From the scoreless draw in Osaka, with only three days of rest, Tokyo once again faced a tough opponent in the Kansai region.
Although they are sinking in the rankings, Vissel Kobe is a team with highly skilled players. Among their opponents' front line is none other than their former teammate, Yoshinori MUTO. The confrontation with his comrade Masato MORISHIGE is the hot point of this match.
Can Tokyo correct and improve the high number of ball losses seen in the early stages of the previous match against Gamba Osaka? Additionally, Kobe has been increasing their playing intensity and changing to a faster vertical style of soccer. Protecting the ball and not losing in intensity are also important points that coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA always emphasizes. Can Tokyo also win the battle for the ball? That will also be a key point.
1st HALF - Conceding 2 goals in quick succession, a difficult situation Kobe countered Tokyo's basic formation of 4-3-3 with the same system. This naturally led to many one-on-one situations on the pitch. When Tokyo has possession, for example on the right side, Kazuya Konno widens the field to the maximum and Yuto Nagatomo, the side back, runs into the half space on the inside. Ryoma Watanabe, the left winger, also moves fluidly and advances into the center to disrupt the opponent.
However, these were all situations where the ball was brought into the enemy's territory. In this match, Tokyo struggled to break through Kobe's high defensive line from the beginning.
In the 11th minute of the first half, Yasuki KIMOTO, a player from Kobe, initially wins the cross from right back Iino, but Tokyo is unable to control the floating ball that turns into a fifty-fifty ball. Konno reacts to the ball that is cleared outside the penalty area, but is dispossessed by Sakai at the last moment. With that momentum, Kobe connects a pass and ultimately, Yamaguchi scores a powerful right-footed shot.
Tokyo had their first chance in the 20th minute. Konno passed the ball to Abe from the right side after keeping the dribble, and then passed it to Kashif BANGNAGANDE who showed his face on the opposite side. The left side back who advanced forward shot with his non-dominant right foot, but it went over the crossbar.
Just as Tokyo was starting to get into the rhythm, they conceded a painful second goal. In the 25th minute of the first half, Kikuchi scored a spectacular header from Taiki's kick from the right corner. It was a devastating goal to concede from a set piece, especially as it was scored over the heads of Morishige and Kimoto.
In the 38th minute of the first half, CACA cut off the opponent's pass in the midfield and launched a short counterattack. Several players were involved and Kono player took a shot, but it didn't go in. Tokyo made many mistakes during their attacks and ended the first half behind.
2nd HALF - Despite multiple card entries, Leandro's player stops at one point In the second half, Coach Albert brought in Keigo HIGASHI and Adailton, bringing stability with steady passing in the midfield and adding impetus and breakthrough power to the front line to launch a counterattack.
In the 4th minute of the second half, Adailton immediately turned forward with strength and fired a right-footed middle shot to ignite the team. Higashi spread the ball left and right, and there were more opportunities for Matsuki Kuryu and Watanabe to receive passes in higher positions than in the first half.
Adailton attempted a powerful mid-range shot in the 20th minute of the second half, coming close to scoring for Kobe. Just one minute later, Euan SHOESMITH won a header from a right corner kick, but unfortunately it hit the post and went wide.
Here, Luiz PHELLYPE and Leandro enter in rotation, giving a boost to the attacking mindset. With the distribution power of player East coming to life, and player Watanabe connecting his teammates as a relay point, foreign players with technique and power move towards the goal in the front line. As both teams gradually enter a period of stretched out time, it seemed like Tokyo's attacking strength would be displayed.
However, the build-up in their own half, which was also mentioned as a challenge in the previous match, ended up strangling themselves here as well. In the 31st minute of the second half, Seiji KIMURA entered the game and changed the system to a 3-back, but they were unable to fully utilize the strengths of their attacking line due to multiple passing mistakes in their own half until the end. In the 44th minute of the second half, Leandro scored a goal to retaliate, but they were unable to take advantage of the 5-minute additional time and the game ended.
Hold the ball, take the appropriate position while watching the opponent's movements, and attack. The positional play that Coach Albert Puig Ortoneda aims for is, according to the commander, "an endeavor that requires time." Although the direction we aim for was glimpsed in this match as well, Tokyo is facing a dilemma as they become the target of the enemy's press and are unable to effectively connect the ball.
