2010 J.League Opening Match, Victory at Home!

　The new season is finally starting. The opening match against Yokohama F.Marinos will be held at home, Ajinomoto. During about a month and a half of training and camps under the new system, the goal has been to further build on "Moving Football," refining positioning and ball movement more precisely, and improving accuracy in both offense and defense.Yonemoto suffered a left knee injury and was forced to withdraw, but the attitude of "turning accidents into positives" remains unchanged. Although the time when all players trained together was short due to Japan national team activities, the team has worked to deepen their common understanding and prepare to make the most of each player's strengths under these circumstances. New signings Morishige and Matsushita have fit into the team without discomfort, and Kajiyama and Ishikawa, who had been injured, are also showing steady recovery. Although they started on the bench this match, they remain a reassuring presence for the team.On the other hand, Yokohama F.Marinos welcomed new head coach Kazushi KIMURA this season, adopting the theme of "football that is enjoyable to watch and play," aiming for a top position. Midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura, whose transfer was announced, is not yet registered with the J.League at this stage, and defenders Kurihara and Matsuda are injured, so the squad is incomplete. However, in addition to their characteristic solid defense, this season they are also known for pressing from the front line. This match will be a key point to see how well Tokyo can use passing work to create chances against Yokohama F.Marinos' intense pressing.Meanwhile, against Yokohama F.Marinos' attack centered on forwards Watanabe and Sakata, it will be necessary to coordinate and defend as an organization. Tokyo has had many clean sheets in practice matches so far, indicating stable defense. However, Tokyo has not won an opening match since 2006, and the players uniformly express their determination to "win and gain momentum." As those words suggest, the starting lineup for the opening match, focused on winning, features Mukuhara at right side back and Nagatomo on the left. Morishige and Konno form the center backs, with Tokunaga and Hanyu as the double defensive midfielders. Nakamura and Matsushita play as side midfielders, and Hirayama and Suzuki form the two forwards.Yokohama F.Marinos also field young players, with Ogura at center back and HASEGAWA as forward. The average age of the starting members is 24, younger than Tokyo's 24.55 years. Both teams want to start the season well, and the match began with Tokyo's kickoff at 14:01 in rainy Ajinomoto.

Missed a big chance right after the start, allowing Yokohama FM to take control...

　In the first minute right after kickoff, Matsushita took a free kick from the right side, and Nakamura connected with a header in front of the goal. The shot hit the lower left post. Morishige also reacted to the rebound but just missed closing in... At the 5th minute, Nagatomo advanced and delivered a cross from the left. The defenders contested the loose ball inside the area, and Hirayama tenaciously turned and took a shot, but it lacked power and was saved by the goalkeeper. After missing this opening chance, Yokohama FM gradually took control of the ball and started pressing. At the 7th minute, Yokohama FM’s MF Yamase switched play to the right. A cross was delivered from the right but was cleared without difficulty. Yokohama FM connected the second ball, and their defensive midfielder Kanai took a mid-range shot, but Tokyo blocked it. At the 9th minute, they couldn’t stop MF Yamase’s dribble through the center, and MF Karino delivered a sharp cross from the right. FW Watanabe positioned centrally to create his favored opportunity, but Tokyo’s defenders managed to clear it. At the 11th minute, this time a cross came from Tokyo’s right side, and FW Watanabe tried to receive it freely just outside the area but failed to control it well and couldn’t finish. Even when Tokyo regained possession, they couldn’t connect passes under Yokohama FM’s intense pressing and couldn’t show their own style of play. At the 29th minute, Nakamura and Suzuki combined to enter the area and took a well-timed shot, but it went off target. At the 43rd minute, Mukuhara advanced and sent a quick cross to Hirayama in the center. Hirayama headed it back, but Suzuki was tightly marked by the opponent and couldn’t receive it. Throughout the first half, Yokohama FM held the initiative, but Tokyo endured patiently without panicking and went into halftime with a 0-0 score.

Hirayama scored a dramatic final round goal from Ishikawa's pass, achieving the opening victory since 2006!

