GAME RESULTGame Result

Playoff January 28, 2020 (Tuesday)
Attendance 6,630 
Weather: Rain, light rain, Temperature: 8.4 degrees, Humidity: 90% 
Referee: Masoud Tufaili Assistant Referees: Ali Ahmad / Maizen Zajihun Fourth Official: Feras Tawil

Playoff

Tokyo Stadium

HOME

FC Tokyo

2-0

Match Ended

First Half0-0

Second Half2-0

AWAY

Ceres Negros FC

FC Tokyo Ceres Negros FC
48 minutes: Sei MUROYA
89 minutes: Adailton
Scorer
77th minute: Keigo HIGASHI → Arthur SILVA
90+1 minute: Leandro → Hodaka NAKAMURA
90+3 minute: Adailton → Kiichi YAJIMA
Player Substitution 73 minutes: Dylan Debricker → Mark Hartman
81 minutes: Angelo Malashigan → James Younghusband
19 Shoot 7
7 GK 17
7 CK 1
14 Direct Free Kick 20
2 Indirect Free Kick 3
2 Offside 3
0 PK 0
Warning 56 minutes: Bienvenido Maranyon
89 minutes: Manuel Herrera
80 minutes: Taichi HARA Ejection
FC Tokyo Starting Lineup
GK 33 Akihiro HAYASHI
DF 2 Sei MUROYA
DF 3 Masato MORISHIGE
DF 6 Ryoya OGAWA
DF 32 Joan OUMARI
MF 8 Yojiro Takahagi
MF 10 Keigo HIGASHI
MF 15 Adailton
MF 20 Leandro
MF 31 Shuto ABE
FW 24 Taichi HARA
FC Tokyo Bench
GK 1 Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF 4 Tsuyoshi WATANABE
DF 37 Hotaka NAKAMURA
MF 7 Hirotaka MITA
MF 38 Kazuya KONNO
MF 45 Arthur SILVA
FW 23 Kiichi YAJIMA
Ceres Negros FC Starting XI
GK 1 Roland Müller
DF 3 Joshua Grommen
DF 4 Manuel Herrera
DF 13 Dennis Villanueva
MF 9 Taka Odawara
MF 10 Jose Elmer Porteria
MF 16 Dylan Debricker
MF 29 Hikaru Minegishi
MF 30 Angelo Malashigan
FW 7 Bienvenido Malanjon
FW 77 Roberto LOPEZ MENDI
Ceres Negros FC Bench
GK 24 Florencio Badelich Junior
DF 2 Sean PATRIC Kane
DF 17 Junior Munoz
DF 18 Joshua Dutsume
MF 15 Arnie Pasinabo Jr.
MF 23 James Younghusband
FW 20 Mark Hartman

[Highlight Video]

[Player and Coach Comments]

Sei MUROYA
"Throughout the match, we all talked about putting our feelings out there and approached it with that mindset. Due to the weather conditions, it was quite difficult to get close to the goal, but I believe everyone was able to work hard together."

(Have you ever played on a pitch condition with this much water accumulated?)
"I don't think I've ever played a match in an official game with this much water accumulated."

(The warm-up on the pitch was suddenly canceled before the match)
"At the start, we needed to be more careful than usual in checking how much the ball would slide and what the feeling would be, so there was some anxiety, but I think everyone adapted quickly."

(Please review the opening goal that became the winning goal)
"In the first half, I took a few shots, and the coach told me, 'If you get it on target, something might happen,' so there was a bit of a feeling to it, but I focused on getting the shot on target and was able to score the goal."

(It was a goal that hit the post after being deflected by the GK, but the intention at that time was)
"I didn't know when the ball would stop due to the rain, so I was just thinking about making good contact to shoot it on target."

(The moment I scored, the fist pump was impressive)
"From the way the match was unfolding today, I thought it would be a close game, so I really felt that if we could score first, it would be huge, and those feelings came rushing back."

(What kind of feedback have you gained from the camp?)
"To be honest, I think we haven't achieved anything yet. Today, we were in a situation where we couldn't really showcase our tactical aspects, so rather than focusing on what we've done up to this point, we emphasized hard work and fighting spirit. Being able to win games like that is very significant, and I hope we can accumulate experiences like today’s."

(The season has finally started. This year's resolution is)
"The ACL group stage will start soon. I want to prepare thoroughly and face it head-on."

