Return the away debt and advance to the round of 16

ACL Group Stage Matchday 5 will be held. Home team will face Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (South Korea).
If Tokyo wins 3 points in this match, they will secure their spot in the Round of 16. They faced Jeonbuk in the first match of the group stage (February 23) and lost 1-2, but the players are determined to "repay the debt from the away match and secure a spot in the Round of 16" and will fight with a strong determination to win.

This round, Morishige is suspended. In addition, Coach Shiroyuki revealed, "There are players who are always prepared. I was thinking about when to give those players a chance." In goal, Wai, in center back, Yoshimoto, and in left back, Komano were all given starting positions. Wai and Komano will both make their first starts in Tokyo, including in the J1 league. The front line will also see some changes, with Maeda and Higashi as the two top players. Hanyu and Mizunuma will play on the wings, aiming for victory.

The game started at 19:30 with Tokyo's kickoff at the cold and chilly Tokyo Stadium.

Tokyo Aim For Payback And Progression

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors of South Korea were the visitors to Tokyo Stadium for the 5th game of the 2016 AFC Champions League group stage. A win would see Tokyo qualify for the Round Of 16 knockout tournament. The Tokyo players were bullish in their pre-match comments about gaining revenge for the 2-1 away defeat suffered in the first game of the group stage on February 23rd. and thereby earning a place in the next round. Morishige was suspended. Manager Hiroshi Jofuku had commented, "There are some players who are always ready to go. I'm think about when to give them a chance," and then named goalkeeper Kakoi, centre back Yoshimoto and left back Komano to the starting eleven. Kakoi and Komano were both making their first starts for the club. The attack showed a small change with Higashi partnering Maeda, while Hanyu and Mizunuma played on the flanks. A cold wind was blowing on a chilly evening in Tokyo Stadium as the hosts kicked off at 7:30pm.

Accident for Hanyu, unable to create chances despite dominating the ball

Jeonbuk started off with a defensive formation. In the beginning, there was a back-and-forth battle for possession, but Tokyo gradually took control of the ball.

13 minutes: Starting from the right front line, Mori creates a play and passes to Tokunaga, Mizunuma, and Higashi, and then enters the right area. He sends a minus pass to the east of the area, but cannot finish it here. However, they continue to connect the ball, and Mori → Tokunaga advances. He crosses and Hanyu, who was filling the center, heads the ball, but it is blocked and saved by the goalkeeper. However, Hanyu, who had injured his leg in the previous play, was forced to be substituted, and Tanabe was brought in at 17 minutes. They already had to use their first substitution card. Still, they did not lose their rhythm and pushed Jeonbuk back.

19 minutes: Maruyama quickly returns to the corner kick after FW Ricardo Lopez jumps out to match the long feed to the Jeonbuk front line.

29 minutes: Jeonbuk sends a long pass from the left side of the midfield to the front of the goal. MF Kim Bo-kyung jumps out to replace the waiting FWs, and it seems like he will be able to finish, but once again Maruyama puts his body on the line and the ball is held by the defense.
30 minutes: Maeda tried to aim for the goal from the post with Mizunuma going up to the right of the penalty arc, but it missed to the left without hitting it completely.

35 minutes: So far, the opponent has not been given any chances, but Jeonbuk quickly attacks and FW Idong-Gu switches the attack with a vertical pass. FW Ricardo Lopez brings the ball into the area from the right side, passes it to MF Leonardo on the left side, and then passes it through to MF Kim Bogyon in the area. MF Kim Bogyon skillfully traps the ball with his left foot, and then takes a precise shot into the goal... The first goal was conceded by allowing the chance to be taken advantage of.

Tokyo tried to attack while holding the ball, but they were unable to create scoring opportunities against the tough defense of Jeonbuk. They ended the first half trailing by one point.

Hanyu Injured; Tokyo Dominate But Create Little

Jeonbuk began by sitting deeply inside their own half. The early minutes saw a battle for possession that Tokyo slowly began to win.

13th minute: Tokunaga, Mizunuma and Higashi combined down the right channel before Yonemoto took the ball into the Jeonbuk area. Higashi cut a cross back into the center but Tokyo were unable to finish the move with an attempt on goal. The home side continued to move the ball around with Yonemoto finding Tokunaga again. Tokunaga crossed, Hanyu made contact with a header but the Jeonbuk keeper smothered the danger. Hanyu had suffered a leg injury on a previous move and was unable to continue. He was replaced by Tanabe in the 17th minute. Although Tokyo had been forced into an early substitution, they maintained an attacking rhythm and pushed the visitors back.

