Match Review
Finally, the blue and red army has returned to Ajinomoto Stadium. Peter Tokyo showed resilience by coming back from two deficits in the opening match against Cerezo Osaka, earning 1 point with a 2-2 draw. The opponent in the home opener is Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who started the season with a win by showcasing their high level of performance against Urawa Reds. The game aiming for the first victory of the season kicked off at 15:03.
The starting eleven saw two changes from the Cerezo Osaka match. Masato MORISHIGE joined Henrique TREVISAN in central defense, while new signing Keita ENDO made his blue and red debut on the left wing. Teruhito NAKAGAWA, who knows the taste of winning the J1 League, stood alongside as the left and right attackers.
1stHALF—Showed a defensive and counterattacking stance, heading into the second half with a scoreless tie.
Tokyo, who cautiously guarded against the opponent's intense press from the start, took the ball deep and sent it to the front without taking any risks. The first chance came in the 9th minute of the first half, when Endo dribbled across the pitch from the left side and moved to the center, then expanded to the right side. In response to the overlap, Nagatomo Yuto, who was waiting on the far side, took a direct volley with his left foot. Unfortunately, it missed just above the goal, but it showed an aggressive attack where the right back crossed and the left back followed up.
19 minutes into the first half, the opponent breaks through the right side on a counter attack, and Kato player takes a shot from a cut-in, but it hits the opponent player and goes out of bounds, escaping danger.
Tokyo, who wants to control the pace somehow, faces another pinch in the 23rd minute of the first half. They allow a powerful direct volley on the far side from the opponent's big left cross, but Go HATANO makes a sharp reaction and stops it. Furthermore, they pick up the loose ball and take a shot, but this time Katsufu HAYASHI protects the goal with a brave block.
In the 34th minute of the first half, a quick attack from the left side created a chance. Gradually pushing forward, Riki HARAKAWA intercepted with a sharp start. From here, Diego OLIVEIRA connected to the left side and Endo made a pass towards the penalty area corner while making a vertical run. Here, Ryotaro ARAKI turned with his back to the opponent and aimed with his right foot, but the ball unfortunately hit the top of the bar. The attacking players each showed their strengths as they approached the goal.
In the 38th minute of the first half, Yuto Nagatomo crossed from a deep position on the right side, but Diego and Kuryu Matsuki were unable to convert their shots in the center. Diego tried to return the ball to the center after it spilled to the side of the goal, but it was cleared by the opponent. They were unable to push it in despite coming close to scoring.
The first half additional time was 2 minutes. While defending against Hiroshima, who actively pressed from the front line, there were scenes where they desperately defended in the penalty area, and they also showed individual weapons in both offense and defense, fighting hard. The first half ended scoreless.
2ndHALF - Equalize with "Taro's goal" immediately after conceding
In the 5th minute of the second half, without changing members, a chance was created from a counter attack. Tokyo, who had taken the ball deep in their own half, connected from the right side and Matsuki passed it to the center. Diego TABA skillfully turned and faced forward, dribbling all the way to the penalty area. However, he was tripped up by the turf while trying to get past the opponent, and was unable to take a shot.
In the 10th minute of the second half, player Yoshifu Kase skillfully dribbled past an opponent from a left side throw-in and attempted a powerful middle shot with his non-dominant right foot. Unfortunately, it missed just above the goal, but it was a shining moment that showcased his aggressive attitude.
Tokyo, who had been patiently waiting for a chance, managed to escape a powerful long shot from the opponent with a fine save by player Go HATANO in the 19th minute of the second half. However, VAR supported the decision for the previous play. After an on-field review, it was determined that player Diego TABA had committed a handball, resulting in a penalty kick for the opponent. This was converted, giving Hiroshima the lead.
Tokyo, chasing one point, substitutes Kei KOIZUMI and Jája Silva for Diego TABA and Endo, respectively. The player substitution aimed at a comeback proved successful, as an equalizer was scored in the 26th minute of the second half.
