＜Match Review＞
The previous match against Cerezo Osaka was postponed due to the influence of a typhoon, and Tokyo played an official game for the first time in three weeks. One week ago, they conducted tactical adjustments in a practice match against FC Machida Zelvia to confirm their sense of play and tactics. They have been preparing for the restart of the J1 League from this match.
This round's opponent in the away game is Kashiwa Reysol, who is currently in 5th place. They are only 1 point behind Kashima Antlers, who are in 3rd place, and are in a position to aim for the AFC Champions League qualification zone.
In the previous match, Tokyo was unable to create a build-up shape due to tight man-to-man defense and intense pressure on the ball side. After three months since that match, it became a game where they wanted to feel the sense of growth as a team.
The midfield members have been fixed for a while, but in this match, new recruit Koki Tsukagawa was selected as a starter for the first time as an inside half. In addition, Hotaka Nakamura, who has recovered from injury, made it into the lineup.
1st HALF - Matsumoto's 2nd professional goal & Kashif's first professional goal
Tokyo took control from the start. They calmly connected passes and not only moved the ball sideways and backwards in response to Kashiwa's pressing from the front, but also maintained possession by utilizing Diego Oliveira's post work with vertical passes.
Kashiwa comes in with a compact defensive block, shutting down both people and space. They observe the situation while connecting in the back, then switch with a vertical pass and move the ball with few touches, penetrating into the opponent's penalty area.
In the 17th minute of the first half, Yasuki Kimoto player pretended to connect finely from the back and aimed for the back of the opponent's defense with a sharp feed from his own territory. Tsukagawa player jumped out from the second row at the perfect timing and slipped a looping shot into the goal in a one-on-one situation with the opponent goalkeeper, but unfortunately it was ruled offside and no goal was given.
They quickly switch between offense and defense, and even when the opponent has the ball, they fill their own space firmly and prevent them from reaching the finish. In the 23rd minute of the first half, they created a numerical advantage on the left side and allowed a shot inside the penalty area, but Shiihashi's shot deflected over the goal.
By standing in the perfect position between the opposing players and between each position, Tokyo not only moves the ball but also connects passes in a coordinated manner towards the goal. The results of maintaining the rhythm from the beginning of the game are realized in the 40th minute of the first half.
When Kazuya Konno received the ball on the right and passed it vertically to create space, Diego received the ball and became the starting point at the right corner of the penalty area. Diego dribbled vertically without entering the middle, and Kuryu Matsuki jumped in and pushed the ball into the far side of the goal, scoring Tokyo's first goal, his second as a professional.
Tokyo, who intensified their attack, in the first half of the 45th minute, Tsukagawa player acted as a decoy in their own half and evaded the opponent's press, then sent a through pass to Konno player who broke through behind. Konno player carried the ball with speed to the penalty area and connected with Watanabe Ryoma player in the center. There were teammates in front of the goal, but Watanabe player chose to pass to the left side. Kashif BANGNAGANDE player jumped in from the outermost side where the opponent's defense slide couldn't catch up, and with the momentum, he shot the ball into the left corner of the goal, scoring his first professional goal.
2nd HALF - Deciding the seesaw game with 4 goals
In the early stages of the second half, which restarted, Kashiwa, who came out aggressively aiming for the goal, pushed us back, but once we took the ball, we countered and approached the Kashiwa goal. Even if we couldn't finish the first attack, we pushed up the entire team's formation from the back, recovered the second ball, and launched a solid attack.
Despite not backing down against the opponent's offensive, they also showed a counterattacking posture. However, in the 9th minute of the second half, they were pushed into their own goal area with a side attack. They failed to clear the ball and it spilled just outside the penalty area, where it was spectacularly volleyed by Dodge player and sent into the bottom right corner of the goal.
After immediately bringing in players Adailton and Shuto ABE, these two players quickly got to work. In the 12th minute of the second half, Yuto NAGATOMO broke free on the right side in a narrow area and crossed the ball into the goal area. Adailton, who had come flying in with momentum on the far side, struck a powerful header, but the ball unfortunately hit the crossbar. However, ABE, who was following up on the loose ball, headed it in, and Tokyo quickly extended their lead to two goals.
The game seemed to calm down, but in the 17th minute of the second half, they conceded another goal from a side attack. A cross ball from the right side entered the goal, and Douglas, who had jumped into the gap between the defenders, could not be caught and was pushed in with a diving header.
