the previous match, faced Kashima Antlers in an away game aiming for consecutive victories before the summer break.
This season, Kuryu MATSUKI, who has been leading the team as captain, has left the team for preparations for a potential overseas transfer, and Taishi Brandon NOZAWA and Ryotaro ARAKI from the U-23 Japan national team have also joined the national team. The team is facing a crucial summer match that will test their overall strength.
Go HATANO was appointed as the goalkeeper in place of Daishi NOZAWA, marking his return to the league since the match against Kashiwa Reysol in Sec. 13. The 10 field players are the same as in the previous match against Niigata. Keita ENDO, who is expected to score in consecutive matches, starts on the left wing, while Leon NOZAWA, who scored the winning goal in the Niigata match, starts on the bench. Additionally, Keigo HIGASHI has also returned to the league roster for the first time in about four months since the match against Avispa Fukuoka in Sec. 4.
1st HALF - Keita equalizes with his second consecutive goal
Since Kashima does not apply pressure from the front, Tokyo's possession of the ball increases from the beginning. In the 5th minute of the first half, they break through the right side to create the first chance. Yasuki KIMOTO passes the ball to the right side, and Soma ANZAI and Kosuke SHIRAI work together to open up the side. Although Teruhito NAKAGAWA's shot did not connect, it was a moment where their intended attack took shape.
Furthermore, in the 18th minute of the first half, they approached the goal from the build-up of the final line. Shuhei TOKUMOTO advanced with the ball and passed it to Takahiro KO in the center, who then directly passed it to Diego OLIVEIRA. However, instead of shooting, Diego chose to pass to Nakagawa on the right side, and they were unable to take a shot.
After that, the time spent with the ball gradually increased for Kashima. During that time, the fortunes of both teams were divided in about one minute from the 29th to the 30th minute of the first half.
As player Tokumoto made a long throw from the left side, player Endo responded and broke behind the opponent. Calmly assessing the situation near the goal line, he made a return pass. Player Diego TABA, who had rushed in, attempted a direct shot, but it was blocked by a defender who threw their body in front.
A counterattack was launched by Kashima after picking up the loose ball, turning the situation into a crisis. With momentum in front of the goal, Taira SHIGE took a shot, which Teppei OKA managed to block at first, but the loose ball was picked up by Nagao, who fired a powerful shot into the net from a diagonal position to the left of the goal, allowing the first goal.
Concerns arose about the players' mental decline after a scoring opportunity turned into a conceded goal, but Tokyo revived in the latter part of the first half.
In the 41st minute of the first half, the double pivot involved in the build-up moved the ball on the left side, and at the right moment, Tokumoto sent a feed forward. Endo, who got behind the opponent, entered the penalty area, then switched near the goal line to create an angle for a shot, and struck with his right foot into the bottom right corner of the goal. The man who was named a starter for the second consecutive match scored for the second consecutive game, bringing Tokyo back to level in the match as the first half concluded.
2nd HALF - Unable to overturn the early goal conceded
Tokyo wants to maintain their momentum and control the pace of the match, but they are suddenly thwarted. In the 2nd minute of the second half, a diagonal feed from player Anzai is received by player Morioka on the left side. Although player Nono's cross was cut off, the loose ball is kicked back in by player Nono, allowing the opponent to take the lead.
The impact of falling behind by one goal in a humid environment weighed heavily both physically and mentally, allowing Kashima to control the pace of the game. However, in the 14th minute of the second half, Anzai made a run down the right side and connected with Endo's shot, demonstrating that they never lost their fighting spirit and continued to aim for the Kashima goal.
In the 17th minute of the second half, Kota TAWARATSUMIDA was substituted for Anzai, placing dribblers on both wings to aim for breaking through Kashima's solid defense.
In the final stages of the match, Yuto NAGATOMO, Masato MORISHIGE, and Leon NOZAWA were simultaneously brought in as fresh players to change the situation, but they were unable to break through the compact defensive block of Kashima that filled their own territory.
They implemented various attacking strategies, such as moving Morishige to the front line and utilizing Tokumoto's long throws to approach the goal, but they lost 1-2 without catching up by a single point.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Go HATANO
DF Kosuke SHIRAI (substituted at 41 minutes: Yuto NAGATOMO)/Yasuki KIMOTO/Teppei OKA (substituted at 41 minutes: Masato MORISHIGE)/Shuhei TOKUMOTO
MF Hiroshi TAKAU (substituted at 33 minutes: Chikara HARAKAWA)/Kei KOIZUMI/Teruhito NAKAGAWA
FW Diego OLIVEIRA/Keita ENDO (substituted at 41 minutes: Leon NOZAWA)/Soma ANZAI (substituted at 17 minutes: Kota TAWARATSUMIDA)
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
MF Keigo HIGASHI
GOAL
41st minute of the first half: Keita ENDO
<Kashima Antlers>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Tomoki HAYAKAWA
DF Kaito NOBUNO/Naomichi UEDA/Ikuma SEKIGAWA/Koki ANZAI
MF Gaku SHIBASAKI (29th minute: Kento MISAO)/Kei CHINEN/Shintaro NAGO (37th minute: Takashi TOKUDA)/Shu MOROOKA (29th minute: Yuta HIGUCHI)
FW Chavlitch (11th minute: Hayato NAKAMA) (37th minute: Tomoya FUJII)/Yuma SUZUKI
SUBS
GK Taiki YAMADA
DF Hidehiro SUGAI
GOAL
30th minute of the first half: Shintaro NAGO / 2nd minute of the second half: Kaito NUNO
[Peter CKLAMOVSKI Coach Interview]
Q, please review the game.
