Match Review
The final match of the season, which serves as a conclusion, was against Shonan Bellmare at Lemon Gas Stadium Hiratsuka. In place of the suspended Yuto Nagatomo, Kosuke Shirai took the right side back position, and Tsubasa Terayama made his first league start in four months as a defensive midfielder. Kuryu Matsuki, returning from suspension, was utilized as an attacking midfielder.
It has been a difficult season since the 2017 season, but we want to end it with a win. We want to play aggressively to deliver 3 points to the blue and red fans and supporters who have come all the way to away Hiratsuka.
1stHALF - Gradually pulling the flow with persistent defense
Shonan Bellmare's momentum won as they approached their final home game. They started off sharp and were able to recover second balls. However, towards the end, Tokyo gradually pulled the pace in their favor and increased the number of scenes ending with shots instead of allowing them.
In the 9th minute, Adailton's header from Matsuki's corner kick missed the target. In the 12th minute, Adailton carried the ball on a counter attack and passed it to Diego OLIVEIRA in the center. Diego, facing forward in front of the goal, took a powerful shot with his right foot but couldn't find the target.
The first half continues with a back-and-forth battle without any movement in the score. Both teams are creating attacking opportunities, but mistakes are occurring in the finishing and build-up process, resulting in a lack of clear chances and a scoreless first half.
2ndHALF - First Tokyo Goal by Koizumi Brings Victory After 5 Matches
In the second half, which was welcomed without player substitutions, Tokyo actively attacked. Matsuki dropped back to the midfield and pulled out the ball, and the number of times Diego and Adailton made runs towards the goal increased in response to the signal of a vertical pass.
In the 2nd and 5th minutes, there were decisive shots in the area. In the 2nd minute, Diego TABA took a powerful shot with his right foot, but it was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper. In the 5th minute, Tsubasa TERAYAMA, who had jumped in from the 3rd row, aimed for the goal but only hit the outside of the side net. However, Tokyo did not let up their attack and scored the opening goal in the 7th minute. Masato MORISHIGE, in the final line, made a long feed. Adailton, who had broken through, created time on the left side and Kei KOIZUMI, who had jumped in front of the goal, calmly dribbled past the opponent's defender and scored.
After gaining a one-point lead, the team was able to control the game and advance the clock, including the substitute players who entered. Soma ANZAI, who was specially designated, and Kanta DOI, who made his J1 debut, also showed impressive performances.
In the end, we were under fierce attack from Shonan, but our focus today was amazing and we were able to secure a shutout victory until the end. It was our first "1-0" victory since the Sec. 22 match against Cerezo Osaka, and we grabbed our third away win of the season.
As a result, we accumulated 3 points for the first time in 5 games and finished in 11th place.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Kosuke SHIRAI/Yasuki KIMOTO/Masato MORISHIGE/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (35th minute: Kanta DOI)
MF Kei KOIZUMI/Tsubasa TERAYAMA (27th minute: Keigo HIGASHI)/Kuryu MATSUKI
FW Teruhito NAKAGAWA (31st minute: Soma ANZAI)/Diego OLIVEIRA (27th minute: Naoki KUMATA)/Adailton (27th minute: Jája Silva)
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Seiji KIMURA
GOAL
7 minutes into the second half: Kei KOIZUMI
Shonan Bellmare
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Son Bom Gun
DF Takuya Okamoto (27th minute of the second half: Sho Fukuda)/Kazuki Oiwa/Min Tae Kim/Kazunari Ohno/Daiki Sugioka
MF Masaki Ikeda (27th minute of the second half: Akito Suzuki)/Akimi Barada (12th minute of the second half: Kohei Okuno)/Taiyo Hiraoka (12th minute of the second half: Junnosuke Suzuki)/Hiroyuki Abe
FW Yuki Ohashi
SUBS
GK Hiroki MAWATARI
DF Shuto YAMAMOTO/Koki TACHI
GOAL
―
[Comments from Head Coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI's Press Conference]
Q, please look back on today's game.
