Pre-season match against Kawasaki just before the league kickoff

With just one week to go before the J-League kickoff, a preseason match will be held against Kawasaki Frontale. This will be the first showcase match of the season at Ajinomoto Stadium. It will be interesting to see how much of what has been trained so far can be brought into the game. Coach Hara stated about today's match, "I want to make this a good preparation before the kickoff. Depending on the developments, I want to try various players."

　Tokyo's starting lineup features DF from the right: Kaji, Jean, Fujiyama, and Kanazawa. In midfield, Konno plays as a defensive midfielder, with Ishikawa on the right, Danilo and Kurizawa in the center, and Toda on the left. They will approach the match with a 4-5-1 formation led by Lucas. The focus is first on the new addition, Danilo. It will be interesting to see how well he fits into the team and how he can utilize his high-level technique to lead Tokyo's attack. We also hope for a good partnership with Kurizawa. There were concerns due to many injured players in the DF line, but Jean is starting in good form. Shigeno is also on the bench.

Kawasaki returns to J1 after five years. This season, they come into the top league with a calculable strength, making significant changes to the roster. Last season in J2, they scored a total of 104 goals in 44 matches, showcasing their formidable attacking power. In particular, forwards JUNINHO (37 goals last season), Ganaha (22 goals), and midfielder Markus (18 goals) combined for a total of 77 goals, which requires significant caution. The wind is cold, but it started well at the sunny Ajinomoto Stadium with Kawasaki's kickoff.

From the start, they launched a fast attack towards the Kawasaki goal, but...

　Tokyo applies strong pressure and launches a fast attack. In the 2nd minute, Danilo dribbles up the center, exchanges a one-two with Ishikawa, and finally, Lucas is in shooting position inside the area. After picking up the blocked ball and connecting, Danilo reacts to Tod's lob pass and attacks deep into the area. In the 7th minute, Danilo holds the ball during a counterattack. He passes to the right side, and Ishikawa shoots from the right area. In the 8th minute, Kanazawa attacks from the left side. They smoothly run through to the area and make a last pass to Kurizawa, who runs into the goal area. Kurizawa's shot is saved by the opposing goalkeeper. In the 12th minute, from a throw-in, Lucas connects to Ishikawa directly, and Kurizawa earns a corner with a well-aimed long shot. In the 18th minute, starting with Kurizawa, Danilo connects to Ishikawa, launching a quick attack, and Ishikawa, who dribbles swiftly to the area, aims for the goal.

　Tokyo created many chances from the beginning, but ultimately not scoring during this period would have significant repercussions later. Gradually, Kawasaki, getting used to the pace of J1, began to launch counterattacks from solid defense and started to find their rhythm. Then, in the 22nd minute, midfielder Nakamura, who intercepted a feed from Tokyo's defensive line on the right side, passed to forward JUNINHO. After a brief hold, JUNINHO sent a through pass to the front line. Nakamura, who flowed into the left area, received this return and shot. Although Tokyo's defense initially blocked it, the ball spilled in front of the goal, and JUNINHO, who followed up, scored. They allowed the first goal.

　After that, both teams pressed each other compactly, resulting in a back-and-forth development. In the 26th minute, Kawasaki attacked in front of the goal, but FW Ganaha's shot from inside the area was saved by Doi. In the 32nd minute, Tokyo's Kurisawa quickly restarted the play, allowing Toda to break forward and win a corner kick. In the 35th minute, Kawasaki had a direct free kick. Markus's well-placed kick was again saved by Doi. In the 43rd minute, Tokyo had a direct free kick from just outside the left side of the area. Danilo aimed for the goal with a curved shot, but the opposing goalkeeper caught it. In the 44th minute, Kurisawa took a mid-range shot. Following that, Kaji, who received the ball in midfield, took a direct shot, but the well-controlled ball unfortunately went just to the left of the goal. The first half ended with a one-goal deficit.

With challenges in mind, the focus shifts to the opening match

　Tokyo wants to score a goal, but as time goes on, space opens up in the midfield, allowing Kawasaki's sharp counterattacks. In the 50th minute, Lucas competes with a defender in front of the goal and takes a powerful shot. In the 54th minute, from Danilo's switch to the right, Kaji breaks through on the right side. Danilo heads back the cross that was sent to the far post, and Lucas makes a header shot. This showed a wide-ranging attacking shape typical of Tokyo.

