5th game of a tight schedule with 7 games in 2-3 days. Tokyo, who played in the Levain Cup on the 13th, will now face Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in an away game for the J1 League's 9th round.
Despite only having two days since the previous match, Tokyo will face Shonan Bellmare on the 13th with a lineup mainly composed of young players. For the upcoming Sapporo match, many of the players from the league match against Urawa Reds on the 10th will have had a one-week interval. Although it is a match in a congested schedule, they should be able to approach it in a relatively fresh physical condition.
Their opponent Sapporo has a record of 1 win, 6 draws, and 1 loss in the league this season. Although the results may give the impression that they have not been able to win, they did manage to secure that one win in their recent away game against Nagoya Grampus. They will likely have high motivation to continue this momentum and secure their first home victory of the season. Coach Albert Puig Ortoneda is also wary, stating that it will be a very intense and tactical match.
In terms of team completion, under the guidance of coach PETROVIC, this is the 5th season and Sapporo's tactical maturity is one of the best in the league. Although key player Chanathip has transferred to Kawasaki Frontale, they have also reinforced the team with the addition of Gabriel Xavier, who had a successful career in Nagoya. It gives the impression that the team has steadily strengthened during this off-season. The majority of the main players from last season are still on the team, and it is expected that Sapporo's soccer, which has a high level of coordination and ball possession, will be fully demonstrated.
On the other hand, Tokyo, which has only been under the guidance of coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA for three months, is still in the early stages of its growth phase, as emphasized by the commander himself. During the 90 minutes, there are times when they can express their style and control the game by holding onto the ball, but there are also times when they are pushed back and have to endure due to the lack of effectiveness in pressing from the front line.
However, as the matches progress, the level of growth is accelerating, and the coach is emphasizing the team's hunger for victory before each match. As a result, they have achieved 4 wins so far while continuing to grow. In this match against Sapporo, they will aim for 3 points by flexibly making adjustments during the game while keeping their own style in mind.
Both styles have been confirmed during the training match at the Okinawa camp. However, Tokyo has been growing rapidly. We want to express our growth over the past three months on the pitch and bring back a victory that exceeds Sapporo's expectations.
