Match Review
In the previous match, Tokyo, who won in Sapporo for the first time in 12 seasons and achieved a 3-game winning streak, moved up to 4th place. With the top spot in sight, this match saw them return to their home, Ajinomoto Stadium, aiming for a 4-game winning streak for the first time in 3 seasons against Kashiwa Reysol.
After about a month of fierce battles in Qatar as a member of the U-23 Japan national team, Kuryu MATSUKI returned home with a spot in the Paris Olympics and was named as a starting member. Despite it being his first official J-League match in a while, he wore the captain's armband as a symbol of leadership in blue and red. In place of Kei KOIZUMI, who was suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, Takahiro KO formed a midfield partnership with Diego OLIVEIRA, who has scored in three consecutive matches. For Diego, it was a match against his former team.
1stHALF - Steadily adding goals, leading by 2 points despite conceding early
After conceding the opening goal early in the match against Sapporo in the previous round, we were once again caught off guard and had our own goal net shaken. Teruhito NAKAGAWA tried to keep the ball in our own penalty area, but was tripped by the opponent, resulting in a loose ball that was kicked into the goal by Matheus SAVIO.
However, Tokyo now does not look down on things lightly.
Matsumaki encouraged Nakagawa and the whole team switched gears, resulting in a tying goal in the 6th minute of the first half. Tawaratsumida Kota quickly started a short corner kick and dribbled to send a cross ball, but Henrique Trevisan's header was stopped by the goalkeeper. However, Nakagawa pushed in the rebound. Number 39, who quickly made up for his own ball loss and conceded goal, brought the score back to a tie.
After catching up, the build-up from the defense line worked and led to a push forward. On the left side, Tsumari Tatsuta and Kashif BANGNAGANDE combined to break through, and when a quick cross ball was sent in, Soma ANZAI, who had sprinted in from the far side, was brought down in the penalty area, earning a penalty kick. In the 32nd minute of the first half, Diego TABA scored this chance, successfully turning the game around with his fourth consecutive goal.
In addition, in the 37th minute of the first half, player Matsuki reacted to a loose ball from a left corner kick and kicked it powerfully with his left foot, causing the stadium's voltage to reach its peak in one go.
However, just after entering additional time, an accident strikes the team that was on a roll.
When the ball was lost on the defense line and the opponent forward broke through, Go HATANO, who had come out to cover, was judged to have brought down the opponent player and was shown a red card, resulting in his dismissal. In place of goalkeeper Tsuyoshi KODAMA, who made his first appearance in the J1 league this season, Nakagawa player dropped back.
2ndHALF—Unable to overcome numerical disadvantage, ends in a draw
Conceded a goal in the beginning of the second half. It happened within a minute of the kickoff. When the center back Inukai was holding the ball beyond the center circle, no one was able to close him down and he took a powerful shot from the middle. The ball flowed into the top left corner of the goal, closing the gap in the lead.
After that, the tough time continued to be pushed in, and we couldn't turn the situation around even though we were in a numerical disadvantage. In the 13th minute of the second half, we were shaken greatly from side to side, and although we managed to deflect the cross ball thrown into the penalty area, we allowed another middle shot when the loose ball was picked up. While Koda saved Shirai's middle shot, the second ball fell at the feet of Shimamura, who was in front of the goal, and was pushed in, equalizing the score.
Tokyo has been trying to move forward since being pushed back, but they are forced to play a difficult game as they struggle to keep possession of the ball.
Still, in the 27th minute of the second half, they tried to push back by sending in Riki Harakawa and Yuto Nagatomo. However, despite having several chances from set pieces, they were unable to capitalize and the game ended in a 3-3 tie. It resulted in earning 1 point in a numerical disadvantage situation.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Go HATANO
DF Kosuke SHIRAI/Masato MORISHIGE/Henrique TREVISAN (45th minute: Yasuki KIMOTO)/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (45th minute: Jája Silva)
MF Kuryu MATSUKI/Takahiro KO/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (45+5th minute: Tsuyoshi KODAMA)
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (27th minute: Riki HARAKAWA)/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (27th minute: Yuto NAGATOMO)/Soma ANZAI
SUBS
DF Shuhei TOKUMOTO
FW Leon NOZAWA
GOAL
First half 6 minutes: Teruhito NAKAGAWA/First half 32 minutes: Diego OLIVEIRA/First half 37 minutes: Kuryu MATSUKI
＜Kashiwa Reysol＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kenta MATSUMOTO
DF Diego (33rd minute of the second half: Yugo TATSUTA)/ Taiyo KOGA/ Tomoya INUKAI/ Daiki SEKINE (29th minute of the second half: Naoki KAWAGUCHI)
MF Kosuke SHIRAI/ Takumi TSUCHIYA (0 minutes of the second half: Sachiro TOSHIMA)/ Takuya SHIMAMURA (44th minute of the second half: Kazuki KUMASAWA)
FW Matheus SAVIO/ Tomoya KOYAMATSU (0 minutes of the second half: Kosuke KINOSHITA)/ Mao HOSOYA
SUBS
GK Tatsuya MORITA
FW Fumiya UNOKI
GOAL
2 minutes into the first half: Matheus SAVIO/1 minute into the second half: Tomoya INUKAI/13 minutes into the second half: Takuya SHIMAMURA
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI, Manager]
Q, please give us an overall review of today's match.
A, I think it was a game with many different things happening. The first and second halves unfolded in completely different ways. In the first half, we were able to play the football we intended, and by moving the ball and utilizing the spaces we wanted to use, we were able to create good attacks. We want to continue building on these aspects.
