<Match Review>
A battle aiming for the first 4 consecutive league wins of the season. By turning momentum into confidence and never becoming passive, we want to firmly pull in victory by winning the battle before us.
Tokyo has achieved three consecutive wins with a style of flexible soccer that adapts to the opponent's approach while expressing their own identity. Not only aiming for good attacks from solid defense, but also focusing on defense that considers attacking formations has enabled the players on the pitch to play seamlessly.
Yokohama F.Marinos, who will face off this week, is a team that keeps their defensive line compact from the front and bases their play on challenging defense. This season, they have struggled with 28 points and are in 17th place, caught up in the relegation battle, so they are expected to show a desperate fight here as well. Tokyo aims to overcome the opponent's momentum by winning the battles for the ball with high-intensity play and to demonstrate fearsome attacking with their sharp attacking, which is one of their strong points.
Six starting members were changed from the previous match against Avispa Fukuoka, where we achieved three consecutive wins. The goalkeeper is Kim Seung-gyu, and the back line from the right consists of Naruki Muroya, Kanta DOI, Alexander Scholz, and Yuto NAGATOMO. The defensive midfielders are Koya Takahiro and Kento HASHIMOTO. The attackers are Keita ENDO on the right and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA on the left, with the two forwards forming a duo of Marcelo Jian and Teruhito NAKAGAWA.
Also, before the match, four players from FC Tokyo U-18—Divine OTANI, Yuta SUGAWARA, Kaede SUZUKI, and Kio TANAKA—who were announced on the 27th as being promoted to the top team starting next season, greeted the fans and supporters. They passionately expressed their gratitude to those around them, their determination to take on the professional world, and their enthusiasm.
1st HALF—Struggling against the opponent's compact formation, unable to create clear chances
The match unfolded as expected from the start, with Tokyo trying to counter Yokohama FM's high press. Facing immediate pressure from the opponent, Tokyo attempted to speed up the play through RIAN's hold-up play, breaking down the right side with the combination of Endo and Muroya, but Muroya's overlapping cross was unfortunately intercepted by the opposing defender.
After that, Tokyo increased scenes of launching sharp attacks against Yokohama FM, who continued to maintain a compact formation. There were more cases of being fouled and opportunities for corner kicks, and how to capitalize on set plays is likely to influence the outcome of the match.
From around the 15th minute of the first half, the opponent's pressing gradually eased, and Tokyo held the ball longer to look for attacking opportunities. However, since Yokohama FM firmly closed down the center, it was difficult to insert effective vertical passes.
How to solve this issue on the pitch. In the first 30 minutes, using the time caused by the opponent player's injury, the players actively communicated in each position. They coordinated and improved the attack targets, support movements, timing, and so on.
At the 34th minute of the first half, from a set piece, Jordy CROUX's left-footed kick was headed by Tsunoda in the center, but the crossbar saved the situation and the danger was avoided.
Yokohama FM uses a mix of high press and mid-block to suppress Tokyo's strengths. By maintaining a compact formation roughly the vertical length of the center circle from the front line to the back line, passing lanes are cut off, the origin of passes is closely approached, and the two forwards are tightly marked, preventing them from freely targeting the space behind.
Still, they persistently searched for opportunities, and in the first half's additional time, they created a close chance by pushing forward from a left short corner flow, but they were unable to produce a decisive opportunity.
At 45+4 minutes in the first half, it seemed that Jordy CROUX's set piece led to Tanimura scoring with a header, but with VAR support, it was judged offside and no goal was given. Tokyo was saved by this decision, and the first half ended as is. The match went into halftime scoreless.
2nd HALF—Consecutive goals conceded affected the game, and the late comeback fell just short
How to resolve the attacking issues seen in the first half. While firmly establishing the outlet for build-up play, we want to create threat by thoroughly focusing on simple attacks targeting behind the defense. From behind the goal after halftime, chants for player Nakagawa were heard, expressing hopes for the second half.
Tokyo searched for attacking options from the start of the second half. However, a horizontal pass intended to transition to offense from their own half was intercepted by a pressing player, allowing Yokohama FM to develop play down the left side. Here, Tsunoda's left-footed cross was met with a diving header by Kida, conceding the opening goal. This was the first goal conceded in four matches, putting Tokyo one point behind.
In Tokyo, Nagatomo switched the ball to his right foot on the left side and delivered a cross, and Hashimoto inside the area tried to connect with the inside of his left foot but missed the contact. They wanted to equalize early and then aim for a comeback, but from here they were repeatedly caught off guard in an instant.
At the 14th minute of the second half, after allowing Kida to break through inside the area and cross the ball back, Tanimura scored in the center, conceding a goal. Then, at the 17th minute, after clearing the opponent's attack, the defense stopped moving, and they couldn't respond to Jordy CROUX's sharp left foot on the right side, allowing Tanimura to dive in again for the painful third goal. It was a frustrating situation where three goals were conceded in just 11 minutes.
