From the scoreless draw in Osaka, with only three days of rest, Tokyo once again faced a tough opponent in the Kansai region.
Although they are sinking in the rankings, Vissel Kobe is a team with highly skilled players. Among their opponents' front line is none other than their former teammate, Yoshinori MUTO. The confrontation with his comrade Masato MORISHIGE is the hot point of this match.
Can Tokyo correct and improve the high number of ball losses seen in the early stages of the previous match against Gamba Osaka? Additionally, Kobe has been increasing their playing intensity and changing to a faster vertical style of soccer. Protecting the ball and not losing in intensity are also important points that coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA always emphasizes. Can Tokyo also win the battle for the ball? That will also be a key point.
1st HALF - Conceding 2 goals in quick succession, a difficult situation Kobe countered Tokyo's basic formation of 4-3-3 with the same system. This naturally led to many one-on-one situations on the pitch. When Tokyo has possession, for example on the right side, Kazuya Konno widens the field to the maximum and Yuto Nagatomo, the side back, runs into the half space on the inside. Ryoma Watanabe, the left winger, also moves fluidly and advances into the center to disrupt the opponent.
However, these were all situations where the ball was brought into the enemy's territory. In this match, Tokyo struggled to break through Kobe's high defensive line from the beginning.
In the 11th minute of the first half, Yasuki KIMOTO, a player from Kobe, initially wins the cross from right back Iino, but Tokyo is unable to control the floating ball that turns into a fifty-fifty ball. Konno reacts to the ball that is cleared outside the penalty area, but is dispossessed by Sakai at the last moment. With that momentum, Kobe connects a pass and ultimately, Yamaguchi scores a powerful right-footed shot.
Tokyo had their first chance in the 20th minute. Konno passed the ball to Abe from the right side after keeping the dribble, and then passed it to Kashif BANGNAGANDE who showed his face on the opposite side. The left side back who advanced forward shot with his non-dominant right foot, but it went over the crossbar.
Just as Tokyo was starting to get into the rhythm, they conceded a painful second goal. In the 25th minute of the first half, Kikuchi scored a spectacular header from Taiki's kick from the right corner. It was a devastating goal to concede from a set piece, especially as it was scored over the heads of Morishige and Kimoto.
In the 38th minute of the first half, CACA cut off the opponent's pass in the midfield and launched a short counterattack. Several players were involved and Kono player took a shot, but it didn't go in. Tokyo made many mistakes during their attacks and ended the first half behind.
2nd HALF - Despite multiple card entries, Leandro's player stops at one point In the second half, Coach Albert brought in Keigo HIGASHI and Adailton, bringing stability with steady passing in the midfield and adding impetus and breakthrough power to the front line to launch a counterattack.
In the 4th minute of the second half, Adailton immediately turned forward with strength and fired a right-footed middle shot to ignite the team. Higashi spread the ball left and right, and there were more opportunities for Matsuki Kuryu and Watanabe to receive passes in higher positions than in the first half.
Adailton attempted a powerful mid-range shot in the 20th minute of the second half, coming close to scoring for Kobe. Just one minute later, Euan SHOESMITH won a header from a right corner kick, but unfortunately it hit the post and went wide.
Here, Luiz PHELLYPE and Leandro enter in rotation, giving a boost to the attacking mindset. With the distribution power of player East coming to life, and player Watanabe connecting his teammates as a relay point, foreign players with technique and power move towards the goal in the front line. As both teams gradually enter a period of stretched out time, it seemed like Tokyo's attacking strength would be displayed.
However, the build-up in their own half, which was also mentioned as a challenge in the previous match, ended up strangling themselves here as well. In the 31st minute of the second half, Seiji KIMURA entered the game and changed the system to a 3-back, but they were unable to fully utilize the strengths of their attacking line due to multiple passing mistakes in their own half until the end. In the 44th minute of the second half, Leandro scored a goal to retaliate, but they were unable to take advantage of the 5-minute additional time and the game ended.
Hold the ball, take the appropriate position while watching the opponent's movements, and attack. The positional play that Coach Albert Puig Ortoneda aims for is, according to the commander, "an endeavor that requires time." Although the direction we aim for was glimpsed in this match as well, Tokyo is facing a dilemma as they become the target of the enemy's press and are unable to effectively connect the ball.
