＜Match Review＞
Tokyo returned to their home Ajinomoto Stadium with a 3-game winning streak. They achieved their first victory in 6 games against Nagoya Grampus in the 30th round held at the National Stadium, and continued their winning streak in away games against Urawa Reds and Yokohama F. Marinos. In recent years, they have struggled at Saitama Stadium 2002 and Nissan Stadium, but managed to earn 3 points at both venues.
The team is in good condition with their second consecutive three-game winning streak this season, and they are aiming for their first four-game winning streak against Sagan Tosu. There were no major changes to the starting lineup, and Soma ANZAI returned to the pitch for the first time in seven games. They kicked off in the rain, aiming for a victory at Ajinomoto Stadium, where they haven't won in over three and a half months.
1st HALF - Grab the rhythm and launch a counterattack from the middle of the first half.
While on a 3-game winning streak, the starting part of the game, which was mentioned as a challenge, was once again exposed as a challenge on this day. In the 9th minute of the first half, the ball was moved on the right side and pushed in, and then Fukuda made a direct cross that caught Marcelo RYAN off guard, and he scored a header shot. Although this goal was canceled due to an offside call supported by VAR, it was a sudden and nerve-wracking turn of events.
In the 13th minute of the first half, they faced another pinch from a corner kick, but goalkeeper Taishi Brandon NOZAWA made a great save. He quickly blocked a shot from Vikintas Sulivka from close range. After that, there was pressure on Tosu's passing game, but they struggled against the power of Marcelo RYAN up front. However, Yasuki KIMOTO, who mainly matched up against him, held his ground and did not allow any goals.
Tokyo finally started to find their rhythm around the 25-minute mark of the first half. In the 30th minute, Kota TAWARATSUMIDA, who received the ball in his own half, dribbled about 60 meters and caused a stir in the stadium. Then, in the 36th minute, they had their biggest chance of the first half. Ryotaro ARAKI's feed was met by a reaction from Yasunori ANZAI, but his shot did not meet his expectations and the first half ended with no goals.
2ndHALF - Equalized with a goal by Yan in the final stage
There is no significant change in the game structure even after halftime, with Tosu continuing to hold the ball, but Tokyo's backline is responding tenaciously. On the other hand, in the 11th minute of the second half, Tawara Tsumita, who had been making sharp moves since the first half, managed to take a shot, but it was blocked by a defender.
As the back-and-forth battle continues, we end up conceding the first goal. In the 28th minute of the second half, our left side is broken through and despite Masato MORISHIGE's clearance of Gaku Togashi's low and fast cross, the ball falls to Nakahara who takes a shot. Masato MORISHIGE also blocks the shot, but the ball rolls to Vykintas Slivka who pushes it in for a goal.
However, the team does not look down and first aims for an equalizer, attacking the goal. Substitute players Riki HARAKAWA, Keita ENDO, and Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA actively bring in the ball, and in the 33rd minute of the second half, they created a close scene from the combination of HARAKAWA and OGASHIWA.
In that flow, Takahiro KO aims for a goal with a direct volley from the corner kick, and a tying goal is born in the 37th minute of the second half from the following corner kick. From the chaos in front of the goal, Takahiro KO powerfully strikes the ball into the goal, breaking through the crowd and bringing the score back to a tie.
With this one point, the voltage at Ajinomoto Stadium rose rapidly and Tokyo aimed for a comeback, including 7 minutes of additional time, but the final precision was lacking and they missed out on their first 4 consecutive wins of the season.
After a one-week break, we will face Vissel Kobe away in the next match.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING XI
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Yuto NAGATOMO (42nd minute of the second half: Hotaka NAKAMURA)/Masato MORISHIGE/Yasuki KIMOTO/Tetsuhiro OKA
MF Takayuki KOU/Keigo HIGASHI (23rd minute of the second half: Chikara HARAKAWA)/Ryotaro ARAKI
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (23rd minute of the second half: Tsuyoshi KOBA)/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (23rd minute of the second half: Keita ENDO)/Soma ANZAI (42nd minute of the second half: Leon NOZAWA)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
FW Keita YAMASHITA
GOAL
37' Takahiro KO
＜Sagan Tosu＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Park Il-Kyu
DF Kosuke Yamazaki/Kim Tae-Hyung/Wataru Harada
MF Kento Nishiya/Akito Fukuta (39' 2nd half: Daichi Suzuki)/Teru Nakahara (45+1' 2nd half: Yuta Imazu)/Yuki Horigome (16' 2nd half: Ayapei Watanabe)/Vykintas Slivka (39' 2nd half: Keisuke Sakaiya)
FW Shota Hino (16' 2nd half: Cayman Togashi)/Marcelo Hian
SUBS
GK Masahiro OKAMOTO
MF Naoyuki FUJITA
GOAL
28' 2nd Half: Vykintas Slivka
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI]
Q, please review the game.
