＜Previous Match Review against Kashiwa Reysol＞
Build up, build up, and unleash a full-force blow with all your weight behind it. The captain, who has just returned to the team, pierced the goal with his signature "finishing hold" using his skilled left foot.
The U-23 Japan national team, who returned triumphant with a spot in the Paris Olympics and the championship trophy at the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024, will make their comeback starting this round. Among them, Kuryu MATSUKI will show a dominating presence against Kashiwa Reysol. With low center of gravity dribbling, he will pull away opponents and run all over the pitch from box to box. Furthermore, with quick anticipation and sharp footwork, he will be involved in chances with ambitious shots from midfield.
Tokyo, who conceded the opening goal from a ball loss in their own half, overwhelmed Kashiwa with outstanding distance control and versatile passing work with multiple players moving in different directions. Teruhito NAKAGAWA immediately equalized with a header, and Diego OLIVEIRA successfully turned the game around with a penalty kick, making it his fourth consecutive goal in the league. Then, in the 37th minute of the first half, Matsuki scored a beautiful volley that will go down in club history.
Kashif BANGNAGANDE #7 ran in from behind and with a quick left foot, scored an additional point with a direct jumping volley as the ball floated down near the penalty arc from a left corner kick by Kashif BANGNAGANDE.
Roaring Ajinomoto Stadium. As the ground-shaking cheers erupt and the "rain of joy" pours down from the entire stadium, number 7, who has returned in blue and red, shows off his signature "Rainmaker" pose.
In the midst of an overwhelming game, goalkeeper Go HATANO was sent off just before the end of the first half. This changed the momentum and led to 2 goals being conceded in the second half, resulting in a 3-3 draw. Despite being at a numerical disadvantage and being pushed back by Kashiwa, they were able to launch effective counterattacks multiple times, but were unable to decide the game. In the end, they were only able to secure 1 point by enduring the opponent's fierce attacks.
Match Preview
On May 15th, Tokyo will face Nagoya Grampus away on "J-League Day". The team, led by coach Kenta HASEGAWA, includes players Kensuke NAGAI, Takuji YONEMOTO, and Takuya UCHIDA, making it a match against members with deep ties to both blue and red.
In the previous match, Tokyo's winning streak of 3 was stopped by a draw against Kashiwa Reysol. They maintain their 4th place with a 4 point difference from the top, and will aim for a 4th consecutive win in this match after a draw in the previous one. They have scored 24 goals so far, the most in the league. Their attacking force, boasting an average of 1.85 goals per game, is in good form, scoring 3 goals in the previous match.
This season, 12 players have already scored, demonstrating their strength to score from anywhere. Diego OLIVEIRA has scored in 4 consecutive games so far. If he scores in the Nagoya game, he will tie his own record for the longest streak in April 2019. What kind of performance will he show in this milestone game, his 200th league appearance for the blue and red team? Also, there are high expectations for the dynamic play of Kota TAWARATSUMIDA, who just celebrated his 20th birthday on the 14th. Keep an eye on number 33, who has shown outstanding breakthrough ability on the left side, to see if he can score a birthday goal himself.
Nagoya, on the other hand, has sunk to last place with 3 consecutive losses at the start, but has quickly risen with 5 wins and 1 draw. In the 12th round, they handed Sanfrecce Hiroshima their first loss. Although they have struggled with 1 win and 3 losses in their recent 4 matches, there is no doubt that each player has the level of skill to compete at the top of the league. In particular, the scoring abilities of forwards PATRIC and Kasper JUNKER are a threat. And we are well aware of the power of Nagai's fierce pressing from the front line.
In the previous match against Gamba Osaka, we were unable to deploy our aggressive pressing and overall became too defensive, resulting in a loss. Despite a tight schedule with only 3 days of rest, there is a possibility that we will regroup and bravely challenge Tokyo by re-examining our own soccer.
Tokyo must utilize the lessons learned from the previous match and organize the disarray in build-up play. Since they have been able to avoid pressure with angled passes, they should be able to respond with minor adjustments. Additionally, it is a concern who will stand in goal with goalkeeper Go HATANO suspended, and whether Ryotaro ARAKI, who has returned from the U-23 Japan national team, will be included in the squad.
Part of the team's progress can be felt in the fact that they are able to adapt their playing style according to the opponent's approach during their undefeated streak of 4 games. In this match as well, they will aggressively challenge their opponents with the Tokyo style and aim to score consistently in order to continue their pursuit for the top spot.
