Even in the tough away matches, we unite to aim for victory.

In the third match of the ACL group stage, we will face Beijing Guoan away. In the second match, Ulsan Hyundai was frustratingly equalized in stoppage time, but we still maintain the top position on goal difference. Coach Ranko POPOVIC stated, "As a team representing Japan, we have prepared everything to show the appropriate football," and this upcoming match against Beijing, which marks the halfway point of the group stage, is one where we want to take 3 points back to Japan, considering the tough schedule ahead, even though it is an away game.

　Beijing Guoan has only earned 1 point in 2 matches so far. In the press conference the day before, coach Jaime Pacheco mentioned, "If we lose, our ACL will be over," indicating that depending on the result of today's match against Tokyo, advancing past the qualifiers could become difficult. They will likely approach this match with considerable determination. Long balls will be directed towards FW Kaluderovic, the Serbian top scorer of the 2011 season, while MF Piao Cheng and Wang Xiaolong will utilize their speed to break through from the second line, making the marking transitions in the DF line crucial.

　Hasegawa, who was suspended for the match against Hiroshima, returns to the starting lineup as a defensive midfielder. Watanabe will take Lucas's place as the lone striker. Morishige stated, "Just because we lost to Hiroshima doesn't mean we change our approach. We want to play the same attacking football and passing game that we've been working on in the match against Beijing," emphasizing that despite the challenge of not scoring, it is important for the team to remain focused and fight together.

　Against about 30,000 supporters from Beijing, and with restrictions on travel and support, approximately 300 fans rushed from Tokyo. Coach Ranko POPOVIC vowed to "prove our strength and play soccer that drags them into our arena." He wants to overcome the completely away situation with strong determination and fight with an aggressive attitude until the end. The match started at exactly 20:00 Tokyo time at Workers' Stadium in Beijing.

Tokyo United For Stern Test In Beijing

　For the 3rd game of the ACL group stage, Tokyo took on Beijing Guoan of China. Tokyo conceded a late goal in their previous outing in the competition and were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Ulsan Hyundai, yet retained top spot in the group on goal difference. Tokyo manager Popovic commented, "As a representative of Japan, we have prepared thoroughly to perform in an appropriate way." With the match marking the midpoint of the competition and considering the crowded future schedule, this was a game that Tokyo wanted to win and take the three points back home with them.

　Opponents Beijing Guoan had a single point to show for their two games to date. As manager Jaime Pacheco acknowledged, "If we lose then the ACL is over for us". With their chances for advancement to the next round dependent on the result it was expected that the team would be thoroughly prepared for the fixture. With 2011 Serbian League top scorer Kaluderovic as target man supported by pacy midfielders Piao Cheng and Wang Xiaolong, the key to defending for Tokyo would lie in handing over marking duties.

　Hasegawa returned from suspension for the Hiroshima game to take a place in central midfield while Watanabe replaced Lucas as lone striker. Morishige commented, "We may have lost to Hiroshima but we aren't going to change the way we play. We want to play against Beijing the same way as in the other games; attacking football, passing football, everything we've worked on so far".

　Amongst the 30,000 Beijing supporters were 300 hardy Tokyo fans who had traveled to support the team despite heavy restrictions on their movement and activity inside the stadium. Tokyo manager Popovic vowed that the team would show proof of its strength, like a sumo wrestler on the dohyo. Strong nerves were called for in a most intimidating atmosphere for the team to show its attacking intent until the final whistle. The game kicked off at exactly 8pm in the Workers Stadium.

Although they conceded a goal from a penalty kick, HASEGAWA's precise shot pierced the net, bringing the score level at halftime.

　Receiving loud cheers from many supporters, Beijing launches an offensive. In the 6th minute, Kaga injures his foot and has to leave the pitch for treatment. Then, in Kaga's absence, Takahashi gives away a penalty in the 10th minute due to a controversial decision for bringing down an opponent. This is converted by Beijing forward Wang Xiaolong, allowing them to take an early lead. Immediately after, Hyun Soo JANG moves to center back. Tokyo, wanting to counterattack, struggles to connect passes due to the opponent's tight marking, which is on the edge of fouling.

　In the 18th minute, Watanabe, who had broken forward, avoided the opponent's sliding tackle and attempted a shot from outside the right area, but it went wide. In the 21st minute, Hasegawa's vertical pass found Hanyu, who played it directly to the right. Tokunaga, who overlapped, sent in a cross, but it did not reach Watanabe in front of the goal. In the 34th minute, the opponent cleared a feed to the front line. Ishikawa picked up the second ball in a right-sided position, dribbled inside, and shot, but it did not connect and went to the goalkeeper. Under severe pressure in midfield, the team lost the ball in a bad way and faced counterattacks multiple times.

　After 40 minutes, Tokyo gradually takes control due to fatigue. Then, in the 44th minute, from a right throw-in, they push forward, and although it is cleared once, it reaches Tokunaga, who plays a direct pass to Ishikawa in the center. Ishikawa takes a step inside and drops the ball, where Aria runs in and powerfully strikes it into the net with his left foot to equalize. They continue to attack using both flanks, creating chances from corner kicks, but the first half ends like this.

