A battle to overcome many hardships and aim for the goal and victory. It is truly a show of determination as a team.
Away to Hiroshima, the 29th round of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League. The team, who were about to face the match, was hit directly by Typhoon No. 10. The players left for Hiroshima a day earlier on Thursday, but the Tokaido Shinkansen stopped on the way. They were stranded for over 7 hours in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, and finally arrived at their accommodation within the same prefecture when the date changed. However, it was difficult to head west the next day due to the closure of highways and heavy traffic on local roads caused by the typhoon and heavy rain, so they took a bus to Tokyo in the afternoon. Today, they flew to Yamaguchi Ube Airport in the morning of the match day, and then took a bus for about 3 hours to finally arrive in Hiroshima city just 6 hours before kick-off.
The opponent, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, is currently on a 6-game winning streak in the league and is only 2 points behind the top spot. Tokyo is in a tough situation with 2 draws and 2 losses without scoring in the 4 games after the break, but we want to respond to the passion of the fans and supporters who have come to the venue and those who are sending their thoughts through the DAZN broadcast. Although we were unable to hold the pre-match training that was originally scheduled at the venue, there are hurdles in terms of conditioning, but the team is ready to fight to get back on track with as much preparation as possible.
The starting eleven of the blue and red team, who want to fight as one, will face the game with goalkeeper Taishi Brandon NOZAWA. The final line is made up of players from right to left: Hota Nakamura, Kanta Doi, Masato Morishige, and Kosuke Shirai. Morishige returned from a concussion in the previous game against Tokyo Verdy. The bottom of the midfield is a combination of Takahiro KO and Kei KOIZUMI. Ewerton Gaudino, who is making his first start for the blue and red team, is on the right wing, with Teruhito NAKAGAWA on the left wing. In the center, Ryotaro ARAKI and Diego Oliveira are lined up in a vertical relationship.
In addition, Yuto NAGATOMO, who was selected for the Japan national team, and Henrique TREVISAN, who had been out due to injury, also joined the team as members. Teppei OKA and Tsuyoshi KODAMA also accompanied the team and participated in practice, taking into account the physical burden of travel, and were ready to kick off as one team aiming for victory.
1st HALF - Missed 2 chances at the start
Tokyo created the first big chance. In the 2nd minute of the first half, Ewerton did not miss the opportunity when the opponent's build-up was off and pressed to steal the ball in the center. Diego took a left-footed shot on the left side, which was caught by the opponent's goalkeeper, but they immediately created a close scene. After that, they continued to press from the start and looked for attacking opportunities by connecting the ball to Diego up front.
However, it was the first 5 minutes of the first half when they gradually pushed forward. They allowed a header shot from the far side from the opponent's left cross. They managed to deflect it somehow, but the loose ball was quickly picked up by Hiroshima in the penalty area and calmly kicked in by player Torgaialslan, resulting in an early goal being conceded.
Tokyo wants to build momentum. Diego TABA and Koizumi players showed a fierce press back that was linked together and pulled from behind, and in the 20th minute, Nozawa player caught a perfect header from the opponent's corner kick. He continues to struggle to rebuild from defense.
However, as the opponent continued to struggle with quick predictions and footwork, in the 32nd minute of the first half, they were pushed into the penalty area and conceded another goal from player Torgaialslan. This put them two points behind.
In the 35th minute of the first half, player Araki injured his right ankle in a collision with an opponent. Although his condition was a concern, he was able to return to the pitch without any serious consequences.
Araki creates a good opportunity with his skilled technique. In the 42nd minute of the first half, he receives the ball in the center after moving up from the left side, turns while avoiding the opponent's pressure. Ewerton, who received this pass, takes a powerful left-footed shot from outside the penalty area. Although it was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper, he showed his strength with a shot that the opponent couldn't catch.
Gradually, Tokyo strengthened their attacking hand, but in the first half they were unable to shake the goal net. After two minutes of additional time, they reached halftime with a score of 0-2.
2ndHALF - Kashiwa's goal and Teru's strong performance lead to a fierce comeback, but falls just short.
