Match Review
The Emperor's Cup, which leads to the AFC Champions League 2, has kicked off again this season. Aiming for their second title in 14 seasons, head coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI sent a fresh lineup onto the pitch at Ajinomoto Stadium for the first match of the battle. The four-back system introduced from the Sec. 20 match against Cerezo Osaka in the 2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League on the 14th was continued, but all 11 starters were changed for this game.
At the rear, Taishi Brandon NOZAWA took position, with the center backs being Teppei OKA and Kanta DOI. Yuto NAGATOMO was placed at right side back, and Kashif BANGNAGANDE returned to the official match pitch for the first time in 383 days since the Sagan Tosu match on May 31 last year, playing at left side back. Additionally, Maki KITAHARA and Kei KOIZUMI took the defensive midfield positions, with Leon NOZAWA on the right and Keisuke SATO on the left. Up front, Motoki NAGAKURA, who joined in June, and Teruhito NAKAGAWA formed the two-top attack.
1st HALF—Taking control, heading into the second half with two goals by player Sato
The lefty who overcame a tough rehabilitation life excited the venue. In the 22nd minute of the first half, player Kashiho carried the ball deep on the left side and crossed it in front of the goal. Leon NOZAWA connected with a header in front of the goal, but it hit the crossbar. Then, in the 24th minute of the first half, he broke behind the opponent's last line and delivered a pinpoint pass to player Nakagawa. Receiving this, number 39 was fouled by the opposing goalkeeper and earned a direct free kick. Kitahara took the direct shot, but unfortunately, the shot was blocked by the crossbar.
While upsets occurred at other venues, Tokyo calmly controlled the match while maintaining the initiative on this day. Then, at the 32nd minute, a moment of joy arrived.
The day before the match, the keyword highlighted by the coach, "transition," brought this about. Although the ball was lost in midfield, the team quickly switched gears and immediately regained possession. From there, player Nakagawa advanced with a dribble, and player Sato, running alongside, calmly shook the net to score the opening goal.
Furthermore, in the 44th minute of the first half, Leon NOZAWA received the ball high on the right side, broke through the sideline with individual skill, and crossed it to the center. Then, Sato scored an additional goal with a header, leading by 2 goals at halftime.
2nd HALF—With Nagakura's first goal after transfer, they pull closer to advancing to the 3rd Round
From the start of the second half, the coach substituted Seiji KIMURA for Yoshifu and Ewerton GAUDINO for Nakagawa. KIMURA took a position as one of the center backs, and Oka shifted to left side back.
Tokyo did not want to ease up on their attack, but careless mistakes gave Kanazawa an opening. Gradually, Tokyo found themselves on the defensive more often. Even so, centered around Taishi Nozawa, they prevented conceding goals. Then, from the 29th minute of the second half, Takahiro KO, who came on as a substitute for Kitahara, calmed the game and regained control of the flow.
At the 34th minute, Sato once again had a great chance, but unfortunately missed the target. Then, one minute later, Nagatomo broke through on a through pass from Taka and aimed for a shot, but it was blocked by the opposing defender. Immediately after, Sato was substituted off for Kota TAWARATSUMIDA. Although he missed out on a hat-trick, Sato contributed to the victory with two goals.
