This is the second consecutive victory of the season.
The 2024 Meiji Yasuda J1 League Sec. 21, which welcomed Avispa Fukuoka, became a home game series at Ajinomoto Stadium following a midweek match. The team is currently on a streak of two consecutive clean sheets for the first time this season. They have been winning by scoring one goal while maintaining a strong defense and rhythm.
Last week's match against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo was a stunning victory at Ajinomoto Stadium, where they had only managed one win in the first half. They kicked off the second half of the season at home. This week's match will also be held at Ajinomoto Stadium, and they hope to taste the joy of victory with a large crowd filling the stadium and gain momentum for future games.
Tokyo started Taishi Brandon NOZAWA as their goalkeeper. The final line consisted of Hotaka NAKAMURA, Masato MORISHIGE, Teppei OKA, and Yuto NAGATOMO, with Kei KOIZUMI and Riki HARAKAWA as the midfield duo. Kuryu MATSUKI played as the attacking midfielder. On the front line, Teruhito NAKAGAWA was on the right, while Soma ANZAI, who scored the dramatic winning goal in the previous match, was on the left. Up front, Diego OLIVEIRA returned to the starting lineup after missing three games.
1stHALF—Ajinomoto Stadium wins again, kick off for 3 consecutive league wins
Fukuoka created a chance from a left cross in the early stages, but Wellington's header, which was on target, was firmly saved by Nozawa. After that, the beginning of the game became a back-and-forth exchange.
Fukuoka adopted a modified system similar to 4-4-2 when defending and 3-4-3 when attacking. Tokyo often faced man-to-man marking and numerical disadvantages in each position, requiring ingenuity in creating and breaking through gaps, including positioning.
The first chance came in the 18th minute of the first half. Koizumi made a sharp turn in the midfield and passed forward, where Matsuki made a through pass. With the plays of both players, the team quickly became more aggressive. Nakagawa and Diego connected the ball, and finally Matsuki took a left-footed shot. Unfortunately, it missed just to the right of the goal, but the team gradually increased their attack while switching gears.
Create a chance from a quick attack in the 33rd minute of the first half. Morishige clears the opponent's feed with a header and connects forward, but Matsuki tries to break through with a clever one-two with Diego TABA, but is brought down by the opponent and does not reach a scoring opportunity. In this play, the kicker is Harakawa, who got a free kick chance in front of the goal near the penalty arc. It was expected to reproduce the brilliant kick that was decided in the 2nd round of the Emperor's Cup, but the ball hit the opponent's head in the wall and went over the bar.
Tokyo, who saw the effectiveness of drawing in the opponent and launching sharp counters, also created gaps by having their fullbacks move into the center and launched quick attacks with consecutive one-touch passes to avoid the press from the build-up. Additionally, they defended well by controlling the passing lanes and showed toughness in challenges to prevent dangerous situations from arising.
How will Tokyo break down Fukuoka, who uses their strong defense as a weapon, while showing a stable defense in recent games? The first half ended scoreless and halftime was reached.
2ndHALF— One chance decided and a frustrating defeat
Tokyo was the one who showed an aggressive attack from the start of the second half. Multiple players demonstrated a powerful attack, overtaking one after another from the back in coordination. They showed a variety of attacks, such as building up using the goalkeeper, switching to a teammate after dribbling, and changing positions after moving up to the space.
In the 14th minute of the second half, there was an accident where players Morishige and Yasuzaki collided heads during a set play in front of the opponent's goal. After about 5 minutes of treatment, both players returned to the pitch, but it was a worrying scene.
In the 61st minute of the second half, Tawara Sekita was substituted for Nakagawa and put into the left wing. The formation was changed to move Yasuzaki to the right side.
However, in the 21st minute of the second half, when we allowed a low cross from the right side to the opponent, player Shigemi was able to change the course with one touch after entering the near side, and player Nozawa was unable to react in time. As a result, we conceded a goal for the first time in three games, allowing Fukuoka to take the lead.
In the 27th minute of the second half, Tokyo, who wants to change the flow, sends Ryotaro ARAKI as the top striker and Takahiro KO as the defensive midfielder. Coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI entrusted the counterattack to the two players who can add changes to the attack. In addition, in the 31st minute of the second half, Keita ENDO, who is returning from injury, was substituted for injured player Yasuaki and Shuhei TOKUMOTO was brought in as the left fullback. They will continue to make changes on the pitch in order to find a way to win.
In the 40th minute of the second half, a direct free kick was awarded just outside the penalty area, at a 45 degree angle to the right. Julian's sharp right footed kick aimed for the top right corner of the goal, but was blocked by the opponent's fine save, resulting in no goal. Although they created a close opportunity, they were unable to shake the net. In the 44th minute of the second half, Erik TERRY broke through the left side and crossed the ball. Lori jumped in, but the opponent quickly returned and desperately stretched out their leg to clear it.
The second half additional time is displayed for 6 minutes. Both players, Takashi and Koizumi, exchanged passes in small increments while moving forward, and Tawarazumiya Takada player, who received the ball on the left side, accelerated with a dribble. He cut in and brought the ball to the center of the pitch, swinging his right foot, but it hit the opponent's goalkeeper directly in front.
