Match Review
The battle to aim for a new title starts, fueled by regret. Just two days after being eliminated in the playoff round of the J.League YBC Levain Cup, Tokyo, which will participate from the 2nd Round of the 104th All Japan Soccer Championship, faced off against Veertien Mie, the representative from Mie Prefecture, at Ajinomoto Stadium.
The team has made six changes from the match against Hiroshima three days ago. Guarding the goal at the back is Tsuyoshi KODAMA, who is making his first start since the second round of the Levain Cup. The final line consists of players from right to left: Souma ANZAI, Masato MORISHIGE, Tetsuhei OKA, and Yuhei TOKUMOTO. In the holding midfield positions are Kei KOIZUMI and Riki HARAKAWA, while Keigo HIGASHI is utilized as the attacking midfielder, making his first start in official matches this season. On the right wing of the front line is Leon NOZAWA, also making his first start this season, with Kota TAWARATSUMIDA on the left wing, and Ryunosuke SATO, who was called back from the U-19 Japan national team's tour in France, at the forefront. On the bench is Divine OTANI, who made his professional debut and scored his first professional goal in the Levain Cup match against Hiroshima three days ago.
In addition, before the match, Yuto NAGATOMO, who had just returned from the previous night's Japan national team game, visited the players warming up and could be seen actively encouraging them from the sidelines.
1stHALF—3 points ahead with experienced players' goals
Tokyo continued to push the ball and dominate the game against Mie, who adopted a 5-4-1 system. In the 11th minute of the first half, a cross was made from Tawaradzuma player on the left side to Higashi player. Nogisawa player in the center tried to head it in, but it was cleared by the opponent defender. Tokyo created some close chances.
14 minutes into the first half, a sharp dribble break allows Mie to enter the penalty area, but player Anzai returns diligently and cuts it off with a sliding tackle. They do not allow any decisive opportunities.
Tokyo, who had been struggling to attack the center, finally scored the long-awaited opening goal in the 21st minute of the first half.
Tsubo Taketa, who received the ball on the left touchline, broke through vertically. When the cross ball hit the opponent's player and flowed to the far side, Nozawa, who was dropping back, headed it back and Higashi, who was waiting in the center, took a direct volley. He powerfully struck the goal, breaking the balance with his first goal of the season. For Nozawa, this was his second consecutive assist in official matches following the Hiroshima match.
Tokyo continues to play the game in the opponent's territory. Player East shows up in many situations with his versatile positioning, becoming the starting point for both offense and defense.
The next big chance came in the 29th minute of the first half. East player, who received the ball from their own half, made a sharp through pass in the center of the pitch. Here, Sato player made a sharp run just in time to avoid offside, kept the ball in front of the opponent goalkeeper who came out, turned and made a looping shot towards the unguarded goal. However, the opponent goalkeeper who desperately returned, pushed it out and Nogizawa player who was closing in on the goal was unable to push it in.
Tokyo continues to attack. The one who moved the game here was veteran Terry. In the 37th minute of the first half, Mori Shige player won the right corner kick of Harakawa player on the far side. The floating header trajectory went over the goalkeeper's head and was sucked into the goal, widening the lead to two points.
In the 42nd minute of the first half, Haragawa scored a stunning direct free kick from about 30 meters in front of the goal, making it 3-0.
Tokyo took a big lead in the first half thanks to the experienced players' performance.
2ndHALF - Two U-18 players make their Ajinomoto debut
In the second half, Mie aggressively attacks from the start, but they respond well to crosses and do not allow any chances. They shut down attacks from the sides and cut off passes trying to go through the center with a defense that seems to have a net set up. In the 7th minute of the second half, player Nozawa boldly presses from the front and cuts off the opponent's pass with a sliding tackle. Although this went over the goal line, his passionate play excites the stadium, showing focused play while expanding the lead.
Coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI made his move in the 12th minute of the second half. He made a total of four substitutions, bringing on Hotaka NAKAMURA, Takahiro KO, Shuto NAGANO, and Oya onto the pitch. This reshaped the final line-up to have NAKAMURA, NAGANO, Oka, and Tokumoto from right to left, with Harakawa and KO as the holding midfielders, and Oya, Sato, and Nozawa positioned in the front line from right to left. NAGANO made his debut for the top team, while Oya made his debut at Ajinomoto Stadium.