The second half, which was approached without changing members, saw Takahashi and Diego as the center, searching for breakthrough strategies while exchanging passes vertically, and competing in intense pressing in the midfield, showing a focused start such as Nakagawa's sliding cut in the penalty area.
This attitude attracts the flow to Tokyo. In the 9th minute of the second half, Ewerton player approached the goal with a sharp attack from the left side and created a chance with his left foot. In the 11th minute, Araki player aimed with his right foot. Two minutes later, Morishige player headed Ewerton player's left corner kick. Nakauchi player tried to change the course in front of the opponent's goalkeeper, but the ball narrowly missed the top of the frame.
It seemed like the game was completely in Tokyo's pace, but they unexpectedly conceded a third goal here. Right after creating a big chance, they allowed Hiroshima to enter the penalty area and a collision with the opponent resulted in a penalty kick being awarded due to a foul. Torgaialslan scored a hat-trick with the penalty kick.
Tokyo, who is chasing 3 points, moves immediately after conceding a goal. Keita ENDO is substituted in for Araki and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA is substituted in for Ewerton, as they attempt to make a comeback by putting Keita ENDO on the right wing and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA on the left wing.
In addition, in the 18th minute of the second half, Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA and Keigo HIGASHI were substituted for Takashi and Diego TABA, respectively, to activate the pitch in the central midfield.
And in the 34th minute of the second half, a long-awaited goal is born for the blue and red army that cannot end like this. Tawara Tsumita, who received a throw from goalkeeper Nozawa, breaks through the left side with a high-speed dribble from his own territory. He powerfully carries the ball up to the penalty area and softly crosses it to the center, where Kobayashi runs in. He slides in and shakes the net with a powerful shot, starting the counterattack with a goal of determination, the first in 5 games.
With this one strike, the players' movements will become lighter. The pressure towards the front will increase, and the time to play in the opponent's territory will continue. Not only the substitute players, but also the starting lineup, will surpass the opponent in terms of predicting and starting for the second ball, despite the physically demanding time. After that, there will be long through passes from Azuma and shots from Tawara and Tsumita on the left side, completely dominating the pace of the game in Tokyo's favor.
And it was just after the start of the 6-minute second half additional time. A corner kick from the right. Nakagawa takes advantage of the opponent's gap and quickly receives the ball from a short corner, then makes a sharp cross towards the goal line. The shot causes an own goal from the opponent, bringing the score to within one point with a determined counterattack.
Tokyo continues to launch powerful attacks. Player Nozawa also supports the team with a big save to stop the opponent's 1-on-1.
However, the game ended here. The away game against Hiroshima, which was faced with a tough battle due to the impact of Typhoon No. 10, ended in a 2-3 defeat. However, we were able to show our determination, including the performance of substitute players.
The desire for victory and the frustration of not reaching it could be seen from the players' expressions. Some players even had red eyes.
After the match, the goal end stand continued to sing "You'll Never Walk Alone" from the chant "We're always with you. If you believe in yourself, victory will come."
The league will now enter a break period due to the international match week, but we must unite as a club and move forward with this determination, and we must win against Nagoya Grampus at the Japan National Stadium. The game we fought through in adversity will surely become a turning point.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Hotaka NAKAMURA/Kanta DOI/Masato MORISHIGE/Kosuke SHIRAI
MF Takahiro TAKAU/Kei KOIZUMI/Ryotaro ARAKI/Keita ENDO
FW Diego OLIVEIRA/Teruhito NAKAGAWA/Ewerton GAUDINO/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Henrique TREVISAN/Yuto NAGATOMO
GOAL
34' 2nd Half: Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA / 45+1' 2nd Half: Own Goal
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
STARTING XI
GK Keisuke OSAKO
DF Shuto NAKANO/Hayato ARAKI/Sho SASAKI
MF Naoto ARAI (22nd minute of the second half: Sota KOSHIMICHI)/Torgai ARSLAN (22nd minute of the second half: Douglas VIEIRA)/Shun KAWABE (11th minute of the second half: Tsukasa SHIOTANI)/Toshiaki HIGASHI
FW Taishi MATSUMOTO/Makoto MANDA (22nd minute of the second half: Yotaro NAKAJIMA)/Mutsuki KATO
SUBS
GK Goro KAWANAMI
DF Osamu Henry IYOHA
MF Yusuke CHAJIMA
GOAL
5 minutes into the first half: Torgai Arslan / 32 minutes into the first half: Torgai Arslan / 18 minutes into the second half: Torgai Arslan
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI, Manager]
Q: please review the game.
