Welcoming ACL at home, this is a match where we want 3 points to advance advantageously in the future.

　This season, Tokyo's first ACL match will be the second group stage match at home National against Ulsan Hyundai from Korea. In the first match, they achieved a resounding victory against Brisbane Roar in Australia. While a tough schedule continues alongside the league matches, this match is crucial for securing a victory at home to advance favorably in the upcoming stages. Coach Ranko POPOVIC clearly stated, "We will fight not only as FC Tokyo but also representing Japan. We want to meet expectations by utilizing a style of play that is characteristic of Japanese players."

　Today in Tokyo, Yonemoto, who made a substitute appearance in the league match against Nagoya and returned to the pitch for the first time in about a year, will start. He will form a double pivot with Takahashi. Watanabe will play as the lone striker, with Ishikawa and Tanizawa on the flanks.

　The opposing Ulsan Hyundai features players who have previously experienced the J-League, including FW Lee Keun-ho, FW Maranion, MF Kim Sung-yong, MF Lee Ho, DF Kwak Tae-hwi, and MF Kaneko. The main attacking force consists of the two forwards, FW Lee Keun-ho and the tall 196cm FW Kim Shin-wook. The two wide midfielders, MF Kaneko and MF Kim Sung-yong, serve as the starting point for a speedy and powerful attack.

　It is expected to be a tough battle, but we will go for victory with our own style of football without fear. Although the wind is still cold, it is a calm and sunny National. The match started at 14:00 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Tokyo Aim For 3 Points In ACL Home Opener

　For their first home game in the Asian Champions League, FC Tokyo faced Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea at the National Stadium in Tokyo. Tokyo had beaten Brisbane Roar of Australia 2-0 away in the first match and, despite the demanding schedule as the games were being played in tandem with the J.League, saw the match as a chance to cement their standing in the group. Tokyo manager Popovic was clear about the team's ambitions, "We're not just representing ourselves but the whole country here. We want to play Japanese-style football and answer the expectations."

　After coming on as a substitute in the win over Nagoya in the J.League at the weekend, young midfielder Yonemoto returned to the starting eleven for the first time in nearly a year, taking a place alongside Takahashi in central midfield. Watanabe played as lone striker with Ishikawa and Yazawa on the wings.

　Opponents Ulsan Hyundai fielded a team packed with players experienced in the J.League: forwards Lee Keun-ho and Maranhao, midfielders Kim Seung-yong and Lee Ho, defender Kwak Tae-hwi and midfielder Ienaga had all played their trade in Japan at one time. With an attack led by linchpin Lee Keun-ho, partnered by towering, 1.96m tall forward Kim Shin-wook and supported by Ienaga and Kim Seung-yong on the flanks, the visitors possessed a powerful, speedy strikeforce.

　Although a tough game was expected, Tokyo had no reason to be fearful if they could play their own football and aim for a win. The hosts kicked off shortly after 2pm on a sunny but chilly afternoon.

Showing solid defense against Ulsan's vigorous attack, Tokunaga scores the opening goal from a corner kick!

　In the first minute, Watanabe took the first shot, entering the match without hesitation. However, Ulsan also gathered the ball to FW Igho, and in the 5th minute, FW Igho's cross from a dribble was headed by FW Kim Shin-wook. In the 11th minute, Ulsan's midfielder MF Estiven advanced with a dribble, and once again, FW Kim Shin-wook took a shot.

　However, they managed to withstand the speedy and aggressive Ulsan attack, gradually increasing the scenes of connecting passes and moving forward. In the 26th minute, Tokunaga broke through to a high position on the right front line and delivered a fast cross. However, it slipped past Watanabe in front of the goal and Kajiyama in the left area... In the 27th minute, FW Igno received a goal kick from Ulsan and managed to take a shot, but the defender closed in tightly and Gonda caught it.

