＜Match Review＞
After a break in national team activities and the resumption of the league, Tokyo had been struggling to secure a victory. However, in the previous match, they achieved a 3-0 victory against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, ending a winless streak of 4 league matches, and gained confidence in their performance. The third match of the consecutive games, with only 3 days of rest, is an away game against Urawa Reds. In the first half of the season, their previous encounter ended in a goalless draw, with both teams lacking a decisive edge. This match became an important opportunity for Tokyo to aim for consecutive victories.
Diego OLIVEIRA, who came on as a substitute in the previous match, was selected as a starter, with Ryoma WATANABE on the right wing and Leandro on the left wing. In addition, Yuki KAJIURA started for the second consecutive game following his league debut in the previous match. The young inside half combination of Kusei MATSUKI and Yuki KAJIURA was supported by anchor player Keigo HIGASHI.
1st HALF - Matsuki's powerful FK hits the post
At the start, Urawa had more possession of the ball, and Tokyo quickly switched between offense and defense once they regained possession. They approached Urawa's goal with a quick counterattack. Diego's chasing from the front line was also effective, and in the 3rd and 8th minutes of the first half, they successfully stole the ball in a high position and attempted a short counterattack, but they couldn't finish it. In the 11th minute of the first half, there was a back pass mistake, and they faced a counterattack. Atsuki Ito took a powerful shot from a position just outside the right side of the goal, but Jakub Slowik reacted quickly and deflected the ball.
As time passes, the development becomes clearer. Urawa holds the ball and enters Tokyo's territory through build-up play, while Tokyo organizes their defense and constructs their defense, then quickly launches a counterattack using players Diego and Leandro without wasting any time after winning the ball.
There were no major developments in the course of the match, but the score changed unexpectedly in the 31st minute of the first half. When building up with a vertical relationship between Yasuki Kimoto and Kajiura, their coordination was not in sync, and Yosuke Matsuo was able to steal the ball and enter the penalty area. A ground cross ball was put in front of the goal near the goal line, and David Moberg, who was free on the far side, closed in and scored the opening goal.
Tokyo had a hard time creating chances in the flow of the game, but they created an opportunity from a set piece. In the 40th minute of the first half, Leandro was fouled and earned a free kick from a position about 25 meters in front of the goal. After Leandro's feint kick, Matsuki took a shot with his left foot, curving it significantly to the left. It was a powerful strike that the opposing goalkeeper couldn't move for, but it hit the left post and couldn't shake the net.
2nd HALF - No comeback, 2 goals conceded
Tokyo made a substitution card at halftime. Kazuya Konno was brought in to replace Kajiura and moved Watanabe to inside half.
Tokyo, who wants to change the flow, but in the second half, they let Urawa have the ball from the start and were pressed, pushing them back into their own territory. In the 5th minute of the second half, when the formation was pushed back once, the ball was carried in the negative direction, and the pressure was delayed when trying to apply it, allowing Ito to score a mid-range shot into the left corner of the goal, widening the deficit.
In the 9th minute of the second half, there was an accident. Diego player, who followed the pass to the space, tripped on the turf and fell down, unable to get up, and was replaced by Keita Yamashita. In the 20th minute of the second half, Yamashita player left the ball in the front line with a post-play, and Leandro player took a powerful middle shot, but it was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper's defense.
As the time holding the ball increases, the defense is broken at the timing of the counterattack. In the 25th minute of the second half, Moberg player broke through the space behind the left side and used Osaka player who came in for support inside the penalty area. Instead of shooting, Osaka player chose to pass and Okubo player scored the third goal for Urawa near side. As they counterattack aggressively, they are targeted in the space behind in the late stage of the second half and scoring opportunities are created. In the 40th minute of the second half, Mawatari player reacted to Osaka player's mid-range pass and created a one-on-one scene with Slowik player, but the shot deviated to the left of the goal and nothing happened.
Tokyo, who never gave up the counterattack, aimed for a goal with Leandro's middle shot and Konno's cut-in shot even after entering additional time, but both were blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper and resulted in no goal. There were moments where they approached the Urawa goal in the late stages of the game, which became an open match, but they were unable to completely break down the opponent and ended the game with no goal.