The game has taken on a seesaw-like aspect, but Tokyo extends their lead on the counterattack. In the 23rd minute of the second half, while enduring Kashiwa's attack in their own penalty area, Matsuki cuts off the ball with a tough challenge as Kashiwa moves the ball sideways in front of the penalty area and passes it to striker Muto. Tokyo then launches a counterattack, carrying the ball to the halfway line and passing it to player Luiz Phellype. Seeing the defender being drawn to him, Phellype passes the ball to Adailton, who sprints towards the left side space. Adailton continues his speed and skillfully shoots the ball into the right corner of the goal, evading the defender, and extends the lead to two points once again.
The score still doesn't settle. In the 29th minute of the second half, once again a cross ball is sent into the goal area from the right side, and unable to clear it, the ball flows to the far side and is powerfully kicked by player Daenam, narrowing the gap to just one point again.
As the home team gained momentum, they increased the pressure towards the goal, but Tokyo struggled to maintain possession of the ball. In the 39th minute of the second half, a lack of coordination in the defense led to a loss of the ball, and another sharp cross was delivered into the box. After clearing the ball near the side, a counter-attack opportunity arose. Adailton received the clearance and turned forward, playing a looping pass behind the Kashiwa defenders. Phellipe responded by running into space and, despite being pressed by two opposing defenders, he struck a powerful shot into the bottom right corner of the goal, scoring his first goal in the J-League.
Tokyo's momentum is unstoppable. In the 45th minute of the second half, Adailton received a pass from Matsuki in a one-two return play inside the penalty area. While skillfully blocking the defender, he calmly aimed for the bottom right corner of the goal and scored the team's sixth goal, sealing the match.
Despite showing defensive vulnerabilities with 3 goals conceded, it was a game that proved the breadth of our attacking capabilities, being able to score even while pushing forward and also on counterattacks. We continued the momentum of showing a fighting spirit against Kashiwa, who are competing for the top positions, and in the next match on September 3rd (Saturday), we will return to our home ground, Ajinomoto Stadium, to face the league leaders Yokohama F.Marinos.
MATCH DETAILS
＜F.C.Tokyo＞
STARTING XI
GK Jakub SLOWIK
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (33rd minute: Hantaka NAKAMURA)
MF Kuryu MATSUKI/Keigo HIGASHI/Koki TSUKAGAWA (10th minute: Shuto ABE)
FW Ryo WATANABE (33rd minute: Seiji KIMURA)/Diego OLIVEIRA (13th minute: Luiz PHELLYPE)/Kazuya KONNO (10th minute: Adailton)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
FW Keita YAMASHITA
GOAL
First half 40 minutes: Matsuki/First half 45 minutes: Kashif BANGNAGANDE/Second half 12 minutes: Abe/Second half 23 minutes: Adailton/Second half 39 minutes: Luiz PHELLYPE/Second half 45 minutes: Adailton
Kashiwa Reysol
STARTING XI
GK Masato SASAKI
DF Takuma OMINAMI/Yuji TAKAHASHI (32nd minute: Takumi KAMIJIMA)/Hayato TANAKA/Taiyo KOGA
MF Sachiro TOSHIMA (0th minute: Naoki KAWAGUCHI)/Douglas/Keiya SHIIHASHI/Matheus SAVIO (24th minute: Angelotti)
FW Tomoya KOYAMATSU (0th minute: Yuki MUTO)/Mao HOSOYA (0th minute: Douglas)
SUBS
Tatsuya MORITA
Takuto KATO
GOAL
First half 9 minutes: Dodge/Second half 17 minutes: DOUGLAS/Second half 29 minutes: Dainan
[Interview with Coach Albert]
Q: please review the game.
A, the first half was the development we expected. The second half was the development we did not expect. I am very satisfied with the content of the first half. This is because there were many intentional plays to control the game and the ball and to aim for the goal. I told the players that when we can hold the ball firmly like today, we can clearly outperform the opponent, and the first half was exactly that.
Regarding the second half, there were several mistakes from the beginning, which led to losing control of the game. I think the first 10 minutes of the second half were a challenge. Because we couldn't make good plays during that time, it didn't turn out as we expected.
I am pleased that each individual's quality clearly led to goals. There were times in the second half when we were in control, but at the same time, there were alternating periods where we couldn't control the game. I believe that in football, if we lose the ball easily, the opponent will create decisive chances. I want the players to understand that well.
I think it takes time, one or two years, for the team to understand it and grow so that they can play. However, today's game left evidence of the team's growth as expected in the first half, so I want to focus on that and leave the stadium with a good feeling.
