<Match Review>
After a break for national team activities, Tokyo had been struggling to secure a win in the league since the restart. However, in the previous match, they were able to defeat Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo 3-0, securing their first win in four league matches and gaining confidence in their performance. In the third match of a series played within three days, they will face Urawa Reds away. In the first half of the season, both teams were unable to score and the match ended in a 0-0 draw. This will be a crucial match for both teams as they aim for consecutive wins.
In the previous match, Diego Oliveira, who came on as a substitute, was selected as a starter, with Ryoma Watanabe on the right wing and Leandro on the left wing. Yuki Kajiura also made his second consecutive start following his league debut in the previous match. The young inside half combination of Kuryu Matsuki and Yuki Kajiura was supported by anchor Keigo Higashi.
1st HALF - Matsuki's powerful FK hits the post
The start of the game saw Urawa holding onto the ball for a long time, while Tokyo quickly switched between offense and defense and pressed towards Urawa's goal once they gained possession. Diego's chasing from the front line was also effective, and in the 3rd and 8th minutes of the first half, he was able to steal the ball in a high position and start a short counter attack, but was unable to finish. In the 11th minute of the first half, a back pass resulted in a mistake, and Urawa received a counter attack, with Atsuki ITO taking a powerful shot from just outside the right side of the goal, but Jakub SLOWIK made a sharp reaction and deflected the ball.
As time passes, the game becomes clearer. Urawa holds the ball and builds up inside Tokyo's territory, while Tokyo sets up their defense and then uses players like Diego TABA and Leandro to launch a quick counterattack after stealing the ball without wasting any time.
There were no major movements in the game, but the score changed unexpectedly in the 31st minute of the first half. When building up with a vertical relationship between players Yasuki KIMOTO and Kajiura, the coordination was not good and Yuki MATSUO was able to steal the ball and enter the penalty area. A ground cross ball was put in front of the goal at the goal line, and David MOBERG, who was free on the far side, was closed down and allowed the first goal.
Tokyo, who had been struggling to create chances in the flow of the game, finally found an opportunity through a set piece. In the 40th minute of the first half, Leandro received a foul and earned a free kick from about 25 meters in front of the goal. After Leandro's feint, Matsuki took a shot with his left foot, curving it greatly to the left. It was a powerful strike that the opposing goalkeeper couldn't even move for, but unfortunately it hit the left post and couldn't find the back of the net.
2nd HALF - No comeback, 2 goals conceded
Tokyo made a substitution during halftime. Kazuya KONNO was brought in for Kajiura and Watanabe was moved to inside half.
Tokyo, who wants to change the flow, has been dominated by Urawa since the start of the second half, being pressed and pushed back into their own half. In the 5th minute of the second half, they were pushed back and the ball was carried in the opposite direction, causing a delay in putting pressure on the player Ito, who then scored a mid-range shot into the bottom left corner, widening the gap.
In the 9th minute of the second half, there was an accident. Diego TABA, who was chasing a pass into space, tripped on the turf and was unable to get up, so he was replaced by Keita YAMASHITA. In the 20th minute of the second half, YAMASHITA left the ball in the front line with a post-play, and Leandro took a powerful middle shot, but it was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper's defense.
As the time holding the ball increases, the defense is broken at the timing of "the counterattack starts from here". In the 25th minute of the second half, Moberg player escaped into the space behind the left side and used Osaka player who entered the support in the penalty area. Osaka player chose a pass instead of a shot, and Okubo Tomoaki player scored the third goal for Urawa. As the counterattack advances, in the end of the second half, they are targeted for the space behind and create scoring opportunities. In the 40th minute of the second half, Mawatari player reacted to Osaka player's middle range pass and created a one-on-one scene with Slowik player, but the shot missed to the left of the goal and nothing happened.
Tokyo, who never gave up the counterattack, aimed for a goal with Leandro's middle shot and Konno's cut-in shot even after entering additional time, but both were blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper. There were moments where they approached the Urawa goal in the open game towards the end of the match, but they were unable to break through the opponent's defense and the match ended with no goals.
MATCH DETAILS
＜F.C.Tokyo＞
STARTING XI
GK Jakub SLOWIK
DF Yuto NAGATOMO (21st minute: Junya SUZUKI)/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (40th minute: Shin OKAZAKI)
MF Kuryu MATSUKI/Keigo HIGASHI (21st minute: Manato SHINADA)/Yuki KAJIURA (0th minute: Kazuya KONNO)
FW Ryo WATANABE/Diego OLIVEIRA (11th minute: Keita YAMASHITA)/Leandro
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
MF Kojiro YASUDA
GOAL
―
<Urawa Reds>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Shusaku NISHIKAWA
DF Hiroki SAKAI/Takuya IWANAMI (32nd minute: Tetsuya CHINEN)/Alexander SCHOLZ/Ayumu OHATA (21st minute: Kazuaki MAWATARI)
MF David MOBERG/Ken IWAO/Atsuki ITO/Tomoaki OKUBO (40th minute: Takahiro SEKINE)
FW Yoshio KOIZUMI (21st minute: Nori ESBAKA)/Yusuke MATSUO (21st minute: Takahiro AKIMOTO)
SUBS
GK Zion SUZUKI
MF Yuichi HIRANO
GOAL
First Half 31st Minute: David MOBERG/Second Half 5th Minute: Ito/Second Half 25th Minute: Yu OKUBO
[Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Interview]
Q: please review the game.
