Believe in ourselves - 2006 Season Opening

　Finally, the 2006 J1 League kicks off. Hosting Oita Trinita at home in Ajinomoto, the long season begins. This season, Tokyo aims for "soccer that connects the ball and takes control" under the new coach Garo, having prepared for about 40 days. The focus will be on how well this style of play has permeated the team. Every year, the opening match is a mix of expectations and anxieties, but Coach Garo and the players are not feeling pressured, stating, "We just need to show what we have prepared in the match."

　Until now, there were concerns about injuries to Dohi and Konno, but they have been adjusting with this day in mind. On the other hand, Jean and Baba, who has a finger fracture, are carefully working on their recovery. Therefore, Rychely, who has not participated in official matches until now, will be used as one of the forwards. The three-top will consist of Lucas, Sasa, and Rychely, with Inoha at the bottom of the midfield, Kajiwara on the right, and Konno on the left. The center backs will be Moino and Masushima, with Suzuki and Tokunaga as the full-backs. They will approach the match with Dohi as the goalkeeper. The average age of the starting lineup is 22.91 years, making it the youngest team compared to others. Additionally, Coach Garo is the youngest manager in J-League history. Fresh Tokyo aims for victory with fresh soccer!

　On the other hand, Oita has concerns about a decrease in strength as FW Magno Alves and MF Takayuki YOSHIDA have left the team. However, the team is characterized by all-out attack and all-out defense. There are no changes in the DF lineup, and coach CHAMUSCA, who is in his second season, also stated, "The power of the team united is important. If we can fight with the rhythm we created last season," he hopes. It seems that the FW lineup has not been fixed so far, but how FW Takamatsu and the newly joined FW Ozumar fit in will be a key point.

　One of the highlights is how each team will evade the opponent's press to launch their attacks. Additionally, with seven players on the bench this season, it will be interesting to see how both coaches manage substitutions.

　Before the match began, there was a live performance by special guest Mr. Coba (accordionist) and a greeting from Mr. Marco Bode (former German national player). After that, Mr. Marco Bode presented a bouquet to Konno, who achieved his 100th appearance in the J1 League today. The highly anticipated opening match started at 13:35 with Oita's kickoff at the well-sunny Ajinomoto Stadium.

Sasa, Rychely takes full advantage of the opportunity!

　At the start, both teams engaged in a tight contest to seize control. From there, Tokyo gradually began to find their rhythm through concentrated defense. It was evident that players like Kajiyama and Tokunaga intended to move the ball forward using switches to the sides. In the 10th minute, Oita's right midfielder Umeda took the first shot for Oita. Tokyo also connected simple passes from a goal kick in the 11th minute, with Kajiyama advancing centrally to take a shot, but both attempts went wide of the target.

　Tokyo controlled the ball up to this point, but struggled to finish. However, they capitalized on a decisive chance. In the 14th minute, Konno intercepted the opponent's ball in his own half and quickly sent a long feed to the left front space. Rychely, who caught up, boldly challenged the opponent's defender and delivered a cross in front of the goal. Sasa jumped to meet it with the outside of his right foot, scoring a goal! They took the lead early in the match.

　Taking the lead, Tokyo completely seized the pace of the game. In the 19th minute, Sasa sent a last pass from the right side of the opponent's half to the center, where Lucas attempted to break through the opponent's defense and took a bold shot. In the 21st minute, Suzuki surged up the left side and won a corner kick. In the 24th minute, Oita's left MF Nemoto's cross was punched away by Dohi. The ball fell to Edmilson, who shot towards the open goal, but Konno calmly blocked it.

　In the 27th minute, Inoha cut a cross from Oita. From there, the ball that bounced back after hitting the opponent was passed by Lucas to Konno. Konno quickly sent a long ground pass forward from his own half. Rychely fiercely chased the ball that slipped between the opponent's defenders from the right side and took a shot that flowed into the goal. The ball went through the legs of the opposing goalkeeper who had rushed out and into the net! This was Rychely's first appearance and first goal in an official match. They scored an additional goal from a quick counter-attack that switched from defense to offense, widening their lead.

　After that, Shigeno, Masushima, and Inoha connected the ball from a concentrated defense, utilizing speed to launch attacks at key moments. In the 39th minute, Oita FW Takamatsu's shot was cut by FW Ozuma, who ran into the goal area. In the 43rd minute, MF Nemoto passed to FW Takamatsu in the area, but Shigeno closely marked him to prevent a hit. They went into halftime with a score of 2-0.

With a calm game strategy, victory in the opening match for 8 consecutive years!

　At halftime, I received instructions from Coach Garo to "remember, only 45 minutes have passed. Let's go for more goals." However, in the second half, it was Oita who took the initiative. In the 52nd minute, from a left corner kick, DF Miki, who was free in the area, took a shot, but Tokunaga closely defended and the ball went over the bar. In the 57th minute, we lost the ball in Oita's territory, and Oita MF Uchimura made a solo run towards Tokyo's goal. He drew in the defenders and made a final pass to FW Takamatsu, who cut back past Tokyo's DF and took a shot, but it went wide of the target. We were also helped by the opponent's mistakes and did not allow a goal.

