Betting on the first ACL Best 8 advancement

ACL Round 16 will be a match against Shanghai SIPG (China). This Round 16 is the first time for Tokyo to advance to the ACL Best 8, and they will face a home and away tournament from here. The first match will be held at home at Tokyo Stadium.
 

Tokyo will use Yoshimoto as a right center back due to Maruyama's suspension for accumulated warnings. Morishige will be on the left. Hashimoto will serve as the right side back, and Tokunaga will move to the left. On the team sheet, it's a 4-4-2 formation, but Takahashi will be the anchor, with Uyu and Yonemoto in the midfield. Maeda will be in the center of the front line, with MF Mizunuma and FW Higashi on the sides, and they will face the game in a 4-1-4-1 formation.

Shanghai's FW Asamoah Jan is absent. Starting lineup is FW Ewerson in the center of the front line. FW Lu Wenjun on the left, FW Wu Lei on the right. MF Dario Conca at the top. Double pivot with MF 6 Cai Huang and FW 21 Yu Hai in a 4-3-3 formation.
 

The goal is to aim for 3 points at home, but in order to advance to the best 8, the number of away goals will also be taken into consideration. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind the "tournament strategy" and approach this match with determination.

The rain that had been falling since noon has stopped, and the game started at 7:30 pm in Tokyo under slightly chilly weather.

Tokyo Aim For First Appearance In ACL Quarter Finals

Having qualified from the group stage of the AFC Champions League, Tokyo were drawn against Shanghai SIPG in the first round of the knockout tournament. The first leg of the home and away tie was held at Tokyo Stadium, with the hosts aiming to reach the final eight of the competition for the first time.
Tokyo were without the suspended Maruyama with Yoshimoto taking his place at right-sided centre back. Morishige played on his left, Hashimoto started at right back and Tokunaga moved across to play on the left. The team sheet showed a 4-4-2 formation but Takahashi played as midfield anchor while Hanyu partnered Yonemoto in central midfield. Mizunuma began on the right of midfield, Higashi on the left and Maeda plowed a lone furrow as the most advanced of the attackers.
Shanghai were without striker Asamoah Gyan. Elkeson began as central striker with Lu Wenjun on the left, Wu Lei on the right and Dario Conca in the hole. Midfielder Cai Huikang and forward Yu Hai played as double defensive midfielders in a 4-3-3 formation.
While Tokyo aimed to take the three points they also had to take into account the necessary tournament tactics, in particular avoiding away goals, in their quest to reach the quarter finals.
The rain that blanketed the city during the day had finally stopped as Tokyo kicked off at 7:30pm on a slightly chilly evening.

Seizing the rhythm on both offense and defense with a fighting spirit, and taking the lead with Mizunuma's free kick.

They surpassed Shanghai in speed and strength from the start, and pushed them into their own half.
5 minutes: Hashimoto, who took a high position on the right side, made a diagonal pass into the area. Maeda dropped it and Mizunuma took a shot near the area. They created a good opportunity, but the ball was blocked by the opposing defender who stretched out their leg in front of the goal.
7 minutes: From the left side of the field, Yonemoto crosses the ball and Maeda in the center of the area heads it, but it goes over the bar.

11 minutes: Hanyu on the right side sends a soft cross to the left area and the space behind the opponent after exchanging passes with Maeda. Yonemoto made a run into the space but couldn't finish the shot, resulting in a corner kick.

21 minutes: East intercepted a pass from the opponent's center back, dribbled it to the left area, and although he was initially stopped by the opponent, he persistently regained possession and made a negative pass. Yonemoto, who ran to the left area, took a shot but it was caught by the goalkeeper in front of him.

Pushing forward with fighting spirit, maintaining intensity and hard work in the ball battle, not allowing Shanghai to move freely. We aggressively attacked and created attacking opportunities, but there was a period of time where we were unable to capitalize on chances.

24 minutes: Yonemoto dribbles on the right side and crosses to the left area. Higashi tries to volley, but misses the ball. Then, Mizunuma crosses and Maeda heads the ball in the left area. The ball seemed to be heading towards the right goal, but the goalkeeper saves it.