In the 30th minute of the second half, Diego OLIVEIRA was brought in to replace Higashi. Kyo SATO was moved one line back to aim for an additional goal in a vertical formation. Since the "Ryunosuke!" call has echoed throughout the stadium multiple times since the first half, Kyo SATO is eager to achieve some results.
38 minutes into the second half, player Nozawa, who is also looking for a goal, launches a high-speed dribble from the left side on a counter attack. He cuts in near the penalty area and swings his right foot from the center, but unfortunately it goes just left of the goal.
In the final moments, a scene arises where the entire stadium holds its breath. Player Tokumoto delivers a long ground pass from the left side. Player Otani, who had sprinted from behind at full speed, overtakes the opposing defender and dribbles towards the goal. Then, from near the penalty arc, he swings his right foot powerfully! The fierce trajectory strikes the crossbar, and the dry sound along with the murmurs of the crowd echoes throughout the stadium. Although it unfortunately did not become his first goal at Ajinomoto Stadium, the 17-year-old from the U-18 team leaves a strong impact with his brilliant play.
The match ended after 4 minutes of additional time. With the veterans' performance and the home debut of players from the academy at Ajinomoto Stadium, it was a fruitful victory that secured advancement to the 3rd Round.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Soma ANZAI (substituted in 57th minute: Hotaka NAKAMURA) / Masato MORISHIGE (substituted in 57th minute: Shuto NAGANO) / Tetsuhei OKA / Shuhei TOKUMOTO
MF Keigo HIGASHI (substituted in 75th minute: Diego Oliveira) / Kei KOIZUMI (substituted in 57th minute: Yuhi TAKAHASHI) / Riki HARAKAWA
FW Ryunosuke SATO / Leon NOZAWA / Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (substituted in 57th minute: Divine OTANI)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Henrique TREVISAN
GOAL
First Half 21st Minute: Keigo HIGASHI/First Half 37th Minute: Masato MORISHIGE/First Half 42nd Minute: Riki HARAKAWA
<Veertien Mie>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kenta MORI
DF Keitaro IYORI/Toshiyuki NOGAKI/Aiba Mizuki/Tsubasa KUSUMOTO (12 minutes into the second half: Tatsuhiko NOGUCHI)
MF Naoki HATTA/Jun KANANARI/Taku INAFUKU (0 minutes into the second half: Reiji MORISHU)/Junki SEO (12 minutes into the second half: Kenta KAWANAKA)
FW Hiroki KAKURA (0 minutes into the second half: Hyunju RYANG)/Shogo OTAKE (30 minutes into the second half: Koki KIDO)
SUBS
GK Ryotaro Matsumoto
DF Kenshiro Tanioku
GOAL
―
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI, Manager]
Q, please give us your thoughts on today's match.
A, I think we were able to deliver a very good overall performance, and I am proud of the players' efforts. The football they showed today is exactly what we wanted to see. Some people might view matches against lower-tier teams as easy games, but we do not see it with that mentality. It was a match where we had to grasp our own style of football against a tough opponent. We worked hard and were able to achieve the result. We scored multiple goals, and the fans and supporters were happy, which also made me glad. I am also pleased that we were able to keep a clean sheet. Even when players who had few opportunities to play until now took the field, we maintained our connection and played very good football. We were able to seize the flow with good rhythm, and I believe there were several scenes where we could have scored a few more goals. The important thing now is to recover well from here and prepare for the next match.
Q, With only two days in between the Levain Cup, what approach did you take with the players in terms of preparation?
A, There is nothing new. It is about what kind of character we want to build for our team. By continuously developing that, it connects to our style of football and what we want to achieve. I believe we were able to do that today, and with this victory, we want to prepare for the next challenge.
Q, there were 2 goals from set plays. Please tell us your evaluation of kicker Riki HARAKAWA and the set plays themselves.
A, first of all, I think today’s game demonstrated how important restarts are. Masato MORISHIGE’s goal also came from a restart. HARAKAWA also scored a wonderful free kick, but that is something he often nails in practice. We always talk about doing what we train for daily, and I think he was able to show that well today. He really delivered a strong performance. The defensive midfielders also played strongly, and I believe that helped us gain momentum.
