League match resumes! Starting a new beginning

After a break of more than a month, the league match resumes. Sec. 14 is approaching, and we will face Sanfrecce Hiroshima at home. During this break period, we have been diligently working on improving our physical condition and resolving the issues that arose in the first half of the league. On the other hand, Takahashi and Gonda have been participating in the activities of the Japanese national team for a long time. In addition, Lee and Tanabe will be leaving the team, which can be seen as a new start for Tokyo.

In this match, the top scorer Watanabe injured his left foot and will be absent. Therefore, Lucas will be deployed as the lone striker, with Higashi playing behind him. Hasegawa will be on the side, and Mita, who will make his first start in the league, will also be on the side. In the double pivot, Hyun Soo JANG will be used alongside Yonemoto. Muto, who has just joined the team as a "JFA・J-League designated player," will be on the bench and ready to face the match.

Hiroshima, who is currently in 5th place with 24 points, will face off. In the quarterfinals of the Nabisco Cup held on June 23rd and 30th, they played against Kashiwa. Although they did not advance to the semifinals, they should have regained their game sense and become accustomed to actual matches. Above all, FW Sato's scoring ability, movement using space, and attacks led by MF Takahagi and Mikic have repeatedly caused bitter experiences. In addition to the formation of 3-6-1, where both wide players take high positions, Hiroshima's unexpected attacking from the defensive line has become a strong point.

It is a match where if we concede first, Hiroshima will be able to tighten their defense, so we aim to score the first goal while keeping the score 0-0 for as long as possible and strive for victory in a Tokyo-like style. It was the hottest day of the year during the day, but Ajinomoto Stadium, which had eased a bit by evening, the match started at 18:34 with Hiroshima's kickoff.

High defensive awareness, connecting chances from counterattacks

Hiroshima displayed their characteristic passing play from the beginning and gained ball possession. Hiroshima also had a high awareness of shooting and there were moments where they were able to bring the ball to a finish in a forceful manner. However, Tokyo calmly fought back without panicking and organized a defensive block, trying to turn it into a counterattack.

In the 23rd minute, from Mori's cut in their own territory, Hyun Soo JANG dribbled up the center and launched a powerful counterattack. In the opponent's territory, he connected with Mita, who had moved up on the left, and sent a ground cross in front of the goal. Lucas and Higashi jumped in, creating a decisive opportunity, but both were unable to connect due to a collision with the opponent's defenders. In the 29th minute, they passed the ball in the opponent's territory, and Hyun Soo JANG sent a pass to the left front line. Although it was initially blocked by the Hiroshima defenders, Ota seized the loose ball and took a direct shot. However, it was saved by the goalkeeper.

Counterattacks and quick switches of attack posed a threat to Hiroshima, and in the 39th minute, the whole team pushed up, with Morishige passing to the left-leaning Mita, who then passed to Lucas in the center. Lucas made a run into the area from the one-two pass. He created a big chance and took a shot, but it was saved by the goalkeeper, resulting in a corner kick...

In the first half stoppage time, Mita pressed and stole the ball inside the Hiroshima team, dribbling towards the goal. He evaded two Hiroshima defenders and headed towards the penalty area. Although he couldn't take a shot, he was fouled just outside the penalty area and won a free kick. However, Mita's direct attempt was blocked by the wall and resulted in a left corner kick. This left corner kick was also cleared and did not lead to a goal. Mita created opportunities with his aggressive attitude, but the first half ended with a scoreless draw.

In a tense offensive and defensive battle, they conceded a goal from a free kick just before the end...

In the second half, the speed and movement in passing improved, and Tokyo gained rhythm in the early stages. In the 51st minute, Mita carried the ball forward while spreading out to the left and right, and Higashi in the central midfield turned around and took a shot. In the 53rd minute, Ota on the left quickly crossed the ball while bypassing the opponent's defender vertically. Lucas slid in near the goal but couldn't make a successful shot and it went wide.

Hiroshima also in the 59th minute, MF Mikkicchi broke through with a pass to the right front line and crossed. The ball passed to free MF Takahagi in the left area, creating a scoring opportunity... but the shot hit the resilient Tokyo DF and went back to Hiroshima FW Sato in the center. Here, Tokunaga also leaned his body and prevented the finish.

