<Match Review>
Tokyo shifts their mindset from the frustration experienced in the league matches and takes on the challenge of aiming for the Emperor's Cup. Heading to Saitama Stadium 2002 for the quarterfinals against the Urawa Reds, the passionate chant of "Seize the Cup" from the blue-red fans and supporters packed behind the goal energizes the team even before kickoff.
Three wins away from the top. Given the schedule of just two days between Sunday’s match against Kyoto Sanga F.C. and this game, and also due to contractual reasons preventing Motoki NAGAKURA from playing, Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI decided to change five starting members.
The goalkeeper was Kim Seung-gyu, who was announced to have returned to the South Korean national team on Monday. The back line consisted of four players from right to left: Yuto NAGATOMO, Alexander Scholz, Henrique Trevisan, and Teppei Oka. The defensive midfield duo was Kento HASHIMOTO and Kota TOKIWA. In attack, Leon NOZAWA started on the right, and Marcos Guilherme made his first start in blue and red on the left. The two forwards were Keigo HIGASHI and Marcelo. Additionally, Masato MORISHIGE was included on the bench for the first time in about a month since the previous match against Urawa on July 19.
From this round, the Emperor's Cup adopted VAR. The match for a ticket to the Semifinal Round kicked off amid rain that started just before the beginning.
1st HALF—Dominated possession, misaligned in both offense and defense
From the start, Urawa held the ball for long periods, and Tokyo was unable to connect passes as they wished. The ball was played from the sides into the center repeatedly, creating many dangerous situations.
In the 17th minute of the first half, Marcos on the left side sent a horizontal pass to the center, which RIAN received and aimed with his left foot after trapping the ball, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. After that, Tokyo gradually increased their play in the opponent's territory, drawing the momentum with crosses from Nagatomo and volleys from Higashi.
However, there were also several instances where players put their bodies on the line to stop the opponent's counterattacks, and by the 25th minute of the first half, both defensive midfielders, Hashimoto and Tokiwa, had received yellow cards. Given the noticeable difficulty in advancing the ball as desired, it is important to increase movements that create passing lanes for the ball carrier in order to find a breakthrough in the attack.
After that, Urawa continued to increase their possession rate, and during the time Tokyo kept losing second balls, there were many scenes where the players' intentions did not align in attack, making it difficult to create decisive chances. There were also many instances where the ball, once won, was lost due to simple mistakes, resulting in wasteful plays standing out. Even when trying to build from the back line, there were no passing lanes, and in the 42nd minute of the first half, a ball played from the left side into the center was intercepted by the opponent, who then launched a smooth counterattack culminating in Kaneko scoring with his left foot. Tokyo conceded the lead in a regrettable manner.
The first half, in which the team was unable to combine each player's strengths or show a cohesive attacking form, ended with a one-goal deficit.
2nd HALF—Turnaround with two goals from Hian. Securing advancement to the Semifinal Round
FC Tokyo, eager to somehow change the momentum and seize victory. At halftime, Coach Matsuhashi substituted Nozawa and Oka for Kota TAWARATSUMIDA and Kashif BANGNAGANDE. Marcos was moved to the right attacker position, with the expectation of boosting attacking power on both flanks through these changes.
At the 1st minute of the second half, Marcos dribbled through the center and passed to Hian ahead, and number 19 took a shot with his left foot. Although it missed to the left of the goal, it immediately created a big chance.
And this substitution brought an equalizing goal to the blue and red. At the 7th minute of the second half, Tawara Tsukida made a vertical move along the left sideline near the touchline and sent a through pass forward. Marcos, who flowed into this, used his proud speed to dribble forward, then Higashi connected the return pass, and Hian turned around the opponent player and calmly slid a difficult right-footed shot into the goal. With an attack that fused individual strengths, Tokyo succeeded in bringing the match back to even.
In the 17th minute of the second half, Teruhito NAKAGAWA was brought on to replace Higashi as one of the two forwards. Entrusted with the role of further smoothing the team’s coordination, which had begun to show more fluid attacking play, number 39 was sent onto the pitch.