And the finishing touch came at the 40th minute. Nagakura quickly reacted to the deflection of a shot by Tawara Tsukida and scored with a diving header, securing the decisive additional goal. In his debut match, he made a strong impression with that one shot. Although Kanazawa scored a goal near the end of the match, the victory anthem echoed at Ajinomoto Stadium for the first time in six official games. Welcoming new teammates, this valuable win raised expectations for a comeback in June.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC Tokyo>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Yuto Nagatomo/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (Second half 0 min: Seiji KIMURA)/Teppei Oka/Kanta DOI
MF Leon NOZAWA/Kei Koizumi/Maki Kitahara (Second half 29 min: Yo Takahiro)
FW Yoshimasa Sato (Second half 35 min: Kota TAWARATSUMIDA)/Motoki NAGAKURA (Second half 41 min: Soma ANZAI)/Teruhito Nakagawa (Second half 0 min: Ewerton GAUDINO)
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Sei MUROYA/Kosuke SHIRAI
FW Marcelo Hian
MANAGER
Rikizo MATSUHASHI
GOAL
32nd minute of the first half: Keimasa Sato / 44th minute of the first half: Keimasa Sato / 40th minute of the second half: Motoki NAGAKURA
<Zweigen Kanazawa>
STARTING XI
GK Hiroto SHIRAI
DF Hiroto HATAO (2nd half 0 min: Daisuke MATSUMOTO) / Jefferson Jari (2nd half 0 min: Hayate NAGAKURA) / Shunya MOURI (2nd half 13 min: Takayoshi ISHIHARA) / Kaito MIYAZAKI / Norimichi YAMAMOTO
MF Keisuke OYAMA (2nd half 33 min: Tomoya OSAWA) / Jin MURATA / Shintaro SHIMADA
FW Yusei TOSHIDA / Hayato OTANI (2nd half 13 min: Yusei SHINOMIYA)
SUBS
GK Itsuki UEDA
MF Taiki KATO/Andrew KUMAGAI
FW Kyohei SUGIURA
MANAGER
Masaki Tsujita
GOAL
44th minute of the second half: Jin Murata
[Interview with Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI]
Q, please look back on today's game.
A, I am relieved that we were able to safely advance to the next stage. I believe there are many points to reflect on despite the victory. I am reassured that we were able to deliver a win to our fans and supporters.
Q. Kashif BANGNAGANDE made his first competitive return in about a year and was immediately selected as a starting member. Please share the intention behind this selection and your evaluation of his performance.
A. It was a decision made carefully in consultation with the medical staff. I was also waiting for the right timing. When I saw Kashif's face during the meeting, it really struck me. Considering the period since his injury, I haven't been with him that long, but since coming to this club, I haven't seen him play for very long, so I want to believe he was able to make a good start, and I think he was able to perform at a level that matches that.
Q: Was his performance in the first half such that it did not cause any concern?
A. While there is a feeling to play him for the full match, the team has agreed to use him cautiously. However, I believe that today's 45 minutes could very well be the start of something.
Q. There may have been differences in categories with the opponent, but individual skills were used to break free, and the ball moved well. Don't you feel that the team made progress?
A. In my view, when I think about how many players were able to understand what we rehearsed and add something extra to their play, I believe the number was small. I talked about this at halftime, and while gradual progress is expected, it took time for the new members to settle in after the second half started. There were also moments when we suffered from the opponent’s counterattacks, got peeled off during build-up, and conceded in areas where we absolutely should not have. Regarding the start of the match, I also felt it was important to have the mindset of "Can you guys approach the start of the second half as if it’s 0-0, not 2-0?" In that sense, the start of the second half became a difficult phase.
Q. Today was Motoki NAGAKURA's debut in Tokyo, and he also scored a goal. Please share your evaluation of him.
A. He was able to fully demonstrate his good qualities, and there were several scenes where, if things just clicked, his strengths would shine even more. I think the next step is to get that fit right. I also spoke with him at halftime, and there were some parts where he could see the relationship with the passer a little. However, in terms of securing the ball properly and the accuracy of the next pass after receiving it, he played a good role as a starting point for the attack.
Q. Maki KITAHARA, who was used as a starting member, also had some close chances.
A. In the first half, it seemed like he was playing in a somewhat safe position. While we couldn't fully bring out the aspects we aimed for, he had many opportunities to touch the ball and often set the tempo, but he wasn't always able to deliver passes to good positions, and there were many mistakes. In the second half, due to physical issues, he completely lost his footing. We selected him because we believe he can fully demonstrate his strengths, and I think he is well prepared to stand on the pitch. However, I think even he himself was not satisfied with his performance today.