Fought with all their might, but there were no smiles. The players' expressions reflected the difficulty of facing reality.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jakub SLOWIK
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (31st minute: Seiji KIMURA)
MF Koki TSUKAGAWA (21st minute: Leandro)/Shuto ABE (0th minute: Keigo HIGASHI)/Kuryu MATSUKI/
FW Ryoma WATANABE/Diego OLIVEIRA (21st minute: Luiz PHELLYPE)/Kazuya KONNO (0th minute: Adailton)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Hotaka NAKAMURA
GOAL
45' Leandro
<Vissel Kobe>
STARTING XI
GK Hiroki Iikura
DF Nanasei Iino (32nd minute of the second half: Ryo Hatsuse)/Ryuho Kikuchi/Matheus Thuler (26th minute of the second half: Yusuke Kobayashi)/Gotoku Sakai
MF Hotaru Yamaguchi/Leo Osaki/Yuki Kobayashi (26th minute of the second half: Yuta Goke)/Koya Yuruki
FW Daiju Sasaki (9th minute of the second half: Tetsushi Yamakawa)/Yoshinori Muto (32nd minute of the second half: Noriaki Fujimoto)
SUBS
GK Daiya MAEKAWA
MF Takahiro OHGIHARA
GOAL
First Half 11 Minutes: Yamaguchi/First Half 25 Minutes: Kikuchi
[Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Interview]
Q: please review the game.
A, in the first 20 minutes of the first half, we were unable to press tactically and lacked the fighting spirit, allowing the opponent to take control. It was not the shape we were expecting. It is not enough to just have the ball, we must also combine defensive pressing in order to express the desired play. In the previous match, we had a lot of ball losses at the start of the game and were unable to play well. We had such challenges, but today we faced different challenges at the start and in the pressing. After conceding 2 goals, the opponent naturally fought to win 3 points, while we found ourselves in a situation where we had to recover the game from a 0-2 scoreline. As time went on, we were able to play better, but it can be said that our reaction was slow. Today, we had challenges in the fighting spirit aspect more than tactics. The opponent expressed the desire to win the game at all costs as they are in a relegation battle, but we were unable to show a matching fighting spirit. After that, we made various tactical adjustments to bring out better play, and I think it was functioning to some extent.
[Player Interview]
Q: There was a fantastic goal towards the end. Do you feel that the comeback was a bit late?
A, we conceded 2 goals at the beginning. It was a game where we had to fight for a long time from a 0-2 situation. It was a very difficult game to score a goal.
Q: This season has also reached 6 matches. What kind of play would you like to show again?
A, I will approach all the remaining matches with the intention of winning.
Q, today was an away game, but it was a match where vocal support was allowed. Could you hear the cheers from the fans and supporters?
Although it was an away game, I am truly grateful that you came all the way here. The cheers from the stands have reached us, and I believe that those cheers will continue to make us stronger in the future.
<Keigo HIGASHI>
Q, please look back on today's game.
A, in terms of the base or fundamental aspect, it is necessary to surpass the opponent, and I think that it is an important thing no matter what kind of soccer you play. Even though there are difficulties in consecutive away games, I feel that there are more things we can do, and I wanted to change those aspects and face the second half. It would have been better if the content improved, but we managed to score one goal in the second half, but the result is disappointing.
Q, was it a bit late to score one point?
Yes, it would be a "what if" situation, but I think it is important to minimize the number of goals conceded in the first half or not let the opponent score in difficult situations. Regardless of the style we aim for, I want to focus on those aspects to accumulate points.
Q, in the first half, it seemed like they were targeting the area next to the anchor.
A, in the second half, the opponent has scored 2 points, so the way of fighting has changed from the first half. There were also parts that we were able to do in the second half, and I would like to share them with all the players and face the next challenge.
Q, there will be another game in 3 days.
Next, we have a national game, so we are trying to liven up the club as a whole. We need to play with passion once again, and I think the pressing and what we should do in any soccer game will not change. If we don't do that, it's meaningless, so we need to have a discussion with everyone, and the veterans like us need to lead and raise the motivation, including the aspect of motivation. I want to do more and more.
<Kuryu MATSUKI>
Q, please look back on the game.
We played a bad game and the coach pointed out that point. We were not satisfied with the first half, so we decided to press from the front line and aim for a goal.
Q, we scored one point but I think the counterattack was too slow.
A, yes. If we can make the third move after capturing the side, I think the opponent would have taken a different position, and we need to improve the quality in front of the goal.
