<Match Review>
The calendar has entered April, and this match against Vissel Kobe is only the second home game for Tokyo in the 2022 J1 League season. It is the second match in a row with only three days of rest between the three clubs participating in the AFC Champions League (ACL). After losing by one point in the previous match against Yokohama F.Marinos, Tokyo wants to show their growth as a team and earn three points at their home Ajinomoto Stadium.
In this match, Kuryu MATSUKI was suspended and Keigo HIGASHI was used as the inside half. Up front, Kensuke NAGAI was given a starting spot for the first time since the opening game in the league. In the defense line, Ryoma WATANABE was placed as the right back and Yuto NAGATOMO was placed as the left back.
Vissel Kobe, the opponent, had Andres INIESTA starting in the lineup, and Kento HASHIMOTO made the bench.
Tokyo, who had possession of the ball from the start, was pressured by the opponent's attack targeting the space behind the side back and was pushed towards the goal. In the 5th minute of the first half, they were able to enter deep into the right side and put in a cross ball, which was headed by Yuya OSAKO, but it went wide to the left of the goal. Unable to maintain possession of the ball, they were once again pressured towards the goal from the right side in the 12th minute of the first half, but Jakub SLOWIK made a big save in a 1-on-1 situation. However, the ball that spilled in front of the goal was pushed in by Hotaru YAMAGUCHI, giving the opponent the lead.
Tokyo, who is trailing by one point, gradually starts to dominate the ball and push the opponent after conceding a goal. In the 27th minute of the first half, they move the ball wide and pass it to Shuto ABE, who takes a position near the right side of the penalty area. ABE crosses the ball with his left foot, and Higashi drops it with one touch on the far side. Nagai, who has entered the penalty area, takes a shot with his left foot, but it goes over the goal. In the 28th minute of the first half, they press high and force a mistake from the opponent. Higashi passes a through ball behind the defense line of Kobe, who is trying to attack. Diego OLIVEIRA, who has entered the space, takes a shot with a precise aim, but it narrowly misses to the left of the goal. In the 40th minute of the first half, they have another big chance. Kimoto passes a sharp pass to the right side from the middle range. Watanabe puts in an early cross, and Nagai takes a shot, but it is blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper.
Tokyo, which strengthened its attack from the start of the second half, made a strong push in the 6th minute of the second half. Nagai, who was in the right space inside the penalty area, made a pass in the negative direction near the goal line. Watanabe, who had jumped in, met the ball in front of the opponent's defender, but the shot narrowly missed to the right of the goal. Continuing to create chances from the right side, in the 10th minute of the second half, Watanabe ran Nagai into space with a pass that passed through the crotch of the marker he faced. Nagai, who had escaped, made a pass that went up the mountain to the far side when the opponent approached near, and Adailton, who was in front of the goal, headed in to equalize.
Tokyo's momentum is unstoppable. In the 12th minute of the second half, Watanabe, who had the ball on the left side, dribbled past Iniesta and passed it to the near side of the goal. Nagai ran in and used a heel pass, then Adailton connected it and Diego received the ball in front of the goal. Morishige then struck the ball powerfully into the net, successfully completing the comeback.
In the 21st minute of the second half, Diego TABA received a wedge pass just outside the penalty area and flicked the ball to the front of the goal. The opponent defender couldn't handle the ball and it fell right in front of Diego TABA. The opponent goalkeeper also came out to close the distance, but calmly placed the ball into the left corner of the goal, and Tokyo quickly pulled away from Kobe.
In the final stages of the match, substitute player Keita YAMASHITA was involved in multiple chances. In the 44th minute, he broke through in front of the goal and swung his left foot, but the shot narrowly missed to the right of the goal. In the closing minutes of the match, Hirotaka MITA scored a diving header from a cross ball from the left, but it was disallowed due to a handball after VAR support. Despite this, the team continued their attacking efforts from the start of the second half until the final whistle, leaving a strong impact of attacking football at Ajinomoto Stadium.
Albert's journey in Tokyo has just begun. After back-to-back matches against ACL participating clubs in just 3 days, they are preparing for a match against Urawa Reds. On April 10th, they will aim to leave a bigger impact of their attacking football at Ajinomoto Stadium and continue to grow through training starting tomorrow.
[Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Interview]
Q: please review the game.
A: We did not start the match well and went through a difficult period around the 10th to 15th minute. Then, due to our mistake, we conceded a goal. After that, I think we were able to get into the game well. We created several clear chances in the first half, so it would have been good if we could have converted those into goals, but it didn’t go that smoothly.
