<Match Review>
The away side's NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium is filled with blue and red fans and supporters, shaking the stands with loud cheers and jumps to encourage the team from before the match. Led by coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI, the team welcomes the first game of the new season. The time has finally come to reveal the new try that has been built up since the team's start.
The 11 players chosen by the commander for their first match. At the back, Taishi Brandon NOZAWA, with Kanta DOI, Masato MORISHIGE, and Tetsuhei OKA forming the final line. On the wings, Kosuke SHIRAI on the right and Yuto NAGATOMO on the left. In the midfield, captain Kei KOIZUMI and Takahiro KO form a partnership at the bottom, with Teruhito NAKAGAWA on the right and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA on the left as inside halves. And up top, former teammates Marcelo HIANN and 1 top. While the starting lineup was registered as 4-4-2, they actually played with a new formation of 3-4-2-1. In addition, the bench now includes 9 players, including rookies Kouta TOKIWATA and new addition Keiichiro SATO, with 5 different types of forwards registered. They approached the opening match with an attacking lineup.
Yokohama FC, on the other hand, is a team with a reputation for strong defense, quick counterattacks, and set plays, despite being in their first year of promotion. It is also interesting to note that there are many staff members with connections to the blue and red team, including Kenji Fukuda as the director of strengthening, Fumitake Miura as the coach, Yoichi Doi as the goalkeeper coach, and Amaral as the striker coach. Junya Suzuki, who is known for his long throws and was with the team until the 2022 season, also made the starting lineup.
The match kicked off at 2:03 PM in Tokyo, with a mild climate remaining despite the slight chill.
1st HALF - Although we had a higher possession rate, we were unable to break through the opponent's defense.
In the beginning, both teams were trying to find their rhythm and play to their strengths. They both used the same formation, with a 5-back defense, creating a mirrored game. As the game went on, Yokohama FC gradually pushed forward with long balls and attacking from the sides and center. They took multiple shots after the 10-minute mark, but Nogizawa made solid saves and prevented any goals. In the 20th minute, the opponent managed to break through our defense with a long through pass, but our backline had set up an offside trap and avoided any danger.
The first half was a key point for Yokohama FC's strategy of tightening the center. Although there were scenes of coordinated high press after attacking, there was a continued struggle to find a breakthrough solution.
The first chance came in the 30th minute of the first half, when Tawaradane Taketa received the ball on the left side and made a cut-in pass to the far side. Shiroi player ran in and took a shot, but it was blocked by a defender and resulted in a corner kick. Then, Tawaradane Taketa made a cross from the right and Doi player changed the direction of the ball near the goal, where Nakagawa player was free and headed the ball, but it went over the goal. Unfortunately, they couldn't convert their first scoring opportunity.
Tokyo, who wants to find an attacking opportunity while enduring Yokohama FC's strong set plays. In the 40th minute of the first half, they defended against the opponent's corner kick and fed the ball forward. Here, both Nakagawa and Shirai ran fiercely. The opponent's goalkeeper jumped out to the left side and cleared the ball, but it hit Nakagawa's left foot and a yellow card was shown.
There was a scene where they were attacked by a corner kick even during the 2-minute additional time, but Nogizawa made a solid catch and the time was up. Although they had a higher possession rate, they were unable to break down the opponent and ended the first half with a scoreless draw, leaving room for improvement in their attacking construction.
2ndHALF - "Rikizo Tokyo" wins their first game with a powerful strike from a brilliant pass work
As they faced Yokohama FC in the second half without any changes to their lineup, Tokyo struggled to advance into the enemy's territory as Yokohama FC continued to move forward while receiving the ball between the lines. Tokyo tried to create a rhythm by increasing the chances for their forwards to touch the ball and making movements while players returned to their positions.
The moment that changed the tense atmosphere in one go was the powerful vertical dribble breakthrough shown by player Shirai in the 16th minute of the second half. And from this play, a moment of joy was brought about from the throw-in gained.
When Shiroi received a return from Nakagawa, Koizumi and Takahashi made a one-touch play and dashed powerfully towards the goal. The ball moved to the center, and Tawarazumi and Tsumetai pushed it forward with one touch, where Shiroi ran in and made a brilliant control shot with his left foot. A powerful and elegant strike from the beautiful passing play worthy of the "Rikizo Tokyo" first goal. After scoring, Shiroi ran straight to the goal stand and shared his joy with his blue and red teammates, spreading his arms and roaring powerfully.
