Aiming to advance to the round of 16 despite being completely away, winning in one shot

　ACL Round 16, we will play against Guangzhou Evergrande away. In the final group stage match against Ulsan Hyundai on 5/16, we created more scoring opportunities than our opponents but failed to capitalize on them. On the contrary, we conceded a goal from a set piece and suffered a defeat. We finished second in the group stage, which forced us to play this away match. As coach Popovic said, "Both teams need to win this match without any unnecessary tactics," it is expected to be a more attacking game where each team showcases their strengths.

　Guangzhou topped Group H, which included Kashiwa Reysol. However, in mid-May after the group stage, coach Ijans was unexpectedly dismissed. They hired Marcello Lippi, the coach who led them to victory in the 2006 World Cup. Since the new coach took over, they have already played two matches. They are currently leading the domestic league with one win and one draw. The team's strength lies in their strong attacking talents, emphasizing individual skills. The most cautious player is Argentinean midfielder Dario Conca. He controls the front line, which includes the top striker Clio, and the powerful midfielders Muriqui and Gaolin on the sides.

　Tokyo, in the league match against Urawa on 5/26, was a fierce battle of give and take, and managed to equalize with Morishige's header in injury time, resulting in a draw. With concerns about the players' condition, the defensive line was slightly rearranged. Takahashi was placed as CB and Tokunaga on the right side. Hasegawa and Yonemoto were positioned as a double pivot. Konda said, "Probably everyone around thinks Guangzhou will win based on the pre-match reputation. Taking everything, including that, in a positive way, we will just go all out as challengers," expressing determination.

　Coach Popovich said in the pre-match press conference, "We will play the football that we have been working on so far. And on this big stage, we will express ourselves as a team and the kind of football we play on the pitch. Even though it is the Round of 16, we will not change anything that we have been doing." Considering that it is a one-shot game, there is a possibility of a different situation such as extra time or penalty shootout, but we want to advance to the knockout stage (quarterfinals) by winning with collective and attacking football without changing Tokyo's style of play. The match started at 20:00 in Guangzhou's Tianhe Sports Center, which is a complete away game.

Tokyo Aim For Victory In Winner Takes All ACL Round Of 16

FC Tokyo traveled to China to take on Guangzhou Evergrande F.C. in the ACL Round Of 16. In the final group stage fixture on May 16th. Tokyo had created a series of chances away to Ulsan Hyundai but failed to capitalise and succumbed to a scrappy goal from a set play. That defeat meant a second place finish in the group and an away game in the winner takes all first knockout round. Manager Popovic commented, "Neither side has any room for any excess tactics. We just have to go and win the game". Given the one-off nature of the match an attacking spectacle was anticipated.

Opponents Guangzhou had finished top of Group H, which also included Kashiwa Reysol. However, manager Lee Jang-Soo was suddenly dismissed in the middle of May and the former manager of Italy, 2006 World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi was appointed in his place. Lippi had been at the helm for two matches, earning a win and a draw that maintained Guangzhou's lead in the Chinese Super League. A powerful, talented attack was the side's strong point with Argentine-born midfielder Dario Conca the main threat. Lone striker Cleo was supported by Muriqui from midfield while Gao Lin distributed the ball to the wide men from a position in the hole.

Tokyo entered the game following an intense 1-1 draw with Urawa Reds on the previous Saturday, when Morishige's header in added time had secured a hard-fought point. There were concerns over the players' conditioning following that demanding encounter and Takahashi moved into central defence, with Tokunaga shifting out to right back. Hasegawa and Yonemoto started as double defensive midfielders. Gonda commented, "Maybe people are expecting Guangzhou to win so we're aiming to turn everything to our advantage. We're going to be positive, we're ready for the challenge and we're going out to win".

