A match where we want to unite and earn points away, aiming for first place in the group

　In the ACL Group Stage match 6, we faced Ulsan Hyundai away. In the match held at home on March 20, we took the lead with Tokunaga's skillful mid-range shot. Although we were equalized in the final moments, we regained the lead with Kajiyama's goal in the 83rd minute. It seemed we had almost secured the victory in a fiercely tough battle. However, we conceded a goal in the dying moments due to a defensive lapse. We played a dynamic style of football typical of Tokyo, maintaining an advantage throughout the match, but unfortunately ended in a disappointing draw.

　About two months have passed since then, and Tokyo is currently at the top of the group with 3 wins and 2 draws, remaining unbeaten in the ACL. Ulsan Hyundai, on the other hand, has also secured 11 points, ensuring both teams have already qualified in the top two. They have both confirmed their advancement to the Round of 16. However, due to ACL regulations, the final ranking will depend on the results of their direct encounters.

　The final standings of Group H, which will compete in the Round of 16 yesterday, have been determined. Guangzhou Evergrande finished in first place, and Kashiwa Reysol came in second. In the pre-match press conference, Coach Ranko POPOVIC stated, "We want to compete favorably in the Round of 16, so we want to secure points." It is crucial to maintain this position at the top of the group and to fight as one with a strong spirit, even in the away match in Korea, so that we can play the Round of 16 at home.

　As the league continues with away matches, Ishikawa injured his foot in the Sapporo match, and Ota was removed from the expedition squad due to a fever. Considering the fatigue accumulated so far, today's match will be approached with a fresh lineup. The left and right defenders will be Muku Hara and Hyun Soo JANG, the double defensive midfielders will be Takahashi and Yonemoto, Hasegawa will play as the right midfielder, and Kono, who will make his first start since transferring, will take the position of the attacking midfielder instead of Kajiwara, with Watanabe, who has scored three goals in the ACL, as the lone striker.

　The team situation can be said to be difficult, but we want to show our growth and progress over the past two months, both in terms of results and match content. Let's unite everyone's strength and do our best to achieve victory! The match started at 19:30 with Ulsan's kickoff at Ulsan Munsoo Stadium.

Tokyo Aim To Retain Group Lead In Korea

For the 6th and final game of the ACL group stage, Tokyo traveled to South Korea to take on Ulsan Hyundai. In the reverse fixture on March 20th, Tokyo had taken the lead through a fine Tokunaga goal in the first half, only to be pegged back in the 80th minute. A superb team move, capped by a decisive finish from Kajiyama, restored the lead, but a late equalizer denied Tokyo the win in a fiercely contested game they had largely dominated.

Nearly two months on from that game and Tokyo sat atop their group with a W3 D2 L0 record. Ulsan boasted the same points total, meaning that both sides had qualified for the Round of 16. Tokyo's opponents in the next round would be either Guangzhou Evergrande or Kashiwa Reysol, who had finished first and second in the already completed group H. A win in Korea would give Tokyo home advantage in the next round, a fact acknowledged by manager Popovic in his press conference on the eve of the game, "We want every possible advantage we can in the next round and so we've come here to win".

Missing from the Tokyo squad were Ishikawa with an injury picked up in the away win over Sapporo and Ota who had a fever. Manager Popovic juggled his remaining squad players and introduced some fresh legs with Jang and Mukuhara appearing at side back, Takahashi and Yonemoto as defensive midfielders, Hasegawa on the right of midfield and Kawano, making his first start since his transfer, in the withdrawn striker role. Watanabe, with three goals in the competition already, played as the lone front man.

While Tokyo were in straightened circumstances and facing a difficult opponent the game would serve to show how well the side had developed over the previous two months. A united team performance and a win were the objectives. Ulsan kicked off shortly after 7:30 pm in Ulsan Munsu Stadium.

Conceded a chance to the opponent, ending the first half with a one-point deficit

　In this match, it was expected that the opponent would come out aggressively, but from the beginning, Tokyo took control and the game progressed in the opponent's half. In the 9th minute, they stole the ball in midfield, and Hayato HASEGAWA passed to Watanabe in the center, who aimed for a mid-range shot but it went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 12th minute, on the right side, Hyun Soo JANG passed to HASEGAWA, and Takumi HASEGAWA launched a mid-range shot that hit the left post. Watanabe reacted to the rebound in the right area and took a decisive shot, but it also went wide...