19th minute: Jeonbuk forward Ricardo Lopes raced down the right channel in pursuit of a long ball. Maruyama covered quickly and bundled the ball out for a corner.

29th.minute: Jeonbuk launched another long ball into the Tokyo box where the attackers quickly changed positions. Kim Bo Kyung made a late run and seemed set to shoot until Maruyama again made a key interception and Kakoi fell on the ball.

30th minute: Maeda held the ball up and Mizunuma shot from the right of the penalty arc but failed to hit the target.

35th minute: Although Jeonbuk had barely created a chance until now, that changed with a quickly-played straight through ball from forward Lee Dong Gook. Ricardo Lopes met the ball in front of the Tokyo area on the right, cut inside, and played a one-two with midfielder Leonardo before rolling a ball through to Kim Bo Kyung. Kim took a neat touch on the half-turn and stroked a low shot past Kakoi to give his side the lead.

Tokyo enjoyed plenty of possession and pushed forward yet created very little in the face of stern resistance from the Jeonbuk defence. The first period ended 0-1.

Defeated by 3 points...the match will be carried over to the final game

Tokyo brings in Abe from the second half. He starts from the side and makes a move.
48 minutes: Komano follows up on Tanabe's cross and takes a shot from the center.

53 minutes: From a pass exchange with Ha DAESUNG, Yonemoto takes a ground middle shot. Then, Abe, who had dropped back to the right, advances by exchanging passes with Maeda. Furthermore, he receives a return from the east and rushes into the area. He managed to take a shot, but was challenged by the opposing defender and couldn't find the target.

After 55 minutes: Mistakes were made in the midfield and DF line, leading to chances for Jeonbuk, but quick coverage from the defense prevented any goals from being conceded.

60 minutes: All North Korean passes were taken in the middle and received a counterattack. Central MF Ijeong → left FW Idonggu crosses. In response to this, right area MF Kim Bogyon shoots and the ball heads towards the goal, but is headed by MF Ijeong who jumped out from the center... Completely broken defense, and the second point was lost.

65 minutes: Maeda was replaced by Hirayama in an attempt to counterattack, but the cooperation between offense and defense did not come together and they were unable to gain momentum.

80 minutes: Komano dribbles past the opposing DF and breaks through on the left side. Near the goal, Hirayama makes a decoy run and Abe jumps in from behind to take a shot from the cross, but the opposing DF also puts their body on the line and the ball goes wide. Missing their best chance, they were then shut down by Jeonbuk and struggled to create opportunities.

Additional time: And just after entering the 4 minutes of additional time, the right area was allowed for the entry of MF Hangyowon from the FK of the Jeonbuk goalkeeper, and the pass to the center was pushed into the free MF Komyor. They lost the third goal in a form of being taken advantage of by losing concentration. They suffered a defeat in strength and fell back to third place in the rankings. The group stage advancement will be brought to the final match against Bin Zuong.

Tokyo Concede Three; Progress Depends On Final Game

Tokyo sent on Abe for the second half and focused their attention on the flanks.

48th minute: Komano pounced on a clearance from Tanabe's cross and fired in a shot from midfield.

53rd minute: Ha Daesung exchanged passes with Yonemoto before the latter attempted a low shot on goal. Abe then dropped deep to receive the ball, played a one-two with Maeda and started down the wing. He passed to Higashi and made a run into the penalty area, but a defender's close marking prevented his shot from reaching the target.

55th minute: Kakoi had to be alert in closing down sudden danger after a midfield mistake presented the visitors with a half chance.

60th minute: Tokyo lost possession in midfield and Jeonbuk countered. MF Lee Jae Sung moved the ball on to FW Lee Dong Gook who crossed from the left corner of the Tokyo area towards MF Kim Bo Kyung on the right. Kim shot on the volley, hitting the ball down into the ground and sending it ballooning towards goal. Lee Jae Sung had continued his run and met the ball with a sharp header that flashed beyond GK Kakoi and into the net. The home defence had been torn apart and conceded a second goal.

65th minute: Tokyo responded by replacing Maeda with Hirayama. The move failed to spark the Tokyo attack as the side struggled to connect passes.

80th minute: Komano stormed down the left, skipped past a defender and lifted a cross into the near post. Hirayama played the battering ram and Abe, following up, shot on target only for a defender to block the goal-bound effort around the post. Having failed to make the most of that big chance Tokyo seemed at a loss as to how best to prise open the tight Jeonbuk defence.

Additional time: Deep into four minutes of additional time the Jeonbuk goalkeeper launched a massive free kick into the Tokyo area on the right. Han Kyo Won took the ball down neatly, raced to the byline and cut it back for Go Moo Yul to side foot into the roof of the net from the edge of the six-yard box. Tokyo had suffered a total defeat and fell to third in the standings. Progression to the final 16 would depend on the outcome of the final group match against Becamex Binh Duong.