Tokyo Fall Behind To Penalty But Hasegawa Grabs Equaliser

　Roared on by the vast crowd, Beijing attacked from the start. In the 6th minute, Tokyo defender Kaga suffered a leg injury and was forced to leave the field to receive extensive treatment. In the 10th minute, with Kaga still off the pitch, Tokyo's Takahashi was judged to have fouled a Beijing player and the referee pointed to the spot. Forward Wang Xiaolong beat Gonda with the penalty and Tokyo found themselves a goal down. Jang then replaced Kaga at center back. Tokyo attempted a fightback but were stymied by some tight marking that continually bordered on foul play, preventing them from playing their passing game.

　In the 18th minute, Watanabe hurdled an opponent's sliding tackle, burst into the Beijing area on the right, and attempted to float a shot into the net. The ball sailed narrowly wide. Hasegawa struck a pass straight up the field in the 21st minute, Hanyu laid it off to Tokunaga on the right wing with a first-time touch, and the Tokyo full back drove a cross into the penalty area that marginally evaded Watanabe. Ishikawa latched onto a poor clearance in the 34th minute, cut inside from the right, and shot. He failed to strike the ball cleanly, however, and it ran through to the keeper for a comfortable save. Tokyo struggled in the face of some intense midfield pressure, frequently losing possession in poor positions and inviting the counter attack.

　Beijing gradually began to tire from around the 40th minute, allowing Tokyo to slowly gain control of the game. From a throw-in on the right in the 40th minute, Tokyo launched the ball into the Beijing area; the ball was cleared and Tokunaga moved it inside to Ishikawa. Ishikawa took a step inside and touched the ball into Hasegawa's path as he stormed forward from midfield. Hasegawa lined up his shot and stroked the ball into the net, giving Tokyo an equalizer on the stroke of halftime. The visitors threatened again as they made full use of the width of the pitch to force a corner. The set play came to nothing and the first period ended all square.

In the end, we withstood the opponent's fierce attack and earned 1 point away.

　As the second half begins, there is a back-and-forth struggle. In the 46th minute, Watanabe takes a strong shot from just outside the area, but the GK catches it. In the 50th minute, Beijing dribbles into the area, but our resilient defense holds firm. Continuing into the 51st minute, Ota clears an opponent's free kick from the right side, escaping to a throw-in. In the 56th minute, from a combination between Tanizawa and Ota on the left side, Ota makes a run down the flank and delivers a sharp early cross. Ishikawa dives in at the near post, but his close-range shot is thwarted by the opponent GK's quick reaction.

　Then, in the 58th minute, Hanyu was fouled during a fierce battle for the ball in midfield, and the match was temporarily halted. Lucas was brought in to replace him due to a knee injury. In the 70th minute, Beijing seized on a pass mistake from Tokyo and launched a counterattack. However, Gonda comfortably caught the long-range shot. The match tended to be interrupted by fouls from both sides, but Tokyo did not lose their spirit and defended fiercely. In the 71st minute, Ishikawa persisted in front of the goal and created a chance starting from Lucas, but they could not convert it into a finish.

　In the 72nd minute, Tanabe was brought on for Tanizawa. However, the team fell back into a passive play against the opponent's persistence. In the 78th minute, a pass was made behind the left side defender, leading to a dribble shot, but Gonda made a save resulting in a corner kick. In the 82nd minute, from an opponent's free kick, the ball was controlled just outside the left area, and a shot was taken towards the goal, but Gonda saved it again. Conversely, in the 85th minute, after a pass exchange between Tanabe and Masaru Hasegawa, Tokunaga surged into the right area. Despite competing with the opponent's defender, he managed to get a shot off, but it was saved by the goalkeeper. The subsequent fierce attack from the opponent was defended resolutely by the team, ending with the whistle. The match ended in a draw.

Tokyo Withstand Late Onslaught To Earn Point

　The game ebbed and flowed as the second half began. In the 46th minute, Watanabe fired in a fierce drive from outside the penalty area that the Beijing keeper caught, while at the other end in the 50th minute, the Tokyo defense smothered the danger after a Beijing player dribbled into the area. Ota cleared a free kick out for a throw-in with a commanding header in the 51st minute. Ota and Yazawa combined neatly down the left in the 56th minute, with the former taking the ball forward and firing an early cross into the near post. Ishikawa had anticipated the ball and moved smartly onto it, shooting from close range and drawing a fine reaction save from the keeper.

　In the 58th minute, Hanyu suffered a knee injury in a midfield battle for the ball and the game was stopped while he received treatment. He was unable to continue and Lucas took his place in the front line. Tokyo lost possession in the 70th minute, allowing Beijing to counterattack. A Beijing player shot from distance and Gonda collected the ball comfortably. The flow of the game was increasingly interrupted by fouls by both teams, but Tokyo showed grit and defended intensely. Ishikawa showed great persistence to retain possession in front of the Beijing goal in the 71st minute and found Lucas, but Tokyo couldn't manage to fashion a shooting opportunity.

