Aiming for the first victory in 3 league matches

Sec. 12 of the league, which comes just two days after the Nabisco Cup. We will face Shimizu S-Pulse at home. We achieved a brilliant victory in the Nabisco Niigata match, but unfortunately did not advance to the qualifying round. The players' expressions showed both frustration and determination. However, we want to use the momentum gained from this battle in the league. Especially in the last two matches, we have not been able to secure a victory, and in the previous match against Shonan, we lost due to our own mistakes. Therefore, in this match, it is crucial for us to secure 3 points at home.

However, Hasegawa was injured in the Niigata match, and Ishikawa was also absent due to pain in his ankle. On the other hand, Lucas, Watanabe, Yonemoto, and Morishige, who did not have a chance to play in the previous Nabisco match, returned to the starting lineup. As a result, Watanabe and Lee will play in the front line, with Lucas and Higashi on the sides.

Shimizu, on the other hand, is currently in 10th place with 15 points. Although they suffered a big loss due to defensive mistakes in the early part of the season, they have been steadily accumulating points by regrouping and winning close matches. In addition, their attack, centered around FW Vale, has scored in 7 consecutive league matches. They have also scored many goals from their defense and set plays, showing their strength in crucial moments.

On the other hand, Tokyo's key to victory is not only to increase ball possession, but also to score chances reliably. We want to grab the win by taking the initiative in both offense and defense without losing our aggressiveness and tenacity. The last home game before the break started at 7:04 pm at the Ajinomoto Stadium on a sunny May day, with Shimizu's kickoff.

Unable to break down Shimizu's organized defense, careful development

Tokyo dominated the ball from the beginning. While dodging Shizuoka's tough press, they mainly tried to attack behind the opponent's DF. In the 4th minute, Takahashi intercepted the ball in their own half. He dribbled up and sent a long pass behind the opponent's DF. In response, Watanabe broke through on the left side, but the cross didn't connect in the center. In the 20th minute, Li stole the ball that had become loose on the front line and launched it to Lucas on the right. Lucas sent a ground cross to the front of the goal, but Watanabe didn't touch it and the GK caught it.

At 28 minutes, Hyun Soo JANG made a lofted pass to the right area. Tatsuya HIGASHI ran diagonally from the left side to a deep position and dropped the ball, and Ryo WATANABE took a shot from the right area. In the 33rd minute, Lee received the ball in the center and turned towards the goal, making a through pass to the right area. However, Lucas was one step behind and it didn't connect.

Despite pushing the game forward, there was a period where the coordination of the front line did not come together. In the 42nd minute, Lucas intercepted in his own zone and brought it on the counter. However, Watanabe → Tokunaga's ground pass from the side to the area was cleared by the Shimizu DF. Takahashi followed up with a shot, but it was blocked by the Shimizu DF.

On the other hand, in the 43rd minute, Shizuoka's right throw-in was dropped by FW Vallee on the post, and a right cross was raised. This was passed to Shizuoka's left area FW Ito, who took a decisive shot, but... Konda saved it! Escaping the pinch, in the 45th minute, Lee passed to the left area and Yonemoto forcefully dodged the opponent, and Watanabe followed up by cutting back the opponent in the left area corner and taking a shot. However, it narrowly missed the goal... They were unable to break through Shizuoka's organized defense and ended the first half scoreless.

Takahashi scores first goal of the season! Lucas scores second goal, shutting out the counterattack.

In the second half, Tokyo continued to control the ball and look for opportunities. In the 53rd minute, Lucas and Takahashi quickly connected on the right side, and Lucas, who had broken through the right front line with a vertical pass from Higashi, made a minus pass into the area. Higashi, who had entered the area with a pass and go, passed it through and Takahashi, who had run in from behind, took a shot! Although the ball didn't have much power, it slipped through the legs of the opposing defender and goalkeeper and into the net!! With Takahashi's first goal of the season, they finally succeeded in taking the lead.

