A crucial match to secure a spot in the Round of 16

ACL Group Stage Matchday 5 will be held at the National Stadium. The match will be against Brisbane Roar from Australia. The first match of this card was played on March 6th, before the league started. It was also the first time the club participated in the ACL, but they showed a dynamic performance away from home and won comfortably with goals from Tanizawa and the Hasegawa brothers.

　However, in this match, the team is currently on a 3-game losing streak and is not in good shape. Tanabe, Otake, and Hirayama have all been injured and will be absent from the team. It will be a difficult situation, but according to the regulations for determining the rankings in the ACL, if the team loses by only one point, they will secure a spot in 2nd place or higher in the group. This is a crucial match that will determine their advancement to the round of 16.

　Brisbane, on the other hand, recently won the A-League playoffs and just finished their season. They will surely come to this ACL match with high motivation, aiming for a victory of more than two points. In response, we must approach the match with a strong determination to win, maintain our position as group leaders, and show Tokyo-style football. This will also be a crucial match to spark our team's rise.

　Tokyo started Mukuhara as left back, Watanabe as top, and Hayabusa and Taniyama as sides. Additionally, Shigematsu made his first bench appearance of the season. Brisbane also made some changes to their lineup, with FW Enrique absent, and FW Besart Berisha leading the front line in a 4-2-1-3 formation. The game took place on a weekday night during Golden Week. Unfortunately, heavy rain poured down once again, and the match started at 7:30 PM with Tokyo's kickoff.

Tokyo Aim For Round Of 16 In Vital Game

FC Tokyo welcomed Brisbane Roar of Australia to the Tokyo National Stadium for the 5th game of ACL group stage. The reverse fixture, the opening match of the group stage, was played on March 3rd, before the J.League season had begun and saw a thrilling performance by Tokyo earn a 2-0 away win thanks to goals from Yazawa and Hasegawa.

However, Tokyo were currently far from peak form having lost three straight league games and were without the injured Otake, Tanabe and Hirayama. The team was in a difficult position but even so, a defeat by a single goal would mean a definite top-two finish in the group. It was therefore an important game in deciding Tokyo's progress to the last 16.

Opponents Brisbane had recently won the A-League Playoff and had been crowned champions. Although their domestic season was at an end they still had faint hopes of advancing in the ACL, needing to win by a two-goal margin to retain any possibility. The visitors would be highly motivated and Tokyo would have to call on their strength of character to retain top-spot in the group and put in a performance to revive their recent fortunes.

Mukuhara started at right back for Tokyo, with Watanabe as lone striker, supported by Hanyu and Yazawa on the flanks. Striker Shigematsu made his first appearance of the season on the bench. Brisbane were without forward Enrique and showed several changes from the side that started the first meeting between the teams. Striker Berisha was the most advanced player in an attacking 4-2-1-3 formation. The game was an evening kick off during the Golden Week holiday season. Disappointingly, the weather was again appalling, with torrential rain and a strong wind lashing the stadium on an unseasonably cool evening.

Conceded the first goal, but immediately equalized with Takahashi's middle shot, Mukuhara and Watanabe added points.

The match started off with a bang. In the 4th minute, Brisbane was given a free kick from the right side, and FW Broich sent it in, with FW Berisha heading it. The ball bounced off the right post and was then put in by FW Berisha...a goal conceded from a set piece so early on. Giving away an unwanted first goal, they were already thrown off their game.

　However, Tokyo quickly counterattacked without panicking. In the 5th minute, Watanabe broke through the right side and crossed the ball. Although it was initially blocked by the opponent's defender, Kajiyama followed up with a shot from the center. It was blocked again, but Takahashi ran in and unleashed a powerful shot. It grazed the post and went into the goal, immediately equalizing the score!

　Tokyo, who have now found their rhythm, pressed forward against Brisbane, who were trying to connect passes and move up. They pressed from the front and took the ball away, attacking quickly with their passing. In the 20th minute, Hasegawa broke free from his mark in his own half and advanced. He passed to Watanabe, who had made a perfectly timed run down the right side. Watanabe carried the ball forward and crossed it from the right area. The ball made its way through the crowded goal area and found Mukuhara, who had been running towards the left area. Mukuhara calmly took the shot and scored, shaking the net for a GOAL!! Tokyo successfully took the lead.

　However, Brisbane did not give up here and in the 33rd minute, FW Broich, who broke through the right side, was passed through a through pass. FW Broich was brought into the middle and entered the shooting position, and although Morishige blocked it once, it was pushed into the left corner of the net... and the score was tied.

　After that, in the midst of attacking each other, in the 43rd minute, Watanabe, who was trying to enter the area from Tokunaga's pass, received a foul and won a PK. In the 44th minute, Watanabe himself calmly scored this PK. With a total of 5 goals scored, they were able to take the lead just before the end of the first half and head into the second half.

Tokyo Overturn Early Deficit

The game burst into life in the 4th minute. Brisbane won a free kick out on the right, forward Broich hoisted the ball into the penalty area and Berisha smacked a header against the right-hand post. The ball rebounded back to Berisha and he stroked it past Gonda to open the scoring. It was the worst possible start for Tokyo, surrendering the lead with the game barely begun.