After that, I think what decided the match was maintaining a fast tempo. Because of that, I believe we were able to control the game overall. In the second half, our high pressing was effective overall, and I think we maintained a good balance between ball possession and actively moving towards the goal. Also, I am pleased that we created many clear chances in the second half and were able to score multiple goals from them, and I am happy that the team has continued to grow.
Q: The right side seemed to be functioning particularly well in the second half, and it appeared that Ryo Nagai was given space. Please evaluate the performance of the right side.
A: I believe it is true that our right side was functioning well. However, what is interesting is that on the same side, which is the left side for the opponent, they were also launching good attacks. There was a good battle on that same side—our right side and their left side. They created goals from there, and we also created multiple clear chances. It is an interesting point that many chances for both teams were born on that side. Regarding the second half, I think we were able to attack well not only from the right side but also from the left side.
Q: How do you feel about the current players' positioning, given that you focus on playing soccer with a specific position in mind?
A: Overall, the players have been able to take good positions, and while we were able to attack from the sides, I think the attacks through the center were still lacking. Even though the players are taking good positions, building attacks through the center will require a bit more time. Naturally, this is an area that needs to continue growing throughout the season. However, we have been able to build up our side attacks. As I always say, I want to improve the team's completeness as we play more matches.
Q: In the previous match, you mentioned that there was a focus on the wings rather than the tempo of play. How was it in this match?
A, I think there were two key points today. The first was which team could better express their own playing style. The second was how well we could maintain a fast playing tempo. I believed that would lead to victory. Kobe is strong at attacking through the center, while we are better at attacking from the sides rather than the center. In that flow, at the start of the match, we struggled to respond to their buildup of attacks through the center. After that, we found our rhythm and were able to build effective attacks from the sides. Today, intensity and playing strength were more important than playing speed. Maintaining a high level of playing intensity in the second half was, I think, the key to our victory. Not only in today's match but also in training, we have been able to play with high intensity, and our physical condition has been well maintained, which I believe contributed to the win.
[Player Interview]
＜Masato MORISHIGE＞
Q, please look back on the scoring scene.
A, since it was a set play, I took a position where I could strike if the ball spilled loose, and the ball came to me there, so I was able to finish it well.
Q, is it more accurate to say that the ball came to you if you were in that position, rather than actively calling for it?
A, there was no one in that position, so I took a position to avoid being caught on the counterattack and to be able to pick up any loose balls that came my way.
Q: After conceding the first goal, Kobe Univ seemed to have stopped attacking. Did the team face difficulties before and after conceding the goal?
A, what we do did not change, and since Kobe did not defend from the front line, we had many opportunities to carry the ball into the opponent's territory. I think it would have been better if we had aimed for the goal while moving the ball.
Q, do you think the goal scene showed emotions?
A, we have to show our emotions fully in every match, and if the players at the back don’t lift the team’s spirits, the whole team will sink. I believe I need to be in a position where I can inject energy into the team while maintaining stable play.
Q: We have been conceded the first goal in two consecutive matches, but especially today, there was an impression of steadily turning the game around. How was the overall game play throughout the 90 minutes?
A, there are still many areas that need improvement, and since Kobe is a team that does not press much from the front, I think it would have been better if we could have circulated the ball more quickly. I also want to continue discussing with everyone to make things better.
Q: After the Hiroshima match on 3/12, we were still talking about "still a long way to go". Has the level improved a bit today?
A, I believe we are growing, but since the goals conceded and the accuracy of ball circulation were not satisfactory during the match, both individually and as a team, we want to continue improving.
Q, it seems that the start of the game has been poor so far, what do you think is the cause when watching from the back?
A, FC Tokyo until now has been a soccer team that starts from defense and builds rhythm, but from this season we are challenging ourselves to play soccer by connecting the ball and creating rhythm. Throughout the game, I feel that it is a bit stiff, but I think that if we continue to challenge ourselves to pass the ball with a sense of tension, we can further progress in the future.
<Diego OLIVEIRA player>
Q: How was it, considering that the opposing team had possession of the ball for a long time in the first half?
A, I knew that Kobe was originally a high-quality team, so their good rhythm and strong start to the match were somewhat within my expectations. In the second half, on the other hand, we were able to demonstrate our own quality and maintain possession of the ball, which I believe was the key factor in our improvement and showed that we were able to learn from the first half's reflections.
Q, I think there was a period of time when the ball didn't come to the front line. What kind of preparations were you making?
A, rather than the difficulty of not being able to receive the ball up front, I felt the difficulty of the opponent pulling back and solidifying their defensive block. Since we missed a clear chance that came in the first half, I was playing while thinking about scoring as soon as possible as a team and turning the game around. In that context, I think it was good that we were able to score in a more difficult situation than in the first half.
