Revenge against Nagoya with aggressive Tokyo soccer!

　Reflecting on the previous match against Urawa, Coach Hara stated, "I never want to play a game like that again." The match in Sec. 20 against Nagoya Grampus Eight will be played just three days later, but he continued, "We will play aggressive Tokyo soccer, not passive like in the Urawa match." From the previous match, the fit of the two forwards and the defense from the front line were highlighted as issues, but due to the short practice time of just two days, this match will adopt the familiar 4-5-1 formation. Lucas will play as the lone forward, with Ishikawa on the right MF, Suzuki on the left MF, and Kurizawa in the center, while Sasa, who scored in the last match, will start on the bench.

　Nagoya is currently in 7th place with 27 points. They managed to get through the six matches in July with 2 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss, but in the last match against Kobe, the newly joined FW Luison struggled to fit in, resulting in a 0-1 defeat. However, Luison also noted, "Like Sasa, he has the ability to make a big impact and is undoubtedly a dangerous player. When FW Honda and MF Fujita get involved, it becomes scary." To contain Nagoya, it is necessary to "defend as a team, go for the ball without fear, and once we win it, break out from the right, left, and center. We need to launch quick attacks (Coach Hara)."

　Looking back, the losing streak in the first half began with the defeat in Nagoya on April 13. In that sense, the players' desire for revenge is strong. They want to regain their aggressive fighting spirit and aim for victory in the home game, which will be the last one before the summer break. Before the match, a ceremony was held to celebrate Ishikawa's achievement of 100 appearances in the J1 League, and the match started at 19:04 at Ajinomoto Stadium, where a relatively cool atmosphere could be felt.

Aggressive TOKYO Seek Revenge

"I don't ever want to see another game like that," commented TOKYO manager Hara after the disappointing loss to Urawa Reds, "We were far too passive; we have to be more aggressive." TOKYO spent the two days in training following that game working on a 4-5-1 formation and defending from the front. Lucas began as lone striker with Ishikawa on the right, Kurisawa in the centre and Suzuki on the left. Sasa, who scored on his league debut, started on the bench.
Opponents Grampus went into the game in 7th place with 27 points. New signing Luizao had failed to acclimatise to his new surroundings and his side had lost their previous game 1-0 to bottom club Vissel. Like Sasa though, Luizao is perfectly able to win a game at a stroke and manager Hara urged caution, particularly regarding striker Honda and veteran midfielder Fujita. "We can't afford to be timid; we have to go out and win the ball boldly, get it out to the flanks and attack at top speed."
TOKYO's fine start to the season had ended in an away defeat to Grampus in April. The players were ready to extract a measure of revenge and post a victory in the final home game of the summer. A ceremony to mark Ishikawa's 100th J.League appearance was held shortly before the home side kicked off on a balmy evening in west Tokyo.

Possession was equal, chances were created, but...

　Nagoya has a two-top formation with FW Luison and Honda. Right MF is Fujita, left MF is Nakamura, in a 4-4-2 setup. Within seconds of the start, they had a chance from a right corner kick, with MF Nakamura's kick being met by DF Koga, but it went over the bar. After that, both teams played cautiously, looking for attacking opportunities from solid defense. In the 6th minute, from a counter by Nagoya, FW Honda took a shot from a tight angle on the left side of the area. In the 7th minute, Ishikawa's right cross was trapped by Lucas in the center, but the shot went straight to the GK. In the 8th minute, from Ishikawa to left Noriyuki Suzuki, they won a left corner kick, and Kurizawa's kick was headed by Lucas. However, it just missed to the side.

　Lucas and Tokyo began to grasp the rhythm of the attack starting from Ishikawa. In the 13th minute, they created a big chance to take the lead. Lucas spread the ball wide to the right side, and Ishikawa caught up to deliver a cross. Kurizawa jumped in free at the far post and tried to connect with a direct shot, but he got caught in the turf and missed the opportunity, wasting a big chance. In the 16th minute, Kajiyama, trying to dribble into the goal area, was brought down, earning a free kick slightly to the right in midfield. However, Norio Suzuki's kick was blocked by the opposing defender. In the 23rd minute, Lucas picked up a loose ball in the opponent's half and penetrated deep into the right area. He skillfully feinted to evade the opponent and aimed for a shot, but there was no angle, and it hit the side netting.

