Revenge on Nagoya with aggressive Tokyo soccer!

　Looking back on the previous match against Urawa, Coach Hara reflected, "I don't want to play that kind of game again." In the Sec. 20 match against Nagoya Grampus Eight, it will be a battle with only 3 days of rest, but he continued, "We will play aggressive Tokyo football, not passive like in the Urawa match." The fit between the two top players and the defense from the front line were raised as issues from the previous match, but due to the short practice time of only 2 days, they chose the familiar 4-5-1 formation for this match. Lucas will be the lone top player, Ishikawa will be the right MF, Nori Suzuki will be the left MF, and Kurisawa will be in the center. Sasa, who scored a goal in the previous match, will start on the bench.

　Nagoya, who are currently in 7th place with 27 points, will face us. They managed to survive the 6 consecutive matches in July with 2 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss, but in the previous match against Kobe, new signing FW Ruizon couldn't fully fit in and they lost 0-1. However, Ruizon also said, "Just like Sasa, I also have a 'one-shot' and I am definitely a dangerous player. It's scary when FW Honda and MF Fujita get involved." To shut down Nagoya, it is necessary to "defend as a team, not be afraid, and go for the steal from the right, left, and center once we get it. Launch a quick attack (Manager Hara)."

　Looking back, the losing streak in the first half of the season started with the defeat at Nagoya away on April 13th. In that sense, the players have a strong desire for revenge. They want to regain their aggressive fighting spirit and aim for victory in the last home game before the summer break. Before the match, a ceremony was held to celebrate Ishikawa's 100th appearance in the J1 League today. The game started at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo at 19:04, where a relatively cool atmosphere could be felt.

Aggressive TOKYO Seek Revenge

"I don't ever want to see another game like that," commented TOKYO manager Hara after the disappointing loss to Urawa Reds, "We were far too passive; we have to be more aggressive". TOKYO spent the two days in training following that game working on a 4-5-1 formation and defending from the front. Lucas began as lone striker with Ishikawa on the right, Kurisawa in the centre and Suzuki on the left. Sasa, who scored on his league debut, started on the bench.
Opponents Grampus went into the game in 7th place with 27 points. New signing Luizao had failed to acclimatise to his new surroundings and his side had lost their previous game 1-0 to bottom club Vissel. Like Sasa though, Luizao is perfectly able to win a game at a stroke and manager Hara urged caution, particularly regarding striker Honda and veteran midfielder Fujita. "We can't afford to be timid; we have to go out and win the ball boldly, get it out to the flanks and attack at top speed".
TOKYO's fine start to the season had ended in an away defeat to Grampus in April. The players were ready to extract a measure of revenge and post a victory in the final home game of the summer. A ceremony to mark Ishikawa's 100th J.League appearance was held shortly before the home side kicked off on a balmy evening in west Tokyo.

Possession rate is even, created chances but...

　Nagoya has a 4-4-2 formation with FW Luizon and Honda as the two top players. Fujita is the right MF, and Nakamura is the left MF. In the opening seconds, they had a chance from a right CK and Nakamura's kick was met by DF Koga, but it went over the bar. After that, both teams played cautiously, waiting for chances to attack from solid defense. In the 6th minute, FW Honda took a shot from an angleless position in the left area after a counterattack by Nagoya. In the 7th minute, Lucas trapped Ishikawa's right cross in the center and took a shot, but it was saved by the GK. In the 8th minute, Lucas took a header shot from Kurisawa's kick after stealing the left CK from Ishikawa's left development. However, it narrowly missed to the side.

　Tokyo, which started to grasp the rhythm of the attack from Ishikawa, created a big chance in the 13th minute. Lucas expanded to the right side and Ishikawa caught up and crossed. Kurizawa jumped in freely from the far side and tried to directly hit it, but he missed the hit due to the turf and missed a big chance. In the 16th minute, Kajiyama, who tried to dribble up in front of the goal, was fouled and got a free kick near the right side of the midfield. However, Suzuki's kick was blocked by the opponent's defender. In the 23rd minute, Lucas picked up a loose ball in the opponent's territory and invaded deep into the right area. He tried to shoot with a clever feint, but there was no angle and it hit the side net.

