Challenge to win 3 points away from home!

Departing Japan on April 4th towards Away China. Amidst pouring rain, we will challenge Jiangsu Suning at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center.

Tokyo, GK Akimoto, DF line from right to left Tokunaga, Morishige at center back, Maruyama, Ogawa at left back. In midfield, Yonemoto and Ha Daesung as defensive midfielders, and Mizunuma and Hashimoto in the middle. Maeda and Nathan Burns in the forward line.
 

On the other hand, Jiangsu, who had previously been suspended, started with MF Ramirez. They have strong Brazilian players, FW Joe and FW Teixeira.
Tokyo has a chance to rise to the top if they win, and they really want to get 3 points. The match started at 20:00 (21:00 Japan time) with Tokyo's kickoff.

Tokyo Face Up To Away Day Challenge

F.C.TOKYO left Japan on April 4th, bound for China, where they took on Jiangsu FC at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre. Tokyo lined up with Akimoto in goal and a defence of Tokunaga on the right, Morishige and Maruyama at centre back and Ogawa at left back. Yonemoto and Ha Daesung played as defensive midfielders with Mizunuma and Hashimoto in midfield. Nathan Burns partnered Maeda in attack. Ramires returned from suspension to feature for Jiangsu, alongside fellow Brazilian powerhouse forwards Jo and Alex Teixeira. If Tokyo were to win they would have a chance to top the group and so were determined to take maximum points from the match. The visitors kicked off at 8pm local time on a wet evening in Nanjing.

Despite taking the lead with Morishige's goal... it ends in a 1-1 draw

15 minutes: In a back-and-forth battle, Hudson -> Ogawa tried to make a move while being surrounded by the opponent, but was stolen by Jiangsu and countered. However, Maruyama stepped forward and firmly held his ground, preventing a crisis.

30 minutes: The intense attack and defense continued after 15 minutes, and in response to Ogawa's left corner kick clearance, Yonemoto rushed into the area and took a shot. It was blocked, but Morishige, just before the area, directly hit the loose ball and scored a goal with a right-footed shot from the center of the goal, making it 1-0.

32 minutes: We tried to build up an attack by passing from our own half, but Jiangsu MF Ramirez pressed against Hashimoto, who had the ball near the left corner of the area. Hashimoto tried to evade him, but in the collision, the referee awarded a foul against us and gave Jiangsu a penalty kick.
34 minutes: FW Joe scored a penalty kick in the bottom right corner, allowing a goal and making it 1-1.

39 minutes: A mistake occurred in the midfield, and Jiangsu countered. From MF Wu Xi's pass, FW10 Teixeira brought the ball to the left area and took a shot, but Akimoto made a save!!

43 minutes: Jiangsu's counterattack. Joe → Jishian goes up the left side and passes through to Teixeira in the center, but Akimoto quickly jumps out to control the ball towards the area.

Morishige Gives Tokyo The Lead But...

15th.minute: With the game ebbing and flowing Ha Daesung attempted a pass to Ogawa but the defender was quickly surrounded and Jiangsu won possession then counter attacked. Maruyama strode purposefully out of defence and cleared the threat.

30th.minute: The end to end nature of the game continued. In the 30th.minute Ogawa swung in a corner from the left that the Jiangsu defence only partially cleared. The ball fell to Yonemoto whose shot was blocked away by an onrushing defender. The rebound rolled out to the edge of the penalty area where Morishige met the ball on the run and drove a firm, low drive into the left corner of the net. Tokyo had made the breakthrough.

32nd.minute: Tokyo attempted to play the ball out from defence with Hashimoto in possession at the left corner of their penalty area. Jiangsu midfielder Ramires pressured Hashimoto who attempted to turn past the Brazilian; the two players collided and Ramires collapsed to the turf. The referee pointed to the spot.

34th.minute: Tokyo goalkeeper Akimoto guessed the right way and flung himself at the penalty, taken by Jiangsu forward Jo, but was unable to keep it out. The match was all square again.

39th.minute: Tokyo played a loose pass in midfield, allowing Jiangsu to counter attack. Midfielder Wu Xi found Alex Teixeira and the striker showed his speed, racing into the Tokyo box on the left. He shot hard and low towards the far post but Akimoto got down quickly to produce a fine save and deny the hosts.

