Match Review
This is an important game where we want to overcome difficulties as one united team. We have been in a tough situation with no wins in the last 6 league matches, but by capitalizing on the numerous chances we create, we hope to turn the tide and secure a victory that changes everything. This match is being held at the Japan National Stadium, where we have historically been unbeaten at home. Unfortunately, the weather is rainy, but we expect the support of over 40,000 fans to energize us on the pitch.
Tokyo aims for victory since the match against Nagoya Grampus in Round 3, making one change to the starting lineup from the previous match against Fagiano Okayama. Teppei Oka joins the final line, forming a three-back with Kanta DOI and Seiji KIMURA, both from the academy. Additionally, Yuto NAGATOMO, Keisuke KOIZUMI, and Keita ENDO, who were sidelined due to injuries, have returned to the bench. It will also be interesting to see what roles the experienced players will be assigned by coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI.
1st HALF - Teru's first goal of the season brings the long-awaited opening score
The Tokyo eleven, welcomed by blue and red fireworks, entered the pitch. Right after the kickoff, player Sato Keiun broke through and dribbled forward to take a shot. Although it went wide to the left of the goal, the play, which firmly directed the arrow towards the goal, conveyed a strong desire for victory.
Both teams advocate for a style of football that emphasizes maintaining possession of the ball. At the start, Tokyo takes control with careful build-up play and sharp vertical passes.
From the 5th minute of the first half, it was Kashiwa Reysol's turn. Tokyo created a solid block against the opponent who was pushing forward while maintaining possession, responding with defense that tightened key areas and did not allow freedom.
While searching for attacking opportunities, Tokyo progressed the match. In the 13th minute of the first half, player Oka received the ball near the halfway line and powerfully advanced, taking a strong mid-range shot with his left foot. This was blocked by the goalkeeper, but it created a chance through an attack calculated from the goal. In the 20th minute of the first half, the opposing goalkeeper rushed out and made a half-hearted clearance, which Kota TAWARATSUMIDA took advantage of by shooting at the unguarded goal as the clearance fell. However, this was saved by the diligently returning player Kojima.
Tokyo desperately wants to score the opening goal. That desire comes to fruition in the 35th minute of the first half. Player Tawaratsukita, who made a cut-in with quick steps from the left side, delivers a low, sharp shot. This deflects off an opponent, and Teruhito NAKAGAWA at the far side pushes it into the goal. This is the long-awaited opening goal, the first since Sec. 3, giving them the lead.
In the 41st minute of the first half, Soma ANZAI's sharp right-footed kick from a direct free kick opportunity at a 45-degree angle on the left hit the crossbar, and Sato attempted to push in the rebound, but it went straight to the goalkeeper, resulting in no additional goal. With the lead secured, the movements of the blue-red players became lighter, and Tokyo began to dominate the match.
In attack, they showed an aggressive attitude and took the lead with Nakagawa's first goal of the season, while in defense, there were noticeable cases of space being exploited on the flanks of the three-back formation. They need to make solid adjustments at halftime and want to pull in a victory from here. The first half ended 1-0, and they turned to the second half.
2nd HALF - Equalized in additional time, a frustrating draw
The first half was played under heavy rain, but by halftime the rain had stopped, and the second half kicked off with the loud cheers from the home supporters in sight.
Kashiwa, holding the ball, advances the match favorably in the second half. Tokyo also tries to connect the ball from the back line to create opportunities, but they struggle to transition to attack as they lose the ball when their buildup becomes sluggish. In the second half, there are many scenes where they are put in danger from crosses using the flanks of the three-back formation, and they want to endure while responding well and aim for chances.
In the 15th minute of the second half, the first player substitution was made. Marcelo RYAN was brought in as the lone striker in place of Tawaratsukita, and Sato was moved to the left inside half, changing the formation. With an increase in counterattacks from a structured block, there are high expectations for RYAN's speed, power, and finishing ability.
That player RIAN shows his skills. In the 20th minute of the second half, he received the ball in his own half, turned to face forward, and accelerated into the Kashiwa area. Although his last pass near the penalty area was cut off by the opponent, his powerful dribbling breakthrough was a play that conveyed great potential.
