Match Review
The battle to aim for the Asian stage resumes. The 105th Emperor's Cup JFA All Japan Soccer Championship, where the cup winner earns the right to participate in the AFC Champions League 2. Tokyo, who defeated Zweigen Kanazawa in the 2nd Round, will face Oita Trinita, ranked 12th in the Meiji Yasuda J2 League, in the 3rd Round. Although they have struggled with 2 draws and 4 losses in league matches since June, coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI is determined for the one-off knockout tournament, saying, "The Emperor's Cup is over if you lose."
In the away match at Crassus Dome Oita, goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu will guard the goal again following the match against Kashiwa Reysol before the break. The back line features Kosuke SHIRAI at right side back, making his first appearance since the June 22 match against Gamba Osaka, with Yasuki KIMOTO and Kanta DOI as center backs. Kashif BANGNAGANDE takes the left side back position. The defensive midfield consists of Kouta TOKIWA, making his professional starting debut, and Kei KOIZUMI, while the attacking midfielders are Soma ANZAI on the right and Reon NOZAWA on the left. Up front, Motoki NAGAKURA, who won the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Monthly Best Goal in June, teams up with Teruhito NAKAGAWA as the two forwards. On the bench, Tsubasa TERAYAMA has been included in the squad for the second time this season.
1st HALF—Take control and securely score 2 points
As Coach Matsuhashi predicted, "The battle for the ball and the transition between offense and defense will be the key points that determine the match," the Blue-Red team took the initiative with a brilliant transition.
Against Oita, who formed a block with five defenders and four midfielders, Tokyo, searching for attacking options, in the 18th minute of the first half, Shirai intercepted the opponent's ball with sharp pressing back on the right side. Nagakura quickly picked it up and played a vertical pass, allowing Nakagawa to break through sharply and carry the ball forward before being fouled and winning a penalty kick. Nagakura calmly converted it with his right foot, and Tokyo succeeded in scoring the opening goal early on, triggered by the quick transition between offense and defense they aimed for.
Tokyo continued to connect passes while probing for weaknesses, and even when they lost the ball, they immediately regained possession, hardly allowing Oita any chances. In the 32nd minute of the first half, with brilliant passing work, they connected from their own half and broke through the center. Nakagawa expanded the play widely to the right side. From here, Nagakura jumped to head Anzai's right cross, and after the opposing goalkeeper saved the ball, Yoshifu flicked it back to the center, where Koizumi pushed it into the unguarded goal, extending the lead to two goals.
In the 43rd minute of the first half, Nagakura made a long solo run on a counterattack. When he entered the penalty area, he passed to the right side, and Anzai took a direct left-footed shot on the far side, but it was blocked by the opposing defender.
Taking control by mixing quick attacks and slow plays, and greatly outperforming in battles for the ball, Tokyo entered halftime with a 2-goal advantage.
2nd HALF—Endure the time under attack and advance to the Round of 16
In the early stages of the second half, Oita continued to intensify their offensive pressure following halftime substitutions. Even so, they tightened key areas by preventing shots inside the penalty area and making superior interceptions with quick reactions, demonstrating high concentration in front of the goal and not allowing any goals.
An accident occurred for Tokyo, who were gradually trying to connect passes and gain momentum. Kimoto, who cleared the opponent's corner kick with a header, injured his left foot upon landing and was forced to be substituted. Coach Matsuhashi made changes in the 19th minute of the second half, bringing in Alexander SCHOLZ as center back in place of Kimoto, and Sei MUROYA as left side back in place of Yoshifu, aiming to rebuild the back line and tighten the defense.
Against Oita, who are coming forward with momentum, Tokyo also responds with sharp initial plays. Although the time continues without creating many chances, they try to prevent the opponent from having freedom by touching the ball first.
Tokyo wants to regain the momentum once again. The two forwards, Nakagawa and Nagakura, stand out for their strong press back and sharp anticipation, saving the team. In the 33rd minute of the second half, Oita launched a counterattack, and Satsukawa broke free one-on-one, but Kim Seung-gyu calmly stopped the shot with his whole body in a fine save. Tokyo heads into the final stages maintaining a two-goal lead.
At the 35th minute of the second half, Tokyo also made two substitutions. Tokiwa and Nakagawa were switched out for Takahiro KO and Marcelo RYAN, implementing a strategy that added attacking rhythm and threat to the team, which had been receiving pressure for a long time.
