Match Review
The game after a break of about two and a half weeks is the away match against Gamba Osaka at Panasonic Stadium Suita. This match against an opponent that is in second place with an 8-point difference holds significant importance for survival in the upper ranks.
Taishi Brandon NOZAWA, who has just returned from the U-23 Japan national team, is included in the starting lineup, with young players Teppei OKA and Kanta DOI forming a partnership in center-back. Hotaka NAKAMURA is positioned as the right back, while Yuto NAGATOMO takes the left back position. In the holding midfield, Keisuke KOIZUMI and Takahiro KO are lined up, with Riki HARAKAWA placed one row ahead. In the forward line, Soma ANZAI is on the right wing, Keita ENDO on the left wing, and Teruhito NAKAGAWA in the center. Ryotaro ARAKI, who has also just returned from the U-23 Japan national team like Taishi Brandon, is included in the substitute members for this important match.
1stHALF—Despite a difficult time, the guardian deity made three fine saves.
It was a tough 45 minutes. Both teams started off with a tense standoff, and in the 8th minute of the first half, Riki HARAKAWA, who had dropped back to the top, broke through the opponent's last line and approached the goal. However, as time went on, Gamba Osaka gradually pushed us back.
After passing the 15-minute mark in the first half, the game became dominated by our own team, and we were continuously put in dangerous situations. In the 16th minute, they created an opportunity in front of our goal, and Issam JEBALI took a powerful shot. In the 23rd minute, YAMASHITA broke through from the right side and once again, Issam JEBALI was able to score with a header.
Still, despite two shots being saved by player Taishi Nozawa, in the 32nd minute of the first half, Dawhan's middle shot was also deflected by player Taishi Nozawa, preventing the first goal.
Tokyo, who managed to withstand Gamba Osaka's fierce attacks, created opportunities to play in the enemy's territory towards the end of the game. In the 38th minute of the first half, Riki HARAKAWA skillfully turned the ball and moved it to the front line, then expanded it to the left side. This led to a shot by Nagatomo, and in the 40th minute of the first half, Nakamura moved the ball on the left side and took a middle shot as he entered the goal area. Although it missed the target, they finally created a scene where they were able to move the ball and threaten the goal, and turned the tide of the game before halftime.
2ndHALF - Araki & Kashiwa's comeback. 1 point victory after fierce battle
After the restart, the first chance was created by Tokyo. In the 2nd minute of the second half, they earned a free kick on the right side and Harakawa passed a sharp and low ball into the goal area. Anzai player jumped into the goal area from the far side. He skillfully headed the difficult bounce and caught the goalmouth, but it was deflected by the opposing goalkeeper.
The second half seemed to have a good start, but in the 4th minute of the second half, they were pushed back in front of the goal and Ewerton made a decisive header shot. However, Nakamura defended the goal with a desperate block, throwing his body in front of the ball.
After that, Gamba Osaka continued to push the pace, but as the game progressed, Tokyo also had more opportunities to counterattack as spaces opened up in the midfield compared to the first half. In the 64th minute, players Araki and Kota Tawaratsumida were subbed in. The two players, who could change the game with one play, were sent in to try and mount a comeback.
In the 35th minute of the second half, number 11, Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA, who is the trump card, was sent in and became the accent, pulling the flow back as he returned to the pitch after a long time. He showed his strength by carrying the ball and entering the penalty area, becoming a driving force towards the goal.
However, Gamba Osaka's defense, which has the fewest goals conceded in the league, remained solid and did not allow any goals. In the final stages of the game, both teams were caught up in a back-and-forth counterattack, but in the end, they shared one point without conceding any goals.
From the next match, we will return to Ajinomoto Stadium to fight in a series of home games. In the next match, we will face Kawasaki Frontale in the 'Tamagawa Classico.' As we prepare for a summer comeback, Tokyo has connected the one point earned from a fierce battle with the top teams to the next match.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Hotaka NAKAMURA/Kanta DOI/Teppei OKA/Nagatomo Yuto
MF Takuto UHIRO/Kei KOIZUMI/Riki HARAKAWA (19th minute: Ryotaro ARAKI)
FW Keita ENDO (19th minute: Kota TAWARATSUMIDA)/Soma ANZAI (35th minute: Kosuke SHIRAI)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (35th minute: Go KOBAYASHI)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Masato MORISHIGE
MF Keigo HIGASHI
GOAL
ー
<Gamba Osaka>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jun IIMORI
DF Shota FUKUOKA/Keisuke KUROKAWA/Shinnosuke NAKATANI/Riku MATSUDA (35th minute: Takeru KISHIMOTO)
MF Tokuma SUZUKI/Ryoya YAMASHITA (35th minute: Ryotaro MESHINO)/Dawan (35th minute: Neta LAVI)/Welton
FW Issam JEBALI/Isa SAKAMOTO (25th minute: Juan ALANO)
SUBS
GK Kei ISHIKAWA
DF Yusei EGAWA
MF Kota YAMADA
GOAL
ー
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI, Manager]
Q: please review the game.
A: It was a tough match because Gamba Osaka played very well. Regarding the first half, there were parts where we made the game tough for ourselves. I think it would have been better if we had been able to create time to keep possession of the ball after winning it. Because we couldn’t do that, the opponent had prolonged possession. Due to that, the first half became a difficult situation. I think it improved in the second half. I believe our way of playing is to control the rhythm and progress the game ourselves. Although we earned 1 point in a tough match, there are still many areas to improve, such as finishing in the attacking phase. The important thing now is to recover from here and analyze our performance again. Then, we need to confirm what we should do to get better. An important match is coming up in a few days. It is a crucial match for both the club and the fans and supporters. We want to fight with all our strength so that they can feel proud and happy.
