<Match Review>
The 2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League resumes after a two-week interval. After struggling with three consecutive matches without scoring in official competitions, the team managed a narrow victory against Nara Club with a goal in the second half of stoppage time during the 2025 J League YBC Levain Cup held during the break, advancing to the next stage. As the team has been gradually building up their performance, scoring and winning in the league should significantly change the momentum. This match at home is one they desperately want to secure a victory in.
The match here is the "Tamagawa Classico" against Kawasaki Frontale. It is a rivalry that dates back to the JFL era. Additionally, the opposing team Kawasaki has three players from the Aoyaka Academy, Yamaguchi, Maruyama, and Miura, in the starting lineup. It will be a game with a mysterious connection.
The starting eleven for Tokyo includes goalkeeper Taishi Brandon NOZAWA, and in the final line, Seiji KIMURA, who is making his league debut, joins the squad following the Levain Cup match against Nara, alongside academy graduates Kanta DOHI and Teppei OKA. The wing-backs are Kosuke SHIRAI on the right and Soma ANZAI on the left, while the central midfielders are Takahiro KO and Kento HASHIMOTO. The inside midfielders are Megumi SATO and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA, with Teruhito NAKAGAWA deployed at the forefront.
In addition to the 3-back formation, the starting lineup includes a record-tying 7 players from the academy (the most in the club's history since the 2015 Meiji Yasuda J1 League Sec. 15 match against Matsumoto Yamaga FC), with a total of 11 players on the bench, centered around the "Aoiaka blood" as they aim for consecutive official match victories following the Levain Cup match against Nara.
1st HALF – Unable to break down the opponent, the first half ends scoreless
From the early stages, Tokyo took control. They thoroughly created multiple passing lanes at varying distances for the ball holder, increasing their possession rate. In the 3rd minute of the first half, Tawaratsumida made a long solo dribble down the left side to win a corner kick, then in the 6th minute, he cut in from the left side and took a right-footed shot. Following that, in the 7th minute, he broke free from a floated pass by Sato to create a scoring chance, showing an aggressive attitude. As a team, they advanced into the opponent’s territory mixing short and long passes with dribbling.
Both teams are playing attacking football while holding onto the ball. Kawasaki is also trying to create chances with long through passes and runs behind the defense, while Tokyo shows aggressive pressing and physical defense, resulting in a tense and exciting match.
In the 28th minute of the first half, Takai received a powerful header from a set piece in front of the goal, but Nozawa made a sharp reaction to make a fine save from a close-range shot. It seemed that Takai had headed the ball into the net from this corner kick, but they escaped trouble as a foul was called.
Tokyo connects the ball from the final line, looking for attacking options while increasing possession rate. They try to break through while avoiding the opponent's press, but they can't fully break down the opponent once they enter the attacking third. This is a period where they need more creativity from the middle zone to finish.
Although the number of dangerous situations in front of the goal gradually increased, the first half ended without any score. For Tokyo, they went into halftime leaving issues with how to bring the ball to the finish and their finishing ability.
2nd HALF—Conceded 3 goals in the second half. A frustrating home defeat
No substitutions for either side at halftime. At the start of the second half, Kawasaki took control of the ball for an extended period.
Gradually gaining momentum, Tokyo earned a free kick in the 5th minute of the second half when player Sato was brought down while attempting to break through on the right side. Player Anzai aimed directly with his right foot, but unfortunately missed just to the right of the goal. In the 7th minute, player Shirai, who had overlapped from the right side, delivered a cross. Player Anzai aimed for the loose ball that was deflected by the goalkeeper in front of the goal, but he couldn't take the shot as the trajectory changed just before. There were several close scenes from set plays.
Tokyo continued to connect passes and launch attacks. However, in the 10th minute of the second half, they were caught off guard and a cross came in from the left side, allowing Yamada to turn and shoot in the penalty area, resulting in the first goal being conceded.
In the 20th minute of the second half, Tokyo, aiming for a counterattack, brought in Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA and Keigo HIGASHI to replace players Tsumada and Hashimoto. Ogashiwa took the left inside half position, while Higashi moved into the defensive midfielder position.
As the loud cheers supporting the team resonate from behind the goal, Tokyo aims to strengthen their offensive. Players Shirai, Okabayashi, Kyo SATO, and Nakagawa make a swift advance into the opponent's territory with a speedy attack, while in the midfield, they seek to break through by maintaining possession starting from the holding midfield duo.
In the 26th minute of the second half, Koki TSUKAGAWA was brought onto the pitch in place of Sato. Similar to the Nara match, he was positioned at the forefront, while Nakagawa was moved one line back to the inside half position.
However, just after that, in the 28th minute of the second half, a right cross from the opponent was met by Ito, who had just come on as a substitute, allowing an additional goal.
Tokyo found themselves with a 2-goal deficit. They intensified their pressing from the front line, pushing an aggressive stance. However, when they tried to raise the line and attack while maintaining possession, they lost the ball under pressure on the final line, leading to a long counterattack from Kawasaki that resulted in a goal, further widening the lead in a difficult situation.