　They advanced at their own pace, stealing the ball from the opponent and launching an attack, but there were many passing mistakes at the final moments, preventing them from reaching decisive situations. In the 23rd minute, on the left side, Hasegawa passed to Takahashi, who was positioned ahead, and Kono received the ball and made a dribble, circling in to take a shot, but it went over the bar. In the 26th minute, they connected from the right, and after Watanabe's drop, Yonemoto switched sides. Mukuhara passed to Tanizawa, who aimed for a precise shot from just outside the area, but it was saved by the goalkeeper and resulted in a corner kick...

　In the 27th minute, this Tanizawa's left corner kick was connected short, and a cross was sent to the center. Hyun Soo JANG, who was free at the far post, headed the ball but it went to the right. In the 35th minute, Hyun Soo JANG, who took a high position on the right side, sent in a cross. Kono, who jumped in front of the goal, tried to connect directly, but the shot went over. Then, in the 37th minute, from Ulsan's right free kick, a momentary gap was exploited, and they conceded the opening goal from a scramble in front of the goal. They ended the first half with a one-goal deficit after the opponent capitalized on a single chance.

Ulsan Dispatch Sole Chance To Take Half Time Lead

Ulsan had been expected to make an aggressive opening to the match but it was Tokyo that seized the early initiative and the game was largely played in the hosts' half. In the 9th minute Hasegawa won the ball on the right and played it infield to Watanabe who dribbled forward and shot from middle range. The effort was well-struck but flew straight to Kim Young-kwang in the Ulsan goal. Hasegawa was involved again in the 12th minute, collecting the ball from Jang and finding Takahashi who smacked a fierce drive against the left post. The ball rebounded out to Watanabe on the right but the striker failed to hit the target from a promising position.

Tokyo continued to regain possession and push forward yet the final ball frequently went astray, limiting the creation of clear-cut openings. In the 23rd minute, Hasegawa hoisted the ball down the left, Takahashi knocked it down and Kawano dribbled inside then shot narrowly over the bar. Tokyo moved the ball down the right in the 26th minute, Watanabe knocked it down and Yonemoto switched the play out to Mukuhara on the left. Mukuhara cut the ball inside to Yazawa whose firm shot drew a save from Kim Young-kwang and earned a corner.

Yazawa played the corner short, then hoisted a cross to the back post where Jang headed narrowly wide. Jang was the provider in the 35th minute, driving deep down the right and crossing to Kawano who was unable to keep his shot down. In the 37th minute Ulsan won a free kick on the right, Tokyo failed to clear the ball and after a wild melee in the goalmouth it was forced over the line. The home side had taken the lead against the run of play with their only chance of the half, a lead they held until the first period ended.

Despite bringing in offensive players one after another to counterattack, they were unable to score and lost the match.

　They aggressively launched attacks in the second half as well. Furthermore, in the 49th minute, Kajiyama was brought in to replace Kono, adding depth to the attack. In the 60th minute, Yonemoto intercepted the opponent's ball on the right side. He passed it to Tanizawa in the center just before the area, who took a one-touch and boldly aimed for the goal, but the shot was saved by the GK. In the 64th minute, Kajiyama was fouled, earning a free kick slightly to the right just outside the area. Morishige aimed directly, but it hit the defender and resulted in a right corner kick.

　In the 69th minute, Lucas was brought on to replace Tanizawa, playing in the left midfield position. In the 77th minute, starting from the left side with Lucas, a ground pass from Yonemoto to the center of the area was made, and Hayato HASEGAWA attempted a bold shot as he broke through, but was thwarted by the goalkeeper's save... With Kajiyama and Lucas coming in, and the opponent defending with a man-marking approach, vertical passes to the front line began to flow, completely taking control of the match.

　In the 84th minute, Lins was brought on for Hyun Soo JANG, who injured his foot, marking his official match debut. Tokunaga was positioned as right defender, and Takahashi was placed as center back, launching an all-out attack to score. In the 87th minute, they earned a free kick just outside the right area. Kajiyama's kick was cleared, but YoneMoto and Tokunaga persistently connected the loose ball, and Kajiyama shot from just outside the right area. However, it hit the left post... Watanabe, trying to seize the rebound, was offside.