Q, how do you evaluate the defensive aspect during the continued time of being attacked?
A, of course, I think it would have been better if we could have played a better game than today. There were parts where we needed to improve how we applied pressure and where we had to step up defensively. We want to analyze those aspects and work on improving them. A positive point today was that although we spent a long time defending, we were able to finish the match without conceding a goal. However, we want to build on being more aggressive in defending from the front. In the attacking phase of the first half, we were not able to express our style when we had the ball. It started to improve about the last 10 minutes of the first half. It got even better in the second half, and we were able to put pressure on the opponent. We want to be able to play like that from an earlier stage. It was good to earn a point today, but we believe we can get better.
Q, How will you improve for the Kawasaki Frontale match?
A, I want to improve in every aspect. There were still points that need improvement in both offense and defense. It is important to steadily build on those areas. Although there were negative aspects where we didn’t perform well, there were also parts that showed the style of football that is ours. We want to continue to work on that consistently. And from the lessons learned today, we aim to become even better. We understand that the next two consecutive matches are very important for the fans, supporters, and the club. We want to properly recover and prepare well for the next game.
Q, we have selected Taishi Brandon NOZAWA, who has returned from his activities with the Japan national team U-23, as a starting member. Please give us your evaluation.
A, Nozawa gave a very good performance today. I believe he fully demonstrated his abilities.
[Player Interview]
Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
Q, How was the game today, looking back on it, after just returning from the activities of the U-23 Japan national team? It must have been difficult in some ways.
A, I might still be feeling some fatigue from returning from the national team, but even so, being able to play in the match was truly a joy, and I am grateful because playing soccer is fun. Taking home a point with a 0-0 draw is positive, but at the same time, there were parts where I could have played better, and I think there are still challenges remaining. However, Gamba Osaka’s overall quality was quite high, and we were under pressure for a long time, but precisely because we went into halftime at 0-0, in the second half we started to get some chances ourselves. I think the flow of the game wasn’t bad.
Q, It was a game saved by Taishi Brandon NOZAWA's save. Were there any scenes or saves that were crucial in today's game?
A, there were about three dangerous moments in the first half, but I think it was good that we overcame them. Throughout the entire match, I was able to contribute to the team by protecting the goal as a goalkeeper, so that was positive.
Q, I think you have absorbed a lot in Paris, but what kind of accumulation will you make while continuing home games with Kawasaki Frontale and Tokyo Verdy?
A, I need to talk with my teammates and make improvements to further enhance the team. There are a few days until the match against Kawasaki, so first I want to properly recover, and then focus on practicing the corrections the team needs to make. Since it’s a home game at Ajinomoto Stadium, I want to play soccer that the spectators will enjoy, win, and celebrate together with the fans, supporters, and teammates.
<Kanta DOI>
Q: It was my first full appearance in a while. Please review the game.
A, unlike the practice match against Kashiwa Reysol, the build-up did not go well, and the defense was not very effective, but I think it was significant that we endured until the end without conceding a goal. For the next match against Kawasaki Frontale, I believe we have major issues to address in defense and build-up, so I want to prepare to correct those.
Q, I got the impression that we got stuck in connecting passes.
A,I think we lost in the physical aspect today, such as having a bad distance between people, losing the ball after taking it, or giving away the second ball to the opponent. I felt that the distance was far, so if we can bring each other closer, I believe we can connect the ball better.
Q, What kind of adjustments did you make during the game, including halftime?
A, Our center-back line was low at times, but in the second half, we raised the line firmly and focused primarily on pressing from the front.
Q, we have important matches coming up against Kawasaki Frontale and Tokyo Verdy. We cannot afford to lose. Please give us your best effort.
A, I believe we were able to prove that even in a situation like today’s, if everyone puts their body on the line, we can keep a clean sheet. From here, we want to improve the quality of our play, keep conceding zero goals, and be able to score.
<Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA>
Q, I entered the game from the end of the second half. What was your intention when entering the game and how did you feel on the pitch?
A, from the first half, the game was largely controlled by Gamba Osaka, making it a very difficult match. Even so, the defenders managed to keep the goal difference at zero, so I believed that if I could score just one goal, we could win. With that in mind, I entered the match aiming to score.
Q, It may not be 100% in terms of condition, but we saw plays that peeled off the opponent in the situation and cut into the goal. How was the feeling of the play?
A, there were parts where I was able to do that, but due to my position, I was required to exert pressure from the front and maintain high activity levels. Because of the continuous movement, I got a bit winded and there were moments when I couldn’t receive the ball. I realized I need to improve my condition from here on. Since I couldn’t take a single shot, I think creating space to take a final shot and carrying the play through to the finish is an area I need to work on.
Q, the first half was a game development where we were constantly pushed back. What kind of plays do you think will be necessary in the future as a player on the front line in order to improve this?
A, today Suzuki had possession of the ball, so I thought we need to communicate more about whether the forwards should close in to cut off the passing lanes inside or if the defensive midfielders should push up. I believe the players on the pitch felt this as well, but after winning the ball, it was immediately taken back, and there were many situations where we were continuously attacked. I think it is important to figure out how to release the ball and create our own rhythm in those moments.