Tokyo, who strengthened their attack, had player Tokumoto make a sharp cross from an inner lap. Endo ran into the far side, but was unable to catch the ball with a header. Furthermore, with a sharp wedge pass from Takahashi and a one-touch play from Araki, they tried to change the game, but in the end, they were unable to break through the Fukuoka defense and the game ended. Their winning streak stopped at 2, resulting in a disappointing loss at home.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Hotaka NAKAMURA/Masato MORISHIGE/Teppei OKA/Yuto NAGATOMO (30th minute of the second half: Shuhei TOKUMOTO)
MF Kuryu MATSUKI/Kei KOIZUMI/Riki HARAKAWA (27th minute of the second half: Takahiro KO)/
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (27th minute of the second half: Ryotaro ARAKI)/Soma ANZAI (30th minute of the second half: Keita ENDO)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (16th minute of the second half: Kota TAWARATSUMIDA)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Yasuki KIMOTO
GOAL
―
＜Avispa Fukuoka＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Masaaki MURAKAMI
DF Masashi KAMEKAWA (Substituted in 17th minute: Itsuki ODA)/Douglas GROLLI/Masaya TASHIRO/Daiki MIYA/Yuto IWASAKI
MF Daichi MATSUOKA/Hiroyuki MAE
FW Kazuya KONNO (Substituted in 41st minute: Takeshi KANAMORI)/Wellington (Substituted in 30th minute: Shahabzahedi)/Ryoga SATO (Substituted in 17th minute: Masato SHIGEMI)
SUBS
GK Daiki SAKATA
DF Seiya INOUE
MF Yuji KITAJIMA
GOAL
21 minutes into the second half: Masato SHIGEMI
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI, Manager]
Q: please review the game.
A, it was a very tight game. We were performing well enough to win. We were close to getting 3 points. However, we couldn't get the points. It's very disappointing. The first half was as expected. In the second half, we lost the second ball to the opponent and they were able to control the rhythm at times. In that situation, we gave up a goal. It became a very difficult game after conceding. If we could have held on for 0-0, I think we could have scored a goal in the end with the adjustments made by the players. Today, we were not enough and it's very frustrating, but we were able to perform as a team as intended. In that, we need to improve more in the attacking third and in the sharpness in front of goal.
[Player Interview]
＜Player Kei KOIZUMI＞
Q: please review the game.
A, it wasn't all bad, it was just a small difference. We all feel the pain of losing points by giving a little gap. Everyone knew it was an important game to either break into the top or not. I think it would be great if we could show our strength and not give any gaps at times like this, including myself.
Q, Compared to the first half, the second half saw a more stagnant development. How did you see the difference in development between the first and second half?
A, The way to defend and move the ball, the opponent also took measures based on the first half. Even if we took measures, we had to play better than that and we had to raise one or two gears. We gave a little gap and it led to this result. I think it is important for each person to improve the quality of each play and the final quality.
Q, the combination of the defensive midfielders changes and we are able to rotate in a good way.
There are Takahiro KO and Riki HARAKAWA in the defensive midfield, but I don't think there will be another opportunity to play with such good players in the same team, so I have to absorb everything with the mindset of a young player. All three of us are different types of players, but Takahiro KO is good at intercepting and always showing his face, while Riki HARAKAWA is good at accuracy in kicking and attacking. I want to absorb and improve while playing in the same team. We are in a series of games, but I hope we can all work hard together.
<Keita ENDO player>
Q, this was my first game appearance in 5 matches.
A, I was on the bench since the previous Shonan Bellmare match, and I wanted to play in the game as much as possible today. I think I have to make up for it with my own results in order to have more opportunities to play in future games.
Q, please reflect on the entire game even though you came on as a substitute.
A, it was a goal conceded by being caught off guard, and personally, it was frustrating to lose because of that goal. However, it was also a point of reflection that we were not able to create dangerous scenes in our attacks. I believe that in soccer, it is often one chance that determines the outcome of the game. In the match against Shonan, we were able to win in that way. This time, it ended up being the opposite.
Q, Did you try to break through the right side, which seemed to be clogged?
A, every time I received the ball, I was under pressure from about two opposing defenders. So, I was playing while thinking about how to break through. There were few scenes where I was involved with the ball, and I want to look back and reflect on what caused this.
Q, How do you want to make use of your strengths?
A, it depends on the situation, but I believe that I can make the right play at that time depending on the members who are playing. If it is a scene where I should take on one-on-one, I can also take on the challenge, and if it is more effective to use my teammates, I think I can work together to break down the opponent. I think that being able to adapt to such an environment is a strength. In order to make use of that strength, I want to be conscious of preparing myself to be able to receive the ball freely first.
Q, What kind of preparations do you think will be necessary for the next match against Kashiwa Reysol?
A, The mentality of rebounding is important. Among the members who will participate in next week's match, there may be players who started on the bench today, and there may also be players who are not on the bench. The strength of these players will be necessary, and we want to make sure that these players can bring energy to the team. We hope to have a good preparation for the match through training.