MATCH DETAILS
＜F.C.Tokyo＞
STARTING XI
GK Jakub SLOWIK
DF Yuto NAGATOMO (21st minute: Junya SUZUKI)/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (40th minute: Shin OKAZAKI)
MF Kuryu MATSUKI/Keigo HIGASHI (21st minute: Manato SHINADA)/Yuki KAJIURA (0th minute: Kazuya KONNO)
FW Ryo WATANABE/Diego OLIVEIRA (11th minute: Keita YAMASHITA)/Leandro
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
MF Kojiro YASUDA
GOAL
―
＜Urawa Reds＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Shusaku NISHIKAWA
DF Hiroki SAKAI/Takuya IWANAMI (32nd minute of the second half: Tetsuya CHINEN)/Alexander SCHOLZ/Ayumu OHATA (21st minute of the second half: Kazuaki MAWATARI)
MF David MOBERG/Ken IWAO/Atsuki ITO/Tomoaki OKUBO (40th minute of the second half: Takahiro SEKINE)
FW Yoshio KOIZUMI (21st minute of the second half: Makoto EZAKI)/Yusuke MATSUO (21st minute of the second half: Takahiro AKIMOTO)
SUBS
GK Zion SUZUKI
MF Yuichi HIRANO
GOAL
First half 31 minutes: Moberg/Second half 5 minutes: Ito/Second half 25 minutes: Okubo
[Interview with Coach Albert]
Q: please review the game.
A, now, the team has many injured players, so it is a difficult situation. We faced today's match in such a condition. Regarding the first half, I think we had a long time controlling the game. And there was a mistake among the young players who were given a chance to play. I think it is natural for young players to make mistakes, but I am very disappointed that we conceded a goal from our mistake.
I think that allowing the first goal had a big impact on the subsequent game development. From the second half, we started with more courage and aimed to actively attack the opponent's goal with bold plays. However, as you know, Urawa has a lineup of high-quality players. Unfortunately, we lost the game today, but I think the players gave their all. In that sense, I am proud of the young players.
We highly appreciate the attitude of the players who fought for victory even when they were losing the game, and we have conveyed this to the players as well. Despite the increasing number of injured players and the team's situation not being as expected, the players fought hard. We have a home game next week. I think it will be important to continue accumulating points in home games in the future.
Q: Urawa lined up four players in the front line, which I think limited Tokyo's passing game. How did you instruct the team to break through that?
A, I do not think I was ever put under good pressure. There may have been times when I was put under even more difficult pressure depending on the situation, but we ended up losing the ball due to our own mistakes. I think we made very simple mistakes ourselves.
Q: I think we started the game in a 4-4-2 formation in the first half, but did we switch to a formation with Matsuki playing as a left-sided midfielder as a measure against Hiroki SAKAI on the opposing team? Also, I think it would have been difficult to change the system in just three days, but was it a prepared measure?
A, I did not take this position with the intention of imitating player Sakai. I chose this position based on the players currently available to play, and I believed that taking this position would bring out the team's best performance, so I made them take this position. When defending, we started the game with a position similar to 4-4-1-1. I never make game plans specifically targeting certain opponents.
Today, I am very proud that Kuryu MATSUKI, who has recently graduated from high school, has shown a wonderful performance against high-quality players.
[Player Interview]
＜Keita YAMASHITA＞
Q, please reflect on the game despite the participation due to an accident.
It was a game that we wanted to win even though we were playing away. We were left behind in terms of points, but personally, I also wanted to score.
Q, I think it was a situation where chances were few and far between.
A, I think it will change depending on the game. In a tough situation like today, I always think that I have to score even with few chances.
Q, there was a chance from Suzuki's early cross, were you aiming for that?
A, I have been training together with Kaede Suzuki player on a daily basis, and before today's game, we were aligning our image when we played together. While progressing within the team concept, I believe that creating such situations will expand the attacking options for the team when things don't go well with just that.
Q, it was my first appearance in a while, but I felt like my condition was good.
Whether it's starting or coming off the bench, I think we need to produce results. Especially in cases like today, when coming off the bench, I think we need to be determined and change the team.
Q, please tell us your enthusiasm for the next home game against Iwata.
A, it is a period when the team is not getting good results, but I want to make good preparations to win.
＜Junya Suzuki player＞
Q, it was a difficult situation to come on as a substitute while chasing from behind, how was it?
A, it's not that there was no intention to go forward from the defense and intentionally steal the ball before attacking, but I think if we could have done it more, we could have created chances in the form of a short counterattack as usual. It's not a matter of who is to blame, but I think it's a matter of each individual's slight deviation.
Coming out from the middle, there was also a flow of Tokyo during the time I entered, and I think there were some moments where the flow changed if we were able to score even one goal. In terms of defense, each individual did not slack off, but as a team, we need to improve on how to take the ball and the quality of the final pass and shot as individuals.
Q, there is also a style of breaking while connecting as a team, but I think that simple form can also become an option for attack, as it led to Yamashita's heading shot from Suzuki's early cross.
A, I also have kicking and crossing as my strengths, so I thought that I had to score at least one goal somewhere because we were losing today's game, and Yamashita was also there, who is strong in crossing, so I was thinking of actively putting it in. I wish that had connected, so I want to continue improving the quality and adjusting to the center.
Q, we will return home in the next match.
A, today we couldn't win despite many fans and supporters coming to cheer for us, so I think the fans and supporters are even more eager to win than we are. I want to receive that power and give our own power to share the joy of victory at Ajinomoto Stadium.
