<Last Match・Gamba Osaka Review>
A reliable guardian has returned.
The first match after the break was Sec. 25 of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League. The away game against Gamba Osaka saw the team pushed back into their own half as the opponent maintained possession from the start. Takahiro KO reflected on the difficult situation, saying, "In the first half, it felt like we were a punching bag," but it was Taishi Brandon NOZAWA, who had just returned from activities with the U-23 Japan national team, that saved the team in that moment.
In the 16th minute of the first half, Issam JEBALI's shot was deflected by a diving save, followed by a superb save with one hand to block JEBALI's header in the 23rd minute. In the 32nd minute, the defense blocked the opponent's fierce attack with their bodies, and goalkeeper Dawhan made an incredible save with his right hand to stop the shot. In a short period of time, he made three fine saves and prevented the opposing team from scoring.
In the second half, in order to aim for counterattacks while enduring, they sent in attacking players such as Kota TAWARATSUMIDA, who was looking to make an impact, Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA, who returned from injury, and Ryotaro ARAKI, who had just returned from activities with the U-23 Japan national team, to strengthen their offensive efforts. However, they could not break through the stronghold of Gamba Osaka, which boasts the fewest goals conceded in the league. Thanks to the efforts of the defense, they managed to hold on and secured 1 point with a scoreless draw.
Player Nozawa stood strong with the persistent defense, showing an overwhelming presence. He truly demonstrated the reliability of "having big ambitions in front of Tokyo's goal". Player Araki also praised his teammate who fought together during representative activities, saying "Today is the day of big ambitions".
The player said, "I had a good feeling about my shot stopping. I am the last line of defense. Even if I get shot, I have to be able to stop it, so I'm glad I was able to do that. I just joined the team and I was jet-lagged, but I'm grateful to be able to play in the game. Playing soccer is fun, so I want to continue playing with joy and gratitude." He had a satisfied expression. He also said, "There are still many things I can do. I want to cherish this moment now so that the special experiences and stimulation I had during national team activities don't fade away." He was preparing for the Kawasaki Frontale game with a different mindset.
Match Preview
The first match of the J1 League restart against Gamba Osaka ended in a 0-0 draw. In this match, goalkeeper Taishi Brandon NOZAWA, who had just returned from the U-23 Japan national team, made a series of excellent saves. He contributed to bringing home a valuable point from the away game. Reflecting on the match, Taishi Brandon stated, "Even if we were pushed back, if we could keep it 0-0 until around the 70th minute, we could see a chance to win. That was one of our goals, so I'm glad we achieved it." On the other hand, he emphasized, "There are still many issues to address. I want to discuss more as a team about where to win the ball and how to advance further to improve the team."
This round, we will face our rivals across the Tama River. Kawasaki Frontale, who has struggled since the beginning of the season, has regained their form with a recent streak of 7 games without a loss. Kawasaki's academy graduate, Takahiro KO, is determined to seek revenge in his second Tama River Clasico, saying "Last time, it was my second game after joining Tokyo and it was the first time I lost. I was really frustrated and we were taken advantage of after one of our players was sent off. This time, we just want to get 3 points." For Tokyo, this is an important match in their pursuit of the top spot. All that is required is a victory.
This week's matchday program is here
[Masato MORISHIGE x Yu KOBAYASHI Tamagawa Classico Special Interview]
The two classmates have joined rival teams across the Tama River since the 2010 season and have been competing against each other. Tokyo's Masato MORISHIGE, who will turn 37 this year, and Yu KOBAYASHI of Kawasaki Frontale will talk about the history of the Tama River Clasico they have witnessed. (Interview: August 4th)
-- Since we both joined in the 2010 season, I think we've seen the same scenery in the Tama River Clasico. What kind of match is the Tama River Clasico?
Masato MORISHIGE For us, it’s more often bitter memories, I guess.
Yu KOBAYASHI Which one is winning in total?
---The total is 11 wins, 9 draws, and 23 losses in Tokyo.
Kobayashi How about from the 2010 season?
─From the 2010 season, Tokyo has 6 wins, 4 draws, and 17 losses.
Kobayashi Is that so.
