Challenging Frankfurt before the start of the Bundesliga with a focus on victory!

Eintracht Frankfurt played against Eintracht Frankfurt at the home Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, Germany. 50,000 spectators gathered at the stadium, and about 200 fans and supporters came to support from Tokyo.

Tokyo, who departed Japan on August 30 and arrived in Frankfurt, Germany, implemented a menu centered on running and stretching in the morning training the day after arrival, and confirmed defensive tactics in the afternoon practice. On the second day before the match, they carefully worked on confirming marks during set plays. Captain Tokunaga, who will lead the team in this match, said, "Even though it's a friendly match, I want to play with a focus on winning. That will also lead to our battles in the J-League." Goalkeeper Enomoto said, "First, we will do what we need to do as a team. And we want to firmly demonstrate our performance in this valuable match against an overseas club." The two players leading the team spoke.

Starting members are GK Enomoto, CB Yoshimoto and Maruyama, DF Matsuda and Tokunaga on both sides. In the midfield, Takahashi is the anchor. Mita and Hashimoto are the inside halves. And Kono is at the top. FW Maeda and Nathan BURNS are in.

Frankfurt, on the other hand, has Japan national team's Hasebe as the right back. Kansai enters the left outside, and will come to challenge as the last battle before the start of the Bundesliga.

The match started at 15:15 with Frankfurt's kickoff under the strong sunlight.

Despite taking an early 2-point lead, we were pushed back by the opponent and went into halftime tied at 2-2.

　In the 4th minute of the match, the opponent was given a left corner kick, but GK Enomoto easily caught it. In the 8th minute, a cross was sent from the left side by opponent DF Hasebe, but FW Seferovic in front of the goal was unable to score. In addition, in the 13th minute, opponent MF Inui took a sharp shot from the crowded area near their own penalty arc. Enomoto calmly caught it in front of him.
 

19 minutes into the game. Mita dribbles with a change of pace in the center of the pitch and breaks through. He earns a free kick in a position about 20 meters in front of the goal. The kicker is Maruyama. The ball hits the opponent's wall and goes out for a corner kick. In the 20th minute, Tokyo's left corner kick is punched away by Frankfurt's GK Lindner. The opponent's defender then clears it with his head. However, the ball falls to Maeda in the box and he calmly sinks it into the right side of the goal. GOAL!! Tokyo takes the lead!! And in the 22nd minute, Nathan Burns runs into the near post to score a goal from Kono's cross from the left side. GOAL!! Tokyo adds another goal early on and extends their lead.

Although we led by 2 points, there was a period of time where we were pushed back and the opponent was able to pass the ball around, but thanks to GK Enomoto's leadership, we were able to stay calm and defend our goal. However, in the 41st minute, the opponent was able to pass the ball around in our own half and expand from left to right. FW Seferovic was able to score in the bottom right corner from DF Hasebe's ground cross, bringing the score to a 1 point difference.

In the 43rd minute, a FK was given in front of their own goal, and the opponent's kicker was Stendera. The right-footed FK hit the crossbar directly. However, just before the end of the first half, the opponent's MF Frum made a heel pass in the center of their own field. Stendera received the ball and took a shot from the penalty arc. This went into the top right corner of the goal, and the first half ended in a 2-2 tie.

Defeated 2-3 after being pushed back by the opponent in our own territory.

　In the second half, the team faced a series of dangerous situations as they continuously created shooting opportunities, but GK Enomoto remained calm and defended well, preventing the opponent from scoring. However, in the 59th minute, DF Ochiopka crossed from a deep position on the left side. MF Aikner headed the ball in front of the goal, and the soft header shot found its way into the left side of the goal, allowing the opponent to take the lead.

After that, substitute player Nakajima dribbles on the left side for 20 minutes. He brings the ball from the left to the right in the area and takes a shot, but the opponent GK Lindner stretches out and catches it. In the following 75 minutes, Takahashi breaks through from the right side and passes to Nakajima in the center who has escaped behind the opponent's DF line. Nakajima faces off against Frankfurt GK Lindner in a one-on-one situation, but it is blocked and does not result in a goal. Furthermore, in the 79th minute, a fierce bullet shot is taken by FW Wart Schmidt from the left side of their own area. However, this shot hits the right post and nothing comes of it.
 

85 minutes have passed and Tokyo has been passing the ball, but they have struggled to penetrate the opponent's territory. Despite facing a stronger opponent, they fought calmly, but ultimately lost 2-3. However, playing in front of a large away crowd was a wonderful experience, but they wanted to win. They will use this experience to make a comeback in the 2nd stage.
 

[Player Comments] 

"Enomoto" "I regret losing 3 points after leading 2-0. Playing against an overseas team was a good experience and I want to work hard to overcome challenges for the upcoming league."

"Takahashi" "As a soccer player, I was able to play in a dedicated stadium with many supporters, and I felt a sense of happiness and excitement. I am grateful to the club for giving me this experience. Not only domestically, but also in Asia and the world, the club can grow and it is a good thing for fans and supporters to watch Tokyo's games overseas, so I want to continue to build on that."

"Hashimoto" "The best atmosphere in the stadium was a good experience. We were winning 2-0, so personally I think I was still inexperienced in how to play the game. I want to become a player who can compete in the world by practicing firmly in Japan."

[Tokyo Massimo FICCADENTI Coach's Press Conference Summary] "The goal we conceded just before half-time had a big impact on the players. In the second half, the opponent had more chances and scored another goal, making the game more difficult. I was impressed by the amazing fans and supporters in Germany, and they have a positive influence on the world of football. I sincerely hope for Frankfurt's success this season." (Reflecting on the game) "The first 30 minutes of the first half were really good. However, the goal we conceded in the last 45 minutes had a big psychological impact on the players. The tempo of the game was slow, making it easier for the opponent to use their physicality, but I think we were able to respond well with formation changes and player substitutions. We left 6 or 7 players in Japan and the young players played well in a difficult situation. I think it was a very good experience for them." (Was it a satisfactory performance?) "We can't be satisfied with a loss. The first half was very good, but we want to train to maintain that level until the end."

[Frankfurt Alminfei Coach Press Conference Summary] "In the first half, we lacked pressure on the opponent and entered the game waiting for mistakes. In the second half, we were able to improve on that and create more chances. I think today's match was a great one for Tokyo as well."