<Match Review>
Tokyo stopped their losing streak in the previous match, drawing 2-2 against Shonan Bellmare at home. This match, which is also a home game, will be against Cerezo Osaka. They faced each other in the first match of the Levain Cup on March 8th, where they lost 0-1 due to a late goal. Although the team composition may be different, Tokyo will aim to repay their debt in Osaka and secure their third win of the season in the league.
Tokyo started Shuto ABE and Ryoma WATANABE, who returned from injury and made a substitute appearance in the previous match, in the starting lineup. Masato MORISHIGE, the captain, replaced Henrique TREVISAN as one of the center-backs.
1st HALF - Approaching the goal while holding the ball
In the continuous rain since morning, both teams cautiously observed each other's condition in the early stages of the match, on a wet pitch.
As they get used to ball control, Tokyo will create a rhythm by connecting the ball intricately. Not only moving the ball in their own half, but also firmly building up vertically and entering the opponent's half, carrying the ball all the way to the penalty area.
Although there are few scenes where they bring the ball to the finish, they maintain a high defensive line even when the ball is taken away, delaying the opponent's attack, quickly pressing back to regain possession of the ball, and then carefully building up the attack again.
Tokyo's first chance came in the 22nd minute of the first half. In the middle of the attack and defense, player Abe picked up the ball and faced a situation with equal numbers in the vital area. He passed the ball to player Watanabe, who came in from the left to support, and Watanabe, who had brought the ball into the penalty area, sent a cross to the front of the goal, pulling the opposing goalkeeper towards him. Player Diego OLIVEIRA jumped in, but was blocked by a defender coming from behind and was unable to push the ball in.
Despite holding onto the ball, the final pass was not connecting. However, in the 41st minute of the first half, Nakamura received a pass from the right side with a mid-range pass, and passed it to Kuryu Matsuki with a slightly negative pass. Matsuki received the ball and turned forward, taking a strong left-footed shot. Although it was a shot that caught the right corner of the goal, it was saved by the opposing goalkeeper and deflected out of the goal.
2ndHALF - Despite Watanabe's spectacular goal, they catch up...
Second half kickoff. The defense is unable to keep up with the wide movement of the ball from left to right, and Croux takes a powerful shot, but the ball flies to the upper right corner of the goal and Slowik makes an incredible save with his right arm.
After that, the ball was moved inside the opponent's territory. In the 7th minute of the second half, Shuhei Tokumoto, who was open on the left side, received the ball and passed it to the feet of Watanabe, who was positioned just outside the penalty area. Watanabe, who evaded the opponent's defender, took a controlled shot but it narrowly missed to the right of the goal.
While advancing the game at our own pace, we left a momentary gap. In the 14th minute of the second half, we gave a free kick from a shallow position on the right side of our own field, and a perfectly timed ball with speed was placed between the field players and the goalkeeper, allowing Okuno to score the first goal as he jumped in and closed in on it.
It would not have been strange to be disappointed by conceding a goal at a time when it seemed like they were controlling the game, but Tokyo players continue to attack positively. In the 23rd minute of the second half, Nakamura sends a high cross from the right side, and Watanabe traps the ball with his chest just outside the penalty area, then falls down and shoots with his right foot. The ball with a brilliant trajectory is sucked into the top right corner of the goal, and Tokyo equalizes.
Tokyo, which doesn't stop its momentum, in the 37th minute of the second half, Kota TAWARATSUMIDA, who was substituted in, broke through the right side with individual skill. He broke through to the goal line and sent a pass in the negative direction, but Abe, who was on the near side, slightly missed the goal to the right.
Tokyo, who wanted to accelerate towards a comeback by changing cards, was instead broken down from the right side in the 40th minute of the second half, and once again allowed Okuno to score and take the lead.
