<Match Review>
In the past two matches, Tokyo, who have been struggling to win, faced off against Júbilo Iwata at Yamaha Stadium. In the previous match against Sagan Tosu, both teams played a great game with their respective tactics, but despite hitting the post twice, Tokyo couldn't convert their chances and ended up losing by one point due to a direct free kick goal.
While focusing on the team's growth, coach Albert emphasizes the importance of winning to accelerate it. He made some changes to the lineup from the previous match. Yuto Nagatomo returned to the left back position, while Hotaka Nakamura, who has played in the right back position for the past two matches, was chosen. The system has been changed from the previous anchor-based one to a double pivot with Takuya Aoki and Shuto Abe. Up front, Yojiro Takahagi made his first start in the league this season.
Tokyo created opportunities from the sides early on, pushing deep into the opponent's territory while maintaining possession of the ball. Takahagi and Leandro appeared in the half-spaces between the center and the sides, receiving the ball in the gaps between the opposing players, shifting the markers, and creating chances. In the beginning, there were moments when they lost the ball due to mistakes during the buildup and faced counterattacks, but after about 15 minutes, they began to maintain possession with more composure. In the 17th minute of the first half, they capitalized on a communication error during the opponent's attack, with Takahagi putting his body on the line to send the ball forward, initiating a counterattack in a 2-on-1 situation, but the final pass was off, preventing a shot. In the 27th minute of the first half, Diego OLIVEIRA broke through the right side and penetrated deep into the opponent's territory, sending a pass backward, but it barely missed connecting with Takahagi, who had entered the goal area in a free position, and they could not take a shot. Chances continued to arise from the right side. In the 33rd minute of the first half, while circulating the ball and looking for gaps in the opponent's defense, a cross was sent to Diego, who was positioned in front of the goal. He attempted to connect with a one-touch while falling, but he could not make contact. They maintained possession and controlled the game, but in the 43rd minute of the first half, there was a momentary air pocket after launching an attack. Although the defenders were aligned, they failed to press back from the midfield, and a simple one-two led to a delayed press at the ball, allowing Rikiya UEHARA to slide the ball into the right corner of the goal, conceding the first goal.
Tokyo, who wants to counterattack, substitutes Matsuki Kuryu for Takahagi in the beginning of the second half. As the second half begins, Tokyo dominates possession and pushes Iwata back even more than in the first half. In the first half, attacks starting from the sides did not result in any finishes, but in the second half, attacks from the center lead to chances. In the 11th minute of the second half, when Okazaki sends a vertical pass, Abe reacts to Diego's through pass and slips through the gap between defenders to get to the goal. He faces the opposing goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation, but his shot is blocked by the goalkeeper who closed the distance. In the 15th minute of the second half, they are caught off guard and Okazaki gets injured while sprinting, unable to chase after Fabian Gonzalez and facing a one-on-one situation with Jakub Slowik. Slowik is able to avoid him, but his shot misses the target and they escape danger.
Tokyo, who wants to add an accent to their attack, successively brought in Kazuya KONNO, Ryoma WATANABE, and Adailton. Then, in the 33rd minute of the second half, the substitution strategy bore fruit. When KONNO received the ball in an open position on the right side, he dribbled and cut in along the penalty area. Attracting multiple opponents, KONNO passed to Adailton, who was free on the left side. With the opponent's pressure delayed, Adailton controlled the shot and scored the equalizing goal in the upper right corner of the goal. In the 40th minute of the second half, Diego and Watanabe returned the ball in the vital area. Diego broke through to the space on the right side of the goal and took a shot, but it was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper. Tokyo, who was aiming for a comeback, intensified their attack, but in the 43rd minute of the second half, they were unable to repel the attack from the side and were pressed by Naoki KANUMA in the penalty area, conceding the winning goal.
Maintaining an attacking stance until the end, including an additional 6 minutes of stoppage time, we pushed our opponents towards their goal but were unable to score. Despite controlling the game and holding onto the ball for a long time, we were unable to capitalize on decisive chances. In order to change the tide in the upcoming Levain Cup match against Avispa Fukuoka in 3 days and the Kashiwa Reysol match on May 21st, the team will once again come together and continue to prepare.
[Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Interview]
Q: please review the game.
A: First, I would like to commend Iwata on their victory. In the professional world, goals are the most important thing. I believe we controlled the game for a long time, but we failed to manage the risks well during our attacks and made mistakes. In the first half, two dangerous counterattacks were born from those mistakes, and from one of them, the opponent scored a goal.
After that, I think we pushed the opponent back more and created multiple chances as time went on. However, there were shortcomings in our finishing ability. Also, there were mistakes where we lost the ball multiple times when we should not have.
As time progressed with the score tied, a defensive mistake on our part led to Iwata’s second goal, causing us to drop the valuable point.