The second half was a situation where we had to fight with 10 people. Of course, I think it's always difficult to fight with 10 people, but the players gave everything they had. Even in a numerical disadvantage, they were able to clear their minds, unite, and show their character in the second half. After this, we will reflect on our performance and continue the process while recovering our condition, and we will prepare for the next game. It's disappointing that we couldn't win, but we will take this one point and prepare for the next game.
Q, In the tight schedule, I think it is a tough situation with injuries and condition adjustments, but what is important to overcome the consecutive games?
A, The important thing is to continue the process we are working on. I believe there were many positive aspects in today's match, so we must firmly continue those. For the next game, good recovery is also important, and I think there is still time to assess which players are fresh and well-prepared for the upcoming match.
However, as always, it is necessary for everyone to contribute in a long season. Of course, there may be difficult situations, but we must ensure that whoever comes out can make an impact and contribute to a good performance. We must also continue to develop our football, regardless of who is playing. We can already see signs of this. I believe there is still room for growth, so we will continue to strive towards our goal without wavering.
[Player Interview]
<Kuryu MATSUKI>
Q: please review the game.
A, we conceded a goal early in the first half, but I think we were able to express the style of football we aim for and scored three goals within the first half. Early in the second half, the opponent scored a superb goal, and as a team, we became too defensive, which led to more difficult moments where we had to endure. Also, since one player was sent off in the first half, the defensive time increased in the second half.
Q, it was a well-placed volley shot.
A, I aimed to shoot the rebound ball starting from the practice the day before. Since my ball feeling was very good from the day before, I think I was able to make a good impact. For me personally, it was my first league goal at Ajinomoto Stadium, so I am happy about that.
Q, How did the team as a whole organize themselves when entering the second half with one less player?
A, at halftime, we agreed to set up a block to defend firmly and aim for additional goals on the counterattack. However, we placed too much emphasis on defense, and as a result, we were hardly able to create any chances in the second half, which left us with regrets.
Q, the game ended with a 2-point deficit.
A, as I mentioned earlier, we were able to play the style of soccer we aim for and seek in today’s match as well, so I am not overly pessimistic. The atmosphere in the locker room was not one of deep disappointment either; rather, there was a feeling of clearing our heads and organizing ourselves to face the next match.
<Takahiro KO>
Q: please review the game.
A, it was a match where we lost 2 points. Conceding a goal at the start of the game is a major point for reflection, but looking at the entire first half, I felt a sense of confidence within myself. Personally, I was almost perfect in drawing out the ball, managing risks, and recovering possession. As a team, we were able to score 3 goals, and we spent a long time pressing the opponent, including maintaining good spacing, so the overall content was very good. However, we had a player sent off, which I think put us in a very tough situation. Even so, we still had a 2-goal lead and had chances to score another goal, so failing to secure the win shows that we still lack strength. We need to thoroughly address and reflect on these points.
Q, What was your mindset going into the game in the second half with one less player?
A, we talked about not just defending but trying to attack. However, we conceded a goal early on. In that situation, we should have applied more pressure, but instead, we ended up on the defensive, so I think we needed to enter the game with more focus. Also, we were conscious of moving the ball properly rather than just kicking long balls. There were parts that went well, so I want to fine-tune the smaller details even more.
Q, What were you conscious of when playing after the score became tied?
A, Since we had been conceding goals consecutively, we shared the determination to absolutely avoid conceding a fourth goal. Within that, there were one or two moments where if we could break free, the wide players could get involved positively, so I hoped to make a decisive move there. However, we conceded again, but I want to take a positive view that we managed to earn 1 point instead of ending up with zero.
Q, there were many scenes where players were talking to each other throughout the game.
A, Even after scoring three goals, not a single person was satisfied, and personally, I wanted to dominate even more. Regardless of age, I want to properly share and improve on any observations as soon as I notice them. When that becomes a shared understanding within the team, naturally, conversations will increase. In that regard, I think the team as a whole has started to express many opinions and is gradually improving, so I want to continue doing this.
<Kosuke SHIRAI>
Q: please review the game.
A, we conceded an early goal in the first half, but after that, we were able to score three goals in good form. It would have been better if we had finished the first half without any players being sent off, but we conceded again at the start of the second half, which made the situation difficult.
Q, How did you feel about the measures and match-ups for players Diego and Matheus SAVIO?
A, I don't think we collapsed significantly, but since the opponents are also hard-working players, we found ourselves struggling to attack. It felt like we were both canceling out each other's strengths.
Q, please reflect on the defensive aspect.
A, the second goal conceded came at a time when we absolutely should not have let one in. Although the opponent’s shot was incredible, we still should have closed down the ball holder more. The fact that we let it in so softly in the second half is a point of reflection. After that, we conceded again and were caught up, but considering the lead, it was crucial to maintain a dominant period for as long as possible, so it is disappointing that we were caught up so early.
Q, We needed a little more power in our attack due to the long defensive time.
A, We were unable to generate much attacking power, and the opponent managed their risks well, so we were continuously pushed back. There were a few counterattacks, but I think there were very few scenes where we could fully execute our offense.
Q, the consecutive battles will continue. How do you want to switch as a team?
A, after three consecutive wins followed by a draw, it is truly important to either win or lose the next match. The consecutive matches in May will be an all-out battle, so we want to combine everyone's strength to definitely earn 3 points and remain in the top-tier competition.
