We welcome Ehime at home in Komazawa, aiming for consecutive victories!

　Sec. 15 will host a home game at Komazawa Athletic Stadium, facing Ehime FC. In the previous match against Kyoto, Tanabe and Otake showcased dynamic play with their passing football, converting chances into a decisive victory. However, there were moments when Kyoto seized the rhythm. This match will be an opportunity to enhance the precision and quality of the new style, aiming for consecutive wins at home.

　Ehime, with 4 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses, is in 7th place. Since midway through 2009, Ivica BARBARIC has been in charge, and this is his third season. With a 4-1-4-1 formation, they apply pressure from the front and are known for their careful build-up depending on the situation.

　Since the full-backs will position themselves high, it will be necessary to steal the ball on the flanks in midfield and launch a quick counterattack if possible. If Tanabe and Otake can effectively utilize the space behind the opponent's full-backs or the space on the side of the single defensive midfielder, chances should increase. We want to differentiate between situations where we connect passes to create openings in the opponent's defense and situations where we attack quickly, aiming for a decisive victory with a dynamic approach.

　In this match, Konno is absent due to activities with the Japan national team. Therefore, Jade NORTH makes his first start as a center-back. Additionally, Ishikawa has returned after getting back into condition, making his first appearance on the bench since the opening match. Unlike yesterday's muggy weather, it was cloudy and relatively comfortable, and the match started at 14:04 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Tokyo Aim For Consecutive Wins

The 15th game of the season saw FC Tokyo take on visiting Ehime FC at Komazawa Olympic Park Stadium. Tokyo were looking to build on the fine display of passing football that earned a comprehensive 4-1 away win over Kyoto in the previous outing, where Otake and Tanabe were outstanding. Despite the lop-sided scoreline, Kyoto had enjoyed periods in control of the match and with that in mind Tokyo looked to improve the accuracy and quality of their game.
Opponents Ehime sat in 7th place at kick off with a W4 D1 L3 record. The side, under the leadership of manager Barbaric since the middle of 2009, played a 4-1-4-1 formation and was noted for its patience in constructing moves. The side backs pushed forward, allowing Tokyo the possibility of short counter attacks if they could win the ball in wide areas. As well as exploiting space behind the Ehime defence Otake and Tanabe would also be hoping to expose the lone defensive midfielder and create more shooting opportunities.
Konno was away on national team duty with Japan and Jade North made his first start for Tokyo as his replacement. Further, Ishikawa had sufficiently recovered from injury to take a place on the bench for the first time since the opening day of the season.
The heavy humidity of Friday had receded somewhat by the time Tokyo kicked off shortly after 2pm on a warm, cloudy afternoon.

Tanabe scores in consecutive matches to take the lead, but...

　Ehime applied pressure from the front line, but they calmly entered the match and took advantage of openings to create chances. In the 7th minute, they launched a speedy counter from the opponent's corner kick, with Hanyu advancing down the left side. Nakayama passed to the right-positioned Roberto CESAR, who was in shooting position but was blocked. In the 12th minute, Tokunaga bypassed the opponent at a high position and delivered a cross. Takahashi, who followed up on the loose ball from Otake in the center, took a direct shot from the right area.

　In the 17th minute, Ohtake initiated a play in the center, followed by Kajiyama → Kai TAKAHASHI, who connected in a tight area. Kai TAKAHASHI sent a floating ball behind the opponent's defender in the left area. Tanabe ran in, striking a powerful direct volley with his left foot, scoring the opening goal for the second consecutive match.

　In the 19th minute, Hanyu brought the ball inside and prepared to shoot, but it was blocked. Kajiyama followed up quickly to aim for the goal, but this too was thwarted by a defender's block. Finally, the ball spilled to Otake in the center of the area, but he was surrounded and couldn't take a shot. In the 22nd minute, Kajiyama passed to Tokunaga, who delivered a low and fast cross from the right flank. It perfectly reached Cesar in the center, but the trap was too long...

　In front of Ehime's aggressive press, there were noticeable moments of losing the ball due to mistakes, and they were unable to connect. Towards the end of the first half, Ehime started to circulate the ball, leading to a situation where Tokyo attempted to regain possession. Even after regaining the ball, mistakes occurred again during the connection phase, preventing them from finding their rhythm. However, the defense line showed no cracks, maintaining a one-goal lead to finish the first half.