　In the second half, it was difficult to form attacking plays against Yokohama FM's solid defense. In the 56th minute, from the defensive midfield, Hanyu → Nakamura → Matsushita, who advanced from the left, tried to pass to Suzuki up front to break through, but a foul occurred in front of the goal, and the ball went to Yokohama FM. In the 58th minute, they launched a quick counterattack from their own half; Matsushita dribbled up the left side and passed into the area. Nagatomo ran fiercely and tried to finish, but was tightly marked by the opposing DF Nakazawa. In the 64th minute, Kajiyama replaced Hanyu, and in the 69th minute, Ishikawa came on for Nakamura. They tried to evade Yokohama FM's press and attack using Kajiyama as a starting point.At the 73rd minute restart, Hirayama received a right cross and brought the ball into the area, preparing to shoot, but was quickly surrounded by defenders. In the 76th minute, Akamine came on for Suzuki. Immediately after, Hirayama was fouled just outside the right area, earning a free kick. From Matsushita's kick, Kajiyama attempted a volley but could not hit the target. Yokohama FM's stamina began to drop, and in the final stages, the game turned into a series of counterattacks. In the 88th minute, Hirayama cut back an opposing defender in the left area and took a shot, creating a decisive chance, but again missed the target.Both teams held their defenses, and it seemed the match would end in a draw as it entered 3 minutes of stoppage time. Just after entering stoppage time, Morishige and Kajiyama trapped the ball low in their own half and won possession. Nagatomo sent a long ball to Akamine in midfield. Akamine simply switched play to the right. Ishikawa received the pass, accelerated with a dribble, skillfully evaded a sliding tackle from the opposing defender, and advanced to the edge of the area. Akamine drew the defender's attention and ran centrally, where Hirayama was free on the outside! Ishikawa calmly delivered the final pass, and Hirayama calmly slotted the ball in with his right foot—goal! Hirayama scored a dramatic winning goal in stoppage time, breaking away from Yokohama FM and securing the first victory in the opening match since 2006! The 2010 season started with a win.Player CommentsHirayama: "Besides scoring, I wanted to contribute to the team by making the attacking shapes work. Of course, I was always conscious of scoring, but I couldn't play as I wanted in the first half. Yokohama FM, led by DF Nakazawa, pressed quickly and strongly. I couldn't win many one-on-one situations and still feel I lack strength. However, before the match, we all agreed that 'not everything will go well at the start,' so we decided to fight without rushing. Therefore, I wasn't frustrated. Regarding the goal, I think half of it was Ishikawa's goal. Winning today is the biggest achievement. I want to aim for the top and play Tokyo-style football going forward."Ishikawa: "Today's victory was the result of everyone fighting without giving up, including the substitutes. (Regarding his appearance) Yokohama FM connected well in midfield, so I spent a lot of time defending. When we won the ball, I wanted to add momentum and create chances up front. The opponent would tire in the second half, so I aimed to move effectively then. The goal came from solid defense and everyone creating a good flow toward the goal. I could have shot, but I saw Sota and passed. That shot wasn't easy, so I put my feelings into the pass. I'm glad he scored, and when Sota scores, the team gets energized. Considering that, I think I fulfilled my role. However, I think Yokohama FM played better football overall. I want to reflect on that and improve next time."Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference Summary"Despite the rain, many fans came. The opening match is exciting not only for FC Tokyo fans but also for Yokohama FM fans, so we prepared to have a good game. Last season's opener was bitter, so this season we focused on not rushing even if we couldn't score and maintaining our defense. We unified our mindset that if we kept a clean sheet, we would at least get one point. The fact that three points came to us is something to be happy about. Sharing the victory with the long-awaited fans was truly great. However, the content was not a match where we could do everything we wanted. The biggest reason for getting three points was keeping a clean sheet. Last season's opener was almost perfect until the 44th minute of the first half, but after conceding a goal from a corner kick—the only time the opponent entered the penalty area—we collapsed. That's football. Even when things don't go well, if the team doesn't collapse, three points can still come. I think what we built and learned last year was expressed in today's opener. We want to start from this victory, make corrections, and play the football we aim for throughout the year."Yokohama FM Coach Kimura's Press Conference Summary"I feel disappointed. Both teams had few shots and few decisive chances. Being caught on a counterattack at the end left the impression that 'the J.League is not easy.' I think it was a baptism by fire. The reason we couldn't create chances was that the trigger was too early when the ball reached the front line. The pitch was slippery, but we lacked creativity. We just wanted to get to the opponent's goal quickly, which caused mistakes and prevented us from finishing. In the last five minutes, it felt long, and it was regrettable that we couldn't create many scenes near the opponent's goal. (Returning to the J.League stage after a long time?) Being on the field is a good thing. I want to enjoy this as a learning experience and switch gears from here."