　Tokyo advanced the ball but made mistakes, and in the 32nd minute, they showed intricate passing starting from Morishige to Kajiyama, but lost possession in the process and were quickly targeted from behind. They managed to contain Ulsan FW Lee Gno with Kaga at the center, but could not fully regain the ball. The ball was passed to FW Kim Shin-wook just outside the area, who then delivered a last pass to right MF Ienaga, but they quickly covered and prevented a shot. In the 35th minute, they earned a left corner kick from Tokunaga's cross. The loose ball from Ishikawa's kick reached Kajiyama in the center, but Ulsan's defense was strict, and he could not control it properly.

　However, just after that, in the 36th minute, Ishikawa passed to Kajiyama, who broke into the area and won a right corner kick. Ishikawa returned this right corner kick with a sharp pass to the center. Tokunaga, who received it, couldn't take a direct shot, but he brought the ball forward and, while being closed down by the defender, boldly aimed for a looping shot that went into the top left corner for a GOAL!! With an unexpected corner kick, Tokunaga scored a skillful shot to take the lead and headed into the second half.

Tokyo Thwart Dynamic Ulsan Before Tokunaga Opens The Scoring

　Tokyo made a bold start to the contest, Watanabe registering the first shot soon after kick off. However, the visitors quickly moved the ball forward to Lee Keun-ho and from his cross in the 5th minute Kim Shin-wook powered a header on target. In the 11th minute defensive midfielder Estiven dribbled up the field and Kim Shin-wook fired another attempt on goal.

　Tokyo held the pacy Ulsan attack in check and slowly began to assert their passing game, gradually moving the ball nearer to the opposition goal. In the 26th minute, Tokunaga found space down the right and whipped in a flashing cross that narrowly evaded Watanabe and Kajiyama in the center. A minute later, Lee Keun-ho latched onto a goal kick and shot, but a solid defensive block took the pace off the ball and Gonda collected comfortably.

　Tokyo were moving the ball forward more smoothly yet unforced errors began to hamper their progress. In the 32nd minute, Morishige found Kajiyama and Tokyo showed some neat interplay yet lost possession, allowing Ulsan to pour forward in attack. Kaga managed to block Lee Keun-ho's route to goal but was unable to regain the ball and when Kim Shin-wook set up Ienaga inside the area on the right it took a sharp piece of covering to deny the visitors a clear sight of goal. Tokyo won a corner in the 35th minute as Tokunaga's cross was cleared behind. Ishikawa hoisted the ball into the danger area where it ran loose to Kajiyama, but the Ulsan defence quickly cleared the danger.

　Tokyo won another corner in the 36th minute as Ishikawa played the ball through to Kajiyama inside the Ulsan penalty area. Ishikawa cut the corner back to Tokunaga in a central position outside the Ulsan area; Tokunaga found himself unable to shoot first time, then pushed the ball past a pair of onrushing defenders before producing a delicate and surprising lob that caught the Ulsan keeper off his line and looped gracefully into the net. A moment of unpredictability and fine technique earned Tokyo the lead at half time.

Taking the lead again with a magnificent goal, but caught off guard just before the end...

　After gaining the lead in the second half, Tokyo maintained their defensive focus and moved the ball well forward. In response, Ulsan substituted MF Maranyon in the 56th minute, while Tokyo brought in HASEGAWA for Yonemoto in the 62nd minute. Both teams tried to shift the rhythm using player substitutions. Nevertheless, Tokyo continued to press forward, even though there were periods without scoring opportunities.

　In the 68th minute, Watanabe dropped a cross from the right in the center of the area, and Kajiyama made a powerful volley by throwing his body forward. The shot was on target, but it was saved well by the GK, resulting in a corner kick... In the 69th minute, Hanyu came on. However, in the 75th minute, after clearing a corner kick from Ulsan once, Hanyu's pass to Ishikawa, who had moved forward, did not connect. The ball was kicked into the Tokyo half by the Ulsan GK. Caught off guard while trying to push up, Ulsan MF Kim Seung-yong broke through... and they equalized.