Tanabe's Second Goal In Consecutive Games Gives Tokyo The Lead

Tokyo responded to Ehime's hard pressing from the front by probing for openings in a calm manner. In the 7th minute Tokyo counterattacked from an Ehime corner, Hanyu bringing the ball down the left flank before moving it inside to Kajiyama. Kajiyama moved the ball on to Cesar on the right but a defender blocked the striker's shot away. In the 12th minute Tokunaga raced past a defender and crossed. Otake pounced on the loose ball and played it back to Takahashi who dragged his shot narrowly wide from the edge of the penalty area.
In the 17th minute Otake broke forward down the middle of the pitch before Kajiyama and Takahashi exchanged passes in the tightest of spaces. Takahashi chipped the ball over the Ehime backline and Tanabe raced between the static defenders to meet the dropping ball with an exquisite first-time volley that gave Kawakita no chance at all. Tanabe's second goal in consecutive games had given Tokyo an early lead.
In the 19th minute the Ehime defence blocked consecutive shots from Hanyu and Kajiyama, then when the loose ball fell to Otake sheer weight of numbers prevented him from making room to shoot. Kajiyama picked out Tokunaga marauding down the left again in the 22nd minute. Tokunaga's low cross reached Cesar in a good position but the striker's first touch was heavy and took the ball away from him.
Mistakes crept into Tokyo's game in the face of Ehime's resolute pressing, allowing the visitors to enjoy increasing possession. When Tokyo regained the ball they quickly lost it again and struggled to create any kind of rhythm. Despite that the defence held its line and the first period ended 1-0.

Tied the game but failed to take the lead

　In the early part of the second half, aiming for an additional goal, Yatazawa was brought on for Ohtake in the 53rd minute. Immediately after that, Ehime's right back Sekine utilized his speed to make a move and brought the ball to the cross. In the center, Tokunaga contested but did not allow a header, yet the ball spilled to midfielder Sugiura just outside the area. However, the shot grazed an Ehime player and went out of bounds. After being helped by the mistake, Tokyo began to show some movement, and in the 60th minute, Roberto CESAR, Yatazawa on the right, and Kajiyama in the center played a one-touch pass to bewilder the Ehime defense. But in the end, the ball was sent to Hanyu on the left side of the area, who was surrounded by the Ehime defense...

　Immediately after missing this chance, in the 63rd minute, Ehime quickly initiated an attack. From a drop by FW Jojimaru, MF Saito passed to FW Jojimaru, who was trying to break through again. Mori-shige cut this off, but the clearance went to right MF Ishii. From here, a superb loop was sent... and the one chance was converted, allowing them to equalize. Taking this opportunity, Ehime began to gain momentum, and in the 64th minute, Ishikawa, who was making his first appearance of the season, came on for Tanabe. Then, in the 70th minute, Muku-hara was brought in as right back in place of Jade NORTH. With Tokunaga serving as center back, they aimed to cut off Ehime's momentum and target the lead.

　Increased pressure in the front line and entered dangerous areas consecutively towards the end, but in the 88th minute, Kajiyama passed to Tanizawa in the center of the area, attracting the DF, and then to Cesar on the right side. However, the shot was not taken, and the pass to Hanyu on the outside was delayed. In the 90th minute, Ishikawa rushed up the right front line to Tanizawa in the center just before the area. But here too, the pass was sent into a tightly packed area by Ehime's DF, failing to create a finish. With insufficient judgment and coordination in the last play, they couldn't shake the net, and time was up... Although they took the lead in a good shape, they lost their rhythm and ended up drawing at home in Komazawa.

　[Player Comments] {Tanabe} "Personally, I made many mistakes, and as a team, we didn't perform well. I apologize for having a match like this at home. Regarding the goal, I received a good ball from Takahashi, so I shot with determination. In the last match, I was able to evade the opponent in a good position, but today I made simple mistakes that disrupted the team's flow. I believe it's important to support each other with courage to thoroughly implement connecting football, and by unifying our intentions, we can improve and move forward to the next match."

　Takahashi: "The goal came from good positioning, allowing us to enter the attacking third. After taking the lead, we struggled to find our rhythm, but even though we were somewhat at the mercy of the opponent's pace, it was good that we managed to keep a clean sheet in the first half without conceding. In the second half, we became stretched, and they exploited the space in midfield. Our defense was caught off guard. Still, even after conceding the equalizer, we had time left. Finding a way to score has always been a challenge. A strong team should be able to win even after being equalized. That's what we aim for."

　【Summary of Coach Okuma's Press Conference】 "After taking the lead, we struggled with ball movement a bit and lost our rhythm. In the previous two matches, we aimed to keep things simple in midfield, but today our ball movement in midfield was poor, and we ended up dribbling too much in the forward line, which affected our rhythm and allowed the opponent to create counter-attack opportunities. In fact, there were moments when we were caught on the counter, so I want to reaffirm our approach to winning the ball and playing simply in midfield while utilizing the spaces behind and outside. Hanyu is making runs behind, but in midfield, Roberto CESAR needs to make more runs into space from tighter areas. If we do that, the opponent will have to pay attention to Roberto CESAR. I feel that he also needs to adapt to that."

　[Summary of the press conference by Ehime's coach Ivica BARBARIC] "In the first 10 to 15 minutes, our challenges from the second line were weak, and we were too deep. Still, we didn't give Tokyo many chances, but due to a combination of passing errors and trapping mistakes, we conceded easily. However, after that, we connected the ball well and tried to threaten the opponent's goal. In the second half, since Tokyo was leading, I anticipated that they would set their defensive line about halfway and invite us in, aiming for counterattacks. Our plan was not just to kick the ball from the back, but to effectively use the space given, connect the play, find gaps to pass, and threaten the goal. We were also able to maintain good possession, so I am satisfied with that."

