2014 Season Kickoff! Under Coach Massimo, a new Tokyo awaits

The long-awaited J.League 2014 season has begun. In Sec. 1, we will face Kashiwa Reysol away. This season, with our new head coach Massimo FICCADENTI, started on January 18. We have been preparing for about 40 days, aiming for beautiful and attacking football. And today, we will finally reveal our new form.

Coach Massimo said, "It is important to see how much we can implement what we have been working on and what we need to do as a team. Today is also a trial for the full 90 minutes, where we need to assess the situation and condition of the match and continue to fight with focus." He also emphasized that the organizational strength we have developed is a key asset for the team.

Kashiwa finished 10th in the league last season but won the Nabisco Cup. They can be considered a "winning" team that has consistently won titles every season since their J1 championship in 2011. Under the leadership of coach NELSINHO, who is in his sixth year, the team is becoming even more mature. In particular, the attacking lineup, centered around MF Leandro Domingues, includes the newly joined FW Leandro and FW Kudo, who has also been selected for the Japan national team, making them a significant threat.

However, Morishige stated, "I don't think everything will go well immediately, but I definitely feel that if we can enhance the completeness of Coach Massimo's style, we will undoubtedly become stronger." While improving the completeness of our own style, can we calmly assess the situation and implement strategies against our opponents? I hope for a victory that reflects the unity of the team's intentions.

Under the chilly weather with light rain, the match started at 15:03 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Showcasing each other's uniqueness, in a tense offensive and defensive battle

Right from the start, both teams engaged in a speedy exchange, leading to a dynamic shift between offense and defense. Tokyo maintained their strength at the ball and quick transitions, with Muto's ball retention and the decisiveness of players like Mita and Edu bringing them close to the Kashiwa goal. In the 1st minute, Muto on the left side connected with Edu in the area, allowing Mita to take the first shot from outside the left area. In the 8th minute, Muto pressed the opposing defender in the front line to win the ball and aimed for the goal.

Tokyo responded well to Kashiwa's long ball-centered attacks, but gradually found themselves facing sharp counterattacks. In the 10th minute, a cross from Tokyo was cleared, and the ball was quickly moved forward, where midfielder Leandro Domingues sent a through pass behind the defense. However, Kaga was there to respond, preventing it from reaching forward Leandro. Tokyo also took advantage of set-piece opportunities, and in the 29th minute, Mori-shige connected with a header from Higashi's left corner kick, but was thwarted by the goalkeeper's save.

Tokyo continued to attack with dynamic play, but their precision in front of the goal and coordination were still lacking. In the final stages, they were unable to create opportunities for shots. On the other hand, Kashiwa regained their composure and launched attacks using varying tempos, leading to a tense back-and-forth. In the 37th minute, a through pass from Kashiwa was beautifully dropped to FW Leandro, creating a decisive moment for FW Kudo, but the shot went wide. In the 43rd minute, after a speedy series of passes, Kashiwa's left back Hashimoto, who was free, delivered a cross. However, Gonda managed to touch it and deflect it away. They held on without losing focus and ended the first half scoreless.

Mita scores the first goal of the season to take the lead! Although they conceded 1 goal, they managed to secure 1 point.

In the second half, Tokyo applied pressure from the start and launched a fierce attack. In the 46th minute, Morishige passed to Ota on the left side, who crossed to Edu in the center of the area. Edu controlled the ball with his chest and dropped it to the left area, where Mita made a run. The first shot was blocked by the GK's outstretched hand, but the ball, which the Kashiwa defender tried to clear, hit the GK again and spilled out. Mita persistently pushed it back in, scoring a goal! Mita scored his first goal of the season, taking the lead.

In the 51st minute, Higashi created a play on the right flank, and Takahashi broke through on the right flank, swapping places with the following Watanabe. He sent a negative pass into the area from the sideline. Muto, who was free, connected with it and took a decisive shot, but it went wide to the right. In the 54th minute, from a left corner kick, Morishige and Watanabe launched a wave attack, but they could not break through the determined defense of Kashiwa...

After missing the chance to add another goal, Kashiwa made a substitution in the 60th minute, switching to a three-back formation. They thickened their attack and prepared for a counterattack. In the 63rd minute, Kashiwa midfielder Leandro Domingues made a vertical pass, which was touched down by FW Leandro running into the area, leading to a powerful shot from FW Kudo on the right side. The ball grazed Gonda's hand and rolled into the far net... Kashiwa's quick passing and fluid movements were unable to keep up, resulting in a conceded goal.

In the 71st minute, Ishikawa was brought on for Muto. The formation changed to a 4-4-2 with Edu and Watanabe as the two strikers, and Ishikawa and Mita on the sides. Both teams continued to aim for a lead, launching quick attacks. While both created chances, in the 83rd minute, Azuma initiated a counterattack, delivering a decisive pass to Watanabe in front of the goal from the right area. However, the timing was just slightly off...

In the final stages, they were subjected to Kashiwa's fierce attack, showing their determination for victory at home, but they did not allow a second goal. The intense battle ended in a draw, which could be considered a mutual concession. However, it can be said that they maintained their commitment to the competition and secured a valuable point away.

[Player Comments]
《Mita》 "I think I was able to show what I've been working on in both offense and defense. Regarding the goal, I really wanted to score with my first shot. I thought it went in! But the ball didn't slide as much as I expected. However, I declared before the season that I wanted to score, and being able to score in any form has given me confidence. This is my second year as a professional, and I am approaching it with a significant sense of urgency. I want to continue fighting with a focus on goals and victories."

"Muto" said, "Not being able to convert the decisive chance resulted in a draw. I feel strongly that I couldn't contribute to the team's victory. However, I felt that there were positive aspects in terms of performance. There were moments when my initiatives and dribbling worked well. If we could have piled on the pressure after taking the lead in the second half... I think the match would have become easier. (As a rookie starting in the opening match, were you nervous?) I was more nervous about three days ago. I gradually calmed down from there. In the professional world, age doesn't matter. I want to score a goal at Ajinomoto next time."

【Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference】
"Although it ended in a draw, I believe it was an exciting match for the fans and supporters. There are two things I think about now. The first is that I could see the players' growth. What we have been working on since training camp was conveyed, and it showed clear results in today's match. The second is that it was disappointing not to score despite having so many chances in the first 20 minutes of the second half, and this is an area we need to improve on going forward. Since this was our first match against a good team like Kashiwa, it was a very important game today. I thought it was important to give the players confidence to build momentum from the start of the season."

[Kashiwa - NELSINHO's Press Conference Summary]
"I think it was a game with very high technical levels on both sides. Throughout both halves, we maintained a high quality while competing fiercely. For us, there remains a point of reflection that we did not connect well at the start of the first half. However, the players gradually regained their pace and composure, and from there, we were able to create attacking patterns and produce a high-quality game. Tokyo was also a tactically organized and tough opponent, and their quality was high as well. I believe the result of a draw is the correct one."