[Player Comments]
《Surrounding》
"I felt responsible for being chosen to play in such an important game where we needed to win. The fans and supporters have been cheering for us and I really wanted to win for them. It's frustrating that we couldn't do it and I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight. As for the goals we conceded, we want to focus on the details as a team. However, I also feel like we can still improve. Instead of relying on the coach and staff, I want us players to have the mindset of changing things ourselves and make the most of our time from now on. I want to practice more diligently and focus on the small details so we can seize our chances. That's how I truly feel."

"Komano"
"I held the ball, but we couldn't break the opponent's defense with our stagnant ball movement. Our passes were too slow and we couldn't lure the opponent in or create a situation where we could squeeze their defensive line. We conceded a goal first and Jeonbuk focused on defending and counterattacking. It's our own fault that it turned out this way. The distance between players was too far and we gradually fell apart. However, we are still in a position where we can win on our own in the ACL. We will continue to make every effort to win the next game."

Players' Comments

Morishige:
"If only we could have won...I feel I have to take responsibility as I was given the chance in such important game. The fans and supporters have always supported me so I totally wanted to win to repay them. I'm so disappointed I won't be able to sleep tonight. Regarding the goals we let in, we have to analyze them in fine detail as a team. The main thing I felt is that we have to mature as a team. We can't just rely on the manager and staff, the players have to change it by ourselves and we need to spend time to do it. We have to be more conscientious and detailed in our analysis so we can seize the chance next time it comes; I feel like I want to go and practice right now. That's my honest feeling".

Komano:
"Although we had a lot of the ball, there was no variation in the way we passed it around and we rarely troubled the opposition. Like a local train that stops at every station, we didn't lure their defense out or put them through the wringer. They took the lead and then they were happy to sit deeply and try to hit us on the counterattack. It's an issue we have to deal with ourselves. We were playing too far apart from each other and slowly became disconnected. Even so, we're not out of the ACL yet and are still in a position to decide our own destiny. We want to make the greatest effort possible to win the next match."

[Summary of Manager Hiroshi JOFUKU's Press Conference]

"We wanted to secure 3 points and advance to the group stage today. Unfortunately, we were not able to do so in front of our fans and supporters who came to the home game. We need to review our defense fundamentally, including how we lost the ball in the scene where we conceded. Along with reflecting on each play, we want to focus on not conceding as a team and organize how we will attack in the next game. The issue with conceding is how we defend when there is a misplaced pass. The opponent unexpectedly dropped back, so we were able to pass the ball around, but we were not able to fully execute what we had been paying attention to. It was a game with few shots for both teams, but in order to break down a team that is sitting back and create opportunities individually, we need to reconsider the players' positions. We need to improve the quality of our final passes and crosses, but we also need to develop the individual ability to take shots."

[Post-Match Press Conference Summary by Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Manager Cheganhi]
"We knew it would be a difficult match away from home, but the players gave their all and were able to control the opponent well tactically. In the previous match, we felt threatened by the movement of Tokyo's second line players. We were able to contain that threat. And I think the key to our victory was our defense, which didn't allow any through passes. Tokyo's players, such as Higashi and Abe, were making good runs from the sides. But we didn't let our desire to attack get the best of us and we filled the spaces well. We were able to control the game in our favor."

F.C.TOKYO manager Hiroshi Jofuku

"We had wanted to take the three points and clinch our place in the next round tonight. It's really disappointing that we couldn't manage it in front of our home crowd. Looking at the way we lost the ball in the moves leading up to the goals we conceded, I think we have to go back to basics in defence and start from scratch. Together with looking at each individual piece of play we have to always focus on not conceding, while thinking about the best way to organise the attack. Another issue is how to defend when we lose possession through a misplaced pass. My other thoughts are that we completely failed to do the things that are necessary when you play against a side that defends very deeply. It was a game of few chances for either side; we have to look again at our positioning and how to break the deadlock in such matches. The quality of our crossing and final ball needs to improve, as does our individual ability to end moves with an attempt on goal".

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors manager Choi Kang Hee

"We knew it was going to be a difficult match but the players gave everything and overcame the opposition tactically. In the first game between the sides we really felt the threat that Tokyo carry in the movement of their midfielders. Today we were able to nullify that threat. Also, in defense we managed to prevent them playing through passes and that contributed to us winning as well. Abe and Higashi like to cut in from outside and showed good movement. We controlled our desire to attack and instead successfully closed off the space. We were able to manage the game to our advantage".