<Match Review>
In Sec. 37 of the 2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League, FC Tokyo heads to NOEVIR Stadium Kobe to face Vissel Kobe, aiming for a third consecutive league victory.
Tokyo's starting lineup features Go HATANO as goalkeeper, with the back line from right to left consisting of Yuto NAGATOMO, Alexander SCHOLZ, Masato MORISHIGE, and Naruki Muroya. The midfield duo is Kei KOIZUMI and Takahiro KO, with Leon NOZAWA positioned as the left attacker and Keita ENDO on the right. The two forwards for the day are Kei SATO and Marcelo.
1st HALF—Withstood the opponent's pressure in the first half. The match remained scoreless going into the second half.
To overcome the frustration of losing in the Emperor's Cup Semifinal Round two weeks ago, the team challenged the two-time consecutive champions, who are full of talented players. From the start, the game saw them pushed back into their own half. However, through tenacious and physical defense, they repelled the pressure, and at the 15th minute of the first half, a good opportunity arose from a counterattack.
When Sato recovered the second ball in his own half, he immediately dribbled forward into the opponent's territory. Although his shot did not connect well, he picked up the rebound and launched a secondary attack. Finally, Koizumi aimed a long-range shot from outside the area, but it was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper.
One minute later, they faced a crisis. The right side was penetrated, and a grounded cross was delivered. Player Muroya used his body to clear it.
Just before the end of the first half, a shot from Kobe’s player Ideguchi was touched with the fingertips by Go HATANO, and Yuto NAGATOMO also reacted to the rebound, preventing it at the water's edge.
The early part of the match was tough, but gradually the team began to look for opportunities on the counterattack. The first half ended goalless. The challenge of how to evade the opponent's pressure remained as the match went into the break.
2nd HALF—With resilient defense, no goals were conceded. The teams shared one point each.
In the decisive second half, Kobe was the first to create a clear scoring chance. Four minutes after the half started, a long throw-in was launched from the right sideline, and the loose ball was kicked in by Kobe's Iino. However, Go HATANO made a great save to fend off the threat and prevent a goal.
After that, the fierce battles for the ball continued with neither side giving way. Gradually, the game became a back-and-forth struggle. By the 22nd minute of the second half, the time spent attacking the opponent’s territory increased from a one-sided situation. Kobe made the first move, bringing Erik and Sakai onto the pitch in place of Muto and Iino.
Next, Tokyo also made three substitutions during this crucial period, bringing on Marcos GUILHERME, Teruhito NAKAGAWA, and Soma ANZAI in place of Nozawa, Ryan, and Endo.
Immediately after, a loose ball from a goal kick kicked by Go HATANO was picked up by the opponent, creating a dangerous situation. In this crisis, Muroya threw his body to block Erik's cut-back in front of the goal. Furthermore, Morishige cleared the successive cross.
Then, in the 30th minute of the second half, Anzai broke free from a long kick by Hatano and persisted, and Sato swung his right foot at the loose ball. However, it failed to hit the target.
In the 34th minute of the second half, Takao created a chance with a bold forward run. While connecting from the back line and appearing in the front, he finally headed Anzai’s cross. Although it was on target, it lacked power and was caught by the opposing goalkeeper.
However, Kobe did not remain silent. In the 41st minute of the second half, from a scramble in front of Tokyo’s goal, Osako took a left-footed shot, but was denied by the post.
In the final moments of the match, Marcos broke free on a through pass from Anzai and took a shot, but was stopped by the opposing goalkeeper’s defense. Tokyo intensified their attack in the closing stages, but the goal remained elusive, and the match ended scoreless with both teams sharing one point.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING XI
GK Go HATANO
DF Sei MUROYA/Masato MORISHIGE/Yuto NAGATOMO/Alexander Scholz
MF Takahiro KO/Keita ENDO (26th minute 2nd half: Soma ANZAI)/Leon NOZAWA (26th minute 2nd half: Marcos GUILHERME)/Kei KOIZUMI
FW Megumu SATO/Marcelo (26th minute 2nd half: Teruhito NAKAGAWA)
SUBS
GK Masataka KOBAYASHI
DF Teppei OKA/Kanta DOI/Kosuke SHIRAI
MF Kyota TOKIWA
FW Keita YAMASHITA
MANAGER
Rikizo MATSUHASHI
GOAL
―
<Vissel Kobe>
STARTING XI
GK Daiya MAEKAWA
DF Nanasei IINO (22nd minute second half: Gotoku SAKAI) / Tetsushi YAMAKAWA / Mateus TOUREL / Katsuya NAGATO (38th minute second half: Yuki HONDA)
MF Takahiro OHGIHARA / Daiju SASAKI / Yosuke IDEGUCHI / Yoshinori MUTO (22nd minute second half: Erik)
FW Taisei MIYASHIRO / Yuya OSASAKA
SUBS
GK Obi Powell Obinna
DF Takuya IWANAMI
MF Haruya IDE/Rikuto HIROSE/Yuya KUWASAKI
FW Ren KOMATSU
MANAGER
Takayuki YOSHIDA
GOAL
―
[Interview with Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI]
Q, please look back on today's game.