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI]
Q, Is it important to continue challenging even though there is a possibility of making mistakes that could lead to conceding goals, as seen in the Kashiwa Reysol match, by increasing the time to hold the ball?
A, We must learn from the mistakes that occur during matches while continuing to challenge ourselves. In the Kashiwa match, there were mistakes like the ones I just mentioned, but we were able to develop our football, including defensively, while moving the ball well. Regarding the first half, Kashiwa had zero shots inside our box. Although we conceded a goal from a lost ball, we limited the number of times the opponent could play inside our box during the first half. In other words, developing our football also leads to good defense. Negative situations did occur, but the players organized how to respond in such circumstances and delivered a good performance on the pitch.
Unfortunately, we had a player sent off, but the team continued to play until the end without giving up on winning at home. I respect the mentality they showed throughout the game. We are a team in the process of growth. I believe that continuing, learning from games, and using improvements for the next game are necessary elements to bring our team closer to our dream.
Q, This match is against Nagoya Grampus.
A, I have reviewed footage with the team staff and want to provide the players with good information. We want to prepare well and approach the match against Nagoya to further advance our style of play. Nagoya is a team that has been improving their form, so I expect it to be a tough 90 minutes. Having lost to Gamba Osaka in the previous match, they will likely make improvements and countermeasures aimed at winning this time. However, we will focus on our own way of playing. Today's training was also conducted sharply. We are concentrating on securing the victory.
Q, Nagoya is a team known for its strong defense.
A, Nagoya is a good team. Every team has its own characteristics and strengths, so they should not be underestimated. Whether we face the world's best teams or teams in the J1 League, regardless of the opponent, we focus on expressing our football and continuously growing through daily training and matches. Every single match has meaning. First and foremost, we want to concentrate on winning against the opponent in front of us, winning against Nagoya.
[Player Interview]
Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
Q, What kind of mindset do you have with a high possibility of playing this round?
A, Regarding the match against Kashiwa Reysol, I think conceding goals at the start of both the first and second halves made the game difficult. I want to carefully manage how we begin the match. As a team, we need to organize how we approach the start of the game, and personally, as a goalkeeper, I want to focus on not conceding goals easily.
Q, What kind of play do you want to demand from yourself?
A, I think it’s simply about aligning what the team needs to do with what I personally have to do. Since it’s soccer, mistakes can happen within the 90 minutes, but as long as the team can cover for them, it’s absolutely no problem. The goalkeeper position is the last line of defense that can cover for mistakes that have occurred. To put it extremely, if you can prevent mistakes from leading to goals conceded, it is the only position that can at least connect to the next play. First and foremost, I want to play prioritizing what the team must do.
Q, What are the important points to keep goals conceded to a minimum?
A, First, scoring the opening goal is a crucial point for the team to improve the flow of the game. Then, adopting a style of going on to score the second and third goals becomes very important. At the same time, when the team pushes forward, it is necessary for the goalkeeper or at least one defender to step up and show their strength. It is important how much the players in the back can respond to the efforts of the players up front. I hope the team can maintain a positive defense by covering each other's spaces and having teammates cover for mistakes when they happen.
<Kota TAWARATSUMIDA>
Q, Happy birthday. How do you want to spend your 20s?
A, Thank you very much. It feels like a milestone to have reached the age of 20, but I still don’t quite feel it yet (laughs). I want to take on more responsibility than ever before, not only in soccer but also in my private life, and make both fulfilling.
Q, In the match against Kashiwa Reysol, Kota TAWARATSUMIDA's cross led to a goal.
A, I think it was good that I was able to get past one opponent with a short corner and then deliver a cross. The quality of the cross was also such that it went beyond the first and second opponents in front of the goal, allowing the player in front of the goal to contest the ball easily, so I believe this was a scene where the results of our practice showed.
Q, This season, you have been able to assist from your strong dribbling, but you have not yet scored from dribbling.
A, I definitely feel that compared to last season, opponents are more cautious, and the pressure has become tougher. As a result, shots taken after cutting in from dribbling often hit the opponent's block. I believe that skillfully controlling the shot to avoid hitting the block will lead to scoring, so I want to improve the quality of my shots.
Q, How will you approach the match against Nagoya Grampus?
A, I want to approach the match without changing what I have been doing so far. It’s not about the opponent; first and foremost, I think it’s important to express our own style of football.