　After that, there were coordination mistakes on both sides, leading to a frustrating development. In the 35th minute, Nagoya's left-back Nakaya delivered a left cross that was headed away by Luison in front of the goal, and the free midfielder Kraiton, who was at the far post, attempted a looping shot over Doih's head. It was a tense moment, but the shot went over the goal, and they escaped unscathed. In the 38th minute, Kanazawa's Konno entered the left area and took a shot. In the 40th minute, from Lucas's post, Kurisawa made a clean shot after running into the area, but both attempts were caught by the opposing goalkeeper. The ball possession was even, but Tokyo created more chances than Nagoya. However, they were unable to convert, and the game went into halftime.

Chances Spurned In Even First Half

Grampus lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with Luizao and Honda as twin strikers, Fujita on the right and Nakamura on the left side of midfield. It was the visitors who created the first chance, Koga firing over the bar following Nakamura's corner kick in the opening minute. Both sides began cautiously and defense was at a premium. In the 6th minute Honda blazed over the bar from a tight angle and Lucas fired straight at Grampus keeper Narazaki following good work from Ishikawa a minute later. Lucas headed Kurisawa's corner narrowly wide in the 8th minute.
Paced by Lucas and Ishikawa, TOKYO slowly began to find their rhythm. The best chance of the game so far fell to Kurisawa in the 13th minute. Ishikawa skipped past the Grampus defense on the right after a long cross field ball from Lucas and centered to the far post where the onrushing, and completely unmarked, Kurisawa failed to make solid contact and the opening was wasted. Kajiyama surged through the middle in the 16th minute before being flattened in a promising position. Suzuki hammered the free kick straight into the wall. In the 23rd minute Lucas took the ball deep into the Grampus area, neatly feinted his way past a defender but buried his shot into the side netting.
Some sloppy passing from both sides then saw the game enter a frustrating period. Grampus should have taken the lead in the 35th minute as Luizao's header fell perfectly for Claiton, unmarked in front of goal. With only Doi to beat Claiton contrived to scoop the ball over the bar and TOKYO heaved a collective sigh of relief at a lucky escape. Konno raced forward and shot in the 38th minute, as did Kurisawa two minutes later. Neither effort bothered Narazaki and the first half finished 0-0.

Shake off the unpleasant development and bring it to a draw

　Tokyo showed an aggressive attitude right after the start of the second half. In just 40 seconds, Noriyuki Suzuki sprinted down the left side, and after a cross from Ishikawa to Kurizawa, he feinted past the opposing DF and took a shot from the right side of the area, but it just went over the bar. In the 48th minute, Kaji advanced into the middle, and Konno, who made a run for the last pass, took a shot. In the 50th minute, Kaji was fouled on the right side, earning a free kick, which Moino headed towards the goal. However, unable to score, Nagoya created a chance on the counter. In the 56th minute, Honda's big switch found Luison breaking into the goal area, but he was offside. In the 58th minute, the ball reached MF Fujita, who broke into the area, creating a shooting opportunity, but Tokyo's DF barely managed to cut it off.

　In the 62nd minute, Sasa was brought on for Norio SUZUKI, moving Kurizawa to the left, and they went for a two-top formation. This substitution of Sasa created a sense of anticipation for a goal. In the 69th minute, Ishikawa sent a lob forward, and Sasa broke free in front of the goal, executing a looping shot before the advancing GK could react. In the 70th minute, from Kurizawa's left corner kick, Konno prepared to shoot in the right area. Following that, Lucas made a header from a left corner kick. In the 75th minute, they won another corner kick, and in the 76th minute, Konno persisted on the right flank, earning another corner kick. Lucas contested Ishikawa's kick with a header, and Jean dove in for a volley from close range! However, he was thwarted by a nice save from the opposing GK.

　Tokyo had grasped the rhythm of the attack, but the crisis came immediately after that corner kick. Tokyo delivered a cross from a short corner, but the ball was picked up, and they suffered a counterattack from Nagoya. Kraiton made a solo run down the right side and passed to midfielder Nakamura at the front line. Nakamura drew in Tokyo's defenders deep in the right area and delivered a negative last pass in front of the goal. Midfielder Fujita received it and scored, resulting in a goal conceded. Once again, it turned into an unpleasant situation where they fell behind despite not being able to convert their chances.