Today, everyone delivered a good performance. That includes Teppei OKA, as well as Soma ANZAI and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA, of course, and also Leon NOZAWA and Ryunosuke SATO who showed exciting plays. Then Shuto NAGANO and Divine OTANI also delivered good performances. Go HATANO, who did not play, also prepared for the team. I am proud that so many players who have grown up in the academy showed such excellent performances. From today’s performance, I believe that whoever plays, we can continue to play our football and keep building on it. I think this is because both the players and the staff are making great efforts.
[Player Interview]
＜Player Tokyokeigo＞
Q, I think there is a difficulty in playing against teams from different categories.
A, it’s the unique atmosphere of the Emperor's Cup, or rather, having experienced various matches in the past, I have had many unpleasant experiences, and looking at the results from other venues today, there were clubs with difficult match content and outcomes. I think it’s that kind of a tough tournament. If you become loose in transitions between offense and defense or in one-on-one situations, you get easily exploited. I was conscious of avoiding that at all costs. Offensively, we were able to score three goals, but I think it’s important to share and refine our ideas a bit more. We also had information that Veertien Mie would defend with a five-player block, so I think it would have been even better if we could have expressed our ideas a little more clearly in our play.
Q, please tell us what you were conscious of while the opponent was forming a solid defense.
A, I thought it would be good to take intermediate positions well, to draw out, drop back, and occasionally break through, so that by moving myself, space would be created for my teammates and the whole team would become more fluid. Besides that, I was asking the defenders to play the ball vertically. In terms of combination, I believe that if I could have coordinated a little more with Ryunosuke SATO, even better attacks would have been created.
Q, please tell us about the feeling of combination with player Sato.
A, I think it would have been better if we could have distinguished between firmly controlling the ball and boldly taking on challenges among the players. I believe that quality will deepen through match experience and coordination on the pitch, and it is an area we need to continue studying. I also want to communicate more during practice so that I can better connect with such players.
<Riki HARAKAWA>
Q, what preparations did you make for the game in a difficult situation of only two days after losing in the Levain Cup?
A, I prepared as usual. Physically, it can be tough, but playing consecutive matches helps me find a rhythm, so even when I'm tired, my mind stays clear. I don't think it's as hard as people might imagine. Mentally, having a long break is more difficult, and having a match soon after allows me to focus on the next game, so I think the timing was just right.
Q, it was a cup match different from the league match. I think there is difficulty in playing against opponents in different categories.
A, I thought the timing of the opening goal would be important, and Keigo HIGASHI skillfully scored it, which I think made managing the game easier from there. Veertien Mie played with a five-back formation and seemed to be waiting for Tokyo’s vertical attacks, so we were able to focus more on using the width and shaking things up than usual. However, I think we need to share that approach more thoroughly across the entire team.
Q, please look back on the scoring scene.
A, Tokyo has many dribblers, and when set pieces are successful, the opponents can no longer commit fouls, which I think creates a good cycle. If we keep scoring free kicks like that, I believe the dribbling players will be even more effective.
Q, There is a Júbilo Iwata match in 3 days.
A, my body is of course tired, but if my mind is clear, being tired is not much of a problem, so I don't think it's that difficult.
<Shuto NAGANO>
Q, I contributed to the victory with no goals conceded despite coming on as a substitute.
A, It was my first appearance in the top team, and I was a little nervous when I played. However, I received a lot of advice from the senior players around me, so I was able to quickly adapt and play my game.
Q, Was there anything in particular that you were conscious of?
A, I was told not to pass the ball easily to the outside during build-up but to pass it to the players in the center. During build-up, I was thinking about playing in a way that the team could firmly connect to the attack.
I think I was able to play calmly in the right position.
A, Since I have been working daily on not losing in one-on-one situations since the FC Tokyo U-18 training, I believe I was able to demonstrate what I have steadily built up without change even in the top team.
Q, In the future, there will be more matches in the top team, and the Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League will also resume.
A, First of all, I believe that unless I clearly show the difference between myself and the other players at FC Tokyo U-18, I won't be called up to the top team again. So, I want to firmly demonstrate my play at FC Tokyo U-18 and work hard to earn opportunities to participate in matches with the top team.
