Challenging to seize 3 points in the away ground!

Departing Japan on April 4th for the away match in China. Battling against Jiangsu Suning at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center amidst pouring rain.

In Tokyo, GK Akimoto, the DF line from the right is Tokunaga, center backs are Morishige and Maruyama, and left side back is Ogawa. The midfield is composed of Yonemoto and Ha DAESUNG as holding midfielders, along with Mizunuma and Hashimoto, and the forwards are Maeda and Nathan BURNS.
 

Jiangsu, on the other hand, has MF Ramirez starting after his previous suspension. They have strong Brazilian players in FW Joe and FW Teixeira.
Tokyo has a chance to rise to the top if they win, and they desperately want the 3 points. The match started at 20:00 (Japan time 21:00) with Tokyo's kickoff.

Tokyo Face Up To Away Day Challenge

F.C. TOKYO left Japan on April 4th, bound for China, where they took on Jiangsu FC at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre. Tokyo lined up with Akimoto in goal and a defense of Tokunaga on the right, Morishige and Maruyama at center back and Ogawa at left back. Yonemoto and Ha Daesung played as defensive midfielders with Mizunuma and Hashimoto in midfield. Nathan Burns partnered Maeda in attack. Ramires returned from suspension to feature for Jiangsu, alongside fellow Brazilian powerhouse forwards Jo and Alex Teixeira. If Tokyo were to win they would have a chance to top the group and so were determined to take maximum points from the match. The visitors kicked off at 8pm local time on a wet evening in Nanjing.

Took the lead with Morishige's goal... but went into halftime at 1-1

15 minutes: The match continues with back-and-forth attacks. Ha DAESUNG passed to Ogawa, who tried to make a move while being surrounded by opponents, but the ball was taken by Jiangsu, leading to a counterattack. However, Maruyama stepped up and strongly contained the situation, preventing a crisis before it could occur.

30 minutes: The intense back-and-forth continued even after the 15-minute mark, but Ogawa's left corner kick was cleared, and Yonemoto reacted, charging into the area to shoot. This was blocked, but Morishige, just in front of the area, connected with the loose ball directly and struck a shot with his right foot from directly in front of the goal, scoring to make it 1-0.

32 minutes: They tried to advance by connecting passes from their own half, but Jiangsu MF Ramirez pressed Hashimoto, who had the ball near the left corner of the area. He attempted to evade this pressure, but in a tangled situation, a foul was called against him, resulting in a penalty kick awarded to Jiangsu.
34 minutes: This penalty kick was scored by FW Joe, just inside the bottom right corner, allowing a goal and making it 1-1.

39 minutes: A mistake in the midfield led to a counter by Jiangsu. From a pass by MF Wu Xi, FW10 Teixeira advanced into the left area and took a shot, but Akimoto made the save!!

43 minutes: Jiangsu's counter. Joe passed to Ji Xian who advanced on the left side, and a through pass was sent to Teixeira in the center, but Akimoto quickly came out to intercept the ball into the area.

Morishige Gives Tokyo The Lead But...

15th minute: With the game ebbing and flowing, Ha Daesung attempted a pass to Ogawa, but the defender was quickly surrounded, and Jiangsu won possession, then counter attacked. Maruyama strode purposefully out of defense and cleared the threat.

30th minute: The end-to-end nature of the game continued. In the 30th minute, Ogawa swung in a corner from the left that the Jiangsu defense only partially cleared. The ball fell to Yonemoto, whose shot was blocked away by an onrushing defender. The rebound rolled out to the edge of the penalty area where Morishige met the ball on the run and drove a firm, low drive into the left corner of the net. Tokyo had made the breakthrough.

32nd minute: Tokyo attempted to play the ball out from defense with Hashimoto in possession at the left corner of their penalty area. Jiangsu midfielder Ramires pressured Hashimoto who attempted to turn past the Brazilian; the two players collided and Ramires collapsed to the turf. The referee pointed to the spot.

34th minute: Tokyo goalkeeper Akimoto guessed the right way and flung himself at the penalty, taken by Jiangsu forward Jo, but was unable to keep it out. The match was all square again.