Immediately after conceding a goal, players Doi and Nakagawa were replaced by Leon NOZAWA and Kouta Tokiwa, changing to a four-back formation, but they were unable to shake the net until the end. This resulted in four consecutive league matches without a goal, and they ended up with a frustrating result, losing 0-3 to Kawasaki for the third time in a row, following last season's home and away matches.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Tetsuhira OKA/Kanta DOI (41st minute: Leon NOZAWA)/Seiji KIMURA/Kosuke SHIRAI
MF Soma ANZAI/Takahiro TAKAHASHI/Kento HASHIMOTO (20th minute: Keigo HIGASHI)/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (20th minute: Go KOBAYASHI)
FW Megumi SATO (26th minute: Koki TSUKAGAWA)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (41st minute: Kouta TOKIWAKI)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Yasuki KIMOTO/Henrique Trevisan
MF Hisatoshi NISHIDO
MANAGER
Rikizo MATSUHASHI
GOAL
ー
<Kawasaki Frontale>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Louis YAMAGUCHI
DF Sasaki Asahi/Kota TAKAI/Maruyama Yuuichi/Miura Souta
MF Yuki YAMAMOTO (41st min: Kawahara Hajime)/Ryota OSHIMA (33rd min: Kento TACHIBANADA)/Yasuto WAKIZAKA
FW Akihiro IENAGA/(41st min: Yusuke SEGAWA)/MARCINHO (26th min: Ito Tatsuya)/Yamada Arata (33rd min: Ellison)
SUBS
GK Chung Sung-ryong
DF Van Welmeskerken / Jesiel
FW Ten MIYAGI
MANAGER
Shigetoshi HASEBE
GOAL
10 minutes into the second half: Shin YAMADA / 28 minutes into the second half: Tatsuya ITO / 38 minutes into the second half: Ellison
[Interview with Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI]
Q: please review the game.
A: It was a very frustrating result. The players showed more aggressive play both offensively and defensively from the start of the match, and they played with a strong awareness of what we had prepared. I am very satisfied with that and believe we need to build on it going forward. However, in every match, we have had few shots, and we need to improve the quality of our play in the final attacking third. This includes the risk of conceding on counters and the creation of goal-scoring and conceding opportunities, which are important, but I also think we must further improve the crucial aspects of our game.
Q: After the last two matches, I felt you really pushed the needle. Was there any change in your mindset? Also, I think the start of the game was good, but what do you think caused the gradual tone-down?
A: The players have a very strong awareness of what I demand and communicate, and I am grateful to them for that. This time, I pushed the needle more than usual, but the crucial point—or the edge—is that although we held onto the ball, the timing of losing possession increased. It’s not just about the number of challenges, but also about where and under what circumstances we are losing the ball. While we are not completely disorganized in that regard, the gradual increase in ball losses and the resulting increase in the time we spend defending was disappointing.
Q: From midway through the second half, you brought Koki TSUKAGAWA into the top position. Are you currently exploring new ways to score in order to break through the situation where you have not been able to score?
A: It is by no means a difficult situation. It is natural to do it with the players we currently have. Within that, we have grasped through daily training how to fully utilize his strengths. Although we couldn’t quite show that form today, he worked hard on the defensive side, and I am very grateful for that. However, it’s not about any one player; having a pattern where anyone who comes in can create the same picture is one approach, but unless we can perform highly accurate plays tailored to the situation, I believe goals will not come easily.
Q, watching how the team started today's match, I feel they have progressed considerably. I think it will take some time to fully play the style of soccer envisioned by Rikizo MATSUHASHI, but do you feel there is a sense of advancement?
A, gradually... I have described it as "tickling along the way," but there were parts where that form became a little harder to see. So, by emphasizing it a bit more and asking the players for it, they respond to those expectations 100 percent. Conversely, I believe that if I can accurately convey what is needed to them and they can grasp it, we can move forward in an even better direction.
[Player Interview]
＜Kosuke SHIRAI＞
Q, please review the game.
A, I am frustrated with the 0-3 result and losing at home. In terms of content, there were periods when we were able to execute the play of connecting the ball from the back and building up, which we have been focusing on and emphasizing this season, and there were also moments when our pressing from the front worked well. However, while we maintained possession, we were not able to fully threaten the opponent in the final phase when it came to how to break through and aim for the goal. It was a match where I felt there is still a lot lacking. We had chances, but I want to increase the number of opportunities and the reproducibility of our plays.
Q: Especially in the first half, it seemed that you were conscious of approaching the opponent's full-backs, as you were actively defending from a high position.
A, when defending, I was conscious of applying defensive pressure on the opponent in a formation similar to 4-2-4. By positioning myself slightly higher on the right side, I aimed to create chances after regaining possession. I believe we were able to work in coordination and win the ball in the targeted areas during the first half as well.
Q: The league matches have been tough, but do you feel any growth or progress in the team during this time?
A, the build-up is still in a developmental stage, but as a team we are working on it with a high level of awareness and are able to challenge ourselves with a shared focus. We just need to continue steadily repeating challenges and growth.
Q: The next match is against Tokyo Verdy. This is a particularly important and highly anticipated game in the annual league. What do you want to keep in mind for this match?
A: We have suffered consecutive losses in the league, and the next match against Verdy is one we absolutely cannot afford to lose. To face what could be called the most crucial match, we will fight with strong determination and resolve to aim for victory.
<Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA>
Q: You came on as a substitute. What instructions did the coach give you?
A: I was told to play in the shadow position, receive the ball between the lines, face forward, take on opponents, and make movements to score goals. Regarding that, I think I was able to properly distinguish when to take on opponents and when to use passes in my play. However, I feel frustrated that I was unable to convert those efforts into goals.
Q: Specifically, what aspects were lacking in order to score goals?
A: I wasn’t able to deliver many through passes. The pass two steps before the goal was slightly off, and even when I had the ball in a good position, the pass was off. These small misalignments gradually accumulated, making it impossible to deliver through passes. I believe that unless we improve the quality of each individual play, we won’t be able to get close to scoring goals.
Q: How will you prepare for the next match?
A: Since we have few shooting opportunities, I think we have no choice but to work on it in practice. The next match is coming up quickly on Wednesday, so we need to communicate well among the players and work on creating chances. We absolutely must win the match against Tokyo Verdy, so rather than focusing on the content, I want to prepare well to show results.
