Stick to our football and seize the 3 points

In Sec. 16 of the league, we will face Albirex Niigata away. In the previous match, despite taking a 2-goal lead with goals from Mita and Hayato HASEGAWA, we conceded and lost our rhythm, resulting in a draw. Following the match against Urawa, we have another away game, but Coach Popović stated, "We will fight as we always do, confidently executing what we have been working on. By battling with strong will for 90 minutes, we want to achieve a different result from these two matches. As a team, we want to pursue a fight that focuses on the outcome."

Niigata, currently in 12th place with 17 points, will be without left side back DF Kim Jin-soo due to suspension this match. However, the key defender DF Kim Geun-hwan and FW Tatsuya TANAKA are returning. They have one win and one loss in the two matches since the restart, but their dynamic style, characterized by pressing from the front and quick movements, should not be underestimated. In particular, attacks starting from side MF Tanaka A and Narioka, combined with the FW line, have been effective, with FW Kawamata scoring in two consecutive matches. Additionally, since they scored from a free kick in the last match, they will need to be cautious of their high-precision set plays.

Tokyo sees Kaga returning to the starting lineup after serving a suspension in the previous match. The team will maintain the same lineup as last match. With a compact formation, they aim to take control of the game through quick transitions in both offense and defense, while also focusing on ball possession to combat the heat. Although there have been challenges in managing the game so far, they aim to secure three points by not giving up until the end, regardless of how the match unfolds, and by sticking to their style of football. The match kicked off at 19:03 with Niigata's kickoff at DENKA BIG SWAN STADIUM.

Takahashi and Watanabe score to lead by 2 goals at halftime

From the start of the match, Tokyo puts pressure on. In the 3rd minute, after a tenacious defense in the midfield, Higashi receives a vertical pass and makes a big switch to the left flank. Hasegawa lets it go, and Ota, who advanced, wins a left corner kick. Higashi takes this left corner, and Takahashi, who dives in at the near post, heads it into the goal. They take the lead with a good start. In the 7th minute, starting from the left side, a pass flows once to the opposite side. Mita, who runs in here, connects the play, and Watanabe shoots from Ota's pass to the center. However, it hits the opponent's defender and results in a corner kick.

Then, in the 8th minute, from a series of precise passes, Higashi aims for the goal inside the area, but the Niigata defender blocks it. However, Mita seizes the loose ball and initiates an attack, and in the ensuing scramble, Hasegawa is fouled and earns a penalty kick. Watanabe calmly kicks it into the bottom left corner, extending the lead to two goals early on. After that, they skillfully switch play in the front line and create chances with intricate passing. However, Niigata also moves the ball forward quickly, creating situations that bring them close to shooting, but Morishige and the defense respond calmly without panic.

Although Niigata continued their counterattack, Tokyo created chances from counterattacks. In the 25th minute, after a steal from Yonemoto's interception, Higashi cut in from the right side and made a final pass to Hasegawa. However, the ball came too close to his feet, preventing him from taking a shot. He passed it back to Yonemoto, who took a shot, but it hit the defender and resulted in a corner kick. Conversely, in the 36th minute, Niigata's midfielder Tanaka A, who ran free into the left area, took a powerful shot, but Gonda saved it with one hand.

In the final stages, Niigata launched a powerful counterattack centered around long balls and dribbling, pushing Tokyo back towards their goal, but they did not allow any goals. Although Niigata had more chances, Tokyo managed to hold on and finished the first half.

Defended against the opponent's attack as a united team and won without conceding a goal

Even in the second half, Niigata maintains their momentum. They are outpacing in terms of physicality and launching wave attacks. Tokyo continues to struggle, unable to win the ball in high positions. In the 57th minute, Hyun Soo JANG came on for the injured Yonemoto. Additionally, Lucas was brought in to replace the fatigued Hayato HASEGAWA. Fresh players were introduced to find a breakthrough. In the 71st minute, Hyun Soo JANG quickly closed in on a loose ball in midfield, carried it forward, and passed to the left flank. Higashi, in sync with the play, aimed for a shot just outside the area, but it narrowly went to the left.