43rd.minute: Jiangsu countered again. Jo found midfielder Ji Xiang who tore down the left before sliding a pass inside to meet Alex Teixeira's run. Akimoto spotted the danger and darted smartly off his line to smother the threat. The first period ended 1-1.

Amidst intense battles, we emerged victorious with a score of 2-1! We have risen to the top of the group stage!

50 minutes: A high ball was sent into the Jiangsu area, and Jo received it with a direct trap and turned to shoot. He managed to bring it to a finish, but it went wide of the goal.

59 minutes: Teixeira tried to collect the ball with his back to the goal and connect, but Tokunaga held him back with a foul, giving a free kick from just outside the penalty area slightly to the left.

60 minutes: This free kick was directly targeted at Jiangsu DF Li An, but the shot went slightly to the left.

61 minutes: Morishige fouls against Jiangsu Ramirez's breakthrough. He receives a warning. This is Morishige's second warning in the group stage. He will be suspended for the next match due to accumulation.
62 minutes: From the FK given, the ball that spilled out from the melee inside the area was met by FW9 Jorge, who broke through and took a shot that hit the post, but the previous play was offside.

64 minutes: Takumi ABE replaces Ha DAESUNG.
73 minutes: Satoru KAWANO is substituted for Nathan BURNS.
77 minutes: Hirayama replaces Maeda.
79 minutes: Abe evades the press in the midfield and carries the ball forward, then takes a triple shot from just outside the area, but narrowly misses to the right.

83 minutes: Tokunaga's cross is cleared, but Yonemoto recovers the ball from Jiangsu and passes it back to Tokunaga. From here, Hirayama jumps powerfully to meet the right cross and almost scores, but is touched by the Jiangsu defender at the last moment, resulting in a corner kick. Yonemoto takes the corner kick from the right. He sends it into the area with a low angle, and Morishige, who is unmarked, once again guides it into the goal with his right foot! They successfully take the lead and it's 2-1.

86 minutes: Jiangsu DF2 Li An tackles Mizunuma, who was trying to advance with a dribble. Li An receives a red card and is sent off due to a fierce foul.
Obtained valuable 3 points away! Risen to the top of the group stage!!

Tokyo Triumph In Fierce Encounter! Leap To Top Of Group E!

50th.minute: Jo neatly brought down a long ball and hit a shot on the half-turn. The ball sailed wide.

59th.minute: Alex Teixeira received the ball with his back to goal just outside the Tokyo area and attempted to find a teammate. Tokunaga stopped him with a foul, giving Jiangsu a free kick just outside the penalty arc on the left.

60th.minute: Defender Li Ang stepped up and drove the free kick over the Tokyo wall but narrowly wide of the left post.

61st.minute: Ramires charged up the field until fouled by Morishige. The referee produced the yellow card, Morishige's second in the group stage, which means the Tokyo captain will miss the next game.

62nd.minute: A wild melee ensued as the resulting free kick was hoisted into the Tokyo penalty area. Jo lashed a snapshot against the post but the whistle had already blown for offside.

64th.minute: Abe replaced Ha Daesung.

73rd.minute: Hirayama replaced Nathan Burns.

79th.minute: Abe skated away from his marker in midfield and raced forward to the Jiangsu penalty arc before unleashing a firm shot that flew narrowly over the bar.

83rd.minute: Tokunaga crossed, Jiangsu cleared and Yonemoto regained possession for Tokyo before finding Tokunaga on the right flank again. Tokunaga crossed deep towards the far post where Hirayama seemed set to make contact until a Jiangsu defender whipped the ball off his forehead. Yonemoto took the resulting corner and caught the Jiangsu defence napping with a low angled ball towards the penalty spot. Morishige got a run on the opposition and drove a low shot inside the near post from eight metres out. Tokyo were back in front once again.

86th.minute: Mizunuma raced down the right wing until taken out by an horrendous two-footed lunge from defender Li Ang. The referee immediately showed the red card and Tokyo had a man advantage to see out the match. They held off Jiangsu for the few remaining minutes and earned three precious points that lifted the side to the top of the group.