However, the hosts remained composed and looked to fight back immediately. Moments after the restart Watanabe raced down the right and hoisted a cross into the Brisbane penalty area; the ball was partially cleared but only as far as Kajiyama in a central position. Kajiyama shot but his effort was blocked; Takahashi sprinted forward from midfield to meet the bounding ball and hammer a low drive that beat keeper Theoklitos, hit the inside of the left post and then the back of the net. Tokyo had reclaimed parity less than a minute after falling behind.

The goal lifted the hosts who quickly found their rhythm and pressed hard from the front to regain possession from Brisbane before launching attacks of their own. In the 20th minute, Hasegawa slipped his marker in midfield and pushed forward, then rolled the ball down the right flank to meet Watanabe's perfectly-timed run through the Brisbane defence line. Watanabe took the ball and drove a low cross into the penalty area which evaded the scrum of players in the goalmouth but was met with a composed, first-time finish by Mukuhara on the left. Theoklitos had no chance as Mukuhara swept the ball low inside the post to give Tokyo the lead.

Brisbane weren't intending to go down without a fight and clawed their way back into the game in the 33rd minute. Forward Broich ducked through the Tokyo defense on the right, ran onto a through ball and let fly. Morishige managed to block the shot but the ball ran loose and Broich made no mistake with his second attempt, firing past Gonda to tie the score at 2-2.

The game continued to ebb and flow until the 43rd minute when Watanabe received a pass from Tokunaga and burst into the Brisbane area on the right. He went down under a challenge and the referee pointed to the spot. Watanabe picked himself up and dispatched the penalty with minimum fuss, hard and low into the corner of the goal. Tokyo had their noses in front again, a lead they held until half time.

Defeating the point battle, securing a place within the top 2 in the group stage without any losses.

In the second half, both teams continued to challenge each other with their own style of soccer. Tokyo struggled to find the right timing and passes in the final moments, giving Brisbane more time to defend. However, they quickly passed the ball and continued to challenge with vertical passes. This paid off in the 60th minute when Takahashi and Hasegawa connected and moved the ball forward, leading to a calm and precise shot from Watanabe in the left area, scoring a goal! This gave them a two-point lead.

　Still, Brisbane did not give up and made three substitution cards by the 67th minute to launch a counterattack. In response, Tokyo, perhaps affected by the rain and showing signs of fatigue, gradually lost speed and accuracy, allowing Brisbane to dominate. As a result, in the 73rd minute, Lucas was substituted for Watanabe, and in the 78th minute, Yonezumi was substituted for Hanyu on the side. In the 85th minute, Ishikawa replaced Kajiyama. They tried to use player substitutions to fight back.

　In the second half stoppage time, there was a scene where Brisbane's shot hit the bar, but they still fought together and did not allow any additional points, and won the intense battle for points, and the time was up. As a result, they accumulated 11 points without losing in 5 group stage matches, and secured a place in the top 2 of the group. In their first attempt in the ACL as a club, they have advanced to the round of 16.

Tokyo Extend Lead, Guaranteed At Least Second In Group

The second half proceeded as a battle of contrasting styles. Tokyo were unable to find either the correct timing or accuracy for the final ball and were pushed back by Brisbane but continued to move the ball around quickly and pass it straight up the field. The tactic bore fruit in the 60th.minute as Takahashi and Hasegawa combined to move the ball up the field to Yazawa, who played a delightful through ball out to Watanabe on the left. Watanabe finished with considerable aplomb past Theoklitos and Tokyo had a two-goal cushion.

To their credit Brisbane refused to throw in the towel and used their quota of substitutions by the 67th minute, the fresh legs bolstering an attempted comeback. Tokyo began to show signs of fatigue, perhaps influenced by the relentless rain, and both their speed and accuracy dropped, allowing the visitors to dominate possession. In response Tokyo replaced Watanabe with Lucas in the 73rd minute, Hanyu with Yonemoto in the 78th and Kajiyama with Ishikawa in the 85th.

Brisbane struck the bar in added time at the end of the half but that was as close as they came to narrowing the deficit and the final whistle blew on a hard-fought 4-2 win. After 5 games Tokyo were unbeaten and had amassed 11 points, a total that guaranteed the side at least a second-place finish in the group. FC Tokyo had qualified for the Round Of 16 in their first appearance in the ACL.

[Player Comments]《Watanabe》"I have confidence in my ability to break through and my speed, and the coach also told me to 'take the opponent's back'. When I take the back, everyone becomes more positive. Especially for the first and second goals, it was exactly as planned. (You were involved in all the goals, but?) I haven't had many assists so far, and maybe I have a strong image of playing in the center, but I'm not bad at moving to the side. In terms of chances from crosses, I think my range of play will expand. I'm not satisfied with this. I also have a desire to play in every game and contribute to the team by scoring when I do play. I want to do my best to make the most of my chances."