At the timing when the second goal was conceded, Tokyo made substitutions, replacing Tawara Tsukida and Nakagawa with Marcos Guilherme on the left attacker and Sato Yoshimasa as one of the two forwards. They want to use their driving force and aggressive play as a foothold for a counterattack.
Tokyo can only score one point at a time. They advance into the opponent's territory while making use of fullbacks Muroya and Nagatomo. At the 32nd minute of the second half, a switch was made from Rian to Keita YAMASHITA. They sent out a striker who can be a target up front, hoping for a goal. Furthermore, at the 38th minute of the second half, Keigo HIGASHI and Leon NOZAWA came in, replacing Hashimoto and Endo. Using the last substitution slot, they entrusted the players on the pitch with a counterattack.
Tokyo desperately wants to show their spirit. In the 44th minute of the second half, Yamashita received a feed from Scholz inside the penalty area and took a shot. Although it was saved by the opposing goalkeeper, Sei MUROYA quickly seized the opportunity, and Takahashi followed up on the rebound to score a goal. With VAR support, the goal was confirmed, and they succeeded in scoring their first goal.
The second half additional time is 6 minutes. The remaining time is short, but Tokyo continues to launch a fierce attack. At 45+4 minutes in the second half, player Scholz feeds the ball, and player Muroya heads it, but the ball, which seemed to go over the goalkeeper's head, was stopped by player Park's outstretched left hand save.
And in the 45+5 minute of the second half, Nozawa, who attacked from the right side, was fouled inside the area and earned a penalty kick. Scholz calmly converted it with his right foot, and Tokyo finally narrowed the gap to one goal.
Tokyo continued to press forward. Encouraged by the loud cheers from the stadium, they attacked the opponent's territory, but although player Nozawa made another move and was brought down inside the area, no foul was called. At this point, the final whistle blew, and the match ended 2-3. The consecutive goals conceded during the so-called "dangerous 11 minutes" affected the game, stopping Tokyo's winning streak at three. It was a frustrating defeat.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING XI
GK Kim Seung-gyu
DF Muroya Sei/Yuto NAGATOMO/Alexander Scholz/Kanta DOI
MF Takahiro KO/Kento HASHIMOTO (38th minute second half: Keigo Higashi)/Keita ENDO (38th minute second half: Leon NOZAWA)/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (15th minute second half: Marcos GUILHERME)
FW Marcelo Hyan (32nd minute second half: Keita YAMASHITA)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (15th minute second half: Megumu Sato)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Masato MORISHIGE/Soma ANZAI
MF Kei KOIZUMI
MANAGER
Rikizo MATSUHASHI
GOAL
44th minute of the second half: Koya Takahiro / 45+7 minutes of the second half: Alexander Scholz
＜Yokohama F. Marinos＞
STARTING XI
GK Ilgyu PARK
DF Ren KATO / Jason Quinones / Ryotaro TSUNODA / Fuyuichi Suzuki
MF Takuya KIDA (35th minute of the second half: Riku YAMANE) / Jean Claude (31st minute of the first half: Kota WATANABE) / Asahi UENAKA (35th minute of the second half: George ONAIWU)
FW Jordi Cruyff (21st minute of the second half: Jun Amano) / Kaina TANIMURA / Yuri Araujo (21st minute of the second half: Ryo MIYAICHI)
SUBS
GK Ryoya KIMURA
DF Kosei SUWAMA
FW Kenta INOUE / Dean David
MANAGER
Hideo Oshima
GOAL
6th minute of the second half: Takuya KIDA / 14th minute of the second half: Kaina TANIMURA / 17th minute of the second half: Kaina TANIMURA
[Interview with Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI]
Q, please summarize today's match.
A, simply put, I think this was a game where, unfortunately, we were unable to deliver the performance as a team needed to secure a victory. While we must properly acknowledge the players' efforts in the final stages that allowed us to claw back two goals, despite the consecutive matches,we had been on a winning streak, so why did the game content change so drastically? We need to thoroughly investigate this and proceed with preparations for the next game.
Q. Rather than the opponent playing well, it seemed like Tokyo's performance was poor. Especially in the first half, it looked like there was very little movement. How do you feel about that aspect at this point?
A, while playing with a clear aim, when one thing doesn't go well, the movement stops. There were parts where it was hard to see the plan for what to do next. Although this was communicated during rehearsals, it wasn't strongly emphasized, so at halftime, we emphasized it a bit more to create rhythm. However, the conceded goals weighed heavily, and our performance was not good. Still, it felt like it wasn't just that from the start, and whether it was a conditioning issue or not, I felt up close that the movement was definitely not good.
Q, Today, Sei MUROYA was positioned on the right side and Yuto NAGATOMO on the left side. Could you please explain the intention behind this arrangement?