　However, they did not give up. In the 79th minute, Baba was brought on to replace the injured Kanazawa, and in the 82nd minute, Miura came on for Kajiyama. Baba was positioned centrally, and they launched a counterattack with an almost three-back formation. In the 85th minute, Sasa headed a cross from Konno on the left. Immediately after, Sasa received a cross from Kurisawa on the post and returned it directly to Baba. Baba bravely dribbled through the Nagoya defenders inside the area, and Sasa appeared from the side to shoot! It was a decisive moment, but the shot went straight to the GK. Then in the 88th minute, Lucas passed to Kurisawa, who ran up the left flank to Konno. Konno advanced deep and delivered a fast cross. This caused the opposing GK to fumble, and the ball went into the goal! They equalized at the last moment. After that, they launched a fierce attack aiming for "one more goal," and in stoppage time, Sasa made a high-headed shot from Kaji’s right cross! It seemed to go over the GK’s outstretched hand and into the goal, but was blocked by the opposing defender’s cover, and time was up. Although they couldn’t score the additional goal, they managed to come back late and secure a draw, earning 1 point.

　【Player Comments】《Sasa》"Starting on the bench was the coach's decision. I have no complaints about that, and I thought I would do my best with what I can do. I'm disappointed that I couldn't score a goal. Since I've only played in two matches so far, I can't judge whether my condition is improving or if I'm getting used to it. However, I think the two-top with Lucas is coming together. Personally, I want to create more rhythm (not just with shots)." 《Konno》"In the first half, I didn't feel like we were going to be beaten by Nagoya. But we couldn't score, and I felt like our coordination was somewhat off. So in the second half, I thought I would attack even if it meant sacrificing some balance, and I aimed to score. The goal was intended to be a cross, but kicking a fast ball was good. However, I want to take more mid-range shots. Also, since I often flowed to the side and attacked, I want to be able to dribble in the middle and make through passes from now on."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "Our performance in the previous match against Urawa was quite poor, mainly because several players were not in good condition. We tried using Sasa from the start, but he was not yet accustomed to Japanese football or our style of play, and not only he but also the surrounding players were confused. I thought we could fix this if we had a week, but since there were only three days between matches, we started today with the familiar approach. We aimed to regain our aggressive football—starting with solid defense, using the field widely, and attacking strongly from both sides. Although the pitch condition was poor, we created several chances in the first half. Ishikawa delivered crosses, Kurisawa was left unmarked, and Lucas created opportunities. It was a situation where we should have scored. At halftime, I said, 'We are playing better than the last match. However, Nagoya is clearly aiming for counterattacks, so if we lose the ball carelessly, we will be vulnerable. We need to watch out for Luizon, Fujita, and Nakamura,' and then we went into the second half. Yesterday, Norio SUZUKI had a fever over 38 degrees Celsius, but it subsided by noon, so we started him and let him play as far as he could today. As fatigue set in and the flow did not change, we brought in Sasa to take a chance. Sasa's strength in front of goal and his physical presence as a striker are best utilized when we really need a goal. That also helps the team bring out his best qualities. However, we conceded a goal on a counterattack to MF Fujita, and Kanazawa got injured, which made the situation unpleasant. Still, the players never gave up and kept pushing toward the goal. Although the opponent made mistakes, I think Konno pushing forward that far and Sasa entering the penalty area also had an impact. We managed to equalize, and afterward, Sasa had a decisive chance, and Baba, who came on as a substitute, also did a good job. Earning one point by coming back without giving up is very significant. Of course, not getting three points at home is a point to reflect on, but the fact that we caught up and did not settle for a draw but went for another goal is commendable. Moving forward, we want to consider how to best utilize Sasa's scoring ability within the team."

　[Summary of Nagoya Coach NELSINHO's Press Conference] "Both teams marked each other tactically from about a quarter of the field, and FC Tokyo aimed for counterattacks. It was a well-balanced game in terms of content. Especially in the first half, that was the case. In the second half, some space opened up, allowing chances to be created from both sides, and we scored one goal from a counterattack. However, after that, we conceded a goal and lost 2 important points. (In the second half, the positions of Honda, Fujita, and Nakamura became fluid, right?) At that point, FC Tokyo had one defensive midfielder free and unmarked. So we pulled Nakamura back to mark and formed something like a three-defensive-midfielder setup. Honda and Fujita were placed in the second line, and Luizão was the only forward. Until then, Fujita and Nakamura were both playing open in the second line, but we improved the balance and ended up with a formation similar to FC Tokyo's. Luizão is still in the process of getting used to the match. I think he still needs time to adapt to the fast-paced style in Japan. Even today, he did not show all of his strength and potential. However, since he is a striker, his job is to score goals. It is natural that he may not leave a strong impression when he does not score."

