<Match Review>
In the Emperor's Cup quarterfinals against the Urawa Reds, played after just two days' rest, they showed a passionate fight and secured a come-from-behind victory. Next, after three days' rest, they face an away game against Nagoya Grampus. Despite the tight schedule, this match is especially important as they face an opponent positioned 16th, just 2 points behind.
This round, the team faces a tough situation with three experienced players, Yuto NAGATOMO, Kento HASHIMOTO, and Kei KOIZUMI, suspended from playing. However, coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI expressed his expectations for the players sent out, saying, "Rather than being 'replacements,' I hope the players given the chance can fully express themselves."
The starting eleven in blue and red changed six players from the Urawa match. Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu was selected, and Soma ANZAI returned to the lineup on the right side back for the first time in about a month and a half. The center backs were Masato Morishige, who had returned to the bench in the Urawa match, and Alexander Scholz formed a partnership, while Kashif BANGNAGANDE took the left side back position. The defensive midfielders were captain Keigo Higashi and Kota Tokiwa, who started again following the Emperor's Cup. The attacking midfielders were Reon Nozawa on the right and Kota Tawara on the left, with the two forwards being Keita YAMASHITA and Motoki NAGAKURA, who could not play in the Emperor's Cup match against Urawa due to contract issues. Additionally, attackers Megumu Sato and Keita ENDO returned to the squad and were on the bench, adding depth to the attacking lineup.
While the number of players unable to participate in matches has increased, it is a positive sign that many players have returned to the lineup. We want to continue the passionate play demonstrated in the match against Urawa and aim to bring out each player's strengths while being mindful of teamwork.
1st HALF—Looking for opportunities through focused defense, but no goals scored
The match saw intense exchanges of offense and defense from the start. Against Nagoya, who attacked mainly from the sides, Tokyo's player Tokiwa took a middle-range shot from a counterattack rebound in the 5th minute of the first half. Although the shot was well-placed, it was stopped by the opposing goalkeeper. The number 27, making his first league start and who had expressed a desire to "produce results that show in the stats," demonstrated great aggressiveness.
In the 12th minute of the first half, a direct free kick was conceded right in front of the goal, but Morishima's right-footed kick hit the crossbar and the danger was avoided.
From the early stages of open play, Tokyo transitioned to building attacks from the back line, looking for opportunities. They maintained possession while advancing, aiming for decisive chances, and even when losing the ball, they recovered second balls to press into the opponent's territory. Since Tokyo is able to play with focus both offensively and defensively, they want to create big chances by incorporating creativity in finishing within the attacking third.
At the 18th minute of the first half, a crisis arose from a scramble in front of the goal, but the players defended resolutely, not allowing any freedom. In the end, Yamagishi's shot was deflected by the bar, and they managed to hold on.
Tokyo, wanting to create good scoring opportunities, launched a counterattack from high pressing in the 42nd minute of the first half. Nagakura played a through pass that sliced through the opponent's defense, but Tawara Tsukida could not control the ball with a trap at the right timing and failed to connect it to a shot.
Just after entering additional time, Nagakura received the ball in midfield, dribbled forward, and made a perfectly timed diagonal through pass to the left. Yamashita broke through and aimed with his left foot, but the shot was blocked by the goalkeeper. Nagakura tried to push in the rebound, but it was also caught, and unfortunately, they could not shake the net.
In the end, the first half ended scoreless. While maintaining possession and pressing forward, several big chances were created but no goals were scored. The team faced challenges in breaking through the attacking third as they headed into halftime.
2nd HALF—Endo's determined equalizing goal in the final stages
In the second half, we want to bring fear and consistency to the attack. Coach Matsuhashi sent out the same members onto the pitch as in the first half.
The first big chance in the second half was for Nagoya. At the 5th minute of the second half, following a corner kick, a cross was delivered and a header shot was taken, but here Min Gyu JANG made a fine save with his right arm while diving sideways! Truly a performance befitting a guardian deity, he protected the goal to the end.
At the 10th minute, the fast-footed duo of Marcos Guilherme and Marcelo RYAN were brought in, replacing players Tawara Tsukida and Yamashita. These two players, who played a key role in the comeback victory against Urawa in the Emperor's Cup three days ago, were sent onto the pitch again with expectations to add an accent to the attacking line.
That player Marcos suddenly created a highlight. A direct free kick opportunity was earned slightly to the right in front of the goal. Players Higashi and Yoshifu carefully prepared while blocking the opponent's view, and at the moment Higashi left the spot, Marcos surprised the opponent with a soft kick using his right foot. Although it just missed to the right of the goal, as expected, he demonstrated his renowned accuracy in set pieces.
However, at the 20th minute of the second half, they conceded a goal after a scramble in front of the goal from the opponent's right corner kick. Despite increasing the pressure from the front compared to the first half, they ended up conceding the opening goal by giving Nagoya more opportunities for set plays.
In the 29th minute of the second half, players Nozawa and Nagakura were substituted, bringing in Sato and Endo, both making their return matches. Endo took the right attacker position, and the formation was changed to place Sato as one of the two forwards. Then, Sato, who had said the day before the match that he wanted to play in a way that would make the team face forward, suddenly made a sharp turn and attempted a vertical breakthrough inside the penalty area, showing moves that energized the attacking line.