Manager Popovic said, "We want to produce the kind of football we're striving to achieve. We aim to express ourselves on the pitch, to show what kind of team we are and how we want to play. This may be the big stage, the Round Of 16, but we're not going to change anything in the way we play". Tokyo were aiming for a win that would take them into the knockout quarter-final stage of the competition without changing the collective attacking style that had brought the side this far, despite the possibility of extra time and penalties.
The hosts kicked off at 8pm on a hot and humid evening in Guangzhou.

Trailing after conceding the first goal, they turn around the game in the first half.

　From the start, they quickly switched from defense to offense. In the 11th minute, Ishikawa passed to Nakano in the center, who took a shot while turning around. He aimed from a distance, but it went wide. In the 14th minute, Nakano was fouled and they got a free kick from slightly left of the opponent's goal. Because of the distance, Morishige cleverly passed the ball to Lucas on the ground, and it reached Kajiyama in the center of the penalty area, but they couldn't create an opportunity from there. Lucas received the return pass and took a shot from the middle, but it hit the crossbar.

　In the 16th minute, Kajiyama dropped the ball with a header from Mokuhara's left throw-in, and Lucas took a shot. He accurately aimed for the top right corner of the goal, but it was caught by the goalkeeper. However, after 20 minutes, Guangzhou started to create rhythm from set plays. In the 21st and 26th minutes, MF Conka directly aimed for the FK near the area, but the defense held strong and didn't allow a goal. However, in the 31st minute, Guangzhou played a ball from the right side to the center and it was played behind the defense. They couldn't stop it and FW Cleo pushed it in from the center, resulting in a goal...

　Tokyo wanted to counterattack, but they also made mistakes and invited pressure from Guangzhou on the counter, with FW Muriqi as the starting point. In the 42nd minute, Tokyo was pushed back and gave away a free kick just outside the penalty arc. MF Conca's shot grazed Lucas and resulted in a corner kick. In the 45th minute, Tokyo had a chance when Ishikawa shot from the right area near the goal after clearing from Murahara's left throw-in, but it went wide. Ultimately, Tokyo couldn't create any clear chances against Guangzhou, who were boosted by the atmosphere of the stadium, and went into halftime trailing after conceding a goal.

Tokyo Behind At The Half

The visitors began brightly, quickly turning solid defence into attack. In the 11th minute, Ishikawa found Watanabe in a central position; the striker turned and shot, his mid-range effort drifting well wide of the goal. Tokyo won a free kick slightly to the left of the Guangzhou penalty area and some distance away in the 14th minute. Too far out for a serious attempt on goal, Morishige instead stroked the ball to Lucas, who in turn found Kajiyama just inside the penalty area in a central position. Kajiyama played the ball back to Lucas who then fired over the bar.

In the 16th minute, Tokyo won a throw-in down the left. Mukuhara hurled the ball into the Guangzhou area, Kajiyama knocked it down, and Lucas produced a shot that was heading for the top right corner until goalkeeper Yang plucked the ball out of the air. However, Guangzhou began to find their rhythm from around the 20th minute mark, aided by some set plays. In the 21st and 26th minutes, they won free kicks in threatening positions and although midfielder Conca went directly for goal, the Tokyo defense held firm and repelled the danger. In the 31st minute though, Guangzhou broke behind the Tokyo defense and when the ball was squared into the center, forward Cleo swept it beyond Gonda.

The visitors sought to mount a fightback but suffered from misplaced passes that allowed Guangzhou to counter attack, with the increasingly dangerous Muriqui as the focal point. In the 42nd minute Tokyo conceded a free kick just outside the penalty arc; Conca attempted to clear the wall, the ball skimmed off Lucas' head and flew narrowly past the left post. In the 45th minute Ishikawa received the ball from Mukuhara's throw in, cut inside and shot wide. After falling behind Tokyo had struggled to fashion a clear-cut opening and Guangzhou, roared on by the vocal home support, held a 1-0 lead at half time.

Despite launching a fierce attack in the second half, they were unable to score a goal. Their first attempt at the ACL ended in the round of 16.