Riding the momentum, Tokyo continued at the 20th minute when Marcos broke free on a long feed from Scholz, skillfully controlled the ball to evade the opposing defender, regained balance, and delivered a final pass to the center. Lucas RIAN, running into the space, struck a one-touch shot with his right foot that pierced the goal, delivering a game-turning blow.
Ji-an, who scored two crucial goals, cramped his left leg in the 25th minute of the second half, and Keita YAMASHITA came on at the front line in his place. At the same time, a substitution was made from Tokiwa to Kei KOIZUMI, using up all the substitution slots for the 90 minutes in a proactive manner.
Tokyo increased the pressure from the front, showing an aggressive attitude while winning the battles for the ball. At the 35th minute of the second half, Marcos, who had been running devotedly since the first half, cramped his leg, but since there were no substitutions left, he somehow recovered and continued playing. Henrique, who was enduring Urawa's fierce attacks in front of the goal, also collapsed from accumulated fatigue in his legs, and the entire team showed a desperate fight to advance.
In the final moments of the second half, Marcos, who was unable to dash, was positioned centrally, while fresh players Nakagawa and Yamashita supported the right side. Nakagawa, carefully observing the flow of the game and his teammates' conditions, avoided forcing runs and instead skillfully challenged tight spaces to draw fouls, demonstrating precise judgment as he strived to lead the team to victory.
The additional time in the second half was indicated as 10 minutes. Against Urawa, who repeatedly sent crosses from the sides in a power play, the Blue-Red Eleven mustered their last strength and collectively repelled the opponent's attacks.
Urawa attacked. Tokyo endured. They survived the long additional time with this dynamic and the final whistle blew. Entering the Emperor's Cup quarterfinals with a fierce determination to "respond to the fans and supporters' hopes with results," the Blue-Red warriors gave their all in spirit and stamina, overcoming a tight schedule with only two days' rest, and once again secured their ticket to the Semifinal Round with a splendid come-from-behind victory against Urawa.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC TOKYO>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kim Seung-gyu
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Alexander Scholz/Teppei OKA (46' Kashif BANGNAGANDE)/Henrique Trevisan
MF Keigo AZUMA (62' Teruhito NAKAGAWA)/Kento HASHIMOTO/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (73' Kei KOIZUMI)/Leon NOZAWA (46' Kota TAWARATSUMIDA)/Marcos Guilherme
FW Marcelo Hyan (73' Keita YAMASHITA)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Masato MORISHIGE/Kanta DOI
MF Maki KITAHARA
MANAGER
Rikizo MATSUHASHI
GOAL
7th minute of the second half: Marcelo RYAN / 20th minute of the second half: Marcelo RYAN
<Urawa Reds>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Shusaku NISHIKAWA
DF Hirokazu ISHIHARA (42nd minute of the second half: Takuya OGIWARA) / Danilo BOZA / Marius HOIBRAATEN / Yoichi NAGANUMA
MF Kaito YASUI (32nd minute of the second half: Taishi MATSUMOTO) / Samuel GUSTAFSSON (42nd minute of the second half: Genki HARAGUCHI) / Takuro KANEKO (32nd minute of the second half: Thiago SANTANA) / Matheus SAVIO / Yusuke MATSUO
FW Hiiro KOMORI (17th minute of the second half: Takahiro SEKINE)
SUBS
GK Ayumi NIEKAWA
DF Kenta NEMOTO
MF Tomoaki OKUBO/Kai SHIBATO
MANAGER
Maciej SKORZA
GOAL
42nd minute of the first half: Takuro KANEKO
[Interview with Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI]
Q, Please give us a review of today's match.
A, It was truly a game played under very difficult conditions, but I am proud of the players who fought without giving up until the very end, and I am also deeply grateful to the fans and supporters who backed them. I believe today's victory was a wonderful one.
Q, Was the progression of the match as you had envisioned? Could you also explain about conceding one goal and the halftime substitutions?