At the 32nd minute of the second half, a switch was made from Higashi to Kanta DOI. Kanta DOI replaced Higashi and took the defensive midfield position.
And in the 37th minute of the second half, Tokyo's determination and concentration produced the equalizing goal. The one who was aiming for it was the newly substituted number 22.
Kashifu, who had the ball high on the left side, cut back and crossed with his right foot. The ball hit an opposing player’s head and flowed in front of the goal, where the opposing goalkeeper made a catching error. Endo did not miss the moment and quickly stretched out his right foot to push the ball into the goal for the equalizer. Endo’s attitude of never losing concentration and continuing to play paid off, and Tokyo brought the match back to a 1-1 tie.
In the 6 minutes of added time displayed in the second half, Tokyo created a big chance. When Marcos dribbled vertically and delivered a through pass that split the opponent's defense, Endo feigned a shot with one touch but instead crossed it back to the center. However, because this final pass was slightly off in the negative direction, Sato could not properly connect with the shot. Missing this big chance, the time ran out. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
After the match, the players who were unable to secure a win hung their heads low, but the blue and red fans and supporters encouraged them with a banner saying "We must not lose to Verdy" and loud cheers. They called for solidarity ahead of the upcoming match after the break.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING XI
GK Kim Seung-gyu
DF Masato MORISHIGE/Kashif BANGNAGANDE/Soma ANZAI/Alexander Scholz
MF Keigo Higashi (32nd minute second half: Kanta DOI)/Kota Tokiwa/Leon NOZAWA (28th minute second half: Keita ENDO)/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (11th minute second half: Marcos GUILHERME)
FW Keita YAMASHITA (11th minute second half: Marcelo Hyan)/Motoki NAGAKURA (28th minute second half: Megumu Sato)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Teppei OKA/Henrique TREVISAN
MF Maki KITAHARA
MANAGER
Rikizo MATSUHASHI
GOAL
37th minute of the second half: Keita ENDO
<Nagoya Grampus>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Pisano Alex Yukifuyu Horio
DF Yota SATO/Haruya FUJII/Takuya UCHIDA
MF Katsuhiro NAKAYAMA/Tsukasa MORISHIMA/Sho INAGAKI/Ryuji IZUMI (19th minute second half: Yuya ASANO)/Soichiro MORI (28th minute second half: Yuki NOGAMI)
FW Kensuke NAGAI (28th minute second half: Yudai KIMURA)/Yuya YAMAGISHI
SUBS
GK Yohei TAKEDA
DF Kennedyegbus MIKUNI
MF Gen Kato/Haruto SUZUKI/Masahito ONO
FW Shungo Sugiura
MANAGER
Kenta HASEGAWA
GOAL
20th minute of the second half: Yota SATO
[Interview with Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI]
Q, please review today's game.
A, I truly think the players did a great job in the three consecutive matches played within the short span of two and three days. This includes players who played in consecutive matches, those who did not, players who appeared in a match after a long time, starting members, and substitutes. Among the current players, I believe we were able to firmly demonstrate our strong points. Regarding the content of the matches, there were many challenges in how to break through a solid defense. However, towards the end, we were able to show some of our intended strategies, and in the first half, we saw good progress with well-aligned focus during the build-up. What remains is improving the quality of how we enter the final third and how we finish there. Nevertheless, we never gave up until the end, and with the support of our fans and supporters, goals were scored. I want to take this in a positive light.
Q. A substituted player made a significant contribution to the score. How do you view that?
A, how to change gears. Each has its own strengths, so since there are many players with different qualities, we anticipated before the game that being able to bring out those differences would be essential to break down the opponent's solid defense both as a team and individually. Of course, the players starting from the beginning are also very capable, but due to consecutive matches and, as I mentioned earlier, there were times when players who haven't played much suddenly started in the lineup. Even in those situations, I believe they performed very well.
Q. There was talk that the opponent's defense was solid, which was especially evident in the first half. Given that the opponent organized their defensive formation compactly, was it expected that you would have no choice but to try to penetrate areas with high density?
A, I felt they might come out a little more (forward), but when we pressed, they were still very solid, and Nagoya's defense is about firmly committing enough players to the ball side. That was somewhat visible, and the question was where to target. Rather than being absorbed there, the aim was to create a slight numerical advantage just before that and see how the opponent would respond. Based on that, the target was who would take the space behind. It's not that it was completely ineffective, and as you mentioned, considering the situation, the players' judgment was also involved, so I think that was a very good aspect.
Q. Please give your evaluation of Soma ANZAI, who played as right side back for the first time in a while, and also tell us what you expected from Kanta DOI, who usually plays as center back but appeared as a defensive midfielder today. Additionally, regarding Endo's goal, how do you feel about his concentration and ability to seize such an opportunity without missing it?
A, regarding the first question, I can only say that both of them were truly wonderful. It had been a while since the last game, and although the timing was different, they were able to fully demonstrate their strengths. Of course, there are still areas that need to be improved, but I believe they performed well enough. As for Endo's goal, it was not just instinct but a kind of sense or intuition where he did not miss the opponent's gap at that moment, which resulted in the goal. He is a player who can play while reading the opponent, so scoring the goal was an excellent achievement.
