An away match where we desperately want to secure 3 points

　In the first match of the ACL, we will face Brisbane Roar away. This is the first step towards Asia and the world. Coach Ranko POPOVIC stated, "Soccer is not something you do alone; you must fight as a team. It is important how we fight as a team, not as individual players," and further expressed his determination by saying, "We must fight in a way that lives up to the name of the ACL and represent the Japan national team."

　Brisbane has a formation close to a 4-3-3 with one defensive midfielder. Key players are MF22 Broich, FW7 Berisha, and FW10 Henrique. "Brisbane is a team with a very similar soccer style to ours. They are physically strong and dynamic. Looking at their recent match results, they truly deserve praise," said coach Ranko POPOVIC. Depending on which team takes control, the match development against the well-performing Brisbane is likely to change significantly.

　Tokyo has seen some changes in the lineup compared to the match against Kashiwa, with new additions DF Kaga and FW Watanabe, as well as GK Gonda and MF Hanyu starting. The formation has Tokunaga as the right SB, with Takahashi and Masaru HASEGAWA forming a double pivot. Regarding the decision not to take Lucas and Kajiyama on the trip, it was mentioned, "They played 90 minutes in the last match, and there isn't much time before the J-League opening match," expressing a desire for the team to unite and aim for 3 points. The match started at 19:30 in Tokyo, amidst heavy rain in Brisbane.

Tokyo Seek Away Win In Debut Game

FC Tokyo's long-awaited first step onto the stage of Asian and world football entailed a trip to Brisbane, Australia for the first match of the group stage. Manager Popovic commented, "Football's not an individual sport, it's a team game. How the team plays overall is what's important. We mustn't besmirch the reputation of the competition with our performances and we have to play as befitting a representative of Japan".

Brisbane lined up in a 4-3-3 formation with a single defensive midfielder. The key men in the team were midfielder Broich and strikers Berisha and Henrique. "They play a lot like us," noted Popovic, "They're physically strong and dynamic. If you look at their recent results it's clear they're a team worthy of merit." Whichever side managed to seize the initiative, Tokyo or the in-form hosts, seemed certain to determine the outcome of the game.

Tokyo had made a few changes to the team that faced Reysol in the Xerox Cup: recent signings defender Kaga and forward Watanabe came in, with Gonda in goal and Hanyu in midfield. Tokunaga played at right back while Takahashi partnered Hasegawa in a double defensive midfield formation. Neither Lucas nor Kajiyama had made the trip as both had played the full 90 minutes against Reysol and were held back for the imminent start of the J.League season. Team spirit was high as the side went in search of the three points.
The game kicked off shortly after 7:30pm in the middle of a downpour on a warm evening in Brisbane.

Taniyama's opening goal in first half stoppage time! A goal scored at a great moment as we head into the second half.

　In slippery conditions with a poor pitch, they displayed calm game management and launched an attack. In the 4th minute, Hanyu intercepted the ball and Ishikawa sprinted down the right side. After a series of precise passes in the front line, Tokunaga picked up the second ball and delivered a cross. Ota on the opposite side was involved, and Watanabe in the left area turned and took the first shot, but it lacked power and was caught by the goalkeeper. In the 10th minute, Hanyu in the front line slid in to steal the opponent's ball, and Tanizawa, who followed from the left, dribbled into the center. He boldly took a shot just before the area.

　Unable to get a shot off in front of the opponent's solid defensive line. In the 34th minute, after connecting from the left, Tanizawa in front of the right area made a direct pass to Watanabe on the right flank, and Tokunaga, who advanced, aimed for the goal but missed the target by a large margin. In the 39th minute, starting from Hasegawa's through pass, it connected to a free Hanyu up front, but it was offside. Conversely, on the defensive side, we did not allow Brisbane to advance to the front line. Occasionally facing counterattacks, we concentrated around Morishige and did not allow any shots to be taken.

　Then, in the first half stoppage time, Watanabe received a vertical pass just before the area and made a one-touch pass to Ishikawa on the right. Ishikawa boldly made a move into the center. Although he was initially blocked by the opposing defender, the ball spilled to the right flank, where Tokunaga ran in and crossed parallel to the goal. Taniyama, who slid in the center, perfectly connected and scored! They took the lead at a great time and finished the first half. They maintained almost complete control and approached the Brisbane goal with direct passing, but there were many instances of being caught offside. Although the number of shots was few, they managed to secure the crucial opening goal they wanted.