Late Equaliser Earns Point

TOKYO began the second period in positive mood; Suzuki raced down the left and crossed to Ishikawa who moved the ball on to Kurisawa. Kurisawa feinted inside a defender and fired in a powerful shot that just cleared the crossbar. Kaji began to roam further forward and set up Konno for a shot in the 48th minute. Moniwa headed a free kick wide in the 50th minute. Emboldened by their opponents' profligacy in front of goal, Grampus began to threaten on the counter attack.
Sasa replaced Suzuki in the 62nd minute with Kurisawa moving to the left flank position. Sasa nearly opened the scoring in the 69th minute as he beat Narazaki to a long ball from Ishikawa but directed his lob over the bar. TOKYO increased the pressure on the Grampus goal, winning a series of corners. Narazaki made a superb save to deny Jean's point-blank volley at the far post in the 76th minute.
Disaster struck from the resulting corner. The ball was cleared to Claiton who raced forward before slipping the ball to Nakamura on the right wing. Nakamura headed to the byline and pulled the ball back for Fujita to beat Doi at the near post. Just when TOKYO appeared to be gaining the upper hand they fell victim to a classic counter attack.
Manager Hara then replaced Kanazawa with Baba and Kajiyama with Miura as TOKYO went in search of an equalizer. Sasa made contact with Konno's cross in the 85th minute but failed to hit the target and was guilty of a glaring miss after Baba's dazzling dribble inside the area set him free with only Narazaki to beat. He fired tamely at the keeper's feet and TOKYO appeared to have blown their chances. Persistence pays off though, and TOKYO broke through in the 88th minute. Lucas and Kurisawa combined to move the ball out to Konno on the left wing; Konno took the ball close to the byline before firing in a powerful cross that squirmed through the hands of Narazaki and over the line. TOKYO then nearly produced a dramatic winner as Sasa outjumped the Grampus defense and directed a powerful header past Narazaki but a defender cleared the ball off the goal line. The final whistle blew and TOKYO had a single point for their efforts.


Players' comments 
Sasa 
"The manager started me on the bench today. I wasn't unhappy; it made me more determined to show what I can do when I got on the field. I'm disappointed I couldn't score, though. I've only played in two games so far but I feel my condition is improving, although I couldn't really say whether I'm getting used to the team yet. I think I'm starting to develop an understanding with Lucas. I'd like to contribute more in terms of the rhythm of the play". 

Konno
"I didn't feel they caused us much trouble in the first half but we failed to score and our combination play became loose. The ball was meant to be a cross but I'm glad I hit it hard. I could get forward along the wings quite a lot today but I need to shoot more and work on dribbling and playing through balls".


TOKYO manager Hara 
"The Reds game was terrible and was caused by some players being in poor condition. We thought about playing Sasa from the start today but decided against it as he isn't used to Japanese football or our playing style yet and that affects not only him but the players around him as well. If we had a week to work on it we could sort it out but we only had three days and decided to go with what we are used to today. We talked about getting back to our style of football; aggressively winning the ball, using the wings and the full width of the pitch and attacking at top speed. The pitch was in terrible condition but we still managed to create several good moves in the first half. We couldn't finish them off, though. At half time I told the players the performance was far better than in the previous game but they had to be careful of Luizao, Fujita and Nakamura as Grampus were clearly looking to hit us on the counter attack. Suzuki woke up with a 38 degree fever this morning but he felt better by lunchtime and we put him in the starting line up. He tired during the second half so we sent on Sasa. Sasa showed his strengths today and his prescence also improves the players around him. Then we were caught by a quick counter attack and Kanazawa was injured as well; things turned sour but the players didn't give up and fought to the very end. The goal came from a mistake but Konno's cross was a good one and Sasa's threat may have distracted the keeper. After that Sasa nearly won us the game and Baba played well after he came on. Of course we want to win all our home games but the fighting display earned us a valuable point today. We're working on how best to use Sasa and his goal scoring ability".

Grampus manager Nelsinho
"The game was a tight, well-balanced affair, particularly in the first half. A little space opened up in the second half and we were able to score on a counter attack. We should have held on for the win and dropped two important points. In the second half we played with three defensive midfielders and Fujita and Honda behind Luizao. That formation gave us a much better balance. Luizao is slowly becoming accustomed to the speed of Japanese football but a striker's job is to score goals and if he doesn't then he won't make much of an impression."