It was a good battle of football. We were able to show some good plays among ourselves, but a small difference led to the result. Of course, there is some regret, but we were able to bring out many good things as well. I want to continue to build on that steadily and, while carrying the pain of this defeat, aim for growth as a team.
In the first half, we were able to compete evenly, and even at halftime, I felt that we could secure 3 points in this match. However, at the start of the second half, the ball spilled to the opponent in the box, and they were able to score from that. Before the match, I mentioned that a small difference could determine the outcome, and we conceded goals in those two situations. Throughout the match, we were able to do many of the things we wanted to do, and I think we effectively utilized the good areas where we wanted to attack. On another day, we might have scored more than one goal.
I would like to thank the fans and supporters who came all the way here to cheer for us. They truly supported the players until the very end of the match. I am sorry that we could not secure the 3 points for them.
Q: After this, the J1 League will enter a break period. What do you want to build and advance during that time?
First, we need to ensure that the players who participated today recover properly, and that the players who did not play today participate in tomorrow's practice match. Additionally, we must continue to build on what we have been doing. I believe we are a growing team, and we will ensure that all the elements we are currently working on can grow steadily. I think we are moving in the right direction. Today, a small difference determined the outcome of the match. However, to achieve that, we must stay focused and grow with a sense of hunger. By continuing to grow, we want to finish the latter part of the season in a solid and positive way compared to when we started. We will work towards that goal.
[Player Interview]
＜Keita ENDO＞
Q, please review the goal scene.
A, since Shuhei TOKUMOTO had the ball, I believed that if I started moving, he would pass it to me, so I ran. Today, my touch on the ball felt really good, and I thought the space behind the opponent was an opportunity, so I’m glad I was able to finish from there somehow.
Q: It seems that you are in good form, having scored in two consecutive matches.
A, I feel that my condition is improving. However, I think the overall atmosphere was lacking for such an important match in terms of advancing to the top. Looking back, I think it was a waste of a match considering that we might regret not winning here later.
Q: How do you want to connect today's defeat to the next match?
If we play like today, we will become a team that cannot win in crucial moments. I also have to admit that I didn't return to the position I should have for the second goal.However, I want to discuss and delve into aspects like our commitment to each play and our obsession with victory, so that we can show those qualities as a team.
<Teruhito NAKAGAWA>
Q: Please reflect on the match.
It was a really important match to close the gap with the top teams, but the reality is that we lost, and a small mistake led to conceding a goal, causing us to miss out on points. I feel a sense of crisis that if we don't analyze the content, we will end up in mid-table. The current situation is that checking our marks and focusing on the finer details, even the small things, are affecting the results of the matches. It turned out to be a game that highlighted our weaknesses.
Q: The early goal conceded in the second half significantly changed the flow of the match.
In the match against Albirex Niigata, as well as in others, we have been starting the second half by being too pressured by the opponent, becoming too passive. This has been particularly evident this season. Our poor start to the match leads to conceding goals, and in away games like today, we get overwhelmed by the atmosphere and momentum of the venue. We have talked many times about the importance of starting strong in the first and second halves, especially in the first 10 minutes, but there is still much improvement needed. I want to work on improving our lack of concentration that gives away weaknesses and moments of vulnerability.
Q: When focusing on player Nakagawa, it seemed that in today's match he was aware of the intermediate position and was conscious of being involved in both offense and defense.
A, I am still not enough and I am not being helpful. I want to demand more hard work from myself. For forwards, everything is shown through results and numbers. It is my responsibility that I have not been able to produce results. The reason we couldn't earn points in today's match is that we lacked the ability to finish. I want to focus on myself and play with more responsibility.
<Teppei OKA>
Q: It was a disappointing result, but how do you reflect on today's match?
We confirmed what we need to do as a team, and we had a meeting yesterday where we focused on our defensive strategies and alignment, but perhaps we didn't practice enough with the opponent in mind. We need to focus more on that and develop countermeasures as a team, and the things that we find uncomfortable, the opponent has been doing to us consistently. I think our inability to do that is a point for reflection. Personally, there were moments when I needed to be more aggressive in shutting down the key players of the opponent. I believe we need to be more greedy in our pursuit of victory. I feel like I am being greedy, but I need to spread that mindset more to those around me, and the areas where I lack influence are still due to my own shortcomings. To have influence, I think I need to show more leadership in practice and communicate more. I want to ensure that what I express can be transmitted to everyone.
Q: How was the passing aspect, which is one of Okada's characteristics?
A, I think there are still few effective passes. The distance from those around me is too far, and when I am free while other players are in close positions with the opponent, I want to create more situations where I can attract the opponent and then develop the play with one or two touches. I believe there are few switches to the side in Tokyo, so I want to increase those situations from my position or from the defensive midfielder.
Q, we are entering a break period from here.
I want to carefully watch the footage, recognize the strong points and challenges, and focus on addressing them thoroughly after the break.