"I think FC Tokyo was able to express their intention of wanting to hold onto the ball firmly in the first half. And today, I want to praise Luiz (Phellype) for scoring his first goal in the J-League. And not just today, but I want to praise all the players who have been making great efforts since the beginning of this season."
Fortunately, I am relieved to have won the game today. Last week, I was absent, so if we had lost, I think I would have received a lot of criticism for being absent. To be honest, I am relieved that we won (laughs).
Q: Please tell us about the current growth of player Matsuki, who has been continuously used as a starter.
A, the reason why he continues to be appointed is because he has a bright future himself and has the potential to grow into a player who will lead Japanese football in the future. I would like to say this with a humble feeling, but I believe that players with characteristics like him will contribute to further leveling up Japanese football in the future.
On the other hand, I think Nagatomo is a wonderful and great player who represents Japanese soccer. His mentality is truly amazing. Kuse also has a strong mentality that can be effective in Europe. That's why I want to tell him more things as a young player. Today, there were scenes where he lost the ball three or four times, which he should not have lost, so I want to encourage his growth in that aspect.
Koki TSUKAGAWA joined this summer, and it has been a big plus for the team as he can rotate the inside half position effectively.
Q: At the point when we conceded one goal in the second half, we brought in Adailton and Abe. Please tell us the reason for taking a strong countermeasure against the strong opponent.
A, what I instructed is to defend along with the ball. I want to convey this concept to everyone in Japan. The ultimate defense is to possess the ball. Soccer is a sport played with just one ball. That's why I believe that controlling that ball is also the best defense. I asked for that along with that substitution.
[Player Interview]
＜Kashif BANGNAGANDE player＞
Congratulations on your first goal in the J-League. Please reflect on today's goal, including your performance up to this point.
A, it was good to finally get results, including the numerical part, after returning from injury and not being able to produce results until today. It was a really happy goal.
Q, there was a period of more than two weeks from the previous game to this game, what part of the collaboration were you working on to improve?
I think that the part of participating in the attack is my characteristic, but I haven't been able to show it so far, so I will continue to challenge that part and I was able to score in last week's practice match, so I was able to approach today's match in a good state and feeling.
＜Player Kuryu MATSUKI＞
Q: Matsuki's opening goal set the tone for the game. He stretched his legs well, didn't he?
In the match against Sapporo, I went to meet the ball with the intention of touching it no matter what, as I didn't touch Adailton's cross in a similar situation before. I had a feeling that a cross would come, so I was able to escape to the far post and avoid the opponent's marking.
Q: How did you feel playing until you scored your second goal, after a period of time since your first professional goal?
A, every game is like that, but I strongly feel that I want to contribute to the team by scoring goals or assisting, and that led to today's goal. I think it was good because the team was able to win.
Q, it seemed like he was savoring the joy a lot after the goal, maybe because it had been a long time since his last one.
A, I was also able to score a goal for the first time in a while, and I was allowed to do Okada Kazuchika's Rainmaker pose (New Japan Pro-Wrestling).
Q: We scored 6 goals as a team, but what will the result of winning bring us?
A, I think today's game went well as a team, but I don't think we can aim for the top in the remaining 9 games if we don't continue this. So, I want us to continue this result and keep growing as a team.
Q: There was a period without official matches. What did you work on during that time?
A, we have been talking about establishing our own style of football, and we have been practicing exercises that involve not only possession but also counterattacks, moving the ball and making the opponent move as well. We have also studied the tactical aspects against the opponent and I think we were able to exploit their weaknesses in both offense and defense.
Q, Albert PUIG ORTONEDA was evaluated as having changed the content in the second half, but how do the players perceive it?
A, we conceded 3 goals in the second half, so we need to improve on that. Not only today, but we have also been conceding goals in response to crosses, so we need to work on that in practice. We couldn't really settle down until one of the opposing team's players was sent off, but after that, we were able to play our style of football and pass the ball.
Q: What do you think is necessary for the top competition?
First and foremost, I believe it is important to have the motivation to never lose to the opponent in terms of emotions, rather than focusing on tactics and so on.
Q: How do you feel about your performance at this point, compared to what you envisioned before the season started?
A, I have to do more because I am playing in the game, and not just by working hard on defense, but I think it will work better for the team if I can aim for goals and assists.
Q, the next match is against Yokohama F.Marinos. What kind of impression do you have?