　The flow remained unchanged even in the second half. In the 50th minute, they allowed successive entries into the area from one-two passes, and even brought the ball to a shot through coordination, but they were also helped by mistakes. Tokyo, who wants to pull the flow, replaced Yonemoto with Tanihara in the 55th minute. Lucas was placed as an attacking midfielder and Kajiyama as a defensive midfielder. Then, gradually, they started to attack from Tokyo-like passing plays. In the 56th minute, Ishikawa crossed from the right side from a high position by Mukuhara. Watanabe in the left area aimed for the goal with a header, but it went over the bar.

　73 minutes, Watanabe dribbles to the left from Kajiyama's long through pass, and Tanizawa tries to enter the area but is fouled, resulting in a free kick. MoriShige directly aims for it but misses the target. In the 73rd minute, Kajiyama connects from the left side and takes a well-aimed ground shot in the middle, but it curves to the left. In the 77th minute, Tokunaga cuts inside from the right side and takes a shot, but it goes wide. In the following 79th minute, Ishikawa receives a right throw-in at the corner of the area and attempts a looping shot, but also fails to hit the target.

　Tokyo, who desperately wanted a goal, substituted Kawano for Ishikawa in the 84th minute. Immediately after, Lucas -> Kawano dribbled up the left side and crossed. Lucas tried to head it in, but unfortunately it hit the post... In the 85th minute, Hayashi was substituted for Mukuhara. They changed the system to a 3-back formation for a more attacking lineup. In stoppage time, they connected through Kawano on the right side, and Hasegawa in the center attracted the defenders and made a final pass to Hayashi in the left area. He broke through the defensive line and took a shot, but it was blocked by the desperate efforts of the opponent's defenders and goalkeeper.

　Late left CK. Kawano's kick was connected by Morishige, and Kawano crossed again from the ball that flowed to the left side. Gonda, who was attacking, tried to match with a determined head, but couldn't finish and missed to the right... We attacked fiercely chasing one point until the end, but couldn't score and the game ended. The first ACL challenge ended in defeat in Round 16.

Tokyo Bow Out Despite Attacking Second Half Performance

The second period began as the first had ended. Guangzhou played a neat one-two and burst into the Tokyo area in the 50th minute, but the visitors were saved from falling further behind by some wayward shooting. Seeking to stem the tide, Tokyo replaced Yonemoto with Yazawa in the 55th minute. Lucas played in the hole behind Watanabe while Kajiyama dropped deeper into midfield. Tokyo slowly began to find their passing game and started to threaten the Guangzhou goal.

In the 56th minute, Mukuhara pushed deep into enemy territory and crossed, the ball eventually reaching Ishikawa on the right. Ishikawa crossed in turn and Watanabe headed narrowly over the bar.
In the 73rd minute, Yazawa was brought down as he attempted to break into the Guangzhou area on the left, earning a free kick in a promising position. Morishige stroked the ball over the defensive wall but narrowly wide of the post. Kajiyama then drove a low, long-range shot wide of the post. Tokunaga cut inside from the right in the 77th minute and fired a shot wide of the far post. Ishikawa attempted to lob Yang from the corner of the penalty area in the 79th minute but the ball sailed over the bar.

 With the clock slowly ticking down Tokyo needed to find a goal and replaced Ishikawa with Kawano in the 84th.minute. Kawano made an immediate impact, linking with Lucas down the left and hoisting a cross to the near post. Lucas beat a defender to the ball and made a firm contact but his header struck the post and rebounded to safety. Tokyo replaced Mukuhara with Hayashi in the 85th.minute and switched to a three-back system. As the game entered added time Kawano sparked a move down the right, then found Hasegawa infield; Hasegawa drew a defender towards himself before slipping the ball to Hayashi on his left. Hayashi burst forward deep into the penalty area and shot but a combination of goalkeeper and a defender somehow kept the ball out of the net. 

Tokyo won a corner on the left deep into stoppage time. Kawano crossed and the ball found Morishige; when it came back to Kawano he crossed again, aiming for Gonda who had added his weight to the attack in a last ditch attempt to conjure a goal to take the match into extra time. Gonda was unable to make a connection and the ball sailed out of play. Tokyo had fought feverishly until the bitter end but were unable to find a goal and their first appearance in the ACL ended in the Round Of 16.