　After that, there were also missed connections between each other, and the frustrating development continued. In the 35th minute, Nagoya left back Nakatani crossed from the left side, and Luizón headed it off in front of the goal, and MF Clayton, who was free in the far side, aimed with a loop over the head of Doi. It was a close call, but it went off without incident above the goal. In the 38th minute, Kanazawa → Imano shot from the left area. In the 40th minute, Kurisawa ran into the area from Lucas' post and took a clean shot, but both were caught by the opposing GK. The ball possession rate was equal, but Tokyo created more chances than Nagoya. However, they couldn't score and entered the second half.

Chances Spurned In Even First Half

Grampus lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with Luizao and Honda as twin strikers, Fujita on the right and Nakamura on the left side of midfield. It was the visitors who created the first chance, Koga firing over the bar following Nakamura's corner kick in the opening minute. Both sides began cautiously and defense was at a premium. In the 6th minute, Honda blazed over the bar from a tight angle and Lucas fired straight at Grampus keeper Narazaki following good work from Ishikawa a minute later. Lucas headed Kurisawa's corner narrowly wide in the 8th minute.
Paced by Lucas and Ishikawa, TOKYO slowly began to find their rhythm. The best chance of the game so far fell to Kurisawa in the 13th minute. Ishikawa skipped past the Grampus defense on the right after a long cross-field ball from Lucas and centered to the far post where the onrushing, and completely unmarked, Kurisawa failed to make a solid contact and the opening was wasted. Kajiyama surged through the middle in the 16th minute before being flattened in a promising position. Suzuki hammered the free kick straight into the wall. In the 23rd minute, Lucas took the ball deep into the Grampus area, neatly feinted his way past a defender but buried his shot into the side netting.
Some sloppy passing from both sides then saw the game enter a frustrating period. Grampus should have taken the lead in the 35th minute as Luizao's header fell perfectly for Claiton, unmarked in front of goal. With only Doi to beat, Claiton contrived to scoop the ball over the bar and TOKYO heaved a collective sigh of relief at a lucky escape. Konno raced forward and shot in the 38th minute, as did Kurisawa two minutes later. Neither effort bothered Narazaki and the first half finished 0-0.

Overcoming a difficult situation and achieving a draw

　From the start of the second half, Tokyo showed an aggressive attitude. In the 40th second, Suzuki Nori sprinted down the left side and passed the ball to Ishikawa and Kurisawa, who feinted past the opposing defender and took a shot from the right side of the area, but it narrowly went over the bar. In the 48th minute, Kaji advanced into the middle and passed to Imano, who took a shot. In the 50th minute, after Kaji was fouled on the right side, Moino headed the ball from the resulting free kick. However, despite creating chances, they couldn't convert them, and this time Nagoya created a chance on the counterattack. In the 56th minute, Honda made a big side change and Louison was caught offside in front of the goal. In the 58th minute, the ball was passed to MF Fujita who had entered the area, creating a shooting chance, but the Tokyo defenders just managed to cut it off.

　In the 62nd minute, Sasa was substituted for Suzuki Nori, and Kurisawa was positioned on the left, deploying a two-top formation. With Sasa's entry, a sense of goal was born. In the 69th minute, Sasa broke free in front of the goal from a lobbing pass by Ishikawa, beating the goalkeeper with a looping shot. In the 70th minute, Imakuno entered a shooting position in the right area from Kurisawa's left corner kick. Then, Lucas headed the ball from the left corner kick. In the 75th minute, they won another corner kick, and in the 76th minute, Imakuno persisted in the right front line and won another corner kick. Lucas competed for Ishikawa's kick with a header, and Jahn jumped into the far post to volley from a close distance to the goal! However, it was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper's nice save.

　Tokyo, who had grasped the rhythm of the attack, was immediately faced with a pinch after the corner kick. Tokyo lifted a cross from a short corner, but it was picked up by Nagoya, who countered. Clayton sprinted down the right side and passed to MF Nakamura in the front line. Nakamura attracted the Tokyo DF deep in the right area and made a minus last pass in front of the goal. MF Fujita received this pass and scored, resulting in a goal against Tokyo. It became an unpleasant development to be conceded in a situation where they couldn't convert their chances once again.