The opponent plays a very tactical and established style of football, so I think it will be a tough match. However, I believe that we have built a foundation by defeating Kashiwa, so I want to ride this momentum and win.
Q, please tell us your enthusiasm again.
A, since they are a higher-ranked opponent, I want to win firmly so that we can compete for the top and push ourselves into the upper ranks.
＜Koki TSUKAGAWA player＞
Q, how was it playing as an inside half?
A, everyone's sense of distance was really good, and the opponent didn't press us much, so we were able to create time to hold the ball. However, in the second half, the distance between the players became wider as the opponent was losing and coming forward. If we had continued to play like in the first half, I think we could have reduced the number of goals conceded.
Q: During the suspension period, what kind of discussions did you have within the team and how did they affect today's performance?
A, because we have been able to build up our achievements so far, I don't know if it's because of the break period, but as a whole, we have a cohesive team and I think we are getting closer to the soccer we aim for. I want to continue to pursue it further. I think you saw it today, but I believe you understood that the strength of this team lies in individual breakthroughs on the sides, and I think we can make use of that. I think we can become an even more amazing team.
Q: What did you focus on in terms of the coordination between the two players on the right side?
A, we were able to play fluidly by changing positions with the players around us while looking at each other. It was good that we were able to do well in the game as we had discussed before the match.
Q, what did you focus on and what was required of you in your first starting lineup?
A, what I was conscious of was working hard, and what was required was to connect the ball firmly and to calm the team.
Q: How do you feel about being able to skillfully draw out the ball?
A, as expected, since everyone was watching, I received the ball when I started moving, and the surrounding players also covered me, so it was very easy to play. It wasn't so much me, but rather the surrounding players who brought out the goodness.
Q, you were involved in the build-up to both goals in the first half. Can you reflect on the play where you turned and played a vertical pass to player Konno for the second goal?
A, there were also parts where I played intuitively, but since it led to a solid goal, I want to increase those plays and also focus more on being able to make vertical passes at that inside half position, because I think it won't become a threat if I can't do that.
Q: Where was the key to today's victory?
It is very difficult to win away games, but we were able to turn the first half around with a 2-0 lead. In the second half, we conceded a goal due to our own mistakes and put ourselves in a difficult situation, but I think being able to score additional goals from there contributed to today's victory.
Q: It was your first goal after joining. Please look back on that scene.
A, I am a forward player, so my job is to score goals. I am happy that I was able to score today. I consider it a positive thing that I was able to score in such a short time since joining.
Q, I connected my first chance to a goal.
A, I worked hard to be able to score in official matches from practice. I feel that being able to concentrate in today's game led to scoring.
Q, I entered the game as a substitute today, what was your intention when entering the match?
We entered the situation with a 2-1 lead, so we didn't want to give the opponent any points and let them gain momentum. The most important thing was to not concede any goals. And then, we wanted to score more goals and lead to victory. Today, we were able to score goals and win by a large margin.
Q: Please share your enthusiasm for the next game.
A, I think it is important for us to continue working on what we need to do. I believe that it will lead to results like today.
Shuto ABE player
Q, I think it was your first time coming on as a substitute. What was your intention?
A, this time I was on the bench, but I prepared for the game as usual. I was able to express my usual play when I entered the game halfway through, so I think that was reflected in the result.
Q: It feels like the team was able to play the soccer they were aiming for.
A, I think the first half was really good from the outside. In the second half, there were moments where we became passive due to the opponent coming forward. I was told to calm the team down more in those situations. It turned into a back-and-forth match, but we were able to maintain possession of the ball and score, so I think it was good.
Q, I think I was able to work hard.
A, that's my strength, and if I don't do that, there's no point in me being here, and I don't want to lose to anyone there, so I want to continue doing it not only today but also in the future.
Q, how are you preparing for the next game?
A, whether I am a starting member or on the bench, I want to prepare firmly without being shaken and if I play, I want to contribute to the team by playing well because we have a really good opponent to play against on the weekend.
Yuto NAGATOMO
Q, the next match is against the top team, Yokohama F.Marinos. What should we be aware of when facing an opponent with a strong side attack?
First of all, it is important not to lose in one-on-one situations, but I want the team to work together and defend with a compact formation.
Q, the team has moved up to 7th place. As we aim for a higher position, this will be a crucial match that we cannot afford to lose.
A, although we played a good game in the first half, we ended up losing. However, in our recent matches, we have been able to establish a solid foundation for our attacks, and I believe we can definitely have an exciting game. Next, I hope to secure a victory at home.