In the 25th minute of the second half, Kento HASHIMOTO switched with Kei KOIZUMI and Endo. For Endo, who had been continuing rehabilitation due to an injury before the season started, this was his first official match appearance of the season. Furthermore, in the 28th minute, Sato and Doi were substituted for Nagatomo and Yasuki KIMOTO. This transitioned the formation to place Nagatomo on the left wing and Anzai as the right inside half.
In the final stages, Kashiwa launched a simple attack that created dangerous scenes. In the 41st minute of the second half, a long ball from the final line was headed forward, and Yoshio KOIZUMI broke free to take a looping shot. This narrowly missed to the left of the goal, escaping danger by a hair. Kashiwa not only maintained possession but also launched quick and powerful attacks. Tokyo responded to the opponent's dangerous passes with committed plays. The five minutes of added time saw continued desperate defense. VAR support indicated the possibility of a penalty kick, but it was ultimately ruled no penalty.
Tokyo, which had endured together, was caught off guard by a ground cross ball that exploited the gaps in the three-back defense, and in the dying moments of the match, at 45+4 minutes of the second half, they were equalized by player Kinoshita in the center. Even after that, Tokyo pushed forward with a strong desire for victory, exerting all their strength to launch attacks. However, their desperate efforts did not bear fruit, and the match ended with a time-up. Despite showing a strong desire for victory, they were unable to secure a win at the very end, making it seven matches without a win in the league.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF TEPPEI OKA/Kanta DOI (substituted in 33rd minute: Yasuki KIMOTO)/Seiji KIMURA/Kosuke SHIRAI
MF Soma ANZAI/Takahiro UCHIYAMA/Kento HASHIMOTO (substituted in 25th minute: Kei KOIZUMI)/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (substituted in 15th minute: Marcelo HIAN)
FW Megumi SATO (substituted in 33rd minute: Yuto NAGATOMO)/Teruto NAKAGAWA (substituted in 25th minute: Keita ENDO)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Henrique Trevisan
MF Keigo HIGASHI/Maki KITAHARA
MANAGER
Rikizo MATSUHASHI
GOAL
35th minute of the first half: Teruhito NAKAGAWA
<Kashiwa Reysol>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kosuke KOJIMA
DF Wataru HARADA/Taiyo KOGA/Hayato TANAKA/Tomoya KOYAMATSU (23rd minute: Diego)
MF Mitsuki KUMASAKA/Yuto YAMADA (31st minute: Mao HOSOYA)/Tojiro KUBO (31st minute: Shun NAKAJIMA)/Yoshio KOIZUMI
FW Riki WATANAI (23rd minute: Hayato NAKAMA)/Yuki KAKITA (13th minute: Kosuke KINOSHITA)
SUBS
GK Haruki SARUTA
DF Tomoya INUKAI
MF Sachiro TOSHIMA/Eiji SHIRAI
MANAGER
Ricardo RODRIGUEZ
GOAL
4 minutes into the second half: Kosuke KINOSHITA
[Interview with Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI]
Q: please review the game.
It ended in a draw, just one step away, and I am filled with a deep sense of regret. The match did not unfold in a way that allowed us to play at our own pace, but while we maintained the lead, ultimately we conceded a goal while continuing to attack. I feel that this reflects our own shortcomings, including my own. I want to align our focus with the players once again and prepare for the next challenge.
Q: I believe you made substitutions to score the second goal, but what was lacking that prevented you from achieving the second goal?
A, the time spent on defense was very long. In the early part of the first half, we couldn't press forward effectively, which made it difficult to adjust the back line. However, towards the end of the first half, we started to fit together well. I believe we had good ball recoveries, the opponent was caught offside, and we were able to maintain a compact formation. However, in the early part of the second half, we lacked a bit in that area, and our one-on-one responses were also insufficient, which allowed the opponent to freely initiate their attacks.
Q: The scene of the conceded goal started from the opponent's throw-in, and we were caught off guard with our feet stopped.