　However, they did not give up. In the 79th minute, Baba was brought in to replace the injured Kanazawa, and in the 82nd minute, Miura was substituted for Kajiyama. Baba moved to the center, and they launched a counterattack with a formation resembling a three-back. In the 85th minute, Kondo's left cross was headed by Sasa. Immediately after, Sasa received Kurizawa's cross off the post and returned it directly to Baba. Baba boldly dribbled between the Nagoya defenders in the area, and Sasa, who appeared from the side, took a shot! It was a crucial moment, but it went straight to the GK. Then in the 88th minute, Lucas passed to Kurizawa, who sprinted up the left flank to Kondo. Kondo advanced deep and delivered a fast cross. This induced a fumble from the opposing GK, and the ball went into the goal! They equalized at the last moment. They continued to press for 'one more goal,' and in stoppage time, Sasa made a high header from Kaji's right cross! It seemed like it would go in over the GK's outstretched hand, but it was blocked by the opposing defenders, and time was up. Although they did not score an additional goal, they managed to equalize in the final moments and secured one point.

　[Player Comments]《Sasa》"Starting on the bench was the coach's decision. I have no complaints about that, and I was thinking of doing my best with what I can do. I'm disappointed that I couldn't score a goal. Since I've only played in two matches so far, I can't judge whether my condition is improving or if I'm getting used to it. However, I think the two-top with Lucas is coming together. Personally, I want to create more rhythm (not just with shots)."《Konno》"In the first half, I didn't feel like Nagoya was going to get us. But we couldn't score, and I felt like our coordination was somewhat off. So in the second half, I thought I would attack even if it meant sacrificing some balance, and I aimed to score. The goal was intended to be a cross, but kicking a fast ball was good. However, I want to take more mid-range shots. Also, since I often flowed to the side and attacked, I want to be able to dribble in the middle and make through passes from now on."

　【Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference】 "The last match against Urawa was quite poor, and one of the reasons was that there were several players in bad condition. We tried using Sasa from the start, but he was not accustomed to Japanese soccer or our style of play, which caused confusion not only for him but also for the surrounding players. I thought we could make corrections in a week, but due to the three-day gap, we started today with our familiar approach. We talked about regaining our aggressive soccer, starting with good defense, using the field widely, and attacking from both sides. The condition of the field was poor, but we created several opportunities in the first half. Ishikawa delivered a cross, and Kurizawa got free, while Lucas created chances. If we had scored there... it was that kind of development. At halftime, I said, 'We are playing better than the last match. However, Nagoya is clearly aiming for counterattacks, so if we lose the ball poorly, we will be countered. We need to take care of Luison, Fujita, and Nakamura.' After that, we approached the second half. Yesterday, Noriyuki Suzuki had a fever over 38 degrees, but it settled down by noon, so we decided to start him and let him play as long as he could. As fatigue set in and the flow wasn't changing by waiting, we brought in Sasa to take a gamble. Sasa's strength in front of the goal and his physicality as a striker are best utilized in situations where we desperately need a goal. This way, the players around him can also bring out his strengths. However, from there, we were countered and Fujita scored, and Kanazawa got injured, leading to an unpleasant development. Nevertheless, the players did not give up and continued to push towards the goal until the end. There were mistakes from the opponent, but I think it was also influenced by Konno moving up that far and Sasa entering the goal area. We equalized, and afterwards, Sasa had a decisive chance, and Baba also did a good job after coming on. Not giving up and equalizing to earn that one point is very significant. Of course, it is a point of reflection that we could not earn three points at home, but the fact that we equalized and did not settle for that, but aimed for another goal is commendable. I want to think about how to utilize Sasa's scoring ability as we move forward."

　【Nagoya - NELSINHO's press conference summary】 "Both teams marked from about a quarter of the field tactically, and FC Tokyo aimed for counterattacks. The game was balanced in terms of content, especially in the first half. In the second half, a little space opened up, allowing us to create chances from both sides, and we scored one goal from a counterattack. However, after that, we conceded one goal and lost two important points in the game. (In the second half, Honda, Fujita, and Nakamura's positions became fluid?) At that point, FC Tokyo had one holding midfielder free. So we pulled Nakamura back to mark and formed a shape similar to three holding midfielders. We placed Honda and Fujita in the second line, leaving only Luisão up front. Until then, the two in the second line, Fujita and Nakamura, were playing wide, but we improved the balance, resulting in a formation similar to FC Tokyo's. Luisão is in the stage of trying to get used to the game. I think he still needs time to adapt to the fast-paced play in Japan. Even today, he hasn't shown all his strength and potential. However, as a striker, his job is to score goals. It's natural that he won't leave an impression when he doesn't score."