It was an entertaining football match where both teams fought for results. I think Sagan Tosu also played a good game, and we expected them to play in this way. Until about 20 minutes into the first half, the momentum was on Tosu's side and we were in a situation where we had to make sure we didn't fall behind in the game. We fought through the situation and tried to create our own game, and towards the end of the first half, we were able to find a good rhythm and flow.
In the second half, we needed to improve our attacking game by increasing our awareness and aggressiveness towards the opponent's goal. By doing so, we were able to control the game and dictate the flow. We talked about building on what we have been doing and improving our attacking game during halftime. Unfortunately, we gave away an easy goal to Tosu, which is something we all regret. However, we responded with a strong attitude and belief, and were able to equalize 1-1. Towards the end, we were able to put up a strong fight, and the substitutes made a great impact. We are disappointed that we couldn't secure 3 points for our fans and supporters before the end of the game.
Q, with only 5 games left, there is an 11 point difference from 3rd place. How will the team maintain their motivation heading into the end of the season?
A,The key to motivation is to improve week by week and fight to finish the season stronger than any other team. The important thing is to not look too far ahead and focus on each game. There were some good aspects in today's game, but there are also areas where we need to sharpen our play. We want to become a stronger team and be able to win these types of games by improving in those areas. The players have worked very hard. We want to continue this while recovering properly and focus on our tactical, physical, and technical growth.
[Player Interview]
Takahiro KO
Q, please review the game.
A, it's very frustrating. I think it's because of our current abilities that we couldn't win a game that we absolutely had to win. We were able to pick up the pace after catching up, but we didn't have much time to take control of the game and it was a difficult time that lasted for a long time.
Q, this was our second goal of the season. Please review the scoring scene.
A, I was aiming for the loose ball that was contested. This week, I had a good feeling during shooting practice, so I was able to score, which was good. Coach Yu TOKISAKI has been showing us a lot of variations in set plays. So, we just had to respond to that, but we weren't able to score easily. There was also talk about how scoring from set plays is important in order to break into the top ranks, so I think it was good that we were able to score.
Q, There will be activities for the Japan national team and the league will be suspended. What preparations will be made during this suspension period?
It is difficult to maintain control for the entire 90 minutes with a situation like having 10 minutes left in the second half. However, we want to focus on ourselves and aim to win all remaining matches, even if it means extending that time even just a little bit.
<Soma ANZAI>
Q, it was my first start in a while. Can you please reflect on it?
A, it was a long-awaited return to the starting lineup while the team was on a 3-game winning streak. Everyone understood that it wouldn't be an easy game, and there were a few dangerous moments in the first half. As a team, we feel responsible for the many times we were stagnant and unable to capitalize on the momentum of our 3-game winning streak. It's especially frustrating that we couldn't get the win.
Q, running from the side to the center and actively aiming for the opponent's back was particularly noticeable.
If you don't keep moving actively while running, the opponent's defender will shift to the side and no space will be created because they were defending with five players. I aimed for runs from the outside to the inside, as well as vertical spaces and behind the side. I was conscious of breaking the opponent's line with runs towards the vertical and behind, and having my teammates use the space created by my runs.
Q, there were also scenes where the attack was stuck against Sagan Tosu, who put numbers on defense.
A, in the past few games, there have been many opponents who have been attacking from the front, but Sagan Tosu positioned themselves with a 5-man defense. As someone who played on the side, it is a challenge to figure out how to break through and finish while being pushed back. I want to organize and improve on this. In today's game, the opponent played with a 5-back formation, making it difficult for us to create opportunities and resulting in a defensive game for them.