Q, I think there has been an increase in movement towards the front compared to the Gamba match, but I think we still need a little more to reach the goal.
A, we need to continue to improve there, and it is also a position where we can aim for the top in the remaining few matches, so I want to work on improving from practice.
Q: Was it difficult to adjust your condition due to consecutive matches?
I don't think there are any players who make excuses about their condition. We will create the best condition to win the next game.
Q, the coach said there are challenges in the press.
A, there were various differences in the front line, and there were some differences in the way we pressed in the actual game compared to the press method the coach intended. So in the second half, we were able to press from the front line more, but it would have been better if we could have done that from the first half.
<Seiji KIMURA>
Q: How did you feel about the game when watching from the outside and reflecting on it as a whole when you played?
A, at halftime the coach said, "We haven't been able to compete in the ball contests." That was the impression of the first half, that we were outperformed by Kobe in areas other than tactics. It was frustrating because we know that we have players who can do more in our regular training and other matches.
I think we were able to fight for the ball in the second half, and we didn't concede any goals, and we were able to score one goal back. I think the emotional aspect comes out in those situations, so I felt once again that everyone needs to show that aspect from the beginning of the game.
Q, I came on as a substitute in the second half. What were you thinking about when you entered the game?
A, recently there have been times when we have played with a 3-back formation during practice, and we were able to work on various aspects such as positioning during build-up play and defensive checks. So, we entered the game with that in mind.
In terms of tactics, regarding the plays at the beginning, the two instances where the long ball to Nagatomo resulted in a mistake, and the play where Matsuki was marked, these are individual quality aspects. So, I think I need to level up myself in those areas and be prepared to play from the start even as a substitute.
Q: Did you feel the pressure from the opponent's constant pressure?
A, I feel the pressure, but if you say that I haven't been doing it with that much pressure from my usual training, that's not true. I think it was a situation where I could fight just by improving the distance and creating a passing course. I felt that we need to share more of our imagination in that aspect.
Q, the next game will be at Japan National Stadium. Please share your enthusiasm for the upcoming game.
A, I myself, always think that there is a chance somewhere in the consecutive battles, so I am always prepared. If it comes around next, I just need to show all the plays I usually do. We haven't been able to win the last few games, so if I can keep the chance to zero and lead the team to victory, I think the option to use me from the start will become stronger. So while always aiming for that, I will continue to prepare and want to win.
<Kazuya KONNO>
Q, please reflect on the game where it seemed like there were many scenes where you created opportunities from the side.
A, I think we should have been more aggressive in defending from the front, even though the game had just started. However, we couldn't quite get it right and ended up pulling back a bit, which led to us being scored against. We need to improve on that.
There were scenes where I created opportunities by creating a starting point on my own, but the opponent has also come up with countermeasures, so I think if I can increase the patterns of attacking by taking the initiative myself and using my teammates a little more, the width of the attack will expand.
Q, I think there were difficulties with the hot and humid weather.
A, there was a unique humid heat in Kansai, but that can't be an excuse. Regardless of that, we had all agreed to go from the beginning, but it became difficult for us to continue from the front and we conceded two goals, making the game challenging.
Q, the opponent was actively defending from the front.
A, the build-up did not go as smoothly as usual, and that needs to be improved. I haven't watched the footage yet, but I want to thoroughly review it and discuss what should have been done for the next game.
Q, the next match is against Kyoto at the National Stadium.
It is not often that we play at the National Stadium, so I think many fans and supporters will come. I will prepare my condition well, take measures against the opponent, and practice to coordinate well. I want to win the next match firmly.
<Masato MORISHIGE>
Q, how was the defense during the game when you look back on it?
A, I think it became too heavy in the back. We couldn't be aggressive in the parts we had been talking about before the game. I think it's a small matter of unity of purpose, so there is room for improvement there.
Q, what were you careful about in terms of defense?
I didn't want to be used on the side of the anchor, so at first I was a little concerned about being behind, and I talked about it before the game. However, if I do that, I won't have momentum in defense, so I talked to the midfielders and said it's okay to be used a few times and go forward to steal the ball.
Q, it seems like we couldn't go forward for a while.
A, the Shimizu match was the same, but if we worry too much about the two midfielders behind us, we will lose our strength in defending from the front line, so I realized that again today. Based on that, I want to think about how to fight in the remaining matches and do our best.