39th minute: Tokyo played a loose pass in midfield, allowing Jiangsu to counter attack. Midfielder Wu Xi found Alex Teixeira and the striker showed his speed, racing into the Tokyo box on the left. He shot hard and low towards the far post but Akimoto got down quickly to produce a fine save and deny the hosts.

43rd minute: Jiangsu countered again. Jo found midfielder Ji Xiang who tore down the left before sliding a pass inside to meet Alex Teixeira's run. Akimoto spotted the danger and darted smartly off his line to smother the threat. The first period ended 1-1.

A fierce battle continues, winning 2-1! Rising to the top of the group stage!

50 minutes: A high ball was sent into the area by Jiangsu, and Joe turned and shot directly from the trap. It was brought to a finish, but went wide of the goal.

59 minutes: Teixeira received the ball with his back to the goal and tried to connect, but Tokunaga fouled him, resulting in a free kick just left of the penalty arc.

60 minutes: This free kick was directly aimed at Jiangsu DF Lian, but the shot went just to the left.

61 minutes: Morishige fouls Jiangsu Ramirez's breakthrough. He receives a warning. This is Morishige's second warning in the group stage. Due to accumulation, he will be suspended for the next match.
62 minutes: From the free kick awarded, the ball spilled from the scramble in the area, and FW9 Joe broke through, hitting a shot that struck the post, but the play before that was offside.

64 minutes: Abe comes in for Ha DAESUNG.
73 minutes: Kono is substituted in for Nathan BURNS.
77 minutes: Hirayama comes in for Maeda.
79 minutes: Abe evaded the pressure in midfield and brought the ball forward, taking a dribble shot just outside the area, but it went slightly to the right.

83 minutes: Tokunaga's cross is cleared, but Yonemoto regains the ball from Jiangsu and passes it back to Tokunaga. From here, a right cross is met by Hirayama at the far post, who dives in powerfully, but just before he can connect, he is touched by a Jiangsu defender, resulting in a corner kick. The kicker for the right corner is Yonemoto. He sends it into the area with a grounded ball at an angle, and the free Morishige scores again with a right-footed shot into the goal! They succeed in taking the lead, making it 2-1.

86 minutes: Jiangsu DF2 Rian tackled Mizunuma, who was trying to advance with a dribble. He received a red card for a severe foul and was sent off.
Secured valuable 3 points away! Climbed to the top of the group stage!!

Tokyo Triumph In Fierce Encounter! Leap To Top Of Group E!

50th minute: Jo neatly brought down a long ball and hit a shot on the half-turn. The ball sailed wide.

59th minute: Alex Teixeira received the ball with his back to goal just outside the Tokyo area and attempted to find a teammate. Tokunaga stopped him with a foul, giving Jiangsu a free kick just outside the penalty arc on the left.

60th minute: Defender Li Ang stepped up and drove the free kick over the Tokyo wall but narrowly wide of the left post.

61st minute: Ramires charged up the field until fouled by Morishige. The referee produced the yellow card, Morishige's second in the group stage, which means the Tokyo captain will miss the next game.

62nd minute: A wild melee ensued as the resulting free kick was hoisted into the Tokyo penalty area. Jo lashed a snapshot against the post but the whistle had already blown for offside.

64th minute: Abe replaced Ha Daesung.

73rd minute: Hirayama replaced Nathan Burns.

79th minute: Abe skated away from his marker in midfield and raced forward to the Jiangsu penalty arc before unleashing a firm shot that flew narrowly over the bar.

83rd minute: Tokunaga crossed, Jiangsu cleared and Yonemoto regained possession for Tokyo before finding Tokunaga on the right flank again. Tokunaga crossed deep towards the far post where Hirayama seemed set to make contact until a Jiangsu defender whipped the ball off his forehead. Yonemoto took the resulting corner and caught the Jiangsu defense napping with a low angled ball towards the penalty spot. Morishige got a run on the opposition and drove a low shot inside the near post from eight meters out. Tokyo were back in front once again.

86th minute: Mizunuma raced down the right wing until taken out by a horrendous two-footed lunge from defender Li Ang. The referee immediately showed the red card and Tokyo had a man advantage to see out the match. They held off Jiangsu for the few remaining minutes and earned three precious points that lifted the side to the top of the group.