Nagatomo player overlaps at full speed with a vertical pass from Nakagawa player who kept it on the right side. Araki player, who received it on the near side, skillfully removes the mark with his footwork while being surrounded by the opponent defender, and powerfully swings his right foot to shoot through the near side, immediately bringing the game back to a tie score. Araki player scored his second goal in a row following his two goals in the opening game. He showed a splendid result in his debut game at Ajinomoto Stadium, supported by many fans and supporters.
Tokyo, aiming for a go-ahead goal while maintaining balance, sent Kota TAWARATSUMIDA and Keigo HIGASHI onto the pitch in the 37th minute of the second half, replacing Nakagawa and Harakawa. The substitute players immediately created a decisive chance.
Terry Hyouzumida, who received the ball on the left side, made a vertical run and advanced deep into the enemy territory. There, he was fouled by an opponent player and awarded a penalty kick. However, with the support of VAR, it was determined to be a foul outside the penalty area, resulting in a restart with a free kick. Erik Araki's kick was blocked by the opponent and could not shake the goal net.
A fierce battle was fought to aim for victory even during the 6 minutes of additional time. As Tawarazumida player dribbled through a long distance and approached the goal, Hatano player made a solid save with precise steps and catch on the opponent's cross ball. And towards the end of the game, Nagatomo player broke through with Jaja player's vertical pass and supplied a sharp ground cross between the opponent's goalkeeper and defender. Here, Araki player and Tawarazumida player slid in, but just barely missed.
The game ended in a 1-1 tie. Following the opening game, the team fell behind, but with the support of 32,274 fans and supporters who packed the stadium, they were able to rally and secure 1 point, resulting in a second consecutive draw since the start of the season.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Go HATANO
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Masato MORISHIGE/Henrique TREVISAN/Kashif BANGNAGANDE
MF Kuryu MATSUKI/Riki HARAKAWA (37th minute of the second half: Keigo HIGASHI)/Ryotaro ARAKI
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (25th minute of the second half: Kei KOIZUMI)/Keita ENDO (25th minute of the second half: Jája Silva)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (37th minute of the second half: Kota TAWARATSUMIDA)
SUBS
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Yasuki KIMOTO/Kosuke SHIRAI
GOAL
26' Ryotaro ARAKI
＜Sanfrecce Hiroshima＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Keisuke OSAKO
DF Tsukasa SHIOTANI/Sho ARAKI/Wataru SASAKI
MF Shuto NAKANO/Takumu KAWAMURA/Shunki HIGASHI/Makoto MITSUTA
FW Pieros SOTIRIOU/Mutsuki KATO/Yuki OHASHI
SUBS
GK Goro KAWANAMI
DF Taichi YAMASAKI
MF Taishi MATSUMOTO/Takaaki SHICHI/Ezequiel/Gakuto NOTSUDA
FW Airin INOUE
GOAL
24' of the second half: Yuki OHASHI
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI, Manager]
Q: please review the game.
A: It was a high-intensity game. I think it was an entertaining match where both teams gave their all. We were able to show the good elements we have and what we are currently building. Within that, we must continue while identifying areas for improvement. I believe it is important to keep developing our style of football. Even looking at the data, it was a very intense match. The players gave their all fighting for the victory. In the second half, we were able to play with very high intensity and fought until the end to score the winning goal. I want to express my gratitude to the fans and supporters who kept pushing the players forward until the very end.
Q: After conceding one point, the players were substituted and Kuryu Matsuki and Ryotaro Araki were moved to the front position. Was that substitution planned in advance?
A: It was one of the substitution plans we had considered. It was unfortunate to concede a penalty kick from a set piece, but we had planned to use that substitution even before conceding the goal. Against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, while playing our style, we made an effective substitution. The players responded well even after conceding, and they fought by fully showing their mentality, strengths, and character. They gave their all to equalize and fought to score the winning goal.
Q, After the substitution, the overall speed increased and I got the impression that it became more aggressive. Is there a plan to play with the members who were substituted in from the first half?
A, it is one of the options. Also, although the content was difficult from the start of the second half, we were able to make a good change with the first substitution and launch a different kind of attack against Hiroshima. The players did very well.
Q, there were many counters and it felt like we were unable to build up from the backline to the midfield.