Fought with all their might, but there were no smiles. The players' expressions reflected the difficulty of facing reality.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jakub SLOWIK
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (31st minute: Seiji KIMURA)
MF Koki TSUKAGAWA (21st minute: Leandro)/Shuto ABE (0th minute: Keigo HIGASHI)/Kuryu MATSUKI/
FW Ryoma WATANABE/Diego OLIVEIRA (21st minute: Luiz PHELLYPE)/Kazuya KONNO (0th minute: Adailton)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Hotaka NAKAMURA
GOAL
45' Leandro
<Vissel Kobe>
STARTING XI
GK Hiroki Iikura
DF Nanasei Iino (32nd minute of the second half: Ryo Hatsuse)/Ryuho Kikuchi/Matheus Thuler (26th minute of the second half: Yusuke Kobayashi)/Gotoku Sakai
MF Hotaru Yamaguchi/Leo Osaki/Yuki Kobayashi (26th minute of the second half: Yuta Goke)/Koya Yuruki
FW Daiju Sasaki (9th minute of the second half: Tetsushi Yamakawa)/Yoshinori Muto (32nd minute of the second half: Noriaki Fujimoto)
SUBS
GK Daiya MAEKAWA
MF Takahiro OHGIHARA
GOAL
First Half 11 Minutes: Yamaguchi/First Half 25 Minutes: Kikuchi
[Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Interview]
Q: please review the game.
A: In the first 20 minutes of the first half, we were unable to apply effective pressing tactically and lacked the fighting spirit, allowing the opponent to take control. It was not the form we had expected. We cannot express the desired style of play by only focusing on ball possession; defensive pressing must also be balanced. In the previous match, we lost the ball frequently at the start and struggled to play well. While that was an issue, today a different problem emerged at the start, specifically with pressing. After conceding two goals, naturally the opponent fought to secure all three points, while we found ourselves in a situation where we had to recover from a 0-2 deficit. As time went on, we were able to play better, but I think our reaction was too slow. Today, the issue was more about the fighting spirit than tactics. The opponent, being in a relegation battle, showed a strong desire to win at all costs, but we failed to demonstrate a fighting spirit that matched that. Afterwards, we made various tactical adjustments to bring out better play, and I think it functioned to some extent.
[Player Interview]
<Leandro>
Q: There was a fantastic goal towards the end. Do you feel that the comeback was a bit late?
A: We conceded two goals at the start. It was a match where we had to fight for a long time from a 0-2 situation. Scoring one goal was extremely difficult in this game.
Q: This season has also reached 6 matches. What kind of play would you like to show again?
A: I intend to approach all the remaining matches with the aim of winning.
Q, today was an away game, but it was a match where vocal support was allowed. Could you hear the cheers from the fans and supporters?
A: Although it was an away game, we are truly grateful to everyone who came all this way. The cheers from the stands reach us, and I believe that support will continue to strengthen us moving forward.
<Keigo HIGASHI>
Q: please review the game.
A, fundamentally, we have to outperform the opponent at the base level, and I believe that is important no matter what style of soccer we play. Although it was a tough situation with consecutive away games, I feel there were more things we could do, and I wanted to change those aspects going into the second half. It would have been better if the content improved more, and although we scored one goal back in the second half, the result is disappointing.
Q, was it a bit late to score one point?
A, yes. It’s a matter of 'what if,' but I think it’s important to limit the goals conceded in the first half to just one, or to prevent the opponent from having the final say even in difficult situations. These kinds of things are crucial for accumulating points. Regardless of the style we aim for, we want to make sure we do that.
Q, in the first half, it seemed like they were targeting the area next to the anchor.
A, in the second half, with the opponent having scored two goals, the way we fought changed from the first half. There were parts we were able to do in the second half, and we want all the players to share that and approach the next game together.
Q, there will be another game in 3 days.
A, the next game is at the National Stadium, and the entire club is working to build excitement, so we need to play a match with full commitment once again. Regardless of the style of soccer, the pressing and what needs to be done will not change. If we don’t do that, it’s pointless, so we will all discuss it together, and as veterans, we will lead the way, raise motivation, and push ourselves even further.
<Kuryu MATSUKI>
Q, please look back on the game.
A, we had a poor start to the game, and the coach also pointed that out. Since we were not satisfied with the first half, we talked about pressing relentlessly from the front and aiming for the goal.
Q, we scored one point but I think the counterattack was too slow.
A, that's right. If we had been able to make the third-man run after attacking the flanks, I think the opponents would have taken different positions, and we need to further improve the quality in front of the goal.