[Player Interview]
<Kashif BANGNAGANDE>
Q. How was the pitch at Ajinomoto Stadium after such a long time?
A. I was very nervous when I entered, but once the match started, my nerves eased and I was able to get into a good state for the game. It felt nostalgic, but I was able to get into the match without any discomfort. The fans and supporters called out my name and sang chants, creating a great atmosphere, so I was able to approach the match smoothly.
Q. It was the first official match in 383 days. How do you look back on the game?
A. There were many aspects that needed correction in terms of content. First of all, it was good for the team to secure a victory after a long time. I believed this was a period when results were more important than the content itself, so it was good to be able to deliver a result. I hope this match becomes a turning point for the team to get on a good track, including in the league matches. The next match will truly be important.
Q. It took some time for your return, but it feels like you have come back much stronger.
A. During this period, I faced myself day by day and kept working hard, so I’m happy that I was able to express that on the pitch. Today was 45 minutes, but when my playing time increases from here, I want to maintain the same quality in my performance. On the contrary, I also want to make sure I can deliver results during the tough times for the team. Today, I wasn’t able to leave results in numbers such as assists or goals, so I want to focus on that and power up. Once I can produce those numbers, I believe I can contribute even more to the team. Therefore, I want to firmly pursue those numerical results.
Q, There were many plays typical of Kashif BANGNAGANDE.
A. I entered the match intending to play in my own style, and my teammates and staff encouraged me to enjoy it. I focused solely on expressing what I have been working on until now and played with that mindset.
Q: From here, the league matches will be consecutive. How do you plan to approach these consecutive matches?
A. We were able to win today, but I believe it will be meaningless if we cannot secure victories in the upcoming consecutive matches. I don’t know how much I will be involved in the games personally, but if given the chance to play, I want to deliver results of “victory” for the team through my performance.
Q. Please give a message to the fans and supporters who have been waiting for player Yoshifu's return.
A, Thank you always for your support. Even during this period of absence, I received many voices of encouragement through SNS and interaction opportunities. That truly became my source of energy, allowing me to keep making daily efforts even during tough times. From here on, I hope to show you all an even more powered-up version of myself. I appreciate your continued support.
<Motoki NAGAKURA>
Q: This was your debut match after joining Tokyo. Please reflect on today's game, where you also scored your first goal.
A. I want to increase the number of times I touch the ball and improve the quality of my play from now on. It was lucky to score in my debut match. As a forward, no matter the form, being able to score immediately after joining is a big mental boost. Regarding the scoring scene, when Kota TAWARATSUMIDA was dribbling forward, I was also aware of the timing, thinking, "If the shot is blocked, the ball will come here." Reacting well to loose balls is also part of a forward's job. There was some luck involved, but I think it was good that I was able to respond well.
Q. The two forwards changed in each half. What kind of mindset did you have while playing?
A. I paid particular attention not only to my own movements but also to Teruhito NAKAGAWA's movements in the first half and Ewerton GAUDINO's movements in the second half, focusing on the coordination and spacing between the two forwards. I was conscious of positioning from the stage before the match.
Q. There were many instances of off-the-ball movements and defensive contributions that stood out as key features.
A. Since these are the plays that characterize my strengths and style, I was especially conscious of playing for the team. However, I want to focus more on the quality aspect and continue to improve. Regarding defense, the way we applied pressure from the front line did not work well as a team in the second half, and we were unable to transition smoothly from defense to attack like we did in the first half. I see this as a challenge to address moving forward.
Q: The league matches are coming up this weekend. How do you want to contribute to the team from here on?
A. There are various types of forwards, but I consider myself a player who is "brought to life by my teammates." To be utilized well, I want to keep being mindful of maintaining good positioning. As we prepare for the weekend match against Gamba Osaka, I aim to make good preparations from here on and play in a way that leads to victory.