Morishige I don't really remember winning. In recent seasons, I think the only win was last season at the National venue.
Kobayashi That's right.
Morishige Kawasaki is strong after all.
Kobayashi The fans and supporters really make this match exciting, so I have a special feeling about it. But, I didn't have the impression that our performance was as good as I just heard. I didn't feel like we were losing that much, but I was surprised to hear that we were winning so much.
――Please tell us about the most memorable match.
Kobayashi In the 2019 season away game, the match where I scored my 100th goal in the J1 League was the Tama River Clasico. That match was also good in terms of content, and we won 3-0. That impression remains strong.
Morishige 100 goals? Amazing. I...don't have any lasting impressions.
Kobayashi Hahaha. But, wasn't there a game where we were beaten by Morige and (Kosuke) Ota? At Todoroki. Morige scored and Ota scored a free kick. I wonder if there was a game like that.
Mori Shige Hirosuke's free kick. There it is.
Kobayashi At that time, didn't Morige score a header?
Morishige Am I the one who decides? But, certainly, the image of scoring in the Tama River Clasico remains.
---Unfortunately, there was no collaboration with player Ota, but player Kobayashi scored 4 goals and player Morishige scored 3 goals.
Morishige That was close (lol).
Kobayashi amazing, amazing. 3 goals as a defender is amazing (lol).
Morishige Indeed, I have a clear image of what I want to achieve.
─ At Todoroki, he scored the winning goal in the 2012 season.
Morishige That was a memorable match.
Kobayashi Is it true? I don't remember (bitter smile).
Morishige No, because I decided it myself, that match is particularly memorable.
Kobayashi That's appropriate (laughs).
Kobayashi scored the opening goal against Tokyo, who were in first place at the time, in Sec. 19 of the 2019 season of the Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company J1 League, winning 3-0. In the 20th minute of the first half, he headed in a corner kick from the left side, becoming the 14th player in history to achieve a total of 100 goals in the J1 League. Additionally, he assisted in the second goal scored by Saito Gaku, showcasing both the team's and his own best performance.
Morishige's memorable match was an away game in Sec. 5 of the 2012 season of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League. Shortly after the start of the second half, Ariajasuru HASEGAWA was sent off, and the team was pushed back into their own half for a prolonged period due to the numerical disadvantage. They endured that difficult time, and in the 42nd minute of the second half, just before the end of the match, a priceless winning goal was scored with a header from a corner kick on the right side.
--Why couldn't Tokyo beat Kawasaki so much?
Morishige Kawasaki is strong. I felt they were especially strong during that golden era. It was all about how to defend and how to launch counterattacks. Looking back at the J.League of that time, I think there were probably very few teams that could match their strength.
Kobayashi Morige said that from the 2017 season, he was definitely playing, not because the opponent was Tokyo, but because he didn't feel like losing anywhere. The players who came in from the middle were also of high quality, and it was a team where anyone could come out. I didn't think we would lose before the game.
─Even when Kawasaki was off form, there were many times they gained momentum by beating Tokyo in the Tama River Clasico.
Kobayashi Yes, there were. I think it was that important a match. Winning gave us momentum and was a game that could change the team's atmosphere. I just remembered being told that there were indeed seasons when we beat Tokyo several times and improved our form. However, we didn't have any special talks before the matches.
Morishige We, as players, don't really have anything special to talk about just because it's the Tama River Clasico before the game.
Yu KOBAYASHI But I heard that only the practice week when Mr. Tokunaga (Yuhei) fights with Renato is different from the other weeks (laughs).
Morishige Hahaha. Certainly, Tokunaga-san, who always maintains a calm mind, is the only one who can turn on the motivation switch within a year. That was the week of the Tama River Clasico (bitter smile).
Kobayashi There are no such episodes, but everyone is naturally motivated because the people around them are excited. They make videos and prepare various things for us.
Morishige It was there, right?
Kobayashi He was also doing interesting things, right?
Morishige has also dressed up as a comedian.
Kobayashi He also did Sunshine Ikezaki's jokes. That's how he gets us pumped up, and that's when the switch of determination naturally turns on.