As the back-and-forth battle continues, Coach Matsubashi makes a move. In the 22nd minute of the second half, Keita YAMASHITA replaces player Hian, and in the 30th minute, players Nakagawa, Tawarazumi, and Shirai are substituted with Soma ANZAI, Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA, and Keiin SATO, respectively, to revitalize the pitch with a fresh lineup. For player Sato, who went directly from Meiji University to Germany, this was his J-League debut match.
Yokohama FC, who is trying to counterattack, also comes attacking from the side with player substitutions, but Nogisawa player prevents the aerial battle and catches the high ball, not allowing for a second attack.
Tokyo, who wants to skillfully advance the game while protecting the lead. Up front, Kelly will aim for sharp breakthroughs, while at the back, PREMIST will cut off the opponent's attacks with quick footwork and demonstrate their strengths in both offense and defense. In the 4 minutes of additional time, Henrique TREVISAN will be substituted in for the hard-working PREMIST. Henrique, who excels in one-on-one play, will immediately stop the opponent's breakthrough and help close out the game.
Amid the chant of "the city that never sleeps" at away, a long whistle echoed and a magnificent 1-0 victory was achieved in the opening game. While leaving room for growth, they seized a brilliant goal with their characteristic passing soccer, and achieved a big result of victory in the first game of "Tokyo Powerhouse".
MATCH DETAILS
��FC Tokyo＞
STARTING ��
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Masato MORISHIGE (45+2nd half: Henrique Trevisan)/Yuto NAGATOMO/Tetsuhiro OKA/Kanta DOI
MF Yu KOUYO/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (30th minute of 2nd half: Kei Sato)/Kei KOIZUMI/Kosuke SHIRAI (30th minute of 2nd half: Soma ANZAI)
FW Marcelo HIAN (22nd minute of 2nd half: Keita YAMASHITA)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (30th minute of 2nd half: Takashi KOGA)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
MF Kouta TOKIWAKI
FW Leon NOZAWA
FW Ewerton GAUDINO
GOAL
16' Second Half: Kosuke SHIRAI
��Yokohama FC＞
STARTING ��
GK Akinori ICHIKAWA
DF Kosuke YAMAZAKI/Ndokaboniface/Akito FUKUMORI
MF Junya SUZUKI/Yoshiaki KOMAI (42nd minute: Michel Lima)/Yota OGURA (34th minute: Yuri Rara)/Towa YAMANE (24th minute: Kaili SHIMBO)
FW Musashi SUZUKI (34th minute: Shou ITO)/Joao Paulo (24th minute: Mizuki ARAI)/Solomon SAKURAGAWA
SUBS
GK Phelipe MEGIOLALO
DF Makito ITO
MF Toma MURATA
FW Keijiro OGAWA
GOAL
―
[Interview with Rikizo MATSUHASHI, Manager]
Q, please review the game.
A, I think that getting 3 points is everything rather than the content. We want to take this momentum to the next game and make good preparations so that we can continue to ride on our momentum.
Q, when Marcelo RYAN and Masato MORISHIGE were seen to be injured, they were quickly substituted. Did you trust the substitute player and were you prepared for it?
A, The staff on the bench are always prepared and thinking about various things, so I think we were able to do it smoothly. (Regarding the players' condition), I haven't received a detailed report yet.
Q: In the first half, we saw some stiffness. What instructions did you give at halftime?
A, I told them that they were kicking a little too much. Of course, we had the idea of using it well in our plan, but when we entered the second half, we were in a position to create the game ourselves and change our roles a little, which I think also helped create some smoothness. In the second half, I think it would be good if we could create a timing to speed up and enter the final third. Also, we need to make sure to properly recover the ball we have taken. There were also situations where we cleared the ball and fought for the second ball, but the opponent picked it up, so we need to firmly hold onto it and continue to do so. That's something we need to do carefully.
Q, the goal scene was beautifully broken down by the third person's movement.