Q. How do you view Kouta Tokiwa's growth, including from the start of the season, considering that this was his first starting appearance in the J1 League match?
A, despite ups and downs, I think he has firmly demonstrated his performance and strengths in the two matches so far. In the first half of the first match, there was a lot of tension, and I felt that he was not quite showing his true self. At that point, not only for him but for the entire team, once we gave a push, it felt like there was no choice but to go all out, and he seemed to break free mentally. His very calm play, along with one of his strong points—his one-on-one defensive ability and anticipation—was clearly visible in the game, which was truly wonderful. I hope he continues to build on this moving forward.
[Player Interview]
<Keita ENDO>
Q. Please reflect on the equalizing goal that brought the team 1 point.
A, it was a situation where I rushed towards the opposing goalkeeper as if "something might happen" to the cross ball. Since the ball spilled out without having enough time to prepare properly, it was difficult to react, but I think it was good that I was ultimately able to push it into the goal.
Q. You entered the pitch while your team was losing. What was your mindset going into the game?
A, there were many plays within each player's comfort zone, and the timing of passes was often too early, resulting in noticeable scenes where the receiver and passer did not connect well. It looked like they were playing in a constrained manner, so I wanted us to take the initiative to be able to choose between shooting, passing, and dribbling. I told Soma ANZAI on the same side that I wanted him to get involved in the play. During the summer match period, there were many games I couldn't participate in, which caused trouble for my teammates. I want to make up for that from now on.
Q. Including after scoring, Endo's encouragement of the team in the final stages of the match was especially impressive.
A, I often thought there were cases where we would concede a goal after equalizing, and there is a huge difference between earning 1 point or 0 points in an away game. In that situation, I hoped we could at least make it 1-1 and then score in the next opportunity to make it 2-1, so after equalizing, I told Marcelo RYAN and Keito Sato, as well as the attacking players, to make sure to fall back and defend properly.
Q, After about a two-week break, the match will be against Verdy.
A, we could only respond with the minimum result in front of the fans and supporters who rushed to cheer us on all the way to Aichi. I believe only victory is expected in the next match. Many players are expected to return from injury, and we want to show a stronger team.
<Player Kenta Tokiwa>
Q, It was my first start in a J1 League match.
A, above all, I really wanted to win, and I had a strong desire to start in the lineup and lead the team to victory. It is most frustrating that we couldn't secure the 3 points. Although the team ended with a draw, from an individual perspective, I feel that the things I can do are definitely increasing one by one, and I believe my range of play has expanded since the recent Emperor's Cup. I wanted to show plays that would decisively secure the victory even more.
Q. I think it was a hard-working 90 minutes both offensively and defensively, with middle-range shots on target and ball recoveries.
A, I always prioritized playing proactively and kept in mind to swing my foot whenever I saw a chance to score. Defensively, I believed that winning battles in key moments, such as duels and recovering second balls, would allow us to control the game, and this is also one of my strengths. I think I was able to contribute at least a little.
Q. In today's match, you played as a double defensive midfielder with Keigo HIGASHI.
A, I dropped back a little to draw the ball out, while Higashi showed an attacking play. I think we were able to play in a good balance in the midfield position, and it was very comfortable.
Q. Towards the end of the match, there were times when you played wearing the captain's armband.
A, I believe that once you step onto the pitch, age and years of playing experience don't matter at all. Everyone must show their commitment on the pitch for the team and for victory. There was nothing special about being the captain, but when I received instructions from the coach, I felt a frustration that I wanted to respond to with results.
Q, the next match will be against Verdy.
In the first half of the league, I could only watch the matches from the bench, and considering our current ranking and situation, this is a special match. Only the result matters in this game. We will do whatever it takes to win.
<Soma ANZAI>
Q. How was it to finish a 90-minute match after a long time?
A, I just gave it my all, so I tried my best to perform at my maximum ability right now.
Q. In the scene where the opponent broke through behind, we also saw player Anzai desperately pressing back.
A, I had a long period where I couldn't get involved in matches much, so I watched the games while struggling myself. During that time, there were also periods when various things were said about me on social media, but even so, as a player, the only way to prove myself is to play on the pitch and earn recognition. I believe that standing on the pitch is where I can demonstrate my purpose, and not only for the next match but also because there are many matches we cannot afford to lose, I want to get back on the pitch and do my best.
Q. What did the coach say to you before today's match?
A, it was just a matter of whether we could go or not. I believe we have prepared as much as possible within the limited time, so from here I want to improve our condition and move forward.
Q. You secured the minimum 1 point, but how will you build on this moving forward?
A, Although the match was a difficult one, I believe this 1 point was significant in terms of not allowing the opponent to accumulate points. Making this 1 point meaningful will depend on the results of the upcoming matches, so I want to make sure it is not wasted.
Q, the next match is against Verdy.
A, Since the outcome has not been decided yet, the next game is at our home, so we want to prepare thoroughly and face it.