　In the second half of stoppage time, Lucas received a vertical pass from Takahashi on the left, exchanged passes with Yonemoto behind him, and then performed a one-two with Kajiyama in the center. Lucas, who circled around, took a shot! He created a big chance from a direct pass, but the shot was blocked by the goalkeeper's save... Time's up. As a result, they passed the group stage in second place. In the Round of 16, they will face Guangzhou Evergrande away on May 30 (Wednesday).

Attacking Substitutes Fail To Make Breakthrough

Tokyo began the second half attacking positively. In the 49th minute, Kajiyama replaced Kawano, adding further weight to the Tokyo front line. In the 60th minute, Yonemoto intercepted a loose pass in midfield and moved forward before finding Yazawa on the edge of the Ulsan area. Yazawa took a touch and fired in a shot that drew a fine save from the Ulsan keeper. Kajiyama was bundled over just outside the Ulsan area on the right in the 64th minute, giving Tokyo a free kick in a promising position. Mukuhara hammered the ball into the wall, earning a corner kick in the process.

Lucas replaced Yazawa in the 69th minute, slotting directly into the left wing position. In the 77th minute, Lucas held the ball up down the left and then found Yonemoto inside the Ulsan area; Yonemoto set up Hasegawa but once again the Ulsan keeper denied Tokyo with another save. With Lucas and Kajiyama on the field and Ulsan dropping deeper from their man-marking system, Tokyo were able to enjoy almost total domination.

Jang suffered a leg injury in the 84th minute and was unable to continue, meaning a first competitive game appearance for Hayashi. Tokunaga shifted to the right of the defense and Takahashi dropped back into a center back position. Tokyo won a free kick in the 87th minute outside the Ulsan area on the right. Kajiyama's initial ball was cleared but tenacious play by Yonemoto and Tokunaga regained possession for Tokyo. Kajiyama shot from the right side of the Ulsan area, beat the goalkeeper but hit the post yet again. Watanabe flung himself at the rebound and was given offside.

Tokyo fashioned a further good chance in second half added time. Lucas received the ball from Takahashi on the left, exchanged passes with Yonemoto then played a one two with Kajiyama. The sharp passing move opened up the Ulsan defence and Lucas shot on the turn but Kim Young-kwang was equal to the challenge, saving his side yet again. The final whistle blew shortly after, condemning Tokyo to a 1-0 defeat and second place in the group. The result meant that Tokyo would face an away trip to Guangzhou Evergrande in the Round of 16.

　[Player Comments]《Maku Hara》"It was tough and a challenging match, but the most frustrating part was conceding from a set piece, especially since we had more time in possession. I was aware that when Hyun Soo moved forward, the coach had instructed us to tighten up in the center. However, since Hyun Soo is a defender and the balance on the final line was good on the sides, I didn't have to focus on it too much. Overall, we only conceded from set pieces, but I believe that's part of the battle in Asia. The matches will continue, so I want to create a good atmosphere starting from the league games and keep moving forward."

　"Watanabe" "I didn't feel like we were being dominated for the full 90 minutes, but we ended up losing. We need to handle set pieces properly. (Did you find yourself playing with your back to the goal often?) After we conceded a goal, the opponent tightened their defense, and we struggled to get shots off. I was too focused on trying to break through beautifully. (What about the opponent's defense?) They weren't as aggressive as I expected, so I think I could have played more forward in hindsight. Moving forward, I want to play with more confidence and face forward. To the supporters, I'm grateful for coming all the way here today. It's my first ACL, but I believe if we can show our strength, we can go further, and I will do my best."

　【Summary of Coach Popovic's Press Conference】 First of all, thank you. Regarding today's match, I was disappointed with the result. It's something that often happens in the world of soccer; the performance was good, but the result did not follow. I believe it was such a match. As I mentioned at the beginning, I am very satisfied with everything except the result. We can evaluate how our players performed and their attitude towards the match, and I think it was a game where we could showcase what we have been working on. In today's match, I believe we were able to demonstrate Japanese soccer, as well as the essence of FC Tokyo's soccer and what the club represents.