A, I believe it is extremely valuable that the players fought tough until the very end and managed to secure 1 point. Of course, Vissel Kobe also delivered a wonderful performance, and being able to somehow keep them scoreless is something we can appreciate. On the other hand, in terms of our attack, this was a match where many aspects fell short overall. While we were conscious of putting out what we had prepared, the level of execution was low, and there were a lot of technical errors visible. This also applies to our relationships on the field, and there were moments when we were beaten by the opponent’s quick reactions. Because we couldn’t turn those situations around, it became a difficult match. I believe we need to be able to demonstrate that going forward.
Q, at the 26th minute of the second half when you made three substitutions, was it a moment where you hoped to make a breakthrough?
A, there were several points, but today I felt that our attack lacked smoothness. The timing was off, and there were moments when the relationship between the passer and receiver did not work. On the other hand, this also reflects how Kobe’s quick transitions and tight defense troubled us. That said, since they are a high-level team with skilled individuals, if we cannot figure out how to break through and overturn that, it will be difficult to aim higher. I think the players probably felt this during the match.
Q, next week is the final match of this season. Please share your enthusiasm for that game.
A, with just one match left, and being able to play the last game at home, I want to show everyone a good performance and have a game where we can celebrate together. Building on the toughness and aggressiveness we showed today, we aim to secure 3 points..
[Player Interview]
＜Alexander SCHOLZ＞
Q, it was a tough match. How do you look back on the game?
A, I think it was a similar match to previous ones. Our defense was very good. When we had the ball, there were chances created through combinations. However, many players ran ahead too early, causing the distances between players to open up, and overall the play was often a bit too fast, leading to many scenes that didn’t go well. That said, as a whole team, we were able to maintain our work rate and hard work properly, and we showed something very good. Vissel Kobe is a very excellent team, so I think the result was not bad.
Q, after the substitutes came on in the second half, the attacking chances increased. There were also scenes where you couldn't finish. What do you think was lacking?
A, the match opened up towards the end. Since Kobe applied pressure from a high position, spaces started to appear. The forwards ran well and created chances, and there were scenes where we broke down the opponent with combinations like one-twos, but I think it still wasn’t enough. I believe both sides had chances to score, so I am satisfied with the result of one point.
Q, next match will be the final game of the season at Ajinomoto Stadium. Please share your thoughts.
A, of course, our goal is to win at home. We haven't been able to earn many points at home, so for the final game of the season, we want to prepare to secure 3 points in front of Tokyo's fans and supporters. We have received wonderful support throughout the season, and today many people came to cheer us on against Kobe. Therefore, not only will we work hard during matches, but even when there are no games, we want to continuously respond to the support from our fans and supporters.
<Go HATANO>
Q, please look back on today's game.
A, I think it was good that we kept a clean sheet. However, there were moments where I caused danger due to my own mistakes, and I felt that my match sense still has a long way to go.
Q, please tell us about the scene where you saved Ideguchi's shot in the first half.
A, recently after practice, I have been doing dozens of save drills every day with Assistant GK Coach Inoue focusing on scenes like that. I honestly think it was good that I was able to show that in the match.
Q, how about the scene where you saved Iino's shot in the second half?
A, I had been doing reaction training with GK coach Yamashita during practice, so I think I was able to respond calmly as trained in that situation as well.
Q, I think the number of long balls increased from the middle of the game. Was there a particular strategy behind that?
A, I felt that I wasn’t really getting into the game during the Emperor's Cup Semifinal Round. In that context, I reviewed the footage of that match and thought I wanted to control the game a bit more from my position.I’m glad I was able to try that, but I need to improve the quality even further, so I want to work on it more starting from practice.
Q, I think there was a scene where Go HATANO’s strengths in kicking really showed.
A, Having watched Vissel Kobe’s matches so far, I felt that their stamina drops a bit toward the end of the game. In that context, players with strong power like Soma ANZAI and Marcos Guilherme come in, and I was consciously trying to play in a way that makes the most of those players, so I’m glad I was able to show that even a little.
Q, the next match will be the last game of this season.
A, I believe we have to play a match and perform in a way that connects to next season, so I want to continue making good preparations.
<Takahiro KO>
Q, please review the game.
A, It turned out to be a very difficult match. There were some dangerous moments defensively, but I think it was good that we maintained our concentration until the end and managed to finish without conceding any goals. However, on the offensive side, it was a match where we felt difficulties. In the early stages of the game, we were able to move forward while being mindful of our positioning, but easy mistakes stood out. Including myself, I think the long period during which the team’s overall feeling was off made the match more difficult.
Q, the game opened up towards the end, and there were also moments when Takahiro advanced in attack.
A, there were times when our legs started to tire, so I focused on beating opponents individually and finding breakthroughs. This also happened a few times in the first half, and when we attacked in open play, I felt there were chances. I think we need to better organize as a team how we finish those chances and the shape we take after pushing forward.
Q, there was also a scene where you received instructions from Coach Matsuhashi during the match.
A, as the forwards dropped back slightly and one of the defensive midfielders took a higher position in the formation, we coordinated our response to the opponent's long balls and the recovery of second balls.
Q: The match ended in a draw, but we have gone five league games unbeaten. Please share your thoughts heading into the final home game of the season.
A: We just need to take all three points. We get to play the last match of the season at home, and there are fans and supporters who came all the way to Kobe today. For everyone’s sake, I want us to finish with a win.