First of all, I am proud of the players who gave their all to perform and win. For us, it was a big challenge to have to travel on the day of the match. We couldn't quite overcome this challenge. And I think there were key moments in the game where we were able to show the quality to become the team we want to be. Sanfrecce Hiroshima was able to finish well in those crucial moments. I think the goal will change the game and Hiroshima was able to finish that goal. We have to create those moments ourselves and not give them to the opponent.
We were able to fight strongly until the end of the match and score a good goal ourselves. And we were able to create the flow of the end of the game while playing our own football. Of course, we are disappointed with the result. However, the dedication and efforts of the players were something to be proud of. And we would like to thank all the fans and supporters who came to support the team until the end. We know that there were people who wanted to come here but couldn't, and people who tried to come but gave up. We are grateful to everyone who supports the team. Today's match was a battle that required a lot of travel to get here. It was a big challenge. However, I am very proud of the fight that the players showed today. We fell just a little short of the result.
Q, in the match where we arrived on the day after a two-day trip, we showed our determination in the end. What kind of words did you say to the players?
A, I talked about how proud I am of today's dedicated battle after the game. It took us three days to get to this game. We left earlier than usual, but we were held up along the way. As I mentioned earlier, it was a big challenge with many things happening. The best part was the battle at the end of the game. They fought dedicatedly for our football. We were able to score a goal by grasping the flow while fighting with conviction.
(After seeing the players regretting after the match) There is frustration because we didn't get the result we wanted. What's important for us is to thoroughly analyze our performance. In the match against the top team in the league, I think we were able to show what kind of fight we can put up and what kind of team we want to be. It was also a tough lesson for us to learn the areas where we need to improve ourselves.
[Player Interview]
＜Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA＞
Q, it was a goal with a determined effort to change the flow.
A, I was able to enter the pitch calmly as usual. It was a situation where we had to chase after 0-3 and return one point at a time, but I think my goal led to the second goal and created a good atmosphere. It was good that we were able to score two goals as a team, but we came to Hiroshima to win and we wanted to at least bring it to a 3-3 draw. No one is satisfied with today's result or performance, and many issues have arisen.
Q, it became a game in the midst of many irregular responses such as travel to Hiroshima.
A, we came to win the game, and as a professional soccer player, I believe there are no excuses on the pitch. Today was also a game that we had to win, and I think our abilities were reflected in the result.
Q, Isn't today's goal going to lead to the next one for player Kashiwa himself?
A, a good ball came from Kota TAWARATSUMIDA, and I thought I could get on a good flow by scoring myself. In recent games, I haven't been able to score, so it was good that we were able to score 1 or 2 points as a team, but I want to contribute to the team with goals that lead to winning points.
＜Player Hotaka NAKAMURA＞
Q: It was a difficult game. Please review the game.
A, if we decide to play the game no matter what happens, as professionals, we have no choice but to play. It is a fact that we lost, so there is no excuse. To the fans and supporters who came to cheer us on, I am truly sorry.
Q, although we allowed a 3-point lead, we also showed determination in our final attack.
In a situation where we had no choice but to do it, the substitute players came in and the momentum increased. Keigo HIGASHI talked to us a lot and we were able to hold onto the ball more. From there, we were able to compete vertically and create a good time, which led to a determined goal. While we had been unable to score for a long time, I don't know if we were able to take a step forward in today's game by scoring two points, but I definitely think it will lead to the next one.
Q, I have the impression that I have been able to play boldly in the last few games.
A, Although it's not like myself, I was in a mentally difficult situation and was able to take a step forward in my feelings with the support of many people. It may be a small thing, but I think I have to express myself and just keep going.