　Even so, without panicking, they continued to play their style of football. In the 83rd minute, after a flowing series of passes, Ishikawa and Hayato HASEGAWA exchanged passes, and HASEGAWA made a move into the center of the area. Drawing in the defenders, he passed to Hanyu on the left. Hanyu briefly held the ball in the left area before carefully delivering a negative last pass in front of the goal. Kajiyama, who was in position, took a precise shot into the top right corner for the goal!! The stands erupted with Kajiyama's first goal of the season. In a fiercely tough battle, they connected their scoring to a style of football typical of Tokyo, successfully taking the lead again.

　Tokyo gained momentum with this, but conversely, they were caught off guard for a moment. In the 88th minute, a long ball was sent to DF Kwak Te-hee from the right side of Ulsan, and FW Maranjon broke free into the right area. He scored with a loop shot, resulting in a goal against... Despite playing lively football typical of Tokyo and maintaining an advantage throughout the match, it unfortunately ended in a draw.

Kajiyama Regains Lead But Late Equaliser Denies Victory

　With a one-goal lead under their belts Tokyo looked more confident in the second half, defending solidly and moving the ball around briskly as they pushed forward. Ulsan responded by replacing Kim Shin-wook with midfielder Maranhao in the 57th minute, while Tokyo sent on Hasegawa for Yonemoto shortly after. With the changes made both sides set about establishing a rhythm. Tokyo stuttered but still managed to create chances.

　In the 68th minute, Watanabe knocked down a cross from the right and Kajiyama cracked a low, controlled volley that was heading for the corner until the Ulsan keeper produced a fine save. Hanyu replaced Yazawa in the 69th minute. In the 75th minute, Kim Young-kwang, the Ulsan goalkeeper, punched away a Kajiyama corner and Hanyu attempted to pick out Ishikawa. The goalkeeper pounced on the ball and quickly launched it down the field where the Tokyo defense attempted to push up but midfielder Kim Seung-yong found himself onside and finished neatly past Gonda to tie the score.

　Despite conceding, Tokyo stayed calm and continued to play a measured game. In the 83rd minute, some fluid passing between Ishikawa and Hasegawa allowed the latter to take the ball inside the Ulsan area in a central position. Hasegawa drew the defense towards himself, then slipped the ball to Hanyu on the left. Hanyu held it up for a moment before rolling it back into Kajiyama's path as he burst inside the area. Kajiyama struck first time, hard and true, and the ball hit the back of the net for a beautifully-worked team goal. Kajiyama's first goal of the season had restored Tokyo's lead and provoked scenes of wild abandon in the stands.

　Tokyo had fashioned a goal good enough to win any game but not this one, unfortunately. In the 88th minute, Ulsan defender Kwak Tae-hwi hoisted a long ball down the right that found substitute Maranhao unmarked and in acres of space. Gonda raced off his line but was helpless as Maranhao lobbed the ball over his head and into the net. Tokyo had largely dominated the game with a lively performance yet were forced to settle for a disappointing draw.

【Player Comments】《Kajiyama》"It's disappointing that it ended in a draw, but I think we achieved the minimum result of one point. I felt the strength and high skill level of Ulsan, but I don't think we lost in that aspect, and there was enjoyment even in the toughness. When the opponent came at us fiercely, it felt good to evade that and connect the play with good tempo. We conceded two goals, but there were parts where we could progress at our own pace, which gave us confidence."

　Tokunaga: "As for the goal... while I was thinking about whether to take a one-touch shot or to trap the ball first, I ended up having no choice but to aim for it. However, the direction was as I intended. It's been a while since I've felt so unsettled until I score a goal. I wish we could have controlled the game better with more possession today. I think it was significant that we were able to take the lead. There is fatigue, but the challenge is how to fight when things aren't going well."