I understood that Kashiwa Reysol would come to target those areas even in tight spaces, but we couldn't respond to that in the end. The ball was played back inside, and although there were people present, we were ultimately beaten at the last moment. While we have been able to take actions with some intent organizationally, we still end up conceding in situations where we shouldn't, particularly in one-on-one scenarios. We struggled to maintain that tightness. This isn't limited to individuals. We spent a very long time defending, and it's quite possible that physical fatigue affected our decision-making. I believe we have defensive intensity both organizationally and individually, and I think we need to consider the reasons why that hasn't been demonstrated.
Q: Yuto NAGATOMO has returned. In this team situation, what impact does his return have, and what does the coach expect from him?
A, his presence has demonstrated that we can no longer easily give freedom in defense, and while not all of it resulted in good attacks, I believe the number of counterattacks increased. In terms of finishing the game properly, his ability to inspire everyone and lead through his performance has a significant impact. Kashiwa Reysol has strengths on the sides, so I placed him on the left side, even though I had some concerns about the balance. However, the issues we faced came from that side, and I feel it contributed to our overall weaknesses. I think how we can address that will be important moving forward, but I believe he is a presence that has shown enough strength and has had a positive influence.
[Player Interview]
Teruhito NAKAGAWA
Q: We missed out on victory due to a late goal. Please reflect on the match.
A, it is neither the result nor the content we desired, and I believe our abilities were reflected in the outcome. Regarding the goals conceded, the long period of being pushed back by the opponent was a factor, and our own shortcomings were evident.
Q: There were long periods of being under pressure, but there was also focused defense.
If you give the opponent that much time to attack, the probability of conceding a goal naturally increases. The forwards were unable to perform defensive plays or actions to limit the areas where the opponent could take the ball. While there may have been enough players at the back, we still ended up conceding a goal. This interconnected defensive aspect is a challenge for us.
Q: The opening goal was Nakagawa's first goal of the season.
A goal was created from a good play by Kota TAWARATSUMIDA. There was also a lucky aspect where the cross ball came right in front of me, but I think it was good that I was able to convert that chance into a goal, including a bit of luck. However, after that, we couldn't maintain possession of the ball, and as a result, we couldn't turn it into a victory. We can only use matches like this as a learning experience.
Q: What factors led to the opponent gaining the upper hand?
It was a mirror game, so the opponent marked me almost man-to-man. In the end, I was outplayed by their skill and the ability to create gaps. As I mentioned earlier, we had enough players, but there were long stretches in today's match where we were just 'present'. The difference in our ability to win the ball became apparent.
<Kei KOIZUMI>
Q, it was a frustrating result.
A, there are many members and staff who have been with us since last season, and although there were times last season when we couldn't win, we all struggled and fought until we achieved victory. Over the course of the year, I believe there will be both good times and bad times. So far, we have only managed 2 wins in 10 matches, and I think we can do more, we must do more, and we need to have a strong sense of urgency. We shouldn't think of it as just 10 matches; instead, we should focus on each match one by one, with each person striving to take that extra step or to be a step quicker than the opponent, and I want to be committed to that extra step.
Q: I think mental aspects are important during difficult times like this. As a captain, what do you focus on and communicate to the team?
During times when we can't win, there are various external voices, and there are many things on social media, which I think is natural. However, I believe the most important thing is the voice within the team. It's common in this world to have to accept external voices as evaluations, and it's also natural to be criticized when results are not coming in. However, I really want to prioritize the voices within the team. I want to ensure that the players who are working within the team, and the team itself, do not fall apart and continue to do well.
Q: Do you feel a sense of achievement during the match?
A, regarding today's match, while there is a mindset of not conceding goals when we have the ball, it is natural that the more we are attacked, the more chances we face. I wanted to correct that with a win. We must win even in such situations, and when we decide to kick behind the opponent's defensive line, we need to aim for areas that are uncomfortable for the opponent, like when the opposing goalkeeper misses. We need to improve the quality of each play. Additionally, on a fundamental level, we absolutely cannot win without fighting harder than the opponent. We need to raise that quality as well, and I want to be particular about it.
Q, I think there are aspects where Kei KOIZUMI leads the team, including the part about “fighting.” How will you approach the next match?
First and foremost, winning is the most important thing, and I believe I must become a player who can lead the team to victory. Whether in attack or defense, I need to deliver results, so I want to win solidly in the next Levain Cup match against RB Omiya Ardija to build momentum and connect it to the league matches.