　However, in terms of offense, we should have utilized the sides a bit more. We were able to equalize among that. After that, the opponent did not push forward much and played relatively counter-attacking football. We may have given away 2 or 3 chances, but I believe we did not allow them to create any decisive opportunities. Although we could not turn the game around, FC Tokyo is the team with the highest quality. Therefore, it was a satisfactory result to secure 1 point against them.

Tokyo Unable To Conjure Winner

Tokyo began the second half looking for a quick goal and replaced Otake with Yazawa in the 53rd minute. Immediately after the substitution, Ehime right back Sekine hurtled down the wing and curled a cross into the Tokyo area. Tokunaga outjumped an Ehime forward and headed clear but the ball fell to midfielder Sugiura just outside the Tokyo box; Sugiura struck hard and low but the ball hit his own player and bounced harmlessly out for a goal kick. Having enjoyed a narrow escape, Tokyo then sliced the visitors' defence apart with a one-touch move involving Cesar, Yazawa, and Kajiyama that played Hanyu in on the left. Before Hanyu could shoot though, he was surrounded by Ehime defenders and the opening came to nothing.
Ehime launched a rapid attack in the 63rd minute, forward Josimar knocking the ball down to midfielder Saito and then attempting to dart through the Tokyo defence line to receive the return pass. Morishige spotted the danger and slid in to clear the ball which then fell kindly for midfielder Ishii on the right. Ishii produced a deft lob to hoist the ball over Gonda and into the back of the net. Ehime had capitalised on a sudden opportunity to tie the score. Tokyo responded to the setback by giving Ishikawa his first appearance of the season as replacement for Tanabe in the 64th minute and substituting Jade North for Mukuhara in the 70th. Tokunaga moved inside to play at centre back while Mukuhara took his position at right back.
Tokyo bolstered their front line and steadily increased the pressure on the visitors but were unable to find a way through the blanket defence. Yazawa dragged the Ehime defence out of position in the 88th minute but Cesar was unable to find room to shoot and delayed his ball out to Hanyu on the flank. Ishikawa burst forward in the 90th minute and found Yazawa on the edge of the Ehime area but his route to goal was blocked by the massed ranks of the visitors. Tokyo were unable to find the key to unlock the Ehime defence and the game finished in a 1-1 draw. After taking the lead with a fine finish from a promising move, Tokyo had lost their rhythm and struggled to regain it, eventually being forced to settle for a single point from the home game.

Players' comments

Tanabe
"Personally I made a lot of mistakes and overall it wasn't a good performance, especially as we were at home. I got a great ball from Takahashi for the goal and put everything I had into the shot. Last week we were able to get away from our opponents in good positions but today we made far too many simple mistakes and that ruined the flow of our game, I felt. To play a passing game it's important to be strong and to offer support. We have to continuously work to improve our unity as we look forward to the next game".

Takahashi
"For the goal I was able to take up a good position and get myself into the attacking third of the pitch. Although we took the lead we couldn't really establish a rhythm but despite that it was pleasing we kept a clean sheet until half time. We lost our shape in the second half and allowed them too much space in midfield. Even though they equalised there was still plenty of time left. The big issue is how we should go about scoring goals. Strong teams can find a way to win even if they are pegged back and that's what we have to try to achieve".

FC Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma
"After we took the lead we stood off them somewhat and lost our rhythm. We've been trying to keep it simple in midfield but today, with us standing off, we tried to dribble too much in attack and that allowed the opposition to counter attack when we lost the ball. We have to look at the areas where we win the ball and then make use of the space on the flanks or behind the opposition defence. Hanyu is getting in behind them but we need Cesar and the midfield to get out of those tight areas and in behind them as well. If we can manage that then Cesar should be able to give the opposition plenty to worry about. I feel that's something he needs to adapt himself to as well."

Ehime FC manager Barbaric
"For the first 10 or 15 minutes our pressing from the second line was half-hearted and we played too deeply. Even so, Tokyo didn't really create many chances but then we conceded a soft goal from a misplaced pass and a poor trap. After that though we played the ball around steadily and threatened their goal. In the second half with Tokyo leading we expected them to widen their defence line and attempt to draw us forward, then strike on the counter attack. We decided not to simply hoof the ball forward but to move it around steadily, use the space available and strike when we found an opening. We were able to retain possession well and I was satisfied with that. We should have used the sides more, though. Despite that we still managed to score the equaliser. The opposition didn't push forward so much after that and it became a counter attacking game. I felt we prevented them from creating any really decisive openings. We couldn't find a winner ourselves but then Tokyo are the highest quality team so we should be content with the point we took from the game and our performance."