However, Shimizu also counterattacks. In the 56th minute, from a FK from the right side, FW Barey's back head hits the frame, but escapes to a CK with Kanda's save. Tokyo, who connects attacks from persistent defense, in the 61st minute, Lucas → Li expands again from the post. Watanabe, who had flowed to the left front line, sends a sharp cross between the opponent's DF and GK. Shimizu GK jumped out and punched, but it hit Lucas' chest in front and was sucked into the net... They succeeded in scoring an additional point.

After leading by 2 points, Tokyo kept a high line and in the 64th minute, FW Vale's shot hit the bar, causing a close call, but it was offside in the previous stage. After that, there were moments where Shizuoka held the ball to counterattack, but Tokyo remained calm and tried to score a third goal.

75 minutes, Tanabe is brought in on the side. Higashi moves to the center. Against Shimizu, who comes to steal the ball, they pass it around to create their own time and try to suppress the counterattack. In the final stages, Mita and Hayashi are brought in. In the 90th minute, Mita in the midfield sends a long pass behind the opponent's defense, and Hayashi breaks through, but the goalkeeper catches it just in time. In stoppage time, Hayashi jumps out into the area to meet Ota's left cross, but his direct shot misses the target...

Although we couldn't score a third goal, we were able to close the game by utilizing the strengths of our fresh players. We kept a clean sheet on defense and secured our second consecutive victory in official matches. This was our first win in three league games, earning us three points.


[Player Comments]
"Takahashi"
"Recently, we have been conceding a lot of goals, so we have been considering balance and holding back on attacking. However, I also had a desire to contribute in a way that is easily understood by everyone, such as scoring or assisting. My shots were not very accurate, but I have come to realize that it is important to get into those areas. Against teams that focus on defense, I believe that by having the midfielders and even the other 10 players play fluidly and collectively, we can surpass their defense. I want us to be a team where heroes come and go, constantly changing and evolving."

"Lucas"
"We've been talking about how it would be a tight and difficult game since before the match, and it turned out to be just that. Especially in the first half, it was a tight game and neither team had many chances. But we all talked about how if we continue to play our usual game, we'll get chances in the second half and it's important to take them when they come. I think we were able to do that. The goal was a quick reaction."

[Coach's Press Conference Summary]
《Coach Ranko POPOVIC》
"We showed a high level of completion in the game. We were able to take control of the game throughout the 90 minutes and control the game. Shimizu also kept their lines compact and played a tough style of soccer, trying to provoke our mistakes and attack. However, against their compact and aggressive press, we were able to connect passes, beat the opponent, and create chances, and we were able to capitalize on those opportunities. We were able to achieve what we aimed for."

The ball movement was smooth, and the side changes were effectively used to demonstrate what we have been working on. Also, despite the match being only two days apart, the players showed no lack of physicality. Of course, there are areas that need improvement. In the past, we have conceded goals due to small mistakes, so we want to focus on those details. Nevertheless, I want to say well done to the players who played high-quality and attractive football today.

Today, many fans and supporters came to visit, but in my mind, I still remember the sad faces of everyone after losing to Shimizu in last season's Nabisco Cup semifinal. I want to turn that into a smile, and I have been thinking about repaying that debt from that time. I think we were able to get a good result today, and I hope you all enjoyed it."

"Shimizu Gotobi Manager"
"We played a good game, but the way we conceded was bad. We let two players slip through and score, but until that goal was taken away, I think we were able to control the game. Especially in the first half, we were able to create a solid structure and break through the opponent from there. As for MF Takeuchi, he was able to create attacks and receive and pass the ball well. However, when playing away, we need to make sure to capitalize on the chances we had in the first half."

After the first goal, the players may have lost some confidence. There was still plenty of time to catch up, but the ball that was punched away hit Lucas and went in, resulting in a strange goal. After it became 2-0, the task became more difficult. This is partly due to the busy schedule so far. It's tough to overcome a goal like that while working hard and trying to control the game."