Match Review
An important game where the entire blue and red team wants to overcome adversity together. Although the team has yet to win in six league matches so far, they aim to seize the many chances they have created to shift the momentum and secure a victory that will change everything. This match is held at the Japan National Stadium, where they have never lost at home in the past. Despite the unfortunate rainy weather, the team is expected to harness the energy from the support of over 40,000 spectators and show their dynamism on the pitch.
Tokyo, aiming for their first victory since the third round match against Nagoya Grampus, made one change to the starting lineup from the previous match against Fagiano Okayama. Teppei OKA joined the back line, forming a three-back defense with Kanta DOI and Seiji KIMURA, all academy graduates. Additionally, Yuto NAGATOMO, Kei KOIZUMI, and Keita ENDO, who had been sidelined due to injury, returned to the bench. Attention is also drawn to the roles that head coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI will assign to these experienced players.
1st HALF—Teru’s First Goal of the Season Secures the Long-Awaited Opening Score
Tokyo’s eleven players entered the pitch greeted by red and blue fireworks. Right after kickoff, player Kei Sato broke through behind the defense, dribbled forward, and took a shot. Although it missed to the left of the goal, the play clearly showed a strong determination to win.
Both teams advocate for a style of football that emphasizes maintaining possession of the ball. At the start, Tokyo takes control with careful build-up play and sharp vertical passes.
From just past the 5th minute of the first half, it became Kashiwa Reysol's turn. While maintaining possession, Tokyo responded to the pressing opponent by forming a solid block, tightening key areas, and defending in a way that gave them no freedom.
While searching for attacking opportunities, Tokyo progressed the match. In the 13th minute of the first half, player Oka received the ball near the halfway line and powerfully advanced, taking a strong mid-range shot with his left foot. This was blocked by the goalkeeper, but it created a chance through an attack calculated from the goal. In the 20th minute of the first half, the opposing goalkeeper rushed out and made a half-hearted clearance, which Kota TAWARATSUMIDA took advantage of by shooting at the unguarded goal as the clearance fell. However, this was saved by the diligently returning player Kojima.
Tokyo, determined to score the opening goal at all costs, saw their efforts bear fruit in the 35th minute of the first half. Kota TAWARATSUMIDA made a cut-in from the left side with precise steps and delivered a low, sharp shot-like ball. It deflected off an opposing player, allowing Teruhito NAKAGAWA on the far side to push it into the goal. This was the long-awaited opening goal, their first in seven matches since Sec. 3, giving them the lead.
In the 41st minute of the first half, from a direct free kick opportunity at a 45-degree angle on the left, Soma ANZAI's sharp right-footed kick struck the crossbar, and Sato tried to push in the rebound, but it went straight to the goalkeeper, resulting in no additional goal. Taking the lead lightened the movements of the blue and red players, and Tokyo proceeded to control the match.
While showing an aggressive attitude in attack and taking the lead with Nakagawa's first goal of the season, defensively there were noticeable cases where space was exploited on the flanks of the three-back formation. The team made solid adjustments at halftime and aims to pull in a victory as the match continues. The first half ended 1-0, and the game proceeded into the second half.
2nd HALF—Caught up in additional time, a frustrating draw
After a first half played under heavy rain, the rain stopped at halftime, and the decisive second half kicked off with the loud cheers from behind the home goal in sight.
In the second half, Kashiwa, controlling the ball, took the initiative in the match. Tokyo also tried to break through by connecting passes from the back line, but lost possession when the ball release during build-up became sluggish, preventing them from transitioning into attack as they wished. In the second half as well, the spaces on both sides of the three-back were exploited, leading to many dangerous situations from crosses. They want to endure while responding well and look for chances.
In the 15th minute of the second half, the first player substitution was made. Marcelo RYAN was brought in as the lone striker in place of Tawaratsukita, and Sato was moved to the left inside half, changing the formation. With an increase in counterattacks from a structured block, there are high expectations for RYAN's speed, power, and finishing ability.
That was a show by RIAN. In the 20th minute of the second half, he received the ball in his own half, turned forward, and accelerated rapidly into Kashiwa’s territory. Although his final pass near the penalty area was intercepted by the opponent, his powerful dribbling breakthrough was a play that showed great potential.