In today's match, I believe we created more decisive chances than our opponents. However, soccer is not a sport that competes by the number of chances created but by the number of goals scored. Each team fights by sticking to their own playing style; Tokyo played with Tokyo's style, while Iwata aimed for victory by utilizing counterattacks.
I firmly believe that our playing style is one that brings the club many successes over a long period. Although we have not won in the last three league matches, if we were to abandon our playing style just to aim for victory and try to gain points through more direct play, we cannot expect growth. I believe in this playing style, and I am committed to it for the sake of that growth.
Today’s loss is painful. Both the players and I feel anger. Our wonderful fans and supporters continue to patiently support us even when we are defeated. Fans and supporters with different characteristics might criticize the team, focusing solely on results, especially when wins are hard to come by. However, our fans and supporters warmly watch over the team’s growth and support us even in defeat. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to them.
I believe that our fans and supporters have also been struggling due to our recent inability to secure wins. In that sense, it is painful not to be able to deliver victories to our fans and supporters. However, we are still positioned near the top of the standings. We must not forget that. I believe Tokyo is a club that must always aim to be among the top ranks. I hope we can achieve that in the near future.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Makoto OKAZAKI, who delivered a good performance until midway despite suffering from knee pain. I hope the center backs who are sidelined due to injury will recover as soon as possible. There is no secret to success. Even after a loss, we reflect on it, reset our mindset, and prepare for the next match. There is no other way.
Q, we used different formations such as equilateral triangle, inverted triangle, and midfield shape. What was the intention behind this?
A, I think Iwata is a team that tends to give the ball to the opponent. Also, they have a strong tendency to defend by dropping their block. Since we anticipated that we would be pressing for a long time, we deployed Yojiro Takahagi with the expectation that he would play in the gaps. Additionally, since we had to be cautious about Iwata’s handling of long balls and second-ball recoveries, we started with a double pivot to focus on recovering second balls.
On the other hand, when we were behind, we had to take greater risks and go on the attack, so we returned to our usual positioning.
[Player Interview]
＜Adailton
Q, please look back on the goal scene.
A, from the moment I received the ball, I had the image of cutting in and taking a shot, so I’m glad I was able to score exactly as I had imagined.
Q, I'm sure you had various emotions after scoring a goal.
A, having played for the team Júbilo Iwata for a long time, through both good times and bad, when I scored a goal, many emotions welled up inside me and various memories came flooding back.
Q, what are your thoughts on playing at Júbilo Stadium?
A, I still feel like this is my home, and although I returned today as an opponent, I was able to stand on the pitch with a sense as if it were my home ground.
Q, it was the third consecutive loss for the team.
A, of course, this three-game losing streak is not the result the team wanted, and it is not a positive thing, but I believe there are times when things don’t go well in the process of growth. We will never bow our heads, and we want to prepare well and be able to finish the next match with a solid victory and play a good game.
<Yasuki KIMOTO>
Q: How was the game? I think it was a good game even if it ended with only 1 point.
A, I wanted to secure 1 point away, and I think the defenders had to hold on to the 1-1 draw. Mentally, I believed we could push for another goal, but we conceded a goal a bit too easily, so I think this was a match with a lot of reflection.
Q: How do you feel about the difficult situation with injured center backs?
A, I believe that only we, the players on the field, can change this result, and the fans and supporters gave us very positive support again today. We truly have no choice but to change this result ourselves. With the Levain Cup coming up, we want to make sure we win at home—not just treating it as a formality but growing together—and carry that momentum into the league matches.
Q: How do you feel about the game looking back on it, despite the unfavorable flow in the first half?
A, The opponent played defensively, so we couldn't form many attacking shapes in the first half, but there were better opportunities in the second half. However, the ability to finish is something we need to improve to win going forward, and personally, I want to increase the accuracy of distributing passes from the back.
<Shuto ABE>
Q: please review the game.
A, we conceded a goal on a counterattack in the first half, and I think we made the situation difficult for ourselves.
Q, it feels like the scene of conceding the first goal was a little delayed in switching.
A, I felt that our transition after losing the ball was slow today. If we had switched quickly during the conceding scene and been able to suppress them up front, I don't think we would have faced a counterattack, so I feel that part was not good today.
Q, I think we changed the system in the second half and created a good flow.
A, we returned the system to its usual form, pushing forward continuously, and I myself had a one-on-one chance. However, I couldn't convert that opportunity, and as a result, we conceded the go-ahead goal.
I feel responsible for today's defeat, and it made me realize once again that if you don't finish those kinds of chances, this kind of result will happen.
Q, it was a frustrating second goal conceded.
A, I take responsibility for the second goal conceded. I was blocked by an opponent and lost sight of the ball, which ended up at my feet. They took advantage of that and scored. If I’m going to be in that position after retreating, there’s no point unless I clear the ball, so I truly believe it was an unnecessary goal conceded.