In the 73rd minute, Lucas made a run from the left corner of the area, curling inside to take a low shot that pierced the course, but it was blocked by a great save from the goalkeeper, resulting in a left corner kick. Tokyo gradually began to create attacking shapes, but there were many instances of losing the ball carelessly, maintaining the rhythm for Niigata. Nevertheless, at the crucial moments, the defense stood firm to prevent any goals. In the 81st minute, Ishikawa was brought on for Higashi, with Mita moving to the attacking midfield position. They aimed for another goal from a counterattack.

In the 85th minute, Lucas on the left side made a through pass to Ishikawa, who was trying to break behind the opponent's DF. It was just slightly off, and the DF cut it out. Then in the 88th minute, from Lucas's pass, Watanabe broke through on the right front line and delivered a grounded cross to the center. Lucas, who ran into the near post, skillfully struck the ball with one touch into the back of the net, scoring the third goal to seal the deal. In stoppage time, Ishikawa broke through with a dribble. While carrying the New Niigata DF on his back, he found himself one-on-one with the GK, but his shot lacked power, and the GK made the save.

In the end, the time is up. Although there was a long period of being pressed by the opponent, we managed to keep a clean sheet and earned a valuable 3 points away.

[Player Comments]
《Takahashi》
"(Regarding the opening goal) I felt that if I focused too much on scoring, I would become tense like I had in the past. However, in the match against Shimizu, my desire to score definitely led to the goal. I think that the mindset of being relaxed and the determination to achieve results contributed to the goal."

(Not only in defense, but there were also moments where we saw plays moving forward?) We still have a long way to go. First, regarding how we entered the match, we tried to prepare by moving our feet against Niigata's pressing from the front. Among them, HASEGAWA and Morige were vocal, and I think that contributed to Tokyo's concentration. After taking a two-goal lead, especially in the second half, Niigata stepped up their game, and the tempo of their ball movement increased. In response, we tried to fill the vital area, but we ended up creating gaps ourselves, leading to more gifts (passes) to the opponent. I cannot agree with that style of play.


《Lucas》
"I was able to fight with a lot of spirit. I had been playing well but couldn't secure a win until today, when I was able to turn it into a result. (About the goal) I think scoring there helped to finish the match. I'm very glad I was able to score. (Did it become a way to celebrate your 250th match?) I was told yesterday that my J-League debut was against Niigata, which coincided with my 250th match, and it further boosted my motivation. Thank you (laughs)."

I believe that 250 matches is not an easy number for foreign players. I am happy to have achieved it, and scoring goals adds to that joy. I came on as a substitute, but that is up to the coach's decision. Today, I was not only focused on moving forward but also conscious of not leaving gaps in defense on the side. I want to continue to work hard to achieve results and aim for the top again.


[Summary of Coach Ranko POPOVIC's Press Conference]
The most important thing about this match is that we secured 3 points. The next thing is that the injury situation is not serious. As you all know, we played 3 matches in 7 days, and I think we showed very tough and high-quality matches against Hiroshima and Urawa. However, we only earned 1 point from those 2 matches. In terms of this match, the quality may be lower than the last 2 matches, but the most important thing is that we were able to secure 3 points as a result. I would like to acknowledge that.

Today, the way we entered the match was very good, and I am satisfied that we were able to secure three points without conceding any goals. However, I think there were parts of the match, especially between the beginning and the end, where we were helped by luck. We made more mistakes than usual. I want to analyze whether those mistakes were due to fatigue or other factors. I want to tell our players that they did well to fight tenaciously and earn three points, and I also want to express my gratitude to the fans and supporters who came out even in such bad weather.


[Press Conference Summary of Niigata Coach Masaaki YANAGISHITA]
"It was tough to concede a goal like that in the first 10 minutes. However, after that, we missed several big chances, which ultimately led to this result. There are reasons for the two goals conceded. Only one or two minutes into the game, and there are players drinking water. That's a sign of weakness. For the second goal, two players hesitated over a rolling ball. It's unbelievable."

It may seem like a small thing, but it has made a big difference. There is still some naivety and a lack of urgency. There is also a lack of responsibility. We need to play games like this to understand what we are lacking and what we cannot do. The last two matches have been like this, so I want to switch our mindset properly and play without embarrassment.