The substitution cards that were prepared before conceding were used as they were, and attempts were made to break through by bringing in players Koki Tsukagawa and Keigo Higashi, but they were unable to create effective attacks. The game ended with a score of 1-2, resulting in the first home defeat of the season.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jakub SLOWIK
DF Hotaka NAKAMURA / Yasuki KIMOTO / Masato MORISHIGE / Yuhei TOKUMOTO
MF Shuto ABE (41st minute of the second half: Keigo HIGASHI) / Kei KOIZUMI / Kusei MATSUKI
FW Ryoma WATANABE (32nd minute of the second half: Kota TAWARATSUMIDA) / Diego OLIVEIRA (41st minute of the second half: Koki TSUKAGAWA) / Teruhito NAKAGAWA (18th minute of the second half: Adailton)
SUBS
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Henrique TREVISAN/Yuto NAGATOMO
GOAL
23' Ryoma WATANABE
＜Cerezo Osaka＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jin Hyeon KIM
DF Riku MATSUDA/Ryosuke YAMANAKA/Matej JONJIC/Koji TORIUMI
MF Riki HARAKAWA/Seiya MAIKUMA (20th minute of the second half: Hikaru NAKAHARA)/Hiroaki OKUNO/Capixaba (9th minute of the first half: Jordy CROUX) (31st minute of the second half: Satoki UEJO)
FW Shinji KAGAWA/Leo CEARA
SUBS
GK Keisuke SHIMIZU
DF Ryosuke SHINDO
MF Tokuma SUZUKI
FW Mutsuki KATO
GOAL
Second half 14 minutes: Hiroaki OKUNO/Second half 39 minutes: Hiroaki OKUNO
[Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Press Conference Comments]
Q: please review the game.
A: I think there was no significant difference in the flow between the first and second halves of today's match. I feel that we were able to improve our build-up from the back and reduce simple ball losses. We controlled the game well, but we couldn't translate that into a mindset focused on attacking the opponent's goal or creating chances. Regarding that aspect, I believe I also need to improve, and I want to direct the responsibility toward myself.
After catching up to the tie, there was a decisive chance, but we couldn't finish it, and then there was a defensive mistake, and we lost the second goal. We are preparing for every game to win, so of course today's defeat is frustrating. However, I think we were able to express the team's growth as we played more games, by improving in areas such as building up from a low position, reducing the number of easy ball losses, and dominating the game. However, we need to connect that to a stronger focus on attacking the opponent's goal, and we need to make decisive chances.
Q, please tell us the intention behind substituting player Tsukagawa at the end.
A, since Diego OLIVEIRA was feeling discomfort in his muscles, we tried to send Tsukagawa out in the role of a false number 9. It was unfortunate that we conceded a goal while preparing for the substitution.
Q: Why wasn't the center forward included in the substitute members?
A, Since PEROTTI's condition was poor and Kumada is a rookie, we included Tsukagawa on the bench as a substitute for the midfield.
[Player Interview]
<Ryoma WATANABE>
Q, Nice goal.
A, It would have been better if we had won, but honestly, I was happy to score a goal.
Q, please look back on the scoring scene.
A, I am good at receiving diagonal passes from the fullback like in that scene, and I first tried to control the ball at my feet before thinking. At first, I saw that the goalkeeper was coming out, so if it was a ground pass, I planned to shoot directly, but when that kind of floating pass came and I trapped it, I was able to control the ball well, so I chose to shoot.
Q, were you thinking about shooting when you trapped the ball?
A, I knew the goalkeeper was coming out, so I took a bold shot.
Q: Have you ever scored a goal like that?
A, no. There definitely won’t be any in the future either (laughs).
Q, please reflect on the game after it became 1-1.
A, when going for a goal, I tended to get impatient, which led to losing the ball more often and rushing, resulting in more defensive time. It would have been better if we could have improved that. I think the way we defend changes depending on the opposing players. Since you can't defend alone, watching from the bench, I felt that we need to revisit and rebuild that communication part from scratch.
Q, I think you have improved your play and build-up until the tie in the last few games.
A, I think we need to increase the number of shots and take deeper positions in the penalty area to create more decisive opportunities. Although this might contradict what I said earlier, including myself, we were too careful with the ball in the first half, which reduced the number of shots we could take. Therefore, I thought it would be good to consciously play more boldly yet carefully.
Q: How do you think about the continued streak of losing games?