[Player Comments]

《Morishige》
Q=Did you manage to earn 3 points in a difficult situation?
"The main goal was to get 3 points no matter what. We didn't know what would happen in the away game in Asia. We prepared for various accidents, so there was no need to rush."
Q: Was Yonemoto's corner kick as intended?
"We were able to achieve the results in the game by thoroughly preserving what we have prepared together as a team. I think everyone realized that what we have been doing in practice will definitely show up in the game."
Q=We managed to hold back the Brazilian trio to just one penalty kick.
"There were scenes where player John HIGASHI made a save, but I think we were able to hold on because each player did their job well in their respective positions. We were able to achieve victory by combining the strength of each individual. In the next league match, I won't be able to play, but I want to do my best to do what I should do from practice."

"Maruyama"
"It was a good experience to be able to play in front of such a large crowd. We conceded a goal from a penalty kick, but no one was panicking at that time. Even during the period when the opponent was attacking, we were conscious of playing with our feet on the ground. I realized that we were able to win a difficult match because of the strength of the club staff who are present on the field, including the fans and supporters. The set plays we had prepared also worked the best in the game."

Players' Comments

Morishige:
You took three points in difficult circumstances? "At any rate three points was our major objective. You never know what's going to happen in an away game in Asia. We envisaged various eventualities and prepared for them together so we didn't lose our presence of mind during the match". Did Yonemoto's corner go according to plan? "We all put our heads together in preparation for the game and were able to get the result we wanted. I think we felt that we'd be able to replicate on the field what we'd worked on in training". You managed to restrict the three Brazilians to just one penalty kick between them? "Akimoto stopped some shots but also because every player fulfilled his role very well we were able to pin them down. The individual players joined forces within the team and that enabled us to win. I won't be able to play in the next match so I'll be working hard on my game in training".

Maruyama:
"Playing in front of such a huge crowd was a really great experience. No-one panicked when we conceded the penalty. We were very focused on staying on our feet when the opposition was enjoying a period of domination. I really feel that winning such a difficult game is a tribute to the strength of our fans, supporters and the club staff here with us. The free kick we'd prepared in training worked the best".

[Summary of Manager Hiroshi Jofuku's Press Conference]

"I was prepared for a very difficult away game. In the first half, after taking the lead, the momentum changed with one play, and there was also a pinch of conceding a goal, but we were able to overcome it with a 1-1 draw. In the second half, being able to maintain our pace led to the final winning goal. Today, I am very happy to have been able to bring back 3 points with the support of the fans who came all the way to the distant away ground and become the group stage leader."
Q=Regarding the resilience of the players who took 3 points in a tough situation, and becoming the top of the group stage.
"It is very difficult to earn 3 points in a situation like today. The players fought without losing their concentration. Being able to maintain our own pace amidst the wonderful support from Jiangsu Suning gives us great confidence. And as a result of today's match, we were able to take the top position."
We have put ourselves in a position where we can determine our own advancement to the knockout stage. In order to build on today's result, we must fight hard in the remaining two matches.
 

[Summary of Jiangsu Suning Petrescu's Press Conference]
"It wasn't good from the first half. It wouldn't have been strange to end 1-0. Things didn't go as planned, but that's how football is. I feel very sorry about the result. However, football is something where unpredictable things happen."

F.C.TOKYO manager Hiroshi Jofuku

"We were resigned to today being an extremely difficult game. We managed to take the lead but then one passage of play changed the flow of the match. Although we suffered a setback in conceding the goal we were able to come through a sticky patch with the score at 1-1. In the second half we continued to play at our own pace and that led to us scoring the decisive goal. Our fans and supporters made the long trip to this distant away game and I'm absolutely delighted that we can return home together with the three points. What about the strength of character the players showed and being top of the group? Well, to take three points from a game like this is incredibly difficult. The players performed without a break in concentration. Being able to impose ourselves on the game in the middle of that fantastic support for Jiangsu will give us great confidence. And the result has taken us to the top of the group which means we are now in a position to qualify for the next stage through our own efforts. We want to use the impetus gained from the match today and perform solidly in the remaining two games".

JIANGSU FC manager Dan Petrescu

"We were poor from the first half. 1-0 wouldn't have been a strange result. The game didn't go the way we had expected but that happens in football. The result is extremely disappointing. Sometimes you just can't predict what will occur in a game".