Q, there were many scenes where we were able to break through with one or two touches.
A, in the second half, we were able to express the attacking patterns and rhythm that we practice regularly, and because the opposing team could no longer keep up, our rhythm surpassed theirs and we were able to score. This gave the team some composure, allowing us to control the game at our own pace, which I think was good.
Q, please tell us your enthusiasm for the next game.
A, many fans and supporters came to the stadium today and gave us great support. To secure 3 points in the next match against Urawa and conclude this three-game stretch successfully, it is important to recover well and prepare thoroughly. We hope that many people will come to Ajinomoto Stadium for the next Urawa match as well, cheer on the team, and share the victory together with all the fans and supporters.
Q: please review the game.
A, the opponent is a high-quality team, so I thought it would be a difficult match from the start. In that situation, I believed that if we could express our rhythm and style, we could create chances, so I am happy that we were able to score many goals and win.
Q: What kind of adjustments did you make in the second half?
A, the first adjustment we made was intensity. It’s not that we couldn’t do it in the first half, but since we couldn’t surpass the opponent, we talked about raising the intensity once again in the second half, and I think we were able to recover.
Q, you were able to attack effectively while utilizing the sides, right?
A, rather than being able to attack from my own side, I think that being able to attack with a good balance from both sides led to the goals in the second half.
Q, you can welcome the last match of the three-game series against Urawa in a good shape, switching from the previous defeat.
A, of course, the next match is also expected to be difficult, but since we can play at our home ground, Ajinomoto Stadium, I want to maintain high concentration while playing and aim to secure 3 points.
Kensuke NAGAI
Q, first of all, please reflect on the scene of the first cross.
A, when I tried to cross at the first timing, the opponent didn't close in, so I had space and was able to firmly check the position inside. I could also see Adailton's position, so I’m glad I was able to connect well.
Q, Ryo NAGAI also left the next goal to Adailton with a good heel.
A, I had a clear view. When I received the ball, I thought I couldn't take the shot myself, so I checked Adailton's position before receiving it and chose to pass the ball to him.
Q, both of those two points were initiated by Watanabe's pass. In the first half, there were scenes where the passes didn't connect, and the two of them were exchanging passes, but as time went on, they started to connect, didn't they?
A, at first, Ryoma WATANABE couldn't quite get the timing right for passing, but when I told him, "If you pass it to me, I'll catch up, so trust me and pass it," he started passing it, which really helped me. From there, we were able to create several chances, and as a result, it led to calmly connecting on the first goal.
Q, what were the factors that allowed you to make a successful comeback?
A, we had chances from the first half, and during halftime, we talked as a team that if we could score one goal back, the team would gain momentum. So, while pursuing what the coach demands, we as players were able to play with confidence, and I think that ultimately led to scoring three goals in the second half.
Q, what do you think is the reason why Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA has been able to achieve results even in a season of building?
A, the coach himself always emphasizes the importance of having a winner's mentality during daily practice and before matches. Although it takes time, he constantly encourages us to build up while winning, so I believe the reason we are able to win lies in that aspect.
Q: Do you think it is also important not to lose consecutive games?
A, if we suffer consecutive losses, it becomes difficult to stay within the ACL qualification zone or compete for the title, so we were also conscious of that. Since it was a home game, we talked about being more aggressive. I personally had two or three chances, so next time I want to score and lead the team to victory.
<Keigo HIGASHI>
Q, I think the team's momentum and flow changed after scoring the first goal.
A, we had chances in the first half as well, and in football, scoring goals acts like a good medicine for the team. Since we were able to score consecutively in a great atmosphere at home, I think Tokyo’s true character showed through.
Q, I think we were able to take the ball with a coordinated defense from the second half.
A, the opponent's work rate dropped in the second half, and intensity is also one of Tokyo's strengths, so it was good that this fit well in the second half.
Q, in the first half we were unable to convert our chances, but in the second half we were able to effectively convert our chances into goals. What changed?
A, I think it's very positive that we are creating many chances. If we had finished when we could in the first half, the game would have been easier. Since we are still in the growth phase, I want us all to keep creating plenty of chances, score goals, and secure the win.
Q, how is the penetration rate of the new football style?
A, I think there is still a long way to go. We won today, but I want to work harder on the content aspect starting from practice.
Q, please tell us your enthusiasm for the next game.
A, it’s good that we didn’t suffer consecutive losses, but what’s important is to achieve consecutive wins. Urawa is a very strong team, and since the match is in three days, we want to prepare well. Personally, if I get to play, I want to make an impact.