A, I still haven't fully sorted out why we lost, so I want to review the match and find points for improvement. Within the team, we had good discussions before yesterday's and today's matches, so I want to do what we need to do to earn points without being completely pessimistic.
Q, I think we were able to move the ball forward compared to the Shonan Bellmare match.
A, if everyone takes good positions and circulates the ball, it becomes easier to defend even if the ball is lost, so I want to keep this match as a base and not forget to continue doing it.
Q, if that part becomes blurry, will it become worse?
A, I think it’s meaningless to just keep passing the ball and that kicking long balls is also not good. I believe there is value in accumulating points with the style of soccer we are trying to play. I feel we are improving, so it would be even better if we can win.
Q: Did you change the number of midfielders? Is there any difference?
A, I think the formation is greatly influenced by defense. There are parts where defense is easier or harder to execute. Since the three midfielders move fluidly during attacks, the difference lies in whether Diego OLIVEIRA or a winger presses the opposing center back during defense.
Q, there was a close scene in the first half.
A, I wanted to receive the ball in front of the opponent rather than between the opponent's defender and goalkeeper, but since Shuto ABE was making a move, I changed the target position. At first, I thought the goalkeeper would catch it, but since he hadn't come out, I passed to Diego TABA, who I had originally seen.
Q: Tokyo seems to have fewer scenes like today's goal. Could it be that they are too fixated on their style?
A, ideally, we would not have goals like that. Personally, I did not want to score goals like that either. It would be ideal if we could score through what the team has been working on, but teams at the top sometimes score goals for some reason, or from set plays that turn into scrambles, own goals, or goals that happen by chance. I think those kinds of goals are also necessary, but I don’t think we need to be fixated on scoring goals like that. It’s not that we can’t win because of those goals, and while having those goals might help us reach the top, I don’t think the opposite is true.
＜Hotaka NAKAMURA＞
Q: please review the game.
A, I am filled with feelings of apology to all the fans and supporters. That is all there is to say.
Q, we also saw plays that responded to the situation, including assists.
A, precisely because the tempo was good, especially in the first half, I wanted to produce more plays that would trouble the opponent, and there were also scenes where we should have scored. The fact that we couldn’t finish those chances and made the game difficult is a point of reflection for the team.
Q: Was there any difference between the previous match and this match?
A, in terms of defense, Yuto NAGATOMO and Masato MORISHIGE took the lead in communicating with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA about how to handle the opposing players. In the first half, personally, the feeling was not bad, and there were some good scenes. There were things gained from being able to play with a good sense. We want to further brush up on this.
Q, it seemed that passing and positioning had improved.
A, in today’s match, we were able to move the ball well with a good tempo from the first half, but we couldn’t finish by scoring. As time went on, fatigue set in, and when we couldn’t stay fresh in every play, gaps appeared both as a team and individually, which I believe decided the outcome. There were things we needed to improve, but there were also positive aspects. We want to raise the team’s level heading into the next Levain Cup.
<Masato MORISHIGE>
Q: please review the game.
A, it was not a bad performance, but the challenges of expressing this style of soccer became apparent. It was a match where I wanted to create more scenes with impact and ideas in front of the goal, and more opportunities that ended with shots.
Q, I think the system has changed and the content has also improved.
A, regarding defense, we had thorough discussions among the players. On the offensive side, we are able to express individual ideas and freedom in terms of spacing and positioning. Although the results have not followed, which tends to make us negative, there were naturally good aspects as well. It is important to connect these good aspects to victory. We are choosing the ways and means to win. If we do not start accumulating wins from here, I believe there will be fewer opportunities to gain anything.
Q, the second goal was a waste of time. Please reflect on it.
A, we disrupted our own defensive balance and gave the opponent space. We want to correct the mistakes in both team tactics and individual defensive responses and build on that going forward.
Q, as the matches go on, I feel that the support from the fans is getting louder. Is there anything you feel when you're on the pitch?
A, I have a strong desire to meet the expectations. I believe the fans and supporters are also placing their hopes on us, and we want to respond to that. We want to move forward together in a positive direction.