　I believe that we were able to have a match that everyone watching enjoyed and was satisfied with. I would also like to express my gratitude to the supporters who traveled from afar. It is unfortunate that we could not provide the gift of playing the next match at home for our supporters. I sincerely apologize for that. However, if we can show matches like today, I believe that supporters will continue to come to the stadium, and the day when we can fill it to capacity is not too far off.

　I would like to congratulate Ulsan on their victory. However, I want to reiterate that I want to commend our players once again for their great performance.

Players' comments
Mukuhara
"It was a tough game but we enjoyed long spells on top so conceding from a set play was the most disappointing aspect. The manager told us to squeeze the midfield when our opponents pushed forward and we were focusing on that, but they maintained their defensive balance very well when they pushed on. The only time we came under any serious threat was from that one set play, which is a typical Asian feature I think. The games are coming thick and fast so I feel the best thing we can do is to create a good atmosphere in the league and take it from there."

Watanabe
"It didn't feel like we were under any serious pressure for the whole of the game yet the final result was that we lost. We have to be more solid at set plays. After they scored they stiffened their central defence and that meant I was playing with my back to the goal far more. We were solely focused on carving them open with pretty football. Their defence wasn't quite as fierce as I'd expected and later in the game I was able to play facing their goal much more. I'd like to play with more confidence facing the goal in the future. I'd like to thank the supporters for coming all this way to cheer us on. This is our first time in the ACL and I think that if we give it our all we can go further in the competition. We'll do our best".


FC Tokyo manager Popovic
"First of all, I'd like to say thank you. Regarding the game, the only disappointing thing was the result. It's something that happens often in football; you play well but don't get the result. That's the kind of game it was today, I think. As I said at first, I'm satisfied with everything except the result. I thought both the performance and the players' approach to the game were estimable and I felt we showed the way we've been playing until now. I thought the game exemplified what Japanese football and FC Tokyo are all about.

I think it was an enjoyable game for the people who watched it. I'd also like to express my gratitude to our supporters who made the long trip here today. It's very disappointing that we won't be able to play the next match in front of our own fans and I feel sorry about that. However, I think that if we can put in performances like the one today then it won't be long before we'll be playing in front of a full house for our home games.

I'd like to congratulate Ulsan on their victory and to praise our players for their performance once again."

[Ulsan Hyundai Coach Kim Ho-gon Press Conference Summary] "It was very good to become group champions, but the performance today was not very good. I would like to make corrections for the Round of 16. (Unlike three years ago, this time we achieved first place in the group) Three years ago, I didn't really understand the importance of the ACL, and we weren't prepared at all. This time, I felt that if we achieved good results, it would raise the value of the players and the image of Korea. So, we prepared quite a bit and were able to become first."

　This time we faced Australia, China, and Japan, and the level was different from before for each opponent. Australia had undergone significant changes. China did not change much, but I believe Japan is a country we must continue to be very cautious of in the future. I wanted to dominate the match, but I couldn't do that today, and it was tough. Moving forward, we want to study Japanese football and diversify our attacking strategies.

　(How will we prepare for Round 16?) First, our opponent in Round 16 has been decided as Kashiwa Reysol, who were the champions of the J-League last season. We want to prepare thoroughly and have a dominating match. I believe Kashiwa is also familiar with the Korean soccer style, but I think they play a similar style to FC Tokyo, so we want to be well-prepared for the match.

Ulsan Hyundai manager Kim Ho-gon

"It's great that we've finished top of the group but the performance wasn't particularly good today. We have many things to put right before the Round of 16. I think that three years ago we didn't really understand the importance of the ACL and our preparation wasn't the best it could have been. This time I felt that if we could get the results then it would improve the players' reputation and the image of Korean football. We worked hard in preparation and were able to finish first in the group.
We found that there had been some major changes in the levels of our opponents this time round.

Australia had changed dramatically, China not so much but Japan has changed drastically and we will have to be on our guard in the future. We had wanted to overwhelm them with our pressure but couldn't and that made it a demanding game for us. We have to study Japanese football and diversify our attack from now on.

Our opponents in the Round of 16 are Kashiwa Reysol, last year's Japanese champions. We want to prepare thoroughly and overpower them. I think they play a similar style to FC Tokyo so we will adjust our preparations and look forward to the encounter.