<Match Review>
Meiji Yasuda J1 Sec. 3, welcoming Vissel Kobe, the reigning champions of last season's J1 League. Tokyo has shown resilience in catching up from behind in the first two matches of the season, but has only managed to secure consecutive draws. Therefore, they will be looking to grab their first home victory of the season.
10 players, including Kei Koizumi, who made his first start of the season as a defensive midfielder alongside Kuryu Matsuki, started in the same lineup as the previous match. Additionally, Hotaka Nakamura made the squad, returning to Ajinomoto Stadium for the first time in about 10 months since his right Achilles tendon rupture in April last year. New signing Tsuyoshi Ogashiwa also made his first appearance in the matchday squad since joining the team.
1stHALF—Back and forth battle of attacking and defending
Tokyo, who aimed for a win at home, suddenly faced a crisis. In the 5th minute of the first half, Masato MORISHIGE, who blocked the opponent's shot, was hit by the ball on his elbow. As a result, after VAR support and an on-field review, a penalty kick was given to Kobe. However, the opponent's kick missed the goal by a large margin and Tokyo escaped danger.
In the 13th minute of the first half, Tokyo, who wants to open up, picked up the clear from the left corner kick and Ryotaro ARAKI supplied a cross ball with his left foot. In the center, Diego OLIVEIRA and Morishige competed for the loose ball, but Teruhito NAKAGAWA took it out in the penalty area and shot with his right foot, but it was blocked by the opposing defender and did not result in a goal.
In the 16th minute of the first half, Keita ENDO, who has started two consecutive games, cut in from the left side and launched a powerful ground middle shot with his right foot. Unfortunately, it was caught by the goalkeeper, but the blue and red army continued to aggressively attack the enemy's territory.
In defense, Henrique TREVISAN and Morishige players show tough defense in the center against Kobe, who attacks targeting Yuya OSAKO using long balls, and do not give the opponent freedom by firmly coordinating with the defensive midfielder.
Tokyo also tries to launch attacks with Diego Taba, the central player, as the starting point, but the opponent has also increased their level of caution towards player number 9, making it difficult to create decisive chances.
The first half, which turned into a battle of canceling each other's strengths, ended in a scoreless draw after a back-and-forth offensive and defensive struggle.
2ndHALF - Koizumi's opening goal was not enough to overcome the numerical disadvantage and only one point was scored.
In the second half, the game quickly changed. The catalyst was Kashif BANGNAGANDE's sharp interception.
5 minutes into the second half, number 49, who had a sharp start, stole the ball on the left side and dribbled it down the field. Matsuki, who received the pass near the penalty area, aimed with his left foot but it was blocked by the opposing defender.
After Keishi FU player kicked the right corner kick obtained here, Kei KOIZUMI player ran into the far side and swung his right foot directly to score the first goal, as Henrique TREVISAN player touched the ball that spilled near. With a powerful shot from number 37, who responded to being selected as a starter, Tokyo succeeded in scoring the first goal of the season for the first time.
Kobe, on the other hand, is also stepping up their attack. In the 12th minute of the second half, they equalize with a cross from the left after a successful dribble.
In the 24th minute of the second half, Henrique, who had been about to be beaten by a long ball, was shown a red card for stopping the opponent with a decisive chance. This resulted in a direct free kick, which was scored by Osako, leading to a reversal.
Tokyo, who was burdened with a numerical disadvantage and one point behind, tried to find a way out through the breakthrough power of Jája Silva, who was brought in on the left side.
33 minutes into the second half, Jaja takes a right-footed shot near the penalty arc. Matsuki then attempts a powerful shot with his right foot on the rebound, but it is blocked by the opposing goalkeeper.
Tokyo, who wants to counterattack, made three substitutions in one go in the 37th minute of the second half to break the deadlock. Kota TAWARATSUMIDA was placed as the left attacker, and Jája Silva was placed on the right. Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA, who entered the front line, made his debut in blue and red. In addition, Hotaka NAKAMURA, who was used as the right side back, made a long-awaited comeback after about 10 months from a serious injury.
In the 43rd minute of the second half, player Kashiwa was fouled while dribbling and earned a free kick. Player Matsuki took the kick with his accurate left foot, but unfortunately the ball narrowly missed the top right corner of the goal.
In the 7th minute of additional time, Tawarazumida player showed a dribble that cut through the center from the left side and sent a last pass vertically, but it didn't go through. Furthermore, Koizumi player strongly moved up from the center to the right side. Jaja player aimed powerfully with his right foot, but the shot that hit the near side was saved by the opponent goalkeeper and couldn't break the goal.