A, I think we were able to deliver a high level of performance and play worthy of a win. We fought with great respect for our opponent, Shonan Bellmare, and I believe we responded well and kept a clean sheet. In doing so, we were able to effectively use the spaces we wanted to utilize and create good opportunities. The players fought firmly with their commitment and strong conviction, giving their all.
I am proud that all the players were able to share the victory with the fans and supporters. I believe we were able to deliver a good win for Adailton, a special player who has contributed greatly to this club.
Q, Tsubasa TERAYAMA started in the league match for the first time in a while.
A, He worked hard while paying attention to the finer details. That level of play was something he had been showing during practice, and I believed it was worthy of a starting position. I think he gave his best performance and worked hard.
Q: please review the goal scene.
A, I think we were able to play while effectively controlling the build-up scenes ourselves. I knew how the opponents would move if I entered that position near the goal, so I believe I was able to make good plays within that context. I think I was able to get into dangerous areas, and it was Kei KOIZUMI's best goal. Also, I believe it was a wonderful goal created by the entire team.
[Player Interview]
Q, What was your mindset going into the last game in Tokyo?
A, Regardless of the fact that today was my last match as a Tokyo player, I played as usual to finish the game with a good result. As a result, I was able to secure a victory in my final match in Tokyo thanks to all my teammates. I am very happy to have ended my last game with a win. I want to express my gratitude to all my teammates.
Q, there were many breakthroughs utilizing the speed and power that are characteristic from the first half.
A, This week in practice, we prepared strategies against Shonan Bellmare. I focused on getting behind the opposing defenders during training. My teammates also watched my movements and passed the ball to me, so I believe the results of our practice showed in the game.
Q: Please review the scene where Kei KOIZUMI assisted in scoring.
A, I think this was a scene that reflected what we worked on in training this week. Masato MORISHIGE delivered a good pass, and I thought carefully about the best place to pass to Kei KOIZUMI, who was making a run, and that pass was the one I chose.
Q, after the match, the calls for Adailton did not stop. Please give a message to the fans and supporters.
A, although it ended up being my last match, I am filled with gratitude for the support from the fans and supporters. Even though I came from a faraway country, many people have always supported me, and today I felt that they were expressing their gratitude to me. That made me very happy, and it reaffirmed that choosing Japan as my country was not a mistake, which makes me very glad. Thank you very much.
<Kei KOIZUMI>
Q, After the first goal since the transfer, we were able to pull off a victory after about 2 months. Please reflect on the goal, including the choice of shot, and how it led to the score.
A, when I received the ball from Adailton, I hesitated whether to shoot immediately, but since I saw the opponent closing in, I chose to carry the ball one step further. Regarding the shot, to be honest, it was based on feeling. I didn’t overthink it and valued my instincts when taking the shot. I’m glad the shot was well executed.
Q, the hard work on both offense and defense shined. Please review the entire game.
A, there are areas to improve such as the build-up and awareness of the space behind, but the entire team was able to express fundamental plays with a sense of unity, including the most important hard work, committing physically on defense, and not losing in one-on-one battles. It was a match worthy of victory.
Q, Please tell us the reason why player Koizumi, who is known for his strong defense, was able to advance to that position and connect to a goal.
A, Adailton showed a move to challenge on the side, so I also sprinted in response to that. I saw that there was space available, and since Adailton was in a one-on-one situation, I advanced with the awareness of supporting from the midfield position. It was good that the awareness of participating in the attack led in a positive direction.
Q, In the first half, it seemed like we received the ball in a low position and there were many attempts to supply the front line and shut down the opponent's midfield.
A, Throughout the entire match, of course there were some dangerous moments, but today we were especially able to show physical commitment in the crucial moments. We were able to play without breaking communication for the full 90 minutes. If we had been able to express this kind of game throughout the season, the results and standings might have been different. Personally, I feel that the number of times I was involved in the attack was low throughout the season. I regret not increasing that from the beginning.