In the 25th minute of the second half, Kento HASHIMOTO switched with Kei KOIZUMI and Endo. For Endo, who had been continuing rehabilitation due to an injury before the season started, this was his first official match appearance of the season. Furthermore, in the 28th minute, Sato and Doi were substituted for Nagatomo and Yasuki KIMOTO. This transitioned the formation to place Nagatomo on the left wing and Anzai as the right inside half.
In the final stages, Kashiwa launched a simple attack that created dangerous scenes. In the 41st minute of the second half, a long ball from the final line was headed forward, and Yoshio KOIZUMI broke free to take a looping shot. This narrowly missed to the left of the goal, escaping danger by a hair. Kashiwa not only maintained possession but also launched quick and powerful attacks. Tokyo responded to the opponent's dangerous passes with committed plays. The five minutes of added time saw continued desperate defense. VAR support indicated the possibility of a penalty kick, but it was ultimately ruled no penalty.
Tokyo endured as a team, but when the space beside the three-back defense, which had been breached multiple times, was exploited and a grounded cross was delivered, Kinoshita connected in the center to equalize at the crucial 45+4 minute mark of the second half. After that, Tokyo pushed forward with a strong desire to win, summoning all their strength to launch attacks. However, despite their desperate efforts, time ran out. Although they showed a strong will to win, they were unable to secure victory at the very end, marking their seventh consecutive league match without a win.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Teppei OKA/Kanta DOI (33rd minute of second half: Yasuki KIMOTO)/Seiji KIMURA/Kosuke SHIRAI
MF Soma ANZAI/Ko UYO/Kento HASHIMOTO (25th minute of second half: Kei KOIZUMI)/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (15th minute of second half: Marcelo HIAN)
FW Megumu SATO (33rd minute of second half: Yuto NAGATOMO)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (25th minute of second half: Keita ENDO)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Henrique Trevisan
MF Keigo HIGASHI/Maki KITAHARA
MANAGER
Rikizo MATSUHASHI
GOAL
35th minute of the first half: Teruhito NAKAGAWA
<Kashiwa Reysol>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kosuke KOJIMA
DF Wataru HARADA/Taiyo KOGA/Hayato TANAKA/Tomoya KOYAMATSU (23rd minute: Diego)
MF Mitsuki KUMASAKA/Yuto YAMADA (31st minute: Mao HOSOYA)/Tojiro KUBO (31st minute: Shun NAKAJIMA)/Yoshio KOIZUMI
FW Riki WATANAI (23rd minute: Hayato NAKAMA)/Yuki KAKITA (13th minute: Kosuke KINOSHITA)
SUBS
GK Haruki SARUTA
DF Tomoya INUKAI
MF Sachiro TOSHIMA/Eiji SHIRAI
MANAGER
Ricardo RODRIGUEZ
GOAL
45+4 minutes into the second half: Kosuke KINOSHITA
[Interview with Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI]
Q: please review the game.
A: It ended in a draw just one step short, and I am filled with deep frustration. The match unfolded in a way that we couldn’t quite get into our own rhythm, but while maintaining the lead, conceding a goal after continuing to attack ultimately revealed some complacency on our part, including myself. I want to realign our focus with the players once again and prepare thoroughly for the next match.
Q: I believe you made substitutions to score the second goal, but what was lacking that prevented you from achieving the second goal?
A: We spent a very long time defending. In the early part of the first half, the forwards were unable to fully press, so we couldn’t raise or lower the defensive line effectively, but toward the end of the first half, that started to fit together well. I believe we were able to make good ball recoveries, catch the opponent offside, and maintain a compact formation. However, in the early part of the second half, that was somewhat lacking, and there were also shortcomings in one-on-one situations, which resulted in allowing the opponent to freely take the initiative in attack.
Q: The conceding goal scene started from the opponent's throw-in, and we were caught behind with our feet stopped.
A: We fully understood that Kashiwa Reysol would target such narrow spaces, but in the end, we failed to respond properly there. Although there were players present, the ball was crossed inside and touched just before that, resulting in us being beaten at the final moment. Organizationally, we were able to act with some degree of intent, but even so, we have repeatedly ended up conceding in one-on-one situations or in areas we must not yield. We struggled to maintain that necessary tightness. This is not limited to individuals alone. We spent a very long time defending, and it is quite possible that physical fatigue impaired our decision-making. I believe we have defensive intensity both as a team and individually, and we need to reconsider the reasons why it was not fully demonstrated.
