<Match Review>
Tokyo, who suffered a loss in the previous match against Avispa Fukuoka, will have a game to regroup and aim for a comeback. The game was delayed by 30 minutes due to a thunderstorm and heavy rain, but the rain stopped and the pitch conditions improved after adjusting the game time. The kickoff took place in the lingering humidity.
Taishi Brandon NOZAWA, who was selected for the Tokyo Olympic U-23 Japan national team, entered as the goalkeeper, and four players, Kosuke SHIRAI, Yasuki KIMOTO, Teppei OKA, and Shuhei TOKUMOTO, were used in the final line from the right. Takahiro KO and Kei KOIZUMI were placed in the defensive midfield, Teruhito NAKAGAWA in the attacking midfield, and Soma ANZAI on the right wing and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA on the left wing, with Diego OLIVEIRA leading the front line. In addition, Ryotaro ARAKI and captain Kuryu MATSUKI of the Tokyo Olympic U-23 Japan national team were placed on the bench and prepared for the match.
1stHALF—Diego scores to turn the game around in the 2nd minute
The match starts off with a bang. From the beginning, Tokyo takes control of the ball and attacks. They use their goalkeeper to avoid pressure by passing at an angle. Then, Nakagawa is fouled and they gain a free kick on the right side. Shiraishi makes a forward through pass and Asai crosses it with his right foot from the goal line, where Diego TABA is waiting in the center to score. In just 2 minutes, Tokyo successfully takes the lead with a lightning-fast strike.
The team, which had left challenges in the way of fighting and momentum in the first half, showed a positive attitude from the start and took the lead. Diego TABA, who scored a goal against his former team, ran to the bench. He hugged the staff and substitute members, showing a strong guts pose.
In the 5th minute of the first half, Takahashi took a middle shot with his left foot from a wave-like attack. In the 13th minute of the second half, Tawaradzuma player broke through the left side and took a close shot in front of the goal. Tokyo is increasing their offensive pressure.
Tokyo created consecutive chances, but conceded a goal in the 14th minute of the first half. Matheus SAVIO passed a pinpoint through ball from near the penalty arc to the left side, and Diego broke through the near side to equalize.
Tokyo, who boldly approached away, developed from the left side to the right side in the 23rd minute of the first half. Diego TABA broke through diagonally and regained the corner kick after losing it once, and then continued to earn corner kicks and pushed forward to create a big chance in front of the opponent's goal. However, they were unable to score a winning goal due to the opponent's strong defense.
In the 29th minute of the first half, player Robert Tawarazumida made a powerful vertical breakthrough with a high-speed dribble from just before the halfway line. He continued to advance and entered the penalty area, then unleashed a powerful left-footed shot. The ball grazed the crossbar and went over the goal, but he created a chance with his individual strength.
However, in the 32nd minute of the first half, the ball was lost when attempting to build up from their own half. Nogisawa's floated vertical pass was intercepted by the opponent, and Takamine quickly shot with his left foot from the trap. Caught off guard, they ended up conceding a goal and falling behind unexpectedly.
Kashiwa, who is looking for a chance on the counter against Tokyo, who is actively attacking. They took the lead early on, but were unable to convert their chances and were instead troubled by Kashiwa's quick attacks. Tokyo also showed a persistent defense, with player Nozawa stopping a close-range shot from the opponent's corner kick just before the end of the first half. The first half ended 1-2, with Tokyo trailing by one goal at halftime.
2ndHALF— Tetsu's first professional goal is immediately overtaken
First, Tokyo wants to catch up with the tie. In the second half, they show an aggressive attitude towards the vertical and approach the Kashiwa goal. In the 3rd minute of the second half, they push into the opponent's territory and earn a free kick chance as Kimoto is fouled near the penalty arc. From the center of the goal, in a good position, Tokumoto aims with his favorite left foot, but the ball unfortunately goes over the bar. In the 12th minute of the second half, from Tokumoto's left corner kick, Shirai aims with his left foot at the loose ball, but he also fails to hit the target.