A, To be honest, it was not the content I had envisioned. The opponent is a team that applies strong high pressing from the first half, and while we aimed to bypass that effectively, just like in the league match against Kyoto, we conceded a goal due to our own error by giving the ball away to the opponent. Although the lack of stability in that area remained unchanged, there was a gradual trend of improvement and some parts were getting better, so even while being attacked, we were able to create some rhythm there.
However, it was not about tactics, but the first half had a lot of errors in the part where we were supposed to win the ball and connect to the next attack, so inevitably we ended up spending a lot of time defending. After conceding a goal in that way, I only gave one tactical instruction: since the opponent is pressing from the front, there is an exit here, so I told the player in this position to move a little more into this area. Besides that, of course, since this is a knockout tournament and we must win to advance, tactics no longer mattered—we just had to do it. There was nothing left to lose. I told them not to play soccer so timidly. Up until now, there had been a somewhat negative atmosphere, so in the pre-match meeting today, I told them to show their strengths. I conveyed that they can only compete by using those strengths. Everyone has weaknesses, and they certainly exist within the team, but as we cover for each other, I emphasized that both individually and as a team, they must firmly bring out their strengths. In that sense, I believe that showing those aspects firmly in the second half led to the comeback.
Q, The opponent had four days of rest, while Tokyo had only two. Despite various concerns such as some players being unable to participate due to contract issues, I think your tactics were quite bold. Could you tell us about those factors?
A, I was not worried about the players who couldn’t play. The biggest concern was definitely the players’ condition. We were barely able to train over the past two days, and we reviewed all tactical points in the pre-match meeting today. However, there was nothing special in that review; it was just what we have been consistently doing. The players who played today had already been meeting the expectations in previous matches and training, so there was no particular concern there. The only real worry was their physical condition. But that concern turned out to be completely the opposite. Players who didn’t play in the previous match started cramping, while those who have been playing consecutively managed to finish strong. So, I told them on the bench to teach the players who cramped how to avoid it.
Q. Lack of finishing ability has been an issue so far, but today you managed to finish decisively and everyone endured until the end for the victory. How do you plan to build on this battle going forward?
A. Overcoming difficult situations definitely becomes a strength for the team, and I think it’s a very important point for growth. I don’t believe you can always approach matches in a stable, relaxed, and calm manner. Considering that, today there were various difficulties and uneasy factors, and some players were nervous, but throughout the 90 minutes of the match, they accepted errors and firmly connected to the next phase. There were players who clearly showed that attitude. I’m sure there were also players who couldn’t fully express themselves by the end, but I believe we absolutely must turn this result of overcoming such difficulties into great confidence, and inevitably it becomes a huge confidence boost for individuals as well.
[Player Interview]
<Marcelo RYAN>
Q. In the first half, we couldn’t attack as we wanted, and the ball didn’t circulate much. How did you view the flow of the match?
A. In the first half, our pressing didn’t work well, so as a team, things didn’t go smoothly. However, in the second half, the pressing functioned properly, and we were able to create good opportunities in various aspects. As a result, we managed to turn the game around and advance to the next match.
Q. The scene of your first goal looked like a difficult shot. How did you aim for the goal and swing your leg?
A. It was a shot while turning around, so I couldn't see the goal when I turned, making it difficult to accurately grasp the position of the goal. However, I trusted my instincts and took the shot, which resulted in a goal.
Q. The second goal came from a final pass by Marcos Guilherme, and you finished it off.
A. In that scene, Marcos broke free on a counterattack with a long pass and advanced by dribbling, while I was waiting for the pass in front of the goal. Marcos delivered a wonderful pass, so all I had to do was finish it. I am grateful to Marcos.
Q. This season, you have scored 4 goals in 3 matches against Urawa, showing great results.
A. I also think that is wonderful. However, of course, I want to score goals that help the team in other matches as well.
Q. The next match in the Emperor's Cup is the Semifinal Round, but before that, there is a league match with only three days in between. How will you prepare for this?