　"Mukuhara" "(Regarding scoring) Hasegawa player in the center attracted the opponent, I was thinking that the ball might come to the far side. The ball came just as I thought, but I had time, so I was thinking of aiming for the near side calmly. Personally, I wanted to leave something in the game where I got a chance, and above all, the team had to win! ... I thought. In the midst of that, I wanted to show that I was also there by producing results. However, we are still conceding goals and there are still challenges in the defense's cooperation."

　[Summary of Coach Popovich's Press Conference]"Both teams played a fantastic game. I believe the spectators who came to watch were pleased with the attractive and attacking style of football displayed. Despite the bad weather, many fans and supporters came to the game and I think we were able to repay them with the result and performance. In football, things don't always go as we want and there are difficult situations and challenges. However, even in those times, I believe it is important to have faith in what we are doing and our abilities, and to push through and persevere. I think today's game was a great expression of what we have been believing in and it turned out to be a wonderful match. As representatives of Japan on the Asian stage, we were able to advance to the round of 16 and achieve results by playing this type of football. As someone who carries the responsibility of representing Japanese football, I think we were able to show something great and I hope we can continue to play good games as the Japan national team in the future."

　(Will the evaluation as a coach also increase?) I want the club to come together and promote Tokyo's soccer on the Asian stage, rather than just improving my personal image. What I have been saying from the beginning is that I want to create the brand of Tokyo. However, it takes time to do so. Of course, the most important thing is the results, and everyone wants to achieve results. We have to achieve results even in a tight schedule. However, in a long season, there may be times when the results do not come, but the important thing is to believe and fight. I believe in my team and players, and I must not hesitate. What I need to do is to quickly mature the team and raise the level. And I believe that we need to continue to produce results by playing like we did at the beginning of the season."

Players' comments
Watanabe
"I have confidence in my pace and ability to get behind the opposition and the manager told me to do just that. If I could get in behind their defense then the rest of the team could play facing forward. Our first and second goals came from positions just like that.
Wasn't I involved in all the goals? Until now I haven't really had a role as an assister and maybe my image is of being stronger through the middle, but I don't see playing on the flanks as a weak point of my game. If I'm creating chances by putting in crosses then it means that
I'm adding further strings to my bow. But I can't be satisfied yet. I want to play in all the games I can and when I do play I want to make a contribution to the team winning by scoring goals. I want to do my best to be able to take the chances when they come".

Mukuhara
"For the goal, I saw that Hasegawa had pulled a defender out of position in the middle and that if the cross came through it might reach the far post. That's exactly the way it happened. I had a little time and was able to put the ball away inside the near post. When a chance comes like that I want to take it and make an impact but the most important thing is that the team wins. I want to get the result and also put in a good performance myself. However, we're still conceding goals and issues remain regarding our defensive interplay".


FC Tokyo manager Popovic
"Both sides made it a terrific game tonight. It was full of attractive, attacking football and I'm sure that everyone who came thoroughly enjoyed it. I think we repaid our fans and supporters who braved the terrible weather tonight with our performance and the result. Football doesn't always go the way you want it to and sometimes you face difficult and demanding situations. However, I firmly believe that it's important to have confidence in yourselves and what you are doing in such times. In tonight's game too, I felt we were able to express ourselves on the pitch and it made for a fantastic game. We've taken on the responsibility of representing Japan on the Asian stage, earned a place in the Round of 16 by playing such football and this is a great thing for the further development of football in Japan.
Has this also increased my reputation as a coach? Far more than improving my own image I want the club to be united and for FC Tokyo to express itself on the stage of Asia. However, it takes time to achieve that. The results are the important thing and everybody wants to get the results, yet we have to get the results within a very crowded schedule. Sometimes in a long season the results don't come so the important thing is to believe in what you're doing. I believe in the team and the players and can't waver at all. What I have to do is make the team mature and improve the level. We have to play the way we were at the start of the season and to continue to get the results".

[Brisbane Roarad Vidicic's press conference summary]"I really enjoyed the game. The biggest difference between us and Tokyo was the finishing and decision-making. We were doing well until we scored the first goal, but it was disappointing to concede a goal just 30 seconds later. However, I want to thank the fantastic Tokyo supporters and club members. The supporters are loyal and I could feel their support for the club. (Looking towards next season's ACL) The A-League is still a young league, only 7 years old. Compared to China, Japan, and Korea, who have a lot of experience, this was a great experience for us. Australian football is known for using physicality and long balls, but in today's game, you could see that we are changing. We are building up and playing more passing football. I hope that by making these changes, we can continue to grow and achieve success."

Brisbane Roar manager Radovic
"It was a very enjoyable game. I felt the biggest difference between the teams was Tokyo's finishing ability. We played well up until we scored the first goal so to concede just 30 seconds later was very disappointing. However, I want to say "Thank you" to FC Tokyo's fantastic supporters and the staff at the club. The supporters are truly loyal and I strongly felt the way they support the club.
What about next season in the ACL? The A-League is young still, it's only seven years old. Compared to that China, Japan and Korea all have much greater experience and for us this has been a good experience. Australia has a physical, long ball style but today in our game I felt that something is changing. We built the play steadily and started to play a passing game. Variations such as these will hopefully lead to further development and bear fruit in the future".