35 minutes, Mizunuma on the right feeds Maeda in the area. Maeda drops it safely and passes it to Hayabusa who runs to the right area. Hayabusa is challenged by the opposing defender and it looked like he skillfully hit the opponent's leg from a shooting position to win a corner kick, but it was ruled as a Shanghai ball.

41 minutes: The scoreless time continued, but Hashimoto, who ran into the second ball from Mizunuma's right CK, was in a shooting position from the left area. The ball was blocked by Shanghai FW Ewerton, but it hit his hand and a FK was awarded.
 

43 minutes, from the penalty arc on the left, Lins aimed directly at the goal with a low trajectory shot, passing through the feet of the wall and between Takahashi's legs to the left of the goal! Lins successfully took advantage of the FK opportunity and took the lead. 1-0. They will go into the second half with a one-point lead.

Mizunuma Free Kick Gives Tokyo Lead After Gritty First Half Display

From the kick off Tokyo were faster to the ball and sharper in the transition from defence to attack than the visitors. The game was played largely in the Shanghai half as the hosts settled into a rhythm.

5th.minute: Hashimoto took the ball down the right, almost to the Shanghai byline before cutting an oblique cross back into the center. Maeda cushioned the ball neatly into Mizunuma's path and his low drive was goalbound until a defender stretched out a leg to block the effort. It was a promising move from the hosts.

7th minute: Yonemoto crossed from the right and Maeda outjumped a defender but directed his header over the bar.

11th minute: Hanyu exchanged passes with Maeda down the right before feathering a delicate cross behind the Shanghai defence towards the far post. Although Yonemoto failed to make firm contact as he flung himself at the ball Tokyo still earned a corner.

21st minute: Higashi intercepted a loose pass from an opposition centre back and dribbled towards the left side of the penalty area. He ran into trouble, losing the ball once but then regaining possession after stubborn persistence and cut a cross back to Yonemoto. Yonemoto checked inside and drove in a low shot that flew straight at the goalkeeper. Tokyo continued to play with great fighting spirit and their hard work prevented Shanghai from enjoying any freedom to play their own game. Tokyo maintained an aggressive attacking approach and created chances. The only thing missing was a decisive finish.

24th minute: Yonemoto dribbled down the right and lifted a deep cross beyond the far post. Higashi attempted a volley but failed to make a solid contact with the ball. Tokyo regrouped and Mizunuma lifted in another cross that Maeda met with a firm header, drawing a save from the goalkeeper.

35th minute: Mizunuma found Maeda inside the penalty area. Maeda knocked the ball down to Hanyu, racing into the box from the right. Hanyu battled with a defender and seemed to have won a corner by driving the ball against the opposition player's leg, but the referee awarded a goal kick.
41st minute: Half time drew near with the game still goalless. Mizunuma swung in a corner from the right that was cleared to Hashimoto, outside the penalty area on the left. Hashimoto shot and the onrushing Elkeson blocked the effort with his hands, giving Tokyo a free kick almost on the line itself.
43rd minute: Mizunuma took the free kick himself, driving a low effort through the wall, between a defender and Takahashi's feet and into the net. Mizunuma had taken advantage of the chance to give Tokyo the lead with perfect timing. The first period ended 1-0.

Equalized, but Mizunuma marks the second goal and wins the competition!

In the second half, Shanghai, who is facing a counterattack, holds the ball. They have come out attacking by attacking both sides of Tokyo.
47 minutes: MF Conca makes a feed to the area, and Hu Huang is released behind the right side back.
50 minutes: FW Lu Wenjun from Shanghai, FW Ewerton, and MF Conca exchanged direct passes inside the Tokyo team, and FW Wu Lei broke through.

55 minutes: Opponent MF Conca holds the ball in front of the area, times it and sends a through pass behind Tokyo DF. With perfect coordination, FW Leu Wenjun breaks free in the area, slightly to the right. Although Akimoto saved the decisive shot... FW Urelei closed in on the ball that spilled to the right of Akimoto... and we conceded a goal. 1-1.
Tokyo, who was caught up in a tie, calmly launched a quick attack from intense defense in an attempt to take the lead.
 