A: Currently, the team is facing a difficult situation due to many injured players. We approached today's match under such circumstances. Regarding the first half, I think we controlled the game for a long period. However, among the young players we gave opportunities to, there were some mistakes. While it is natural for young players to make mistakes, I am very disappointed that we conceded a goal due to our own errors.
I think that allowing the first goal had a big impact on the subsequent game development. From the second half, we started with more courage and aimed to actively attack the opponent's goal with bold plays. However, as you know, Urawa has a lineup of high-quality players. Unfortunately, we lost the game today, but I think the players gave their all. In that sense, I am proud of the young players.
I highly appreciate the players' attitude of fighting to win even when they were behind in the match, and I conveyed that to the players as well. Although the number of injured players is increasing and the team's situation is not as expected, the players fought hard. We have a home game next week. I believe it will continue to be important to accumulate points in home games going forward.
Q: Urawa lined up four players in the front line, which I think limited Tokyo's passing game. How did you instruct the team to break through that?
A: I do not consider that we were under particularly good pressing. There may have been situations where we faced more difficult pressing, but more than that, we lost the ball due to our own mistakes. I think we committed very simple errors ourselves.
Q: I think we started the game in a 4-4-2 formation in the first half, but did we switch to a formation with Matsuki playing as a left-sided midfielder as a measure against Hiroki SAKAI on the opposing team? Also, I think it would have been difficult to change the system in just three days, but was it a prepared measure?
A: We did not take that position with Hiroki Sakai in mind. Considering the players currently available to play, I thought that taking such a position would bring out better performance from the team, so I had them take that position. We started the match assuming a formation like 4-4-1-1 when defending. I never create a game plan by focusing on a specific opposing player.
Today, I am very proud that Kuryu MATSUKI, who has just graduated from high school, delivered an outstanding performance against high-quality players.
[Player Interview]
＜Keita YAMASHITA＞
Q, please reflect on the game despite the participation due to an accident.
A, it was an away game, but we wanted to win. Although the goal difference widened, I personally wanted to score as well.
Q, I think it was a situation where chances were few and far between.
A, I think it varies depending on the match. In a tough situation like today, I always believe that even with few chances, we must capitalize on them.
Q, there was a chance from Suzuki's early cross, were you aiming for that?
A, I regularly stay behind to train with Suzuki, and even before today's match, we aligned our images from when we played together. While progressing within the team concept, I believe that if we can create such situations when things aren't going well just by that alone, it will broaden the team's attacking options.
Q, it was my first appearance in a while, but I felt like my condition was good.
A, whether starting or coming on as a substitute, I believe we must deliver results. Especially when coming on as a substitute like today, I think we need to be fiercely determined and change the team’s momentum.
Q, please tell us your enthusiasm for the next home game against Iwata.
A, it has been a period where the team has not been getting results easily, but we want to make good preparations to win.
<Junya SUZUKI>
Q, it was a difficult situation to come on as a substitute while chasing from behind, how was it?
A, we did press forward in defense and deliberately tried to win the ball and then attack, so it’s not that we didn’t do that, but if we had done it more, I think we could have created chances with short counterattacks like usual. It just didn’t click well, and it’s not about blaming anyone; I think it was a series of small misalignments.
I came on as a substitute, and the time I was on the field was also a period when Tokyo had the momentum. I believe that if we had scored even one goal during that time, the flow of the game might have changed. Regarding defense, none of the players were slacking off individually, but as a team, we need to improve on how we regain possession of the ball and, in terms of quality, we must enhance the individual aspects of delivering the final pass and finishing with shots.
Q, there is also a style of breaking while connecting as a team, but I think that simple form can also become an option for attack, as it led to Yamashita's heading shot from Suzuki's early cross.
A, one of my strengths is kicking and crossing, and since we were especially behind in today’s match, I thought we had to score at least one goal somewhere. Yamashita was also there, and he is strong in the air, so I intended to be proactive with my crosses. I wish that one had connected, so I want to continue improving the quality and coordinating with the center.
Q, we will return home in the next match.
A, although many fans and supporters came to cheer us on today, we couldn't win, so I think the fans and supporters have an even stronger desire to win than we do. We want to draw strength from that power, give our best, and work hard so that we can share the joy of victory together at Ajinomoto.
