<Match Review>
The third match of the Levain Cup group stage, which we approached with 1 win and 1 loss. If we win here, we can turn the tide and gain an advantage towards advancing to the Prime Stage. The men entrusted with this important match are hungry for the game.
In the last three matches, Taishi Brandon NOZAWA has been guarding the back, with Junya SUZUKI starting for the first time in the official season as right back. Takuya AOKI, who returned to the pitch after a long absence in the previous match against Sagan Tosu, also started and 16-year-old Ryunosuke SATO, who started on the right wing, followed the first match against Cerezo Osaka. Up front, Naoki KUMATA, who scored his first professional goal in the second match against Kyoto Sanga F.C., secured his first starting position in this match.
This season, Tokyo has yet to achieve a victory in away games, even when combining league and cup matches. In order to secure their first away win with a "fresh" lineup, they faced off against Gamba Osaka.
1st HALF -Despite enduring a tough match, they concede a goal just before the end
The start of the game was a battle of long balls, but gradually the game settled down. With two teams led by a Spanish coach, the ball began to move with short passes. Although the first shot was conceded to Gamba Osaka, in the 7th minute of the first half, Kumada took a left-footed shot in front of the goal. It was blocked by the defender in front of him, but it was a shot that showed potential.
However, the opponent, who had been fielding their main team, continued to dominate the game. Even if we managed to steal the ball, our passes during the build-up play were sloppy, resulting in the ball being given away to the opponent more often and allowing them to create more shooting opportunities. Nevertheless, thanks to the efforts of players like Masato Morishige and Seiji Kimura, we were able to prevent them from scoring. However, we were unable to maintain possession of the ball for a significant amount of time.
In the 38th minute of the first half, Tokyo launched a counterattack. Adailton forcefully cut through the left side and brought the ball to the front of the goal. Although he was unable to take the shot, Suzuki quickly followed up with a direct shot on the opposite side, resulting in a corner kick.
This play will be the catalyst for movement in the game. In the 41st minute of the first half, the opponent's goalkeeper was pressed, but a skillful build-up resulted in the ball being quickly carried to their own goal. In the end, player Morishige responded and caused the opponent to miss their shot, but it was a dangerous scene that could have resulted in a goal being scored.
Although it was a difficult situation, we wanted to keep a clean sheet and continue in the second half, but we were scored against at the end. The opponent entered the penalty area from the left side and Sugiyma player kicked it in spectacularly, resulting in us being one goal behind at halftime.
2nd HALF－Defeated by adding 2 points in the final stage
At halftime, Diego OLIVEIRA and Hisatoshi NISHIDO were brought in to adjust the defensive shape. Diego took care of the opponent's anchor, Neta LAVI, effectively shutting down their build-up.
However, the flow of the game remains unchanged. Gamba Osaka is quicker in decision making and switching, and they move the ball around using the pitch more effectively. In the 8th minute of the second half, they were able to take a decisive shot in the area, but it was saved by player Nozawa's fine save.
Gradually, Gamba Osaka's pace began to drop, and around 15 minutes into the second half, Tokyo was able to move the ball in the opponent's territory. They were able to carry the ball deep into both sides and increase the number of crosses.
However, as time passed without being able to create a chance for an equalizer, the team switched to an attacking formation by bringing in players such as Leon NOZAWA and Yuta ARAI to add depth to the front line, and sliding Nishido to left back. However, they continued to struggle with unstable build-up play and were vulnerable to short counter attacks. In the 42nd minute of the second half, they conceded a second goal which sealed their fate. In additional time, they also gave up a third goal from a long counter attack, resulting in a tough outcome.