- - At first, we were able to liven up this match by including everyone, but as Yoshito OKUBO player went back and forth across the Tama River, the rivalry gradually increased.
Kobayashi That's certainly true.
Mori Shigeru Mr. Yoshito is also the same, but while Kawasaki has built an era, we have been left behind. I still want to catch up there, and I have become aware of Kawasaki in the sense of catching up. Because there are people of the same generation like Yu and Akihiro Ienaga, I think I have gradually become aware of the Tama River Clasico personally.
Kobayashi Morige said that there were many players of the same generation in Tokyo. Now, Yuto NAGATOMO is also here, and there were many players who were close friends in Tokyo. I think it will be an exciting match with a lot of motivation.
- - Now, regarding this Tama River Clasico, both teams are currently in an unsatisfactory position. Do you have any intentions to use this match as a turning point?
Mori Shigeru It’s an exciting match, and there’s also the frustration of not having been able to beat Kawasaki. Now, new young players have joined, and I think both sides can build a new era through the Tama River Clasico. In that sense, I believe this will be a clash between two reborn teams.
Kobayashi Right now, we are not in a good position, but personally, I think we were able to end the league on a positive note before the suspension, despite facing difficulties. With injured players returning and competition becoming more intense, I believe we are in a good position to make a comeback from here. That's why I think this will be a very important match.
- Please tell us the points you want us to watch in this match.
Mori Shigeru Tokyo’s style this season is to work hard and play football that scores goals, so it might turn into a goal-scoring battle. We aim to be the ones who come out on top in that, so I hope you look forward to it.
Kobayashi We have been conceding a lot of goals this season and when we improved our defense, we couldn't score goals. We have been repeating this cycle, but finally the team is starting to take shape. The results have also been coming and we have many players who can score goals, so we want to focus on scoring and keep going.
─ Finally, let's wrap up with some fiery comments.
Morishige We have suffered a lot against Kawasaki. We lost in the first half of the season, so we absolutely cannot afford to lose twice in the season. Right now, the team’s form is improving and our condition is good. Injured players have returned, and we are facing this match with a full-strength squad. I want to show our revenge and Tokyo’s strength in this Tama River Clasico.
Kobayashi I think Frontale has become stronger by overcoming the difficult times in the first half, so I think we can face Tokyo in a good condition. I believe we can win the Tama River Clasico here and climb up to the top in the second half. We will do our best to win with determination.
The two who have faced each other across the Tama River are rivals, but they have been bound by a strong friendship. Their conversation seemed to be looking at the relationship between Tokyo and Kawasaki. However, the Tama River Clasico, which is now in its 44th edition, has added more and more memorable moments and grudges with each game. They cannot give in to the competition. That is the path that they have shown to make the Tama River Clasico a true tradition.
Text by Tadashi BABA (Freelance Writer)
At SportsNavi, we are currently featuring "37-year-old Tama River Clasico: Masato MORISHIGE x Yu KOBAYASHI - A Summer of Stimulating Veterans". Please take a look.
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI]
Q, Gamba Osaka will face Tama River Clasico in 3 days after the match.
A, we are first focusing on analyzing the match mainly with the coaching staff. On Thursday, we held a meeting-style review of the game, and considering the players' fatigue, they were divided into two groups for training and recovery. While preparing for the upcoming match, we are also working to improve their condition.
Q, The Gamba Osaka match resulted in a clean sheet due to concentrated defense, but isn't the exhaustion and fatigue of each player who continued to play with high concentration and intensity also significant?
A, what you just mentioned is a major element required in football. Maintaining concentration is always demanded throughout football, whether defending or controlling the ball to build an attack. In addition, there are many things expected of us. We want to foster growth and be able to play good matches.
Q, is it about wanting to keep the ball for a longer period of time?
A, of course, that is true. The ideal is to take control and dominate. However, this does not mean reducing our physical effort. We aim to keep moving the ball, targeting zones that the opponent dislikes, and making sprints forward continuously. If our center of gravity shifts significantly forward, the players at the back must also coordinate and push the defensive line up. The physical demands are not only on defense but also on offense. In other words, we must stay focused and make situational judgments. We want to focus on our play and approach all elements comprehensively.