Yazawa Gives Tokyo Lead In First Half Additional Time

　The slippy, rain-slick pitch was in poor condition yet Tokyo set about moving the ball around patiently and were soon on the attack. In the 4th minute Hanyu intercepted the ball in midfield and played it out down the right for Ishikawa to chase; following some intricate passing amongst the front line Tokunaga picked up the second ball and hoisted a cross into the danger area. The ball reached Ota on the far side and his return allowed Watanabe to turn and fire on goal, the first attempt of the match. Unfortunately his effort lacked pace and Brisbane keeper Theoklitos easily gathered the ball. In the 10th minute Hanyu dispossessed a dallying Brisbane defender with a sliding tackle and Yazawa pounced on the loose ball, dribbled forward then let fly from the edge of the area.

　The hosts tightened their central defence, preventing Tokyo from creating shooting opportunities. In the 34th minute, some neat one-touch passing saw Tokyo move the ball from the left flank to the right via Yazawa and Watanabe, but Tokunaga fired high and wide to end the move. In the 39th minute, Yazawa's through ball to Hanyu seemed to have split the Brisbane defence but offside was given. At the other end, the Tokyo defence, with Morishige at the centre, coped comfortably with Brisbane's occasional counter attacks.

　Then, as the game moved into additional time at the end of the first half, Watanabe received an upfield pass just outside the Brisbane area and neatly played it first-time out to Ishikawa on the right. Ishikawa took on a defender and moved inside but lost control of the ball, which ran loose to Tokunaga on the right. Tokunaga drove a low, hard cross into the area and Yazawa slid in to force the ball over the line and give Tokyo the lead at a crucial time. The half time whistle blew almost immediately. Tokyo had generally dominated a first period of frequent offsides and few chances, and were rewarded for their direct pass work with a vital goal on the stroke of half time.

Hasegawa scored an additional goal, and then with stable defense, they kept a clean sheet and won!

　Brisbane came forward after the start of the second half. In the 50th minute, Brisbane FW7 Berisha received the ball in the area and quickly turned to the right. He was in a shooting position from the right area, but Morishige made a quick cover to block it. In the 53rd minute, a free kick from the left side by Brisbane was punched away by Gonda. The loose ball was taken, and it was brought to the left side, but the cross went out of play.

　Then, in the 55th minute, a superb feed pass from Morishige, who drifted to the side, to Hanyu, who was trying to break behind the opponent's defense. Hanyu brought the ball forward in the left area and aimed for a shot, but the goalkeeper made a save... However, Hasegawa player rushed in to capitalize on the rebound and neatly pierced the net for a GOAL!!

　Brisbane, unwilling to end the match like this, launches a fierce attack. In the 67th minute, trying to break through from the left side, FW10 Henrique exchanges a one-two with MF6 Partlu in the left area, breaks free to the sideline, and delivers a backward pass from close range to the goal. A chance was about to be created, but Gonda managed to hold it while simultaneously being offside.

　In the final stages, as we struggled to regain possession, we substituted Tanabe for Hanyu in the 76th minute, and then in the 86th minute, we brought in Hyun Soo JANG to replace the cramping Kaga, shutting down the opponent's attacks. Finally, in stoppage time, we substituted Kono for Ishikawa, and the whistle blew for full time. Despite being away, we secured a valuable 3 points and celebrated our victory in the first match of the ACL!

Hasegawa Extends The Lead And Defence Holds Firm

　Brisbane came out fighting in the second half. In the 50th minute, forward Berisha received the ball inside the Tokyo area, spun quickly to his right, and shaped to shoot. Morishige reacted rapidly to close him down and blocked the attempt away. Gonda punched away a lofted free kick in the 53rd minute, then watched as a returned cross sailed harmlessly out of play.

　In the 55th minute, Morishige took the ball forward down the flank before stroking it over the top of the Brisbane defense. Hanyu timed his dart forward perfectly and was onside as he bore down on goal and unleashed a shot from just outside the area on the left. The Brisbane keeper parried the drive away but was helpless to prevent Hasegawa burying the loose ball and doubling Tokyo's lead.

　Brisbane were reeling but weren't about to relinquish the fight. In the 67th minute midfielder Paartalu played a neat one-two with Henrique and took the ball to the goalline deep inside the Tokyo area, before cutting a cross back into the box. It seemed a golden opportunity for the hosts until Gonda grabbed the ball and the referee simultaneously blew for offside.