　【Summary of Coach Popovic's Press Conference】 "First, I need to calm my mind. I am not angry about today's content or result, but I believe some players thought they had already won before the match was over. There is anger that some players assumed they could win just like that. The opponent was a wonderful team. In the first half, they solidified their defense and adopted a counterattack strategy from interceptions, but in the second half, we played at our own rhythm. However, we allowed a simple ball to be thrown in and conceded a goal.

　It's disappointing that we allowed such a simple goal during the time we were dominating and moving the ball, wondering when our third goal would come. Still, I think we were able to control the game against a top-level team in Asia, and I am satisfied with that and see it as a positive. However, I feel that we lacked the experience to win throughout the full 90 minutes. We couldn't believe in ourselves until the end. It's regrettable that we couldn't fully commit to believing we would win.

Players' comments
Kajiyama
"It's disappointing to draw and get the bare minimum of a single point. I felt Ulsan were strong on the ball and technically gifted and even though it was a hard game it was also enjoyable. They came at us with real intensity so when we were able to deflect that and pass the ball around at a quick tempo it felt good. We conceded twice but the way we managed to control the pace of the game will give us confidence".

Tokunaga
"Well, for the goal I was in two minds whether to hit the ball first time or take a touch. After I trapped the ball there was nothing for it but to shoot and it went just where I wanted it to. Recently we just don't seem to be able to calm down until we've scored. Today again if we could have enjoyed more possession and controlled the game more it would have been much better. Scoring first would have been more important then. Of course there's some tiredness but how we play when things aren't going our way is an issue we have to look at".


FC Tokyo manager Popovic
"First of all I think that I have to get a grip of myself. It's not that I'm only angry with the result or the performance but I feel that some players thought the game was won before the final whistle. It seemed like they thought it was all over. Yes, I'm angry. Our opponents today are a very good team. In the first half they defended well, intercepted the ball and counter attacked whereas we controlled the rhythm in the second half. However, playing a thoughtless ball cost us a goal.
We were playing well and were on top so much it seemed like only a matter of time before we scored a third goal so to concede such a simple goal is very disappointing. Even so, to play against one of the top teams in Asia and control the game for so long is a positive we can take from the match. I think our lack of experience in shutting out the opposition to win tight games showed today. We didn't have the belief that we could hold on and that's disappointing".

【Ulsan Hyundai Coach Kim Ho-gon’s Press Conference Summary】 "I feel that both teams played a very good match. I had heard beforehand that FC Tokyo had become stronger than last year, and I felt that was true when we came to play away. My impression was that they were strong both organizationally and tactically. It ended in a 2-2 draw, but Ulsan's condition was not as good as I expected, which was surprising. FC Tokyo has stabilized their balance between offense and defense, and the tempo of their attack has sped up; the overlapping on both sides was also trained systematically."

　I think we started well as a team in the first half, but after that, we faced difficulties in building up and breaking through, and we couldn't break through. In the second half, in addition to that, there were physical issues, and I felt we couldn't play our style of football. It's disappointing that we couldn't fight exactly as we aimed for 100 percent, but I want to commend the players for not giving up until the end and managing to draw the match.

Ulsan Hyundai manager Kim Ho-gon
"I felt that both teams played a good game today. We had heard that Tokyo were much improved from last year and that's the way it turned out in what was very much an away game for us. My impression was that they were very strong in terms of the system and the tactics. It ended as a 2-2 draw but from Ulsan's point of view our condition hadn't improved as much as we had expected. FC Tokyo had a good balance between defence and attack, increased the tempo as they moved forward and the sidebacks looked well-trained in the systematic way they overlapped.
We played well as a team at the start of the first half but after that we found it difficult to construct moves and break the deadlock. We couldn't open them up. In the second half we seemed to have a problem with our power and weren't allowed to play our game, I felt. We couldn't follow our game plan 100% which was disappointing, but the players fought to the bitter end and earned a draw so I want to praise them for that".