Tokyo, who continues to push in, takes the ball at a high position and creates chances with one-touch connections and vertical passes that change the rhythm of the game.
In the 20th minute of the second half, three players were substituted at once. Araki was placed as the top striker, Matsuki as the attacking midfielder, and Keita ENDO as the left winger to increase the pressure on the attack.
The defense also endures. In the 26th minute of the second half, the right side was broken and the near side was targeted, but player Nozawa made a diving save. With a determined shot stop to prevent any further goals, Tokyo continues to defend with all their might in order to turn the tide.
In the 30th minute of the second half, Yuto NAGATOMO was sent in as a right back, and in the 33rd minute, he chest-trapped a loose ball from a right corner kick and took a left-footed shot. He continued to encourage his teammates and energize the pitch with his words and play. In the 38th minute of the second half, he made an inner lap and appeared in front of the goal, exchanging direct passes with players ARAKI and MATSUKI while creating chances.
And in the 43rd minute of the second half, from a free kick opportunity on the left side, player Go HATANO supplied a sharp dropping ball, which was powerfully headed in by player OKA on the far side. The rookie, who has started in four consecutive games, scored his first professional goal with a header, saving the team and bringing Tokyo back into the game. On the bench, players Lins and LORI also pumped up the team, raising their hands to the supporters in the goal end and creating an atmosphere for a comeback.
Tokyo continues to attack relentlessly even during the 8 minutes of additional time. However, during the time they were pushed back, the final line of defense left the vital area open, allowing a free floating pass, resulting in a goal being scored in the midst of chaos in front of the goal. They end up conceding a goal just before the end of the game.
Immediately after, Anzai's powerful direct volley from Tokumoto's sharp left cross hit the frame, but it hit the opponent goalkeeper's face and the net did not shake. After that, they continued to attack by putting long balls into the front line, but the counterattack did not bear fruit. They suffered a frustrating loss away from home and ended up with their first consecutive defeat of the season.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Kosuke SHIRAI (30th minute of the second half: Yuto NAGATOMO)/Yasuki KIMOTO/Teppei OKA/Shuhei TOKUMOTO
MF Takahiro KO (36th minute of the second half: Riki HARAKAWA)/Kei KOIZUMI/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (20th minute of the second half: Ryotaro ARAKI)
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (20th minute of the second half: Kuryu MATSUKI)/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (20th minute of the second half: Keita ENDO)/Soma ANZAI
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Masato MORISHIGE
GOAL
2 minutes into the first half: Diego OLIVEIRA / 41 minutes into the second half: Teppei OKA
＜Kashiwa Reysol＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kenta MATSUMOTO
DF Daiki SEKINE/Hiroki NODA/Taiyo KOGA/Diego (36th minute of the second half: Eiichi KATAYAMA)
MF Eiji SHIRAI/Tomoki TAKAMINE (36th minute of the second half: Kazuki KUMASAWA)/Yuto YAMADA (27th minute of the second half: Takuya SHIMAMURA)
FW Matheus SAVIO (27th minute of the second half: Sachiro TOSHIMA)/Tomoya KOYAMATSU (15th minute of the second half: Kosuke KINOSHITA)/Mao HOSOYA
SUBS
GK Masato SASAKI
DF Naoki KAWAGUCHI
GOAL
First half 14 minutes: Diego / First half 32 minutes: Tomoki TAKAMINE / Second half 45+4 minutes: Sachiro TOSHIMA
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI, Manager]
Q, please give us an overview of the match.
A, I think it was a very entertaining football battle. The players gave their all, showing their performance and football. However, I am very disappointed and frustrated that we did not get the result we wanted. There were parts where we were able to show what we have been creating in this match, but there are still things we need to learn. We need to continue to improve on these things and we are a special team that can still grow. I am proud that the players fought fiercely and gave their all to get results. However, we still need to eliminate the easy goals we have been conceding. These easy goals have made the game more difficult for us, like climbing a big mountain. I am grateful to all the fans and supporters who came to support us. I hope you will continue to support us without giving up.