　Tokyo struggled to retain possession as the game wore on, prompting Hanyu's replacement by Tanabe in the 76th minute. Kaga then went down with cramp in the 86th minute and Jang took his place in defense. In additional time, Kawano replaced Ishikawa and Tokyo successfully kept Brisbane at bay until the final whistle. Tokyo had marked their first appearance in the ACL with a valuable away win.

[Player Comments]《Taniyama》 "I was glad to score in the first half. I felt a sense of achievement during the game today. In the second half, the opponent came forward, but personally, I think I could have done a bit more. In the first half, the coach warned me about playing lightly, and I had forgotten about my good performance. (Regarding the scoring scene) When the ball went to Yuhei, I thought it wouldn't come to me. Seeing that cross, I thought I had to score. I had the mindset to do well from before the match. I had been conscious of actively getting into the area in front of the goal since the camp."

　"Morishige" said, "The opponent didn't have many through passes from the midfield, so it was easier for me to defend. Although A-League's top scorer FW Berisha is fast, the ball didn't reach him, so I think I was able to defend well. We were able to take the lead and score, and we created our own time. Even when the opponent's pace picked up, we managed to hold on without conceding. Since the opponent had a similar style of play, I was confident we wouldn't lose. There are areas for improvement, so I want to make corrections next time. Anyway, I was happy to achieve my first official victory as Coach Popovic."

【Summary of Coach Popovic's Press Conference】"Today was a good game, so I hope everyone enjoyed it. I am proud of how well the players fought. I believe the Japanese fans can also take pride in this result. It was a smart and intelligent game, but rather than focusing on the coach, the players themselves performed very well on the field. I think that was great. There were various developments in today's match, and it was a really good stadium. It would have been better if a few more (home Brisbane) fans had come in."

Players' comments
Yazawa
"It was great that we managed to score in the first half. We got the reward our play merited. On a personal level I felt I could have done a little more in the second half, given the way our opponents were forced to come out. At half time the manager told us to focus on undercooked play, as we seemed to have forgotten our good performances.
When I saw the ball was going to reach Yuhei I felt certain that his cross was going to come into the area where I was; then, when I saw him hit the ball I knew I had to get on the end of it. I was fired up before the game and felt that I was going to be able to do something today. During our training camp I'd been concentrating on getting into good positions in front of goal."

Morishige
"Our opponents played very few through balls from midfield so it felt easy to defend today. Berisha's the top scorer in the A league and he's fast but the way we prevented the ball getting through to him allowed us to defend comfortably. We seized the initiative and scored and we were also able to enjoy periods of sustained pressure. Even though our opponents controlled the pace in the later stages we were patient and succeeded in keeping a clean sheet. I think beating a team that plays a similar style to our own will be a big boost to our confidence. There are still aspects of our game that need correcting but I'm delighted that we could gain a first competitive game victory for the manager."


FC Tokyo manager Popovic
"That was a good game for us today and I'm sure everyone enjoyed it. The players can take pride in the way they performed. I think it's a result that all Japanese people can be proud of. Rather than the manager saying this and that, the team out on the field played a smart and intelligent game today, and that was very pleasing. They've got a fantastic stadium here in Brisbane so it would have been better if a few more home fans had turned out for the game."

【Brisbane Angelos Coach Postecoglou's Press Conference Summary】 "To be honest, I am disappointed with the result. However, I expected it to be a tough game, and that was as anticipated. It is understandable. In the second half, the players improved their condition and we were able to fight a bit better, but we couldn't create a good flow. Nevertheless, I think it was a really good challenge. It became a very good experience for us. (How did you try to change the game with substitutions?) I wanted to change the flow and thought about various things. From the start, the players were nervous, under pressure, and their movements were stiff. They were also quite nervous. Therefore, the second half was better than the first. We felt that it is important for us to gain more and more experience."

Brisbane manager Postecoglou
"To be honest, I'm disappointed at the result. We thought it was going to be a tough game and that's the way it turned out. It's something we have to come to terms with. Although we improved somewhat in the second half we still didn't really put any great moves together. Even so, I think we gave it a real go and it'll be a good experience for us.
Regarding the substitutions, we wanted to change the game and I thought about various possibilities. From the start the players seemed tense and froze up a bit. They felt the pressure and became nervous. I felt that it's important for us to gain more experience."