On the weekend, we will return to our home Ajinomoto Stadium and play a league match in just 3 days. In order to redeem ourselves from the disappointment of consecutive away matches, we will fight for victory against Shonan Bellmare, not just in terms of performance but also in pursuit of a win.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING XI
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Junya SUZUKI/Masato MORISHIGE/Seiji KIMURA/Yuto NAGATOMO (36th minute second half: Yuta ARAI)
MF Koki TSUKAGAWA (0 minute second half: Diego OLIVEIRA)/Takuya AOKI (10th minute second half: Tsubasa TERAYAMA)/Kusei MATSUKI/Ryunosuke SATO (19th minute second half: Leon NOZAWA)
FW Naoki KUMATA/Adailton (0 minute second half: Hisatoshi NISHIDO)
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Renta HIGASHI
GOAL
―
＜Gamba Osaka＞
Starting XI
GK Masaaki Higashiguchi
DF Riku Handa (36th minute: Ryu Takao)/Genta Miura/Kyung Won KWON (25th minute: Shota FUKUOKA)/Keisuke Kurokawa
MF Neraravi/Dawhan/Naohiro Sugiyama/Yuki Yamamoto (16th minute: Rihito YAMAMOTO)/Juan ALANO (16th minute: Yuya FUKUDA)
FW Issam JEBALI (25th minute: Hiroto YAMAMI)
SUBS
GK Kei ISHIKAWA
MF Shu KURATA
GOAL
First half 43rd minute: Naohiro SUGIYAMA/Second half 42nd minute: Yuya FUKUDA/Second half 45+1 minute: Naohiro SUGIYAMA
[Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Press Conference Comments]
Q: please review the game.
A: For me, this cup competition is an important tournament to give young players a chance. Today, we also fielded many young players. They probably made many mistakes. I believe young players have the right to make mistakes. Due to their mistakes, we lost possession and allowed the opponent to launch counterattacks, resulting in many goals conceded. However, I am proud of the young players. Once again, I want to give young players opportunities in the next Levain Cup as well. For example, player Kumada is attracting attention as a promising talent. I think he needs to be given many chances to grow into a great player. That is why today, young players challenged themselves, made mistakes, and lost.
Gamba Osaka is a dangerous team when given possession of the ball, and I think they are in a process of growth with their new coach. In the first half, they made many mistakes and gave the ball to the opponent, leading to a defensive game. They were especially outnumbered on the sides and were broken through multiple times, resulting in late goals. In the second half, they started with even more young players and fought for an equalizer and a comeback. Gamba Osaka fielded their main players, while also trying to improve in the second half by using many young players. It was great to see the young players increase their awareness towards the opponent's goal for an equalizer and a comeback. However, it is unfortunate that they made mistakes and conceded multiple goals during that time.
I want to continue giving chances to young players, and I believe the Levain Cup is a great opportunity to do so. I have also directly told the players in the locker room. As long as I am here, I will continue to give chances to young players. I would like to take this opportunity to thank veteran players Morishige, Nagatomo, and Diego for supporting young players in difficult situations.
Q, what was the intention behind changing the system to 4-4-2?
A, in the first half, we lost the ball frequently in midfield. To avoid dropping the defensive block, it is important not to let the midfield drop. Today, I think Ryunosuke SATO showed good movement and good play, but he is still only 16 years old. In the first half, because we couldn’t control the midfield, the defensive block tended to gradually drop back. In the second half, we tried to improve that. Also, we continued to give KUMATA playing time to encourage his growth.
Today, we made substitutions with full consideration of giving playing opportunities to young players. It was not only a substitution to improve the points to be corrected in the first half, but also a substitution to give playing opportunities to young players and maintain balance. For example, CACA was used as a starter, but he still needs more time to regain his game sense.
[Player Interview]
<Naoki KUMATA>
Q, how do you look back on the game?
A, it was a complete defeat as a team. I think the opponent was superior in terms of playing intensity and technical aspects.
Q, how did you see the content of the front line, where the final line is also low and the time zone where the second ball is picked up continues?
A, I think we need to improve the accuracy of our possession when we have the ball, but personally, if I can firmly control 50-50 balls, I believe we can create solid attacking opportunities as a team.
Q, it was also a game with few crosses.
A, that's right. Although the number of crosses delivered was not many, I want to increase plays that lead to goals even outside of crosses.
Q, I think it was a bitter experience despite playing the full game. How will you make use of this experience?
A, it was a match where I gained a sense of accomplishment. Next time, no matter the situation, I want to do my best to help the team win.
<Ryunosuke SATO>
Q, it was your second consecutive start in the match against Cerezo Osaka. Please reflect on the game.