Q, I think we are able to take advantage of the characteristics of our front line players and get to the opponent's goal, but how do you think about the final accuracy?
A, the finishing part is an area that we still need to improve on. We are able to enter dangerous areas and the penalty area, which is a part of the football we have been playing. Today, we were able to show that our football is growing in that aspect. However, there are still things we need to learn and improve on. Today was one of the matches where we were able to earn points on our own. We feel that we need to grow, learn, and improve.
[Player Interview]
＜Teppei OKA＞
Q: Please review the scene of your first professional goal.
A, it was a situation where we had no choice but to catch up, and I was able to make eye contact with Ryotaro ARAKI and get into a good position and become free, so it was good that I was able to put it in front of the goal at a good timing. A good ball came from Shuhei TOKUMOTO, so all I had to do was to match it.
Q, although we had possession of the ball for a long time, we struggled to make a breakthrough in our attacks.
A, It would have been better if we could have attacked more effectively by cooperating with the midfield players while speeding up. It was difficult to make an effective pass on my own because the opponent defenders were also wary of it, but I was conscious of using the central midfielder to release the pressure while quickly developing the play.
Q, How did you respond to attacks from the opponent's side?
A, there were many attacks from the side, and in the previous match against Avispa Fukuoka, I was beaten in my area, so I was particularly conscious of preparing beforehand and coordinating with Kei KOIZUMI, who was one row ahead of me. However, there were some situations where the ball was played backwards and the midfielder was late to pressure, so I think I had to push the midfielder out. There were several scenes where I was shot in the middle, so I think I need to improve on that.
Q, I have been playing in the starting lineup.
I am conscious of growing with each game. I think it is not good to repeat the same mistakes. As a first-year professional player, I believe there is only room for improvement, so it is important to correct and absorb good things and continue to grow. I have not yet achieved results, so I want to increase the plays that contribute to the team.
Q, from here, we have back-to-back matches against JEF United Chiba in the Emperor's Cup and Albirex Niigata at the Japan National Stadium in just 3 days. How will you approach these games?
In order to avoid a 3-game losing streak, we must first focus on our own style of soccer and prepare well to win the Emperor's Cup.
<Shuhei TOKUMOTO>
Q, it was a frustrating defeat with a lot of time holding the ball. Please review the entire game.
A, we were able to move the ball fluidly while watching the opponent's space and the movement of our teammates, with the focus on the central midfielder. However, as a team, we want to increase the accuracy of our final shots and the number of chances created.
Q, we were progressing well in the game, but then we conceded goals in quick succession.
A, we made a simple mistake that could have been prevented. None of the players were careless during the goal scene, but we will take it as a good lesson and move on to the next one.
Q, Teppei OKA scored his first professional goal with an assist from Shuhei TOKUMOTO after successfully overcoming a difficult time.
We were in a situation where we were behind by 1-2, but we had the ball and were looking for chances by repeatedly passing the ball through the center of the field with our midfielders. The assist came from a free kick, but I was able to confidently take the shot. We had a chance to score a third goal after equalizing, but unfortunately the opponent had a stronger finishing ability and we ended up losing.
Q, it was reminiscent of the free kick that assisted Soma ANZAI's goal in the Júbilo Iwata match.
Before kicking with Riki HARAKAWA, we talked about wanting to surpass the opponent player who was at the minimum near side. With that advice, I was able to kick a good ball. There was also a good feeling when I assisted ANZAI's goal in the Iwata match, so I was able to aim aggressively and the cheers from the fans and supporters in the goal end also gave me strength, so I was full of feelings to want to respond to expectations somehow. I am also grateful to OKA for scoring with a good header.
Q, Next weekend, there is also a match against Albirex Niigata at the Japan National Stadium.
A, I think this result is a matter of mentality, and it is important how we switch it. We want to communicate among players, centered around the three captains, and make solid adjustments. We want to create a good flow and win against JEF United Chiba in the 3rd round of the Emperor's Cup on Wednesday, and secure a victory at "our national stadium".