[Player Comments]

《Morishige》
Q=We managed to earn 3 points in a difficult situation, but?
"The main objective was to secure 3 points, no matter what. You never know what will happen in an away game in Asia. We prepared together, anticipating various accidents, so there was no need to rush."
Q=Was Yonehito's corner kick as planned?
"We were able to solidly achieve the results of what we had prepared together as a team in the match. I believe everyone felt that what we practiced would definitely show in the game."
Q=You managed to keep the Brazilian trio to just one penalty kick.
"There was a scene where Akimoto made a crucial save, but I think we were able to hold them back because each player did their job well in their respective positions. By combining the strength of each individual, we were able to achieve victory. I won't be able to participate in the next league match, but I want to make sure I do what I need to do in practice."

Maruyama
"Playing in front of such a large crowd was a great experience. We conceded a goal from a penalty, but at that moment, no one was panicking. Even during the times we were under pressure from the opponent, we focused on playing with our feet on the ground. Winning such a difficult match made me realize the strength of the club staff present, including the fans and supporters. The set plays we had prepared worked out the best in this match."

Players' Comments

Morishige:
You took three points in difficult circumstances? "At any rate three points was our major objective. You never know what's going to happen in an away game in Asia. We envisaged various eventualities and prepared for them together so we didn't lose our presence of mind during the match." Did Yonemoto's corner go according to plan? "We all put our heads together in preparation for the game and were able to get the result we wanted. I think we felt that we'd be able to replicate on the field what we'd worked on in training." You managed to restrict the three Brazilians to just one penalty kick between them? "Akimoto stopped some shots but also because every player fulfilled his role very well we were able to pin them down. The individual players joined forces within the team and that enabled us to win. I won't be able to play in the next match so I'll be working hard on my game in training."

Maruyama:
"Playing in front of such a huge crowd was a really great experience. No-one panicked when we conceded the penalty. We were very focused on staying on our feet when the opposition was enjoying a period of domination. I really feel that winning such a difficult game is a tribute to the strength of our fans, supporters and the club staff here with us. The free kick we'd prepared in training worked the best."

[Summary of Coach Hiroshi JOFUKU's Press Conference]

"I was prepared for a very difficult match away. In the first half, after taking the lead, the momentum changed due to one play, and there was a moment where we were in danger of conceding, but we managed to overcome it at 1-1. In the second half, maintaining our pace led to the final winning goal. I am very happy that we were able to bring home 3 points today, thanks to the fans and supporters who came all the way to this distant away ground."
Q=Regarding the resilience of the players who took 3 points in a tough situation, and about becoming the top of the group stage
"In a situation like today, it is very difficult to earn three points. The players fought without losing their focus. Being able to maintain our pace amidst the wonderful support from Jiangsu Suning has given us great confidence. And, as a result of today's outcome, we were able to take the top position."
We have reached a position where we can secure advancement to the group stage on our own. In order to build on today's results, we must fight hard in the remaining two matches.
 

【Jiangsu Suning - Summary of Coach Petrescu's Press Conference】
"We didn't play well from the first half. It wouldn't have been surprising if it ended 1-0. Things didn't go as I had hoped, but that's how football is. I feel very sorry about the result. However, unexpected things can happen in football."

F.C. TOKYO manager Hiroshi Jofuku

"We were resigned to today being an extremely difficult game. We managed to take the lead but then one passage of play changed the flow of the match. Although we suffered a setback in conceding the goal we were able to come through a sticky patch with the score at 1-1. In the second half we continued to play at our own pace and that led to us scoring the decisive goal. Our fans and supporters made the long trip to this distant away game and I'm absolutely delighted that we can return home together with the three points. What about the strength of character the players showed and being top of the group? Well, to take three points from a game like this is incredibly difficult. The players performed without a break in concentration. Being able to impose ourselves on the game in the middle of that fantastic support for Jiangsu will give us great confidence. And the result has taken us to the top of the group which means we are now in a position to qualify for the next stage through our own efforts. We want to use the impetus gained from the match today and perform solidly in the remaining two games."

JIANGSU FC manager Dan Petrescu

"We were poor from the first half. 1-0 wouldn't have been a strange result. The game didn't go the way we had expected but that happens in football. The result is extremely disappointing. Sometimes you just can't predict what will occur in a game."