A, I honestly feel frustrated. In the first half, we fell behind defensively and endured a tough period. Personally, I believe the only positive point I can take from today's match is that I did not show any defensive lapses.
Q, I think the intensity was high, but I don't think we were able to demonstrate our strengths in the attacking aspect.
A, the defensive phase lasted long, and physically it became tough, so I couldn't show my strengths in attack. I think my basic physical fitness is still insufficient.
Q, I think the team as a whole made many mistakes and the game became drawn out.
A, we made adjustments at halftime and I think we were able to improve a little in the second half. However, if we had communicated and made improvements during the first half, I believe the content of the match would have changed a bit more.
Q: In the previous match against Cerezo Osaka, you mentioned it was the most intense 60 minutes of your life. How would you describe today's match?
A, I believe today was also a wonderful time that led to growth. The coach says that without mistakes, you cannot grow, so in that sense, it was time that was not wasted at all.
Q: How do you want to connect today's game to the next one?
A, I believe it is important to always aim to play in the top team while maintaining the same attitude in U-18 matches.
<Taishi Brandon NOZAWA>
Q, how do you look back on the scene of the first goal conceded?
A, it was a shot that could have been prevented. Since we couldn’t finish the first half, where the team wasn’t performing well, without conceding a goal, I believe I bear the responsibility as the goalkeeper for making the match more difficult.
Q, regarding the second and third goals conceded, they were goals scored from counterattacks while trying to score. How did you feel?
A, especially, if I had been able to prevent the second goal, I believe the team would have still had a chance to win, so it is frustrating.
Q, as a result of losing this match, we ended up with 3 points in 3 matches.
A, there are still 3 matches left in the group stage, but I don't want to end the Levain Cup for this season in those 3 matches. I want to win those 3 matches no matter what. However, I think everyone on the team knows that we can't play like we did today and each of us needs to fight harder.
Q: This defeat was a bitter experience, but how do you want to use it for the next game?
A, it is not guaranteed that I will play in the next match. I believe the goalkeeper is a position that must lead the team as a leader, so I want to give my best to express that in the next game.
<Kuryu MATSUKI>
Q, how do you look back on the game?
A, I made many mistakes personally, and while the team couldn't make progress, there were many scenes where we lost the ball due to our own errors and faced counterattacks, which actually led to conceding goals, so I think corrections are necessary.
Q, the entire team was stretched out due to the opponent's counterattack. There were also scenes where Matsuki took care of multiple opponents in the midfield position.
A, after losing the ball on the side, there were also moments when communication between the midfield and defensive players regarding risk management did not go well. I felt that we need to play soccer that does not allow the ball to be taken away easily.
Q, considering the upcoming summer matches, do you think it will be necessary to increase the time of ball possession? Do you feel that today's match has become a lesson for the future?
A, today was a very poor performance. During the build-up, we were unable to express our positional play. I take this as a valuable lesson, and for the next match against Shonan Bellmare, who also play a unique style of soccer, I want to show a game that adapts to that.
Q: The game ended up being one where we couldn't fully utilize the strengths of player Kumada. How do you plan to make the most of Kumada in the future?
A, I want to communicate regularly during practice and make sure we are well coordinated. Since Kumada has only appeared in two official matches so far, I believe the teamwork aspect is still developing. Of course, we need to synchronize, but I want to make better use of the first-year players, including myself.
Q: What kind of game do you want to have against Shonan Bellmare, which is scheduled in 3 days?
A: We just need to reset our mindset and keep accumulating points. I absolutely want to win.
Q: There was a moment when I talked with Terayama, but A: There was space between the side back and center back, so Terayama communicated that by having the defensive midfielder drop into that space, it would be harder for the opponent to take the ball from us. So, Terayama and I played with that in mind. There were also moments when we could circulate the ball, so I think it became a good option.
Q, is it safe to say that the team has achieved a positive balance?
A: In the end, we were unable to take shots, so I think it was not good. However, I believe we were able to create a shape that allowed the team to move forward.
Q, what do you need to do to move the ball to a higher position from there?
A, I felt that the distance between players and individual skills were lacking. Including myself, many players had noticeable moments where the ball was taken from us. I want to improve individual tactics so that the ball is not easily lost.