[Player Comment]《Ishikawa》"There was space and opportunities to create chances. Today, the coordination between the passer and receiver of the ball didn't go well. We are representing Japan on the pitch, but honestly, I have doubts about whether we were able to fight with that kind of mindset. It was a dream to come to Tokyo and compete on this stage, so it's very disappointing that we couldn't produce results."

　"Gonoda" "Today, the result is everything. If we lose, nothing will remain. If we win, I think various possibilities will open up. For example, in the next stage, we can have home and away matches, which will be a good experience. Even though it's a little late, I wanted to continue the battle in the ACL. In the first half, maybe because of the atmosphere in the stadium, I think we couldn't play our soccer. I want to be able to overcome such situations with our spirit. We have a little time until the J-League restarts, so I want to fix the areas that are lacking and approach it in a good condition."

[Summary of Coach Popovich's Press Conference]"I think both teams played with all their strength and it was a fantastic match. Both teams were able to show a game that would not be embarrassing to call the ACL final. Regarding the first half, I think the opponent played better soccer. The first half was a game dominated by Guangzhou. However, in the second half, we took control and it was a game that we firmly dominated."
　I am sorry about the result, but I am proud and happy about the attitude and performance shown by our players. What we have shown is that soccer is not just about money. And I think we have shown what is valuable for soccer, what is its asset. I believe we have shown the quality of our team's play, its potential, and the direction of soccer for the future. In that sense, I think we have shown that we are a wealthy team."

Players' comments
Ishikawa
"There was some space and we created chances but overall we couldn't quite find the right connection between the passer and the receiver. We were here representing Japan and there have to be some doubts about our approach, to be honest. Since I moved to FC Tokyo I've dreamed of playing in games like this so the result is very disappointing".

Gonda
"It was all about the result today. There was nothing left if we lost. If we won then it would open up some possibilities as the next round is home and away, which would have been a great experience. It's too late now but we wanted to carry on playing in the ACL. In the first half there was a real atmosphere in the stadium and we didn't really play our own football, I felt. We want to be mentally strong enough to overcome that. We have some time now before the J.League starts again and we want to use it to put right what needs fixing so we can look forward positively".


FC Tokyo manager Popovic
"Both teams played well and it was an excellent game, I thought. It was a game fitting to have been the final, with both sides showing what they are capable of. I think our opponents played better in the first half; it was a game they won in the first half. In the second half though we seized the initiative and dominated, I felt.
The result is disappointing but I feel we can be proud of the way we performed and our approach to the match. I think we showed that football isn't only about money. I felt we showed the quality of our play, our future prospects and the course our game will take in the future. In that sense I feel we showed that we are the more affluent team".

[Summary of Guangzhou Evergrande Marcello Lippi's press conference] "I think it was a good game as expected. Tokyo didn't have any tall players, but they had excellent individual skills. In the first half, we created many clear chances and didn't give the opponent any space. It was also very good that we were able to use FW Muriqui, who was injured. Over the next three months, I want to further improve the team tactics and individual skills. I am very satisfied with today's match."

　(Was today's victory the result of giving it our all?) If we had been more aggressive in our attacks, we could have scored more goals. Midfielder Derlan is a very important player for us. I think it was good that we placed him in the defensive midfield today."

Guangzhou manager Lippi 
"As we expected it was a good game. Tokyo don't have any particularly tall players but they have excellent technical ability. In the face of that in the first half we created several good chances and denied them space to play in. It was also very good that Muriqui was able to play even though he had had an injury. Over the next three months we aim to improve the technical level of the team and the individual players. I'm very satisfied with today's game.
I think that if we are even more positive in attack then we should be able to score more goals. Midfielder Zheng Zhi is a very big player for us. Playing him in defensive midfield today was a good move, I think".