　In the 63rd minute, Rychely made a move on the right side and sent a cross through the opponent's DF. Lucas received it in the right area and his direct shot was blocked by the opponent's DF. The loose ball was picked up by Sasa, who shot freely but missed over the bar, missing the chance for an additional goal. Oita substituted FW Ozmar for FW Yamazaki in the 61st minute and brought in MF Nishiyama for DF Uemoto in the 72nd minute, switching to a two-back formation to challenge for a counterattack. Tokyo also substituted Kawaguchi for Rychely in the 69th minute. Against the advancing Oita, Kawaguchi used his speed to counter by running into the open space.

　In a series of fast-paced attacks and defenses, in the 71st minute, Kawaguchi and Sasa initiated a thick attack with both sides pushing forward. Inoha, who advanced to the left area, made a last pass to Lucas in front of the goal. However, the shot hit the opposing GK directly. In the 73rd minute, Tokunaga on the right passed to Sasa in the center, and Lucas, free in the right area, took a shot. It was blocked by the GK, but Suzuki picked up the rebound and delivered a left cross. Kawaguchi then took a header shot in the center. They threatened the Oita goal with a wide attack using the sides as intended, but the ball just went slightly over the target.

　In the 89th minute, Kawaguchi broke through on the left side. Sasaki connected with a fast cross, but the shot did not hit. Although they could not convert these good opportunities into goals, they remained focused and dealt with Oita's attacks without losing concentration. They maintained a calm game throughout and achieved a shutout. The match ended with them defending the two goals scored in the first half, marking their eighth consecutive opening match victory since 1999 in J2.

　【Player Comments】《Rychely》"(With 1 goal and 1 assist) I'm very happy. I want to continue contributing to the team. The shot that became the goal was a ball that I tried to hit the GK and get a corner kick. It went through the GK's legs and scored. I want to dedicate this goal to Ishikawa, who is injured. During my injury, everyone was kind, not just Nao, and I hope Nao gets better soon. Last night, I can't say I was calm... I called my family in Brazil to report that I would be playing in the match. I was a bit nervous today, but I want to report this result over the phone as well."《Konno》"I had some anxiety, but scoring early made it easier. Scoring two goals was due to the fast-paced soccer we had until last season. If we can utilize the good aspects so far and add the detailed passing style of Coach Garo, I believe FC Tokyo can level up even more. I'm still at 50% of my ability, but winning with that is significant. I will forget today's victory and continue to make adjustments."

　【Summary of Coach Garo's Press Conference】 "We were able to play a good game. The results of about 40 days of practice showed. I think the passing we practiced was good, and there was fighting spirit as well. However, this is just the beginning. I want to make sure we don't get carried away with this. We need to level up in various aspects, and I want to improve our quality through continued practice. Rychely was initially in the substitute group during the practice match, but he was also performing well in the regular group. FC Tokyo is one team, and even if you are a substitute, if you perform well, you can join the regular group. He is young at 18, but making a professional debut is a path everyone goes through. I also scored in my professional debut, and I think he played well today too. Regarding Kawaguchi, I considered the fatigue of Rychely, who still has little match experience, when I brought him in. I thought about utilizing his speed in the same way as Rychely, aiming for a quick attack. As for Baba, Lucas was doing a great job defensively today, so it must have been tough physically for him. I think there were only a few minutes left, but I asked Baba to take over the same role as Lucas."

　【Oita - CHAMUSCA's Press Conference Summary】 "In the first half, the quality dropped. The passing and the accuracy of the ball in midfield were not good, and we conceded a goal from a mistake. In the second half, the speed increased, and I think we had a good start. We were able to create a dynamic development. There were several moments where we seemed to take control, but we couldn't finish. I anticipated that today would be a very difficult match, and I knew that FC Tokyo is an aggressive and strong team, but I believe the key point was how well we could capitalize on our chances. I communicated to the players that I wanted to be more aggressive by changing to a two-back system midway through the second half. The risk increases, but I believed in the potential of the substitute midfielder Nishiyama, who is good at long shots from outside the area, and I took a chance on that opportunity. I moved the holding midfielder Thales forward and placed forward Yamazaki in the attacking midfield position. However, the passing of the entire team was not good today, and we couldn't move the ball from midfield to the front. The ground was hard, which also lowered the quality of our passing. In the first half, we used high balls for crosses, but that is not the original style of Oita's soccer. Tokyo has changed to a different type of soccer compared to last season. This season, they are focusing on the attacking aspect and have become a good team. Last season, the image was to keep the midfield compact, defend well, and counter from there. This season, I felt that the initial press = attack line has moved forward. I don't think today was a match where Tokyo could showcase their full capacity."