A, It is important to proceed while understanding what kind of football we want to create. That means doing something that our fans and supporters can be proud of and that has a high level of entertainment. Analyzing the match, there were parts where we connected from the back and did things that Hiroshima disliked.
There were also positive aspects within that, and I think there were parts where we could have controlled the game a little more. Because of that, we were more compact and had more space to use. I think it's important to build up those things within our attacks. The players are giving their all every day to become good players and a good team. We want to continue improving while maintaining our performance, adding positive aspects to ourselves, and becoming the team we have dreamed of. We want to achieve this with all the fans and supporters who love Tokyo.
[Player Interview]
＜Ryotaro ARAKI＞
Q, please look back on today's game.
A, just like the previous match, we conceded first, and it was a tough game in terms of momentum, but I want to take a positive view that we managed to secure a draw. In terms of our approach, I want to increase the time we have possession a bit more. I hope the players can discuss and improve this during the game.
Q, please look back on the scoring scene.
A, I knew I was being closely marked, so even if I couldn't fully get past him, I thought if I could just get the ball on target, it might go in. So I took the shot with that image in mind. I believed the only way to change the momentum was to score, so I’m glad I was able to finish at that moment.
Q, today was the home opener. I'm sure you were looking forward to playing at Ajinomoto Stadium.
A, as expected, the cheers from the fans and supporters were a great source of strength. There were many tough moments, but I believe those cheers supported us.
Q, what do you think the team needs to do in order to turn this 1 point into 3 points?
A, first of all, I think defense that does not concede goals is necessary. On top of that, I believe it is also a matter of the entire team's mindset, but each individual should have more awareness to step up and be involved.
Q, please share your enthusiasm for the next match.
A, I want to make sure I earn 3 points with my own goal next time. I want to win quickly and celebrate together with the fans and supporters.
<Keita ENDO player>
Q: please review the game.
A, I played desperately with the mindset that it was okay to be substituted at any minute. The second half turned into an exchange of counterattacks, but I wanted us to control the game a bit more ourselves.
Q, What did you focus on in Keita Endo's position during the game that was like a brawl?
A, I was trying to create a pause when the ball was with me. During counterattacks, I focused on using my teammates advantageously and making runs into crosses coming from the opposite side.
Q, I think you avoided playing in the previous match considering your condition and challenged today's match after watching it. Is there anything you felt while watching the team from the outside?
A, I wanted to keep possession of the ball more overall and take control of the game. Also, being able to immediately equalize after conceding a goal is a good thing for the team, so we want to continue doing that.
Q, Despite having a good flow, we were unable to turn the game around. What improvements do we need to make in order to win the next match based on the current team situation?
A, We came close to a good result at the end of today's match as well, so I believe that if we do what we need to do, the results will follow. I hope we can thoroughly work on the details without slacking off.
<Masato MORISHIGE>
Q, please review the game.
A, Although we were pressed for a long time overall, I believe we were able to earn 1 point precisely because we kept the goal difference to a minimum.
Q, How did Sanfrecce Hiroshima's attacks and strong plays look from the back line?
A, Their style of aggressively pushing forward in both offense and defense with great momentum was a threat. There were also moments when we were able to successfully adjust and respond midway through. I think that was a positive aspect.
Q, we played against each other in practice matches during the pre-season camp.
A, practice matches and official games are completely different. Since Coach Skibbe took over, the aggressive style of play has made it very difficult for opponents to compete. Although there were moments in the first half when we were pressed back, it was a positive point overall that we managed to reach halftime without conceding a goal.
Q, we equalized before the bad atmosphere set in after conceding a goal. Please tell us what is important in order to score the second and third goals from here.
A, we were able to create chances. After that, I think it comes down to the final finishing touches. As a team, we want to demand accuracy and quality in our finishing. Even in matches where we are at a disadvantage, we want to capitalize on the few chances we get and turn them into victories.
Q, What differences or changes did you feel on the pitch as a starter for the first time this season compared to last season?
A, I felt that everyone has an attitude of hard work in both offense and defense for the team, and there is also a depth in the squad where players who cannot do even a little of that cannot get involved in the match. Starting with Araki and the wingers who came on midway, the quality of the attacking players seems to have improved, and I feel confident about that.