Q: Yuto NAGATOMO has returned to the team. Given the current team situation, what impact has his return had, and what do you, as the coach, expect from him?
A: With his inclusion, the aspect of not easily giving the opponent freedom in defense was demonstrated, and although not all attacks were necessarily good, I believe the number of counterattacks we could launch also increased. In terms of properly closing out the game, his ability to inspire everyone and lead the team through his performance has a truly significant impact. Since Kashiwa Reysol has strengths on the flanks, I placed him on the left side, albeit with some hesitation about left or right. However, it was that side where we were beaten, and I feel there was an overall lack of sharpness. How we can shut that down moving forward is something we need to work on, but I believe he is a player who is fully demonstrating his abilities and having a positive influence.
[Player Interview]
Teruhito NAKAGAWA
Q: We lost the victory due to conceding a goal late in the match. Please reflect on the game.
A: The result and the content were neither what we wanted, and I think our true ability was reflected in the outcome. Regarding the conceded goal, the long periods of being pressed by the opponent were a factor, and our own weaknesses showed.
Q: There were long periods of being under pressure, but there was also focused defense.
A: Allowing the opponent that much attacking time naturally increases the likelihood of conceding a goal. The forwards were unable to defend in a way that limited the opponent's opportunities to regain possession or to fully win the ball back. Although the number of players at the back may have been sufficient, we ultimately conceded a goal. Coordinated defense in these areas remains a challenge.
Q: The opening goal was Teruhito NAKAGAWA's first goal of the season.
A: The goal was born from a good play by Kota TAWARATSUMIDA. There was also a lucky part where the cross ball came flowing right in front of me, but I think it was good that we were able to firmly convert that chance into a goal, including a bit of luck. However, after that, we couldn’t maintain possession of the ball, and as a result, we couldn’t secure the victory. We have no choice but to learn from matches like this.
Q: What do you think were the factors that allowed the opponent to take control of the game?
A: Since it was a mirror game, the opponent marked us almost man-to-man. In the end, we were undone by their skill and their ability to create gaps. As I mentioned earlier, although we had the numbers, there were long periods in today’s match where players were just 'present' without impact. The difference in the ability to fully win the ball became apparent.
<Kei KOIZUMI>
Q, it was a frustrating result.
A, many members and staff have been with the team since last season, and although there were periods last season when we couldn’t win, everyone struggled and struggled until we finally won. Looking at the whole year, I think there are good times and bad times. So far, after 10 matches, we have only managed 2 wins. I believe we can do more, we have to do more, and we must maintain a strong sense of urgency. I don’t want to think of it as just 10 matches; instead, I want each individual to focus on taking that extra step—closing in a bit more or being one step quicker than the opponent—in every single match right in front of us.
Q, I think mental strength is also important during difficult times like these. As the captain, what do you focus on and communicate to the team?
A, during periods when we can't win, there are various voices from outside, including on social media, and I think that's only natural. However, the most important thing is the voices within the team. It is normal in this world to accept external voices as evaluations and face reality, and since we haven't achieved results, being criticized is also to be expected. But still, I want to prioritize the voices inside the team above all. I want the players within the team, and the team itself, to work firmly so that we do not collapse.
Q, do you feel any sense of progress during the match?
A, regarding today's match, there is the idea that if we have the ball, we won't concede goals, but when we are attacked that much, it's natural that the number of dangerous situations increases, and I wanted to win and correct that. After all, we have to win even in such situations, and when deciding to kick behind the opponent's defensive line, the opposing goalkeeper missed, so I think we need to kick to more uncomfortable spots for the opponent and improve the quality of each play one by one. Also, fundamentally, we absolutely cannot win unless we fight harder than the opponent. We need to raise that quality even more and be particular about it.
Q, Including the aspect of "fighting," Kei KOIZUMI is also leading the team. How do you plan to approach the next match?
A, Above all, winning is the most important thing, and I believe I must become a player who can lead the team to victory. Whether in attack or defense, we must produce results, so I want to secure a solid win in the next Levain Cup match against RB Omiya Ardija to build momentum and carry that into the league matches.