Late Equaliser Earns Point

TOKYO began the second period in positive mood; Suzuki hared down the left and crossed to Ishikawa who moved the ball on to Kurisawa. Kurisawa feinted inside a defender and fired in a powerful shot that just cleared the crossbar. Kaji began to roam further forward and set up Konno for a shot in the 48th minute. Moniwa headed a free kick wide in the 50th minute. Emboldened by their opponents' profligacy in front of goal, Grampus began to threaten on the counter attack.
Sasa replaced Suzuki in the 62nd minute with Kurisawa moving to the left flank position. Sasa nearly opened the scoring in the 69th minute as he beat Narazaki to a long ball from Ishikawa but directed his lob over the bar. TOKYO increased the pressure on the Grampus goal, winning a series of corners. Narazaki made a superb save to deny Jean's point-blank volley at the far post in the 76th minute.
Disaster struck from the resulting corner. The ball was cleared to Claiton who raced forward before slipping the ball to Nakamura on the right wing. Nakamura headed to the byline and pulled the ball back for Fujita to beat Doi at the near post. Just when TOKYO appeared to be gaining the upper hand, they fell victim to a classic counter attack.
Manager Hara then replaced Kanazawa with Baba and Kajiyama with Miura as TOKYO went in search of an equalizer. Sasa made contact with Konno's cross in the 85th minute but failed to hit the target and was guilty of a glaring miss after Baba's dazzling dribble inside the area set him free with only Narazaki to beat. He fired tamely at the keeper's feet and TOKYO appeared to have blown their chances. Persistence pays off though, and TOKYO broke through in the 88th minute. Lucas and Kurisawa combined to move the ball out to Konno on the left wing; Konno took the ball close to the byline before firing in a powerful cross that squirmed through the hands of Narazaki and over the line. TOKYO then nearly produced a dramatic winner as Sasa outjumped the Grampus defense and directed a powerful header past Narazaki but a defender cleared the ball off the goal line. The final whistle blew and TOKYO had a single point for their efforts.


Players' comments
Sasa
"The manager started me on the bench today. I wasn't unhappy; it made me more determined to show what I can do when I got on the field. I'm disappointed I couldn't score, though. I've only played in two games so far but I feel my condition is improving, although I couldn't really say whether I'm getting used to the team yet. I think I'm starting to develop an understanding with Lucas. I'd like to contribute more in terms of the rhythm of the play".

Konno
"I didn't feel they caused us much trouble in the first half but we failed to score and our combination play became loose. The ball was meant to be a cross but I'm glad I hit it hard. I could get forward along the wings quite a lot today but I need to shoot more and work on dribbling and playing through balls".


TOKYO manager Hara
"The Reds game was terrible and was caused by some players being in poor condition. We thought about playing Sasa from the start today but decided against it as he isn't used to Japanese football or our playing style yet and that affects not only him but the players around him as well. If we had a week to work on it we could sort it out but we only had three days and decided to go with what we are used to today. We talked about getting back to our style of football; aggressively winning the ball, using the wings and the full width of the pitch and attacking at top speed. The pitch was in terrible condition but we still managed to create several good moves in the first half. We couldn't finish them off, though. At half time I told the players the performance was far better than in the previous game but they had to be careful of Luizao, Fujita and Nakamura as Grampus were clearly looking to hit us on the counter attack. Suzuki woke up with a 38 degree fever this morning but he felt better by lunchtime and we put him in the starting line up. He tired during the second half so we sent on Sasa. Sasa showed his strengths today and his presence also improves the players around him. Then we were caught by a quick counter attack and Kanazawa was injured as well; things turned sour but the players didn't give up and fought to the very end. The goal came from a mistake but Konno's cross was a good one and Sasa's threat may have distracted the keeper. After that Sasa nearly won us the game and Baba played well after he came on. Of course we want to win all our home games but the fighting display earned us a valuable point today. We're working on how best to use Sasa and his goal scoring ability".

Grampus manager Nelsinho
"The game was a tight, well-balanced affair, particularly in the first half. A little space opened up in the second half and we were able to score on a counter attack. We should have held on for the win and dropped two important points. In the second half we played with three defensive midfielders and Fujita and Honda behind Luizao. That formation gave us a much better balance. Luizao is slowly becoming accustomed to the speed of Japanese football but a striker's job is to score goals and if he doesn't then he won't make much of an impression".