Tokyo, who bravely attacked while being at a disadvantage in terms of number of players and score, was unable to catch up. They suffered a bitter defeat of 1-2 against Kobe, resulting in their first loss of the season.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Go HATANO
DF Yuto NAGATOMO (38th minute of the second half: Hotaka NAKAMURA)/Masato MORISHIGE/Henrique TREVISAN/Kashif BANGNAGANDE
MF Kuryu MATSUKI/Kei KOIZUMI/Ryotaro ARAKI (38th minute of the second half: Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA)
FW Keita ENDO (17th minute of the second half: Jája Silva)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (38th minute of the second half: Kota TAWARATSUMIDA)/Diego OLIVEIRA (28th minute of the second half: Yasuki KIMOTO)
SUBS
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
MF Keigo HIGASHI
GOAL
5 minutes into the second half: Kei KOIZUMI
＜Vissel Kobe＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Daiya MAEKAWA
DF Gotoku SAKAI/Tetsushi YAMAKAWA/Matheus THULER/Yuki HONDA (29' Ryo HATSUSE)
MF Takahiro OHGIHARA/Hotaru YAMAGUCHI/Rikuto HIROSE (29' Jean PATRIC)/Yoshinori MUTO (45+7' Nanasei IINO)
FW Taisei MIYASHIRO (37' Yosuke IDEGUCHI)/Yuya OSAKO
SUBS
GK Powell Obinna OBI
DF Takuya IWANAMI/Ryuho KIKUCHI
GOAL
12 minutes into the second half: Taisei MIYASHIRO/29 minutes into the second half: Yuya OSAKO
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI, Manager]
Q, please give us an overview of today's match.
A, First of all, I am very disappointed and regretful that we were unable to produce results. One thing I can be proud of is that the players fought until the end and gave their all to challenge for victory in a difficult situation. With this disappointment, I want to thoroughly analyze our performance today. Vissel Kobe showed how to win as a champion team in this match. I think the red card incident was a turning point, but we want to look back on this match and become even stronger. And I want to thank all the fans and supporters who passionately supported the players. Their energy pushed us forward and thanks to them, the players were able to fight until the end even with 10 players. I am truly grateful for their amazing support.
Q, Has the option to raise the player's position and make it more offensive become unavailable due to a dismissal?
We were considering a substitution strategy to attack in an 11 vs 11 situation, but unfortunately, a red card made the situation difficult. We knew that it would be a challenging situation with one less player, but the goal scored from the free kick made it even more advantageous for the opponent. We fought with a strong mentality to score the next goal, using substitution players and aiming to equalize and turn the game around. All the substitute players gave their all until the end, but unfortunately, today was not our day.
[Player Interview]
＜Kei KOIZUMI＞
Q, first of all, please look back on the 90 minutes.
We were able to take the lead, but unfortunately conceded during a crucial time. There was still time left and we were overwhelmed by the momentum of the opponent's second goal.
Q, What were you asked for in the starting lineup and how did you approach the game on the actual pitch?
A, I knew that the number of long balls would increase, so I was thinking about contributing firmly as a defensive midfielder in the recovery of second balls. As a team, I think we had a strong awareness of not losing in second balls or aerial battles, but we need to continue to move forward after picking up the second ball. In order for the whole team to share the same image and be able to attack, we have to keep working on it in practice, so I want to work on it firmly.
Q, After the second goal, what kind of communication was there on the pitch?
A, I was encouraging them to move forward even if they had to take risks, and there was no option to withdraw here. Take risks and bring it to a tie first. As we go through the long battle of the league, I think there will be situations like the second half, so I hope to be able to respond flexibly when that happens, and I want to encourage the players on the pitch like today.
<Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA>
Q: This was my first game appearance in Tokyo. Please review the game.
A, it was a difficult game, so I just chased the ball with all my might and thought I had to go towards the goal. It was difficult with only 10 players and there were challenges with balance, but I was conscious of going for one point no matter what.
Q, it was a difficult time to play. What were you conscious of?
A, since it was a situation where we were losing due to a numerical disadvantage, I was conscious of going into the goal area and breaking through to the back. I think I was able to demonstrate my strengths in defense by chasing the ball from the front, but I also want the fans and supporters to see me breaking through to the back and taking shots in the attacking aspect, so I want to further improve my coordination with my teammates.
Q, After joining Tokyo, there was a period of adjustment. What kind of preparations did you make?
I have been carefully adjusting to avoid injuries. I am glad that I was able to play soccer in front of the Tokyo fans and supporters today. I have always only been able to leave the pitch on a stretcher at Ajinomoto Stadium, so I am happy that I was able to play without any injuries until the end. From here on, I want to continue to improve my condition.
Q, please share your enthusiasm for the upcoming Avispa Fukuoka match.
I have heard that we have a bad compatibility with the Kyushu team. However, I, as a new member, along with Ryotaro ARAKI and Keita ENDO, do not think it has anything to do with us. I want to create a different flow from before. And I want to share the joy with the fans and supporters.
<Kuryu MATSUKI>
Q, please review the game.
It was a game where we scored the opening goal in the third quarter, but before we could get into the flow, we allowed the opponent to score. I think one of the reasons for the two goals was that the players on the pitch were not able to make adjustments. In the first half, there were moments where we were under attack, but we were able to defend well. On the other hand, in the second half, it seemed like we didn't have enough buildup as a team in terms of how to proceed after scoring a goal.
Q, today was a double pivot with Kei KOIZUMI, who was also appointed as team captain.
A, We were able to play with a good sense of distance with player Koizumi. In the first half, there were several scenes where I could receive the ball when Koizumi was carrying it. It will be important for us to advance through the midfield as a team, to be aware of building the game together, and to share it in the future.
Q, Did a big change occur due to the player being sent off?
A, it was a tactical game centered around long balls, so regardless of the timing of the ejection, we were conscious of Kobe's style of play throughout the 90 minutes. First, we need to analyze as a team why the ejection happened and work on improving it.