Q, I think there has been an increase in movement towards the front compared to the Gamba match, but I think we still need a little more to reach the goal.
A, we need to continue improving in that area, and since we are in a position where we can aim for the top spots in the few remaining matches, we want to make sure to improve steadily starting from practice.
Q: Was it difficult to adjust your condition due to consecutive matches?
A, I don't think any player would use their condition as an excuse. We will create the best possible condition to win the next match.
Q, the coach said there are challenges in the press.
A, there were various mismatches in the front line, and the pressing method the coach intended was somewhat different from the way we actually pressed during the match. In the second half, we were able to press more from the front, but it would have been better if we had done that from the first half.
<Seiji KIMURA>
Q: How did you feel about the game when watching from the outside and reflecting on it as a whole when you played?
A, at halftime the coach said, "We are not competing well for the ball." The impression from the first half was that we were outperformed by Kobe in areas beyond tactics. It was frustrating precisely because we know that the players gathered here can do much more in regular training and other matches.
I think we were able to compete more aggressively in one-on-one situations in the second half, and we didn’t concede any goals. We were also able to score one goal back. I believe the mental aspect shows itself in these areas, so I felt once again that everyone needs to demonstrate that mindset from the very start of the match.
Q, I came on as a substitute in the second half. What were you thinking about when you entered the game?
A: Recently, we have been practicing with a three-back formation, so I was able to work on positioning during build-up and defensive checks, and I kept those in mind as I entered the match.
Regarding the two plays at the start that were not tactical—the marking of Matsuki and the long ball to Nagatomo that ended up as mistakes—these are matters of individual quality. I believe I need to level up myself more and prepare so that even when coming on as a substitute, I can perform flawlessly from the start.
Q: Did you feel the pressure from the opponent's constant pressure?
A, I do feel the pressure, but if you ask whether we train under that kind of pressure regularly, the answer is no. I think we were in a situation where we could definitely compete just by improving our spacing and creating passing lanes. I felt that we need to share this vision more clearly among the team.
Q, the next game will be at Japan National Stadium. Please share your enthusiasm for the upcoming game.
A, I believe there will be an opportunity for me at some point during the consecutive matches, and I am always preparing for that. If that chance comes next, I just need to show all the plays I usually perform. We haven’t been able to win in the past few games, so if I can keep a clean sheet and lead the team to victory when the opportunity comes around, I think the option to start me from the beginning will become stronger. I will always aim for that, continue preparing, and strive to earn it.
<Kazuya KONNO>
Q, please reflect on the game where it seemed like there were many scenes where you created opportunities from the side.
A, I think we should have been a bit more aggressive in pressing from the front at the start of the match, but it didn’t quite work out, and then we dropped back a little, which is where we got caught. That is something we need to improve.
There were also moments where I created opportunities by making a base at my position, but since the opponent was prepared for that, I think if we increase the patterns of both taking the initiative myself and using my teammates a bit more, it will broaden our attacking options.
Q, I think there were difficulties with the hot and humid weather.
A, there was the unique humid heat of the Kansai region, but that cannot be used as an excuse. Regardless of that, we all agreed from the start to push forward, but after we were unable to press from the front midway through and conceded two goals, the game became difficult.
Q, the opponent was actively defending from the front.
A, the build-up was not as smooth as usual, and that needs to be improved. I haven't watched the footage yet, but I want to carefully review it, discuss what should have been done, and approach the next match accordingly.
Q, the next match is against Kyoto at the National Stadium.
A, it is rare to play at the National Stadium, and I think many fans and supporters will come, so we will properly prepare our condition, devise strategies against the opponent, coordinate from practice, and aim to secure a solid win next time.
<Masato MORISHIGE>
Q, how was the defense during the game when you look back on it?
A, I think we became too heavy at the back. It was something we had discussed before the match, but we were hardly able to be aggressive. I believe it’s a matter of a small alignment of intentions, so there is room for improvement there.
Q, what were you careful about in terms of defense?
A, we didn’t want them to use the space beside the anchor, so before the match we talked about being a bit cautious at the back at first, but if we do that, the defense lacks momentum. So, we decided to not worry about it and to try to win the ball forward even if they use that space a few times. I discussed this approach with the midfield players before the match.
Q, it seems like we couldn't go forward for a while.
A, it was the same in the Shimizu match, but if we worry too much about the two midfielders behind, we lose our strength of defending from the front line. I realized that again today. Based on that, I want to think about how to fight in the remaining matches and move forward.