A. First, I want to make sure to get proper rest. Then, while analyzing the opposing team, I plan to proceed with preparations for the next match.
<Yuto NAGATOMO>
Q. The match started off tough as we conceded the first goal, but you changed the momentum in the second half. Having played the full 90 minutes, how did you feel about the flow of the game?
A. Our start in the first half was far too poor. We have to consider ourselves lucky that the match wasn’t decided during that period. The poor start, as well as the fact that the Urawa Reds had four days of rest while we had only two, might have had some impact, but that’s no excuse. The start was really bad, and it wouldn’t have been surprising if the match had been decided in the first half. We need to reflect on that. However, looking at the full 90 minutes, we bounced back in the second half, and the players who came on changed the momentum and brought energy to the team. When the team gained momentum, we managed to turn the game around and win, which I believe showed the team’s resilience and determination.
Q. During the long periods of enduring pressure, it seemed that Nagatomo himself continued to respond defensively without losing composure.
A. When you are pressed that much, it creates a flow where "you will eventually get scored on." Even if you don't concede at the last moment, from a probability standpoint, it becomes difficult to win when you are under that much pressure. I personally played with a strong determination that I would never be beaten in my area, but not only the team's poor start, I also have to reflect on the fact that I couldn't bring momentum to the team with my play from the first half.
Q, On the other hand, towards the end of the match, I felt that Nagatomo was leading the team through his play in maintaining the lead.
A, I was in good condition and didn’t feel like my side would be breached. I made sure to keep it solid defensively while also thinking about pushing forward and bringing momentum to the attack where possible. I didn’t cramp throughout the 90 minutes and was able to compete physically without any issues. I was thinking, "Everyone else is cramping too much, but I don’t even have any tight spots," while playing (laughs).
Q, From the middle of the second half, you also wore the captain's armband.
A, Whether I wear the captain's armband or not, showing it through my play is everything. Just encouraging without showing it in my play doesn’t resonate with my teammates. I want to continue with the mindset of leading by example through my play and being a proper role model for everyone.
Q, The Emperor's Cup is now just two titles away.
A, Now that we've come this far, winning is the only option. No matter who the opponent is, we are only thinking about winning the cup. At this point, we just have to do it.
<Marcos Guilherme Player>
Q. Even though your legs were cramping towards the end of the match, I think you made a significant contribution to the team's victory with your dedicated play until the very end.
A. Having not played in matches for about two months, I reflect that my condition and match rhythm were lacking. Although my legs cramped and I caused trouble for the team, I focused on playing without giving up until the very end. Towards the end of the match, seeing my teammates running and playing with full commitment motivated me even more. I believe this victory was something we all achieved together.
Q. I think your defensive contribution in suppressing the Urawa Reds' side attacks was also very high.
A. My playing style is to support the team both offensively and defensively. In the first half, I was able to show plays where I defended, and in the second half, I appeared forward in attack. However, it is still not enough. From here, I want to further improve my condition.
Q. For the team’s first goal, Marcos flowed to the left and the cross he sent in front of the goal led to the equalizer, and for the second goal, he assisted Marcelo RYAN’s score with a play that gained speed.
A. For the first goal, I found space and moved to the left, and the ball I put in front of the goal hit an opposing defender and connected to RYAN. Regarding the second goal, Alexander SCHOLZ sent a wonderful ball to the front line, allowing me to bring it into a shape that suits my strengths. I am grateful that RYAN calmly finished the cross ball. I want to deepen the coordination with my teammates even more so that my own playing style and characteristics can come to life.
Q: After the match, I could see that strong emotions were welling up.
A: For about two months, I went through truly difficult times. Even in such circumstances, my family supported me wholeheartedly and became my emotional pillar. It was really tough up until now, but I have been building myself up to seize the opportunity when it comes. I am glad to have finished today’s match on a good note, and when I went to greet the fans and supporters, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I am happy to have won in front of everyone who gave us such passionate support.