　Tanabe replaced Yazawa in the 72nd minute. In the face of Beijing's aggressive persistence, Tokyo gradually became passive, and it took a smart save from Gonda to deny Beijing in the 78th minute as the hosts got in behind their defense. Gonda made another good stop in the 82nd minute following a free kick on the left in the penalty area. In the 85th minute, Tanabe and Hasegawa exchanged passes and slipped the ball to Tokunaga, who burst into the Beijing area, battled to hold off a defender, and got a shot away. The Beijing keeper was equal to the challenge, and the score remained 1-1. Beijing flung themselves forward in an attempt to snatch a late winner, but the Tokyo defense showed concentration and resilience to deny the hosts. The final whistle blew on a hard-fought draw.

[Player Comments]《HASEGAWA》"I could see the course of the goal completely. It was just a matter of hitting it, and I wasn't putting much power into it. I was able to calmly aim for the course. Beijing applied pressure from the start, and you never know what will happen away, including penalties. I was prepared for that mindset... However, I reflect that there were more things I could have done during the opponent's time in the second half. Still, many fans came from Japan, and being able to earn one point in this away atmosphere and under the refereeing was significant. Of course, I wanted to win, but it's also important not to lose in games like this. I think it was a match that leads to the next one, and I definitely want to crush them at home."

　"I’m frustrated! We couldn’t play the soccer we aimed for, and we couldn’t express our own style of play. I want to ensure that next time at home, we can play more solidly in terms of content and development. Experiencing matches like this helps us grow by fighting tough. But honestly, I wanted to win... (to the fans who came) it was very reassuring. There were about 300 people, and it felt like our bond deepened... I really wanted to show that through results, but we couldn’t. Next time at home, I want to do my best so that all the fans can be happy."

　【Summary of Coach Popovic's Press Conference】 "Today we came to play soccer, but I think it was not something that could be called soccer. We tried to play soccer, but I believe the opponent's rough play stood out, and I cannot understand the judgment regarding that rough play. There were players who got injured today, and it is a miracle that we had 11 players remaining until the end. I think it was such a match. You can see the damage and scars on the players' bodies in the photos, so please check the photos. I want to say that the players did very well. Even in such circumstances, they continued to do what they have been doing until the end."

Players' comments
Hasegawa
"For the goal, I could see where I wanted to put the ball clearly and it was just a question of making a good contact with the ball. I didn't put a lot of power into the shot, I just tried to keep calm and place it. Beijing piled on the pressure straight from the start and in away games you don't know what's going to happen, including things like the penalty that was given against us. We had to prepare ourselves mentally for the game as well. In the second half when they were on top I felt there was more I could have done and that's something I have to reflect on. A lot of our fans came from Japan to support us and in such an away atmosphere and amid the refereeing decisions getting a point here is a good result. Of course we wanted to win but not losing these kinds of games is important. I think this experience will stand us in good stead in the future. We want to give them a good hiding in the return game at home."

Ishikawa
"Frustrating. We couldn't play the kind of football we wanted to and we weren't able to express ourselves on the pitch. In the next match at home we want to put in a better performance and play a better game. These kinds of games are a good experience and having to dig deep will make us stronger in the future. However, we really wanted to win today for the fans who made the trip here. About 300 of them came and I feel that the bonds between us have grown even stronger. We wanted to win for them and will do our best to give them something to cheer about in the next match".


FC Tokyo manager Popovic
"Well, we came here today to play football but I'm afraid what we got wasn't football at all. We wanted to play but what stood out was rough play from our opponents and I can't understand the referee's decisions regarding it at all. Some of our players were injured today and it's a miracle that we ended the game with 11 men on the field. That's what kind of game it was. If you look at the photographs you can see what I mean about the injuries and damage our players were subjected to during the game. Our players were magnificent today for the way they continued to try to play the way we have been under such circumstances."

[Beijing Guoan - Jaime Pacheco's Press Conference Summary] "Good evening, everyone. The players showed a wonderful performance. What I desire is to be the last one standing. Regarding the match, we were able to control the offensive side and take the initiative. Towards the end of the first half, we showed a lack of international experience. There was a chance for a penalty kick at the end of the first half, which is unfortunate. To be clear, I cannot be satisfied with the result. However, we gave our all and made good judgments in various situations. I believe we can praise our confidence and attitude towards the match."

Beijing manager Jaime Pacheco
"Good evening everyone. Our players produced a great performance today. I'd asked them to fight to the bitter end to get the win. I felt we seized the initiative and controlled the game, particularly in attack. I felt we showed a lack of international experience towards the end of the first half. We also had a good shout for a penalty that wasn't given and that was disappointing. To be honest, I can't say I'm happy with the result. Having said that though, I felt the team played to the full extent of their capability and the decision-making was good. I think I can praise the team for the confidence they showed and the way in which they accounted for themselves".