《Adailton》
(Reflecting on the match)
"As you can see from today's match, the conditions were not suitable for playing football, and we ended up fighting in a way that was different from our usual style. Nevertheless, we were able to fight as a team and achieve victory, and I am very happy to have scored a goal myself. I am glad that I could express my strengths, such as power and speed, on the pitch. I am truly happy to celebrate with the fans and supporters."

(Looking back at the goal scene)
"I felt that the GK was positioned high from the first half. In the goal scene, I could see the GK coming out at the moment I made a long dribble, so I was able to skillfully slot it in with a looping shot."

(Whether I was able to fulfill my role in today's match and the factors that led to today's victory)
"I feel that the players who stood on the pitch today were able to fight for the team."
On a pitch like this, neither dribbling nor passing can be done properly. However, more than that, the desire to win this match was strong, and we were able to fight with the determination to definitely seize victory. I believe that the victory was achieved because each player was able to take responsibility and contribute in their own way.


(Factors that led to today's victory)
"On this kind of pitch, I couldn't dribble or pass properly. However, more than that, my desire to win this match was strong, and I was able to fight with the feeling that we absolutely had to win, which is why I believe we were able to achieve victory."

《Keigo HIGASHI》
"It was a very difficult battle because it felt different from the pitch we usually play on. However, during defense, I was able to outmatch the opponent in terms of ball contests, which ultimately led to a goal. Today, winning was everything, so I'm really glad about that."

(The difference from last season is)
"It's quite difficult to say based on just today's match, but the new additions Leandro and Adailton were both making very good movements. Abe in the midfield also played a good role."
I believe that these players are providing inspiration to those around them, so I want to continue training and improve my condition from here on.

(Future challenges are)
"We still need to improve our condition, and as a team, we are challenging ourselves with a new system this season. I want us to continuously inspire each other as a team and build something even better."

(What kind of season do you want this season to be?)
"I want to achieve what I couldn't accomplish last season. I want to play well in both the ACL and J-League, and show matches that will make our fans and supporters happy."

《Tokyo - Summary of the Press Conference with Director Kenta HASEGAWA》
"I am glad to be able to participate in the main event. It was also a responsibility to fight as a representative of the J League. I told the players to take pride in fighting as representatives of the J League."
There are no easy matches in battles in Asia. The players fought as soon as the kickoff started. The refereeing is different from J, so we talked about being especially careful in front of the goal. I thought set pieces would be the most dangerous, so the defense line understood and fought well.
Daichi's last foul was said by him to not be intentional, but of course, being sent off is not a good thing.
In such Asian tournaments, there are difficult decisions. We must fight with utmost care until the end, but I think it was good that we were able to score additional points even with 10 players.
Adailton, Leandro, and Omari, along with Abe, played well despite the short preparation period. We need to elevate our performance from here. We want to shift into a higher gear and prepare thoroughly for the match against Ulsan Hyundai FC on the 11th of next month.

(To be honest, the weather was so bad that it was difficult for the competition to take place, but how did you view the situation?)
"Both teams were under the same conditions. The pitch is still being renovated from the Rugby World Cup towards the Olympics, so it wasn't fully established yet. However, I think the groundskeeper and everyone involved made an effort, and it's something we can't help, so we decided to accept that and keep it simple. The young players are still not used to playing in poor ground conditions like today. Even if they carry the ball, move it, or kick it hard, the ball doesn't fly, so it requires skill. I think they played well over time."
Brazilian players had exceptional ball control techniques. When we were young, it was said that the difference in skills would show on rainy days. We played soccer in the mud. I hope that young players can enhance their skills through such experiences.

《Ceres Negros - Summary of Coach Bidakovic's Press Conference》
"Due to the impact of the climate, we were unable to achieve good results. In such weather conditions, it is disadvantageous for both us and FC Tokyo. In that situation, I believe FC Tokyo created more opportunities than we did and was able to capitalize on those chances."

(Reflecting on the 3 playoff matches)
"First of all, I am proud of the players.
In every match, I felt that we gave our all. Today, I think we had a chance to get a penalty kick right before the end, but we weren't fortunate enough for that, and I want to accept the result including those circumstances.

(The set plays were good, but what kind of analysis was done)
"Of course, we analyzed the team from Tokyo, but even if we had completed the analysis, the predictions can be greatly off in this kind of weather. Today, we had to make significant changes to the planned strategy. We couldn't connect our short passes, which is our style, and it turned into a completely different style. The players seemed to be forced into an unfamiliar style."