62 minutes: Replaced East with Abe.
64 minutes: Tokunaga lifted the ball and passed it to Hayu, who had taken a position in front of the goal. Hayu aimed for a middle shot, but it went over the bar.
65 minutes: Yonemoto → Tokunaga advances into the left area. He cuts back against the opponent, measures the distance, and sends a left cross. Maeda in the center, Mizunuma from the outside, and Hashimoto from the far side all run into the right area, and the ball goes to Mizunuma. Mizunuma volleys with his right foot, striking a powerful shot that charges towards the goalkeeper and scores a goal. Success in taking the lead. 2-1.
Afterwards, the time spent on defense increased as Shanghai prepared to counterattack again.

79 minutes: Tanabe replaces Mizunuma. Maeda and Abe as the two top players. Tanabe on the right side, Hayashi on the left. Takahashi and Yonemoto changed to a 4-4-2 formation as defensive midfielders, trying to change the flow of the game.

87 minutes: Shanghai builds their attack from MF Conca, who uses FW Ureli's speed to charge into the area.
90 minutes: From Shanghai FW Wu Lei's dribble, FW Ewerton expands to the right. As the right cross is matched, players continue to jump into the goal area. In additional time, from MF Leandro's through pass, Wu Lei breaks through behind Tokyo DF, but Tokyo concentrates and defends until the end, welcoming the final whistle.

Although we conceded one goal, we never stopped fighting until the end and managed to win the tough match, giving us the advantage going into the second away game.

Shanghai Equalise; Mizunuma Wins It With Second Goal

The visitors came out fighting in the second half, enjoying more of the ball and pushing forward down the flanks.

47th minute: Shanghai midfielder Conca played a pass into the Tokyo box for overlapping right sideback Fu Huan to take behind the Tokyo defence.

50th minute: Shanghai forward Lu Wenjun, Elkeson and Conca combined with some slick passing to release forward Wu Lei.

55th minute: Conca skillfully retained possession outside the Tokyo box before slipping a pass through the home defense. Striker Lu Wenjun darted onto the ball and shot left-footed for the far corner. Akimoto charged off his line and made a fine reaction save, dropping to his right. The ball ran loose and striker Wu Lei pounced, firing home from close range. Although Shanghai had drawn level Tokyo remained solid in defense and broke forward at pace in search of another goal.

62nd minute: Abe replaced Higashi.

64th minute: Tokunaga pushed forward and found Hanyu in a central position, just outside the Shanghai box. Hanyu crashed a rising shot just over the bar.

65th minute: Yonemoto found Tokunaga pushing forward down the left flank. Tokunaga checked back inside and lifted a right-footed cross beyond the penalty spot. Mizunuma met the ball on the run with a side-footed first-time volley that left his boot like a rocket. The goalkeeper was unable to stop the shot and Tokyo were back in the lead once again. Shanghai pushed forward in search of another equalizer and the hosts spent more time defending.

79th minute: Tanabe replaced Mizunuma and Abe partnered Maeda in a two-pronged attack. Tanabe played on the right of midfield and Hanyu on the left, with Takahashi and Yonemoto in the center in a 4-4-2 formation. Tokyo sought to change the flow of the game.

87th minute: Shanghai midfielder Conca constructed a move and forward Wu Lei made inroads inside the Tokyo box.

90th minute: Wu Lei dribbled forward and Elkeson took the ball down the right before crossing into the danger area. Several Shanghai players flung themselves at the ball but none were able to make contact. In additional time Conca managed to play Wu Lei in behind the Tokyo defense one final time but the hosts held firm and cleared the threat. The final whistle blew on a hard-fought 2-1 win. Although Tokyo conceded, they battled to the bitter end, never stopped running, and could look forward to the return fixture in a week's time.

[Player Comments]

"Mizunuma"
"The free kick was a little too close, but I kicked it intuitively based on my own sense. I'm glad I was able to score. (Regarding the second goal), I had originally seen myself as the one who would cross the ball. I knew that if I crossed it to the far side, the opponent would become a ball watcher. So when Tokunaga made the cutback, I ran to the far side as planned and the ball came to me. I was conscious of hitting the shot firmly. Today, I think the distance between players was good from the start of the game and we were able to do what we wanted to do. We were able to share the image of making runs behind the defense and connecting with our feet."