Although Tokyo was pressed in the second half, they were helped by the opponent's lack of finishing ability and excellent saves by player Kim Seung-gyu, securing a 2-0 victory. They firmly advanced past the 3rd Round against Oita, which was held away, and moved on to the Round of 16 against Cerezo Osaka scheduled for August 6.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING XI
GK Kim Seung-gyu
DF Yasuki KIMOTO (19th minute second half: Alexander Scholz) / Kashif BANGNAGANDE (19th minute second half: Naruki Muroya) / Kanta DOI / Kosuke SHIRAI
MF Soma ANZAI / Kota TOKIWA (35th minute second half: Takahiro KO) / Leon NOZAWA / Kei KOIZUMI
FW Motoki NAGAKURA / Teruhito NAKAGAWA (35th minute second half: Marcelo Hyan)
SUBS
GK Masataka KOBAYASHI
DF Teppei OKA
MF Tsubasa TERAYAMA/Keita ENDO
FW Sato Yoshimasa
MANAGER
Rikizo MATSUHASHI
GOAL
19th minute of the first half: Motoki NAGAKURA / 33rd minute of the first half: Kei KOIZUMI
<Oita Trinita>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Mun Kyonggon
DF Delran/Atsuki SATSUKAWA/Pereira
MF Ren Ikeda (46': Naoki Nomura)/Mohei (71': Manato YOSHIDA)/Junya NODAKE (87': Yudai FUJIWARA)/Keigo SAKAKIBARA/Taiki AMAGASA (46': Kanto Nakagawa)
FW Kotaro ARIMA/Yusei YASHIKI (71': Kohei ISA)
SUBS
GK Hayato SATO
FW Shun AYUKAWA/Shinya UTSUMOTO/Yumeka UDOW
MANAGER
Tomohiro KATANOSAKA
GOAL
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[Interview with Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI]
Q: please review the game.
A, I am happy that fans and supporters from Tokyo came all the way to a distant away ground, and among them, we were able to firmly advance to the next stage. Regarding the game, there were some differences between the first and second halves; the first half was very offensive, and the second half was more defensive, and each hadgood aspects that I believe led to this victory.
Q. We started Kyota Tokiwa in the starting lineup for the first time. Please give us your evaluation.
A, at the stage of actively absorbing various things, his goals, objectives, and sense of challenges for himself showed both good and not-so-good aspects in today's match. Regarding his physical condition, I think the lack of experience in official matches was a factor. However, with his strong determination, I believe he fulfilled his role properly.
Q. You were able to score the opening goal by switching between offense and defense, which was a point you emphasized before the match. Based on that, please evaluate the game.
A, there are parts that you can't understand until you actually enter the match, but there were aspects close to what we had anticipated. Of course, within that, it's about how we break down the opponent. There are parts where it's 100% impossible, but the moment the situation changes, the opponent moves forward and space is created. I think we were able to be fully aware of that and act accordingly.
Q. How was Teruhito NAKAGAWA's performance after he switched to defense?
A, Nakagawa also did so, but it was a role to switch with Motoki NAGAKURA, so to speak, because one person cannot chase forever, and that balance was well maintained. The pressing by the wing players who did not waste that was also very effective. Of course, there are times when it is naturally avoided, but if the surrounding players do not catch the sensitivity of the press, it becomes meaningless even if you go in. That was well coordinated.
Q, Before the break period, the next match will be against Urawa Reds.
A, since this is an opponent we lost to in a frustrating way last time, rather than seeking revenge or payback, we want to focus solely on firmly applying the strength we currently have and securing 3 points, and prepare accordingly.
[Player Interview]
Kota Tokiwa
Q. It was your first starting appearance since turning professional. How was it?
A, it was not something I could really agree with.
Q. What was the difference between what you were thinking before the match and what you actually did?
A, I think I was able to show my strengths in defense and anticipation during the first half, but in the second half, it was probably my first official match as a starter in about seven months. That’s no excuse, but both the team and I lost some energy in the second half. When we had the ball for long periods in the first half, it was important not only to avoid mistakes but also to improve the quality and challenge of playing the ball vertically and involving ourselves more in the attack. There was nothing I was satisfied with at all.
Q. In the first half, I had the impression that we were able to execute both quick attacks and calming down when needed.
A, my performance in the first half was only just passing, and I couldn't really demonstrate the reason why I should be on the field. I don't think I showed a reason why it absolutely had to be me, so in that sense, I was able to meet the minimum expectations, but personally, I feel I couldn't find any value beyond that.
Q. Based on these experiences, I think the desire to do this again next time will also arise.
A, as I mentioned earlier, I think the defensive aspects and the parts where I aggressively predict, which are my strengths, were good. While using those weapons, if I can improve on my challenges, I believe I can see the future ahead. Even though I played in today's match, I am not satisfied at all, and I will just keep striving every day with ambition to be involved in the league matches and lead the team to victory.
<Kanta DOI>
Q. Please tell us the factors that contributed to the victory with a clean sheet.
A, I feel that the preparation part was done thoroughly. In the team meeting, we shared the need to be careful about the opponent's counterattacks, and while communicating with Yasuki KIMOTO, who was my partner, we managed risks and were able to firmly suppress the opponent's attacks. I believe these two factors greatly contributed to keeping a clean sheet.
Q. The pressing from the front line was coordinated and I think it was especially effective in the first half.
A, I think the pressing was effective, but there were many situations where things didn't go as we had worked on in practice. In the second half, there were many scenes where we were pushed back, and if we had been able to proceed with the game as practiced, I think we could have fought a little more smoothly.
Q. How did you approach playing during the periods when the opponent was pressing you?
A, it is indeed difficult to maintain possession of the ball for the full 90 minutes, but first, we were able to firmly repel the opponent's ball, and we felt confident in our response to the crosses, which we especially focused on during this week's practice.
Q. In terms of offense, you contributed to building up from the back with passes to the front line and diagonally.
A, the rearmost player Kim Seung-gyu provided support that made it easier for him to hold the ball. In practice, I closely observed Alexander SCHOLZ's vertical passes and quick forward passes, and I feel there is a lot I can learn from them. I believe that awareness came to life in the match.