A, (There were hardly any breakdowns like that), but even if it happened once, we were able to create a goal and defend it until the end with everyone, so I think it was a very good goal. In addition, there were chances for the opponent, so it was a pinch for us, but we were able to defend it until the end without giving up and keep a clean sheet. Considering the toughness of the first match and the pressure, I would like to give credit for that.
[Player Interview]
＜Kosuke SHIRAI＞
Q, From analysis by Head of Analysis Hiroaki FUJI, it was shown that if player Kosuke SHIRAI is involved in 6 goals, the team will be closer to the title, and that was set as the goal. It was a good start, wasn't it?
A, being involved in scoring from the opening is really positive for me, and I think it was good to take the first step towards my goal.
Q, please review the scoring scene.
A, I was able to recognize that there was space available and the ball was placed in a good position, so all I had to do was swing my leg.
Q, I said I didn't know how to express my joy when I scored in the away game against Albirex Niigata last season.
A, I think today was a good feeling. It was good that I was able to go to the goal end as it is.
Q, I think the wing back position is probably the most skilled position in my career.
A, I have always played as a wing back and it is one of my favorite positions. Today, I got good results and I feel that my experience as a wing back and playing as a 4-back until last season are matching well.
Q, we were able to keep the number of goals conceded to 0 on the defensive side.
A, I think it was really good, and by switching to a 3-back, there was also a sense of security in front of the goal. It also makes it easier for us wingers to go forward, so I think that's really good. There are also parts to reflect on even when we win, so I hope we can continue to move up while winning.
Q, the next match will be the home opener at Ajinomoto Stadium.
A, I think it's important to win at home, so I want to win solidly and deliver the first home victory to the fans and supporters.
<Kanta DOI>
Q, please review the game.
A, I think there were too many long balls. The ground is not good, and there was also a part where we wanted to play safely in the opening game, but I would like to connect the ball more overall.
Q: How do you feel about the development of the game?
After scoring one point, we were able to play a stable game by firmly holding back. In terms of attack, I felt that the whole team needs to focus more on quality and reduce mistakes.
Q: What areas do you feel were lacking in the attacking part?
A, I was kicking most of the goal kicks. So, if we can calm down and connect from the center back, our time will increase and we can play with more ease.
Q: How do you feel about being able to win the opening game without conceding any goals in a tough situation?
When considering the entire year, I think whether we can win or not in this type of game situation has a big impact on our ranking. In that sense, I feel that being able to win in a game like today's shows that the team is growing.
Q, it was also the first official match against Yoichi Doi (Yokohama FC goalkeeper coach), who is my father.
A, it was good to win. I wanted to taunt (my father) after winning, so I will do it when I go back home.
<Sato Keiin Player>
Q, how was your J-League debut match?
A, it was a difficult game, but I was thinking about what I could do for the team's victory if I played. It was my debut game, but I really think this is just the beginning, so I want to continue to produce good results from here and grow so that I can meet everyone's expectations.
Q, What instructions did you receive from the coach?
A, I was told to be careful of Fukumori's kick and to put pressure on him. I was also told to put pressure on the opponent while the front line players were trying to score a goal.
Q, What did you focus on when you entered the game after scoring one point in a difficult situation?
A, I am an attacking player, so I honestly wanted to finish the game by getting involved in scoring 2 or 3 points. However, in terms of the game situation, it was a time when the opponent had possession of the ball, so I had to accept that and go in with the mindset of running for the team while defending in a gritty manner rather than playing beautifully.
Q, I think there was a period of time in the first half where we couldn't quite get things going. What did you see?
A, We were unable to control our ball as we wanted and had almost zero shots in the first half. To be honest, I think it was because our bodies were stiff due to it being the opening game and also playing away. Even in that situation, I thought the opponent would not like it if we were too aggressive, so as a player who is also known for being aggressive, I was thinking of trying to shoot and do plays that would make the opponent uncomfortable.
Q, How do you feel about the content and results?
A, winning is everything. However, everyone understands the content, so we want to improve it throughout the season. I think the biggest gain today was being able to reflect on our win.
Q, the next match will be the home opener at Ajinomoto Stadium. Please share your enthusiasm.
A, Today's game was also supported with a great atmosphere. I think the atmosphere will be even better at Ajinomoto Stadium, so I want to play in a way that meets those expectations and leave good numbers.