In recent practices, I have been learning the finer points such as how to get involved in the attack and positioning before receiving the ball from Keigo HIGASHI. Because HIGASHI’s way of explaining things was very good, I was able to understand and play based on that in both practice and today’s match. FC Tokyo has many excellent players, including HIGASHI. Whether they are experienced players or young and energetic players like Tsubasa TERAYAMA and Kuryu MATSUKI, regardless of being veterans or youngsters, I want to absorb what I can and make it my own. Growth is not something I can achieve by my own strength alone. Since I was not able to approach this season with that mindset from the start, I want to make use of this reflection going forward.
<Tsubasa TERAYAMA>
Q: Starting in the league match for the first time since April 1st against Sagan Tosu, how was the game in retrospect?
A, It was my first start in a while. I believe I was selected to start because the things I have been doing in daily practice and practice matches were recognized, so I made an effort to play in a way that would meet those expectations. There are still many areas where I am lacking, but there were also many things I was able to do well, so that was a positive point.
Q, What specific things were you able to demonstrate in today's match through the accumulation of daily training?
A, It is the hard work and the transition between offense and defense that Coach CKLAMOVSKI constantly demands. I have been consciously working on this since practice, so I think I was able to do it to some extent. However, I feel that the number of times I get involved with the ball and my attitude of pushing forward are still lacking, so I want to improve these going forward.
Q, In the first half, there were many responses to Shonan Bellmare's 2 shadows, what were you conscious of?
A, I believe my strength lies in shutting down the opposing forward who receives vertical passes and fully recovering the ball, so I focused on breaking up plays defensively and regaining possession. Today, there were many scenes where I was able to recover the ball, so that was good.
Q, Did you change your mindset during halftime or in the second half when you participated in more attacking scenes?
A, Since we are playing to win, we discussed within the team at halftime the need to score goals, and I consciously tried to increase the number of times I made runs into pockets, which were few in the first half. Maintaining possession of the ball in advanced positions and continuing with secondary and tertiary attacks also contributed to our victory.
<Soma ANZAI>
Q, how did you approach the difficult situation of coming on as a substitute in the match in Tokyo, after a long time?
A, When I previously played in the J1 League, it ended in a frustrating way, so personally, I had a strong desire to make up for it. This season, I was registered as a special designated player, so I didn’t have many opportunities to be involved with the team, but I wanted to prove that I am fighting as a member of Tokyo. I really wanted to deliver a victory to the fans and supporters who have cheered us on throughout the season, so I’m glad we were able to win.
Q, I think there were many parts where the strengths of Soma ANZAI were utilized.
A, I have mostly played as a side back, but this time I played one position higher as a winger. The wing position is also the one I usually play when representing Waseda University. Since we were leading 1-0, I focused on creating time when I received the ball and on making breakthroughs, which is one of my strengths. Defensively, although I came on as a substitute while we were winning, it was a tough period, so I was especially conscious of fighting for the ball in close contests.
Q, Did you feel any difficulties during the period of participating in practice, which was not very long, and playing from a substitute position?
A, It was my first time playing together with Kosuke SHIRAI on the right side, but I had already organized in my mind what I needed to do. While watching Tokyo’s matches, I imagined various situations, so when I entered the game, I had no choice but to solve things by talking with my teammates. I think it was good that I was able to communicate, especially with Shirai.
Q, How do you want Anzai to grow in the future?
A, I mentioned this when I joined, but I want to become a player who can convey my feelings to the people watching. Ultimately, I want to become a player who can deliver victories.
Q, please give a message to the fans and supporters who came to the away ground today.
A, I was only able to participate in four matches this season, and it was the same during my debut match, but the support from the fans and supporters truly gave me strength. Although I couldn't achieve the results I hoped for, I am filled with gratitude toward the fans and supporters who gave passionate cheers throughout the entire season, both at home and away.