In the 60th minute, Hasegawa changed the side from Tokyo's fast attack to the space on the right front line. Mita, who ran in, vertically bypassed the opponent in the right area and took a shot with his right foot, but the ball hit the far post... In the 74th minute, from Chang Hyun Soo's vertical pass, Mita in the center hit the ball to Lucas in front with one touch and reversed to advance. He received the return and took a shot with his left foot, but it went over the bar.

Hiroshima also attacked from the right MF Mikicchi as a starting point, and in the 74th minute, FW Sato was momentarily free in front of the goal from an early cross. He made a header, but it narrowly went to the left and avoided danger. Tokyo also made a move in the 78th minute, and got a corner kick in the first half. Mita's fast kick, Hyun Soo JANG jumped in with a header, but it narrowly went to the left... Both teams attacked each other, and the intense offensive and defensive continued.

In the final stages, Hiroshima was pushed back for a long time, but on the contrary, they took advantage of the opponent's gap, shook the opponent by passing the ball in injury time, and East in the central area took a shot. It was blocked, but Yonemoto followed up on the ball that spilled to the left and aimed for a goal, but it went wide of the target...

Immediately after that, Hiroshima did not give up and Notsuda, the FW, passed a through ball from the right side to the center. And against FW Ishihara, who received the ball from behind, Tokunaga was judged to have held him back with a foul, giving Hiroshima a free kick from the center of the penalty arc. Hiroshima MF Pak Hyun-jin directly aimed for it and scored in the upper left corner... There was no time left for a counterattack, and time was up. The introduction of Nemanja Vucicevic and Muto, who made his professional debut, did not bear fruit. The opening match ended in a bitter defeat.


[Player Comments]
《Mita》
"Today, I wanted to at least earn 1 point, but I want to aim to earn '3' from here on. Personally, since I participated in the Nabisco Cup, I didn't feel nervous. I think our defense fit well and we were able to have a good game, but it's really frustrating that the outcome was decided by one play at the end. There were parts where I felt that I could do it and it would work, but there were also small mistakes. I lost the ball 2-3 times in places where I shouldn't have. If I can eliminate that, I think the range of my play will expand even more. Also, I couldn't score in shooting opportunities, so it's frustrating, a reflection, and a challenge. I want to pursue even the smallest details and work hard from practice."

《Ota》
"Both in the first half and the second half, we had a strong defensive mindset. I think we were able to defend well against Hiroshima's front line of five players with a back four. We wanted to win the ball in a high position, but we created a block and managed to keep the first half 0-0, so we felt confident about the second half. We were able to speed up the game by playing vertical passes. Players like Hyun Soo JANG and Hikaru MITA were the key players, and I think we were able to create chances. If possible, we need to increase the amount of time we possess the ball and when we bring it up to a high position, we need to have a shared understanding of how to break down the defense, not just pass the ball around."


【Coach Ranko Popovic's Press Conference Summary】
"It was a very difficult match. Both teams tactically tried to nullify each other's strengths and aimed to defend well and provoke the opponent's mistakes to launch attacks. Our players may have been affected by the gap between official matches, as there were some noticeable moments of rigidity from the beginning."

Originally, there were places where we could have moved the ball quickly and fluidly. It was a game where the strength was evenly matched, but I feel like we had more decisive chances. If we had been able to convert them, the result might have been different. We conceded a goal in that way at the end and ended up losing. It's something that happens in the world of soccer, a realistic thing. I think the important thing is not to dwell on it and to move forward to the next game together."


[Hiroshima Manager Moriyasu's Press Conference Summary]
"It was good that the players persevered and fought until the end with patience, and were able to earn 3 points in a difficult away game. In the first half, we moved the ball and played according to our team concept, which is to attack from the sides and break down the opponent's defense. And Tokyo countered by taking our ball. Both teams had prepared tactics for this match and implemented them throughout the first half and the 90 minutes. In that sense, we were able to show a high level of concentration and an interesting tactical game."

Both teams created chances, but it remained 0-0 until the very end. Neither team played passively, but rather worked hard under solid tactics. Although we faced some close calls and counterattacks, our players patiently kept the score at zero and fought through. I believe that led to the winning goal from MF Park's free kick. Compared to previous matches, the temperature and humidity were high, so the players must have felt fatigued, but they kept running until the end thanks to the support of the fans who came to Ajista. It was good to win a tough game and deliver 3 points to the supporters."