A, unfortunately, there were cases that led to conceding goals, and we entrusted Kanta DOI and Muroya to prevent those. We haven't analyzed everything in detail yet, but the opponent's wide players are very distinctive, and Nagatomo firmly marked Crooks. Of course, it's difficult to cover everything, so when the opponent came inside, their height and such aspects were a challenge. Their strength lies in tight defense that prevents breakthroughs in those areas, but there were moments when that was breached. Of course, it wasn't only about that, but with that intention, we deployed both players on the right and left sides.
[Player Interview]
<Takahiro KO>
Q. Please give an overall review of the match.
A, I think conceding goals was everything, but from the first half, there was a feeling that something wasn't going well. Therefore, I believe we need to do more in terms of unifying our awareness and coordinating how to make adjustments on the pitch.
Q. How did you feel about your position in the midfield in response to the opponent's approach?
In terms of lateral coordination, we also tried a style like 4-3-3 where one player moves forward. Marcelo RYAN, Teruhito NAKAGAWA, and I were conscious of moving forward, but the sense of distance in advancing was not good, so we slightly dropped our positions and from the middle of the first half, we consciously tried to advance the ball. However, I think we could have done better in distributing the ball without missing the forward actions, and throughout the game, I believe we should have worked on the quality of distribution from any position.
Q: You had been winning without conceding any goals until now, but today you were scored against consecutively.
A, it is really unfortunate that we conceded consecutive goals after the first one, and I believe that conceding three goals leads to this kind of result. Even after conceding, the ability to properly reset and make corrections is absolutely necessary. Although I haven't watched the footage yet, we have trained thoroughly on how to deal with crosses that led to the first goal, so overall, I think we need to reflect more and unify our awareness while reviewing the footage.
Q. After falling behind by 3 points, the opponent became more defensive, which increased our ball possession time, and I think we also saw some passes aimed at breaking through their defense.
A, since the opponent scored 3 goals, they clearly fell back, and it was inevitable that we could push forward. I think that was more due to the opponent's situation, including the score difference, rather than ourselves. We were able to score 2 goals from there, but I believe we need to work on creating such opportunities ourselves.
＜Alexander SCHOLZ＞
Q. It seemed that the build-up in the first half got stuck. What was the cause of that?
A, the opponent was very tight, making it difficult to find space, and I think our tempo was also a bit lacking. In the first half, against the opponent's defensive block, we needed to be a bit more patient in ball possession and work on expanding their defensive block.
Q. I believe you knew in advance that the opponent would come with a high line and high press, but what kind of plan did you prepare to avoid it?
A, there was a plan to use the space behind the opponent more, but the timing did not match well. I believe the reason we couldn't get behind was because the distance was either too far or too close.
Q. What do you think was the cause of conceding three consecutive goals?
A, the defense was simply not good. In particular, the defense in the box was poor.
Q. From about the last 15 minutes of the second half, after Scholz started carrying the ball forward and was able to make diagonal passes to Yuto NAGATOMO, the team scored two goals to come back.
A, since the opponent was leading by 3 points and pulled back, we were able to find space. Personally, I am good at moving into space when it is available, so I think I was able to showcase my strengths. We managed to score 2 points back, but it was too late.
<Leon NOZAWA>
Q: You were sent in while trailing by 3 goals. What instructions did the coach give you?
A, I was instructed to keep targeting the space behind the opponent since there was room there. That is also my strength, and it was important to make a difference there and connect it to scoring. It was good that we managed to create that opportunity once, but I felt the final quality was still far from satisfactory.
Q. It seemed like the team gained momentum after Leon NOZAWA joined.
A, the timing was difficult, and the situation was also challenging. However, I believed that no matter the circumstances, what I needed to do would not change, so I simply fulfilled my role. Looking back, I think we could have at least managed a draw even if we couldn't win, so not securing that one point is my responsibility. I believe this match revealed many issues both individually and as a team.
Q, please review the scene where the penalty kick was awarded.
A, I knew there was space behind, and when Keigo HIGASHI had the ball, our eyes met, so I was sure he would come out. From before entering the pitch, I imagined that once I had the ball, I would first make a solid move and actively aim for crosses and shots, so I think the result of playing without hesitation led to winning the penalty kick. I want to continue playing like that and become an extra asset for the team.
Q, the next match is an away game against Shimizu S-Pulse. How will you prepare for it?
A, as a team, we had been on a good streak so far, but today we ended without a win. We couldn't achieve four consecutive wins, but the season continues, and we have to move up at least one position. We need to properly process this in a positive way and switch our mindset. Of course, we must face our challenges, make solid corrections even in this short period, and bring out more and more of our strengths. Even when it was 0-3, there were fans and supporters who kept cheering until the end, so we have to respond with results. Everyone needs to play with more responsibility in that regard.