"Yoshimoto"
"Losing an away goal is something to reflect on. I thought it was my job to keep the opponent from scoring, so I am disappointed. However, I haven't been able to win in the games I have played so far, so today I approached the game with the feeling that "if I can't get results here, I don't deserve to play in Tokyo anymore." So I am relieved that we won. Especially in the first half, it was a fantastic game. Everyone was strong in the duels and I think the desire to win was conveyed to the viewers."

Players' Comments

Mizunuma:
"The free kick was a bit too close to the goal so I just went with my gut feeling and fortunately it went in. The second came from the side I had originally put a cross in from. When you play a cross to the far post often the opposition get caught ball watching so when I saw Tokunaga cut back inside I made my run towards the far post. He put a perfect cross in and I watched it all the way onto my boot. From the start of the game today the distance between the players was just right and I felt we managed to achieve what we wanted to do. We got behind the opposition defence and linked up well; we shared a vision of how we wanted to play".

Yoshimoto:
"We have to look at ourselves for the way we conceded. Our job in defense is to keep a clean sheet so it's very disappointing we couldn't manage it tonight. However, so far this season we hadn't managed to win a game that I've played in so I felt that if we couldn't get a result tonight then I wouldn't be qualified to ever play a game for the club again. I'm very relieved we won. In particular I felt our first half performance was fantastic. I'm sure we managed to convey our desire to win to everyone watching".

[Summary of Manager Hiroshi JOFUKU's Press Conference]

"We knew that if we didn't win the first game and head to Shanghai, the second game would be tough. Everyone played with a strong determination and fulfilled their roles. (On Hashimoto's use as a right back and Takahashi's role) Hashimoto has a high level of utility. In a game with pressure like today's, he faced a strong opponent and was able to fight well, even though he was beaten a few times. This was thanks to the defense from the front line. The front line pressed well from the first half. Takahashi's role was clearly defined in terms of maintaining a balance in defense and being aggressive in attack. He concentrated well and played for the team to function. We played a game where we didn't let the opponent score and we scored. We regret the one goal we conceded, but the players gave everything they had for 90 minutes. We want to celebrate this victory with the fans and supporters. We will prepare for the next game and face the second game in Shanghai with determination."
 

[Shanghai SIPG - Sven-Göran Eriksson's Press Conference Summary]
"It was a good game today. In the first half, I think FC Tokyo was a little better than us. Tokyo had a very good start and played very aggressively in the ball battles. However, in the second half, we also picked up our speed and had no problems with our physical condition. We were able to control the ball and put pressure on them. It was a performance that will lead to the second game next week. As for the first goal we conceded, it was our own mistake. In a free kick from that distance, the wall should not jump. That's all there is to it. Of course, mistakes are inevitable in soccer. If there were no mistakes, every game would end in a 0-0 draw. I want to play well for the second game."

F.C.TOKYO manager Hiroshi Jofuku

"We knew that if we didn't win today the second game in Shanghai would be very difficult. The entire team played with tremendous spirit and fulfilled their individual roles to perfection.
What about Hashimoto at side back and Takahashi's role? Hashimoto really is a very versatile player. In a high-pressure game like today's against a strong opponent he fought really well, getting behind their defence several times. He was everywhere, from defence to attack. He pressed really hard from the first half. Takahashi has a clearly defined role in both maintaining the defensive balance and pushing forward aggressively when called upon. In order to make the team function he plays with great concentration. As usual our aim for the match had been to score without conceding. Letting in a goal is disappointing but otherwise it was an excellent performance over the whole 90 minutes. We're very happy we could share the victory with our fans and supporters. We're going to prepare to the best of our ability for the second game to make it to the next round".
 

Shanghai SIPG manager Sven Goran Eriksson

"That was a very good game. I felt FC Tokyo edged the first half. They started well and were very aggressive to the ball. However, our speed showed in the second half and we had no problems with our physical conditioning. We controlled the ball and pressed hard. I think it was a performance that we can take into the next game. Their first goal came from our mistake.
The wall shouldn't jump at a free kick so close to the goal. That's in the past, though. Of course there are mistakes in football, if there weren't then every game would finish 0-0. We're looking forward to the second leg and aim to put in a good performance".