　In the 55th minute, Shigenobu was substituted for Fujiyama, and Miura was brought in for Toda. The formation was set with Miura and Konno as double defensive midfielders, and Kurizawa on the left. Tokyo regained their rhythm with Miura's timely offensive run, and in the 62nd minute, Lucas received a long pass on the right front → Ishikawa crossed. The opponent's central defender's clearance went through Lucas to Kurizawa in front of the goal, who took a shot after assessing the advancing opponent goalkeeper. However, he was blocked by the opponent defender Minowa's cover, missing a big chance.

　At the 69th minute, Yusuke KONDO came on for Danilo. Tokyo switched to a 4-4-2 formation and launched a counterattack, but despite repeatedly sending crosses from the sides, Kawasaki's strong defense easily blocked them, preventing any clear finishing opportunities. Tokyo wanted to turn Konno's brave interception into an attack, but they had no way through Kawasaki's deep and solid defense. Although they controlled the ball, they couldn't create effective attacking chances. At the 89th minute, Kaji sent a floating pass into space on the right side. Ishikawa reached it and made a direct return pass in front of the goal, and Yusuke KONDO rushed in, but the goal did not come. Kawasaki's strategy of solid defense and counterattacks worked well, and the match ended 0-1. Tokyo suffered a defeat. However, neither Coach Hara nor the players are pessimistic. They see the issues that emerged at this stage as a positive and want to use them to prepare thoroughly for the season opener.

【Player Comments】《Konno》"In the second half, we were tightly defended, and even when we won the ball, we couldn't find a way to get it in. It's difficult when the opponent defends deep. It's unfortunate that they used space well in their attack. As a team, we need to level up in every aspect." 《Danilo》"Unfortunately, I want to forget today's result. I want to win the opening match to make everyone happy. It's an important game, so I want to focus and show good play." 《Ishikawa》"In a situation where it felt like there were only three lines (defense, midfield, and forward), we lined up at the front, lost the ball there, and it turned into a counterattack. The opponent has height, so I was conscious of delivering fast crosses, but... We also need to challenge more from the outside, and I had various things I wanted to try, like running inside or diagonally. I want to reflect well by watching the video and connect it to the opening match."

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "Kawasaki aimed for counterattacks but retreated early, and we couldn't break through there. Above all, the way we lost possession was poor. If Lucas and Danilo had been able to develop or hold the ball... we lost it at those points. From there, we faced counterattacks, and when JUNINHO and Marcus turned forward, all Kawasaki players rushed out. We must find a way to break through that. We are trying Konno as a single defensive midfielder there... Today, how much Danilo could perform was the key. However, he still often plays based on his own feeling, and although it would have been good if he could dribble past opponents and move forward (even in solo plays), there were several times he lost the ball and it turned into a counterattack. He needs to get more accustomed to Japanese football and the J.League. But he has good qualities. While fitting him in well, the challenge is how to utilize speedy players like Ishikawa, Toda, and Norio SUZUKI to break down the sides. Since we don't have a strong header in the center, we can't win just by lumping the ball forward against big opponents like today. Our decisions are hesitant, and rather than connecting well, it feels like we are being connected to. We need to score with a better rhythm. We want to move the ball quickly and create chances to attack on the sides. A positive is that individual conditions have improved, including Monyo, who was behind schedule. Injured players are gradually recovering, so while using various players including Norio SUZUKI, we want to make a good start from the opening. Although we lost today, we saw both promising signs and challenges. We want to prepare well for the opening."

　[Summary of Coach Sekizuka's Press Conference] "It's been 5 years since we've competed in J1, and we were able to have a good preseason match on a nice pitch before the opening. The key point was how much we could play our own football against the Nabisco champions, Tokyo. We approached it boldly, but in the first 15 minutes, we lost the ball poorly and were quickly brought to our goal, which was confusing due to their speed. I think the players got used to it and found their rhythm from there. It was good that we kept a clean sheet in defense. However, Tokyo had long balls and connected with ground passes from the sides, making their attack diverse. It was a match that was informative in terms of individual potential plus organization."