<Match Review>
A match where they must show their grit. Tokyo, on the rise with 6 wins and 1 loss in recent official matches, faced the second-placed Kashima Antlers at home. In the away game held in March, despite creating many chances, they repeatedly missed decisive opportunities and lost. Since that defeat became a turning point leading to a difficult period, they now want to demonstrate their fighting spirit, prove their true strength, and use this as a chance to rise further.
With just three days since the Round of 16 match in the Emperor's Cup held on Wednesday, Tokyo made seven changes to the starting lineup. The goalkeeper was Kim Seung-gyu, and the back four from right to left were Yuto Nagatomo, Alexander Scholz, Teppei Oka, and Naruki Muroya. The defensive midfielders were Takahiro KO and Kento HASHIMOTO, while the attackers were Keiin Sato on the right and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA on the left. Marcelo and Motoki NAGAKURA formed the two forwards. Additionally, rookie Taiyo YAMAGUCHI, a product of the academy, was named to the bench for the first time, and Ewerton GAUDINO was included in the squad for the first time since the J1 League Round 25 match against Yokohama F. Marinos on June 25.
On the opposing side, the Kashima Antlers started with Ogawa and Araki, both former Tokyo players, while Tagawa was on the bench. During the pre-match player introductions, the three players received a big round of applause from the stadium.
1st HALF—A first half focused on both offense and defense. The match remained scoreless going into the second half.
The blue and red eleven, welcomed by the fireworks and light show of 'FIREWORKS NIGHT supported by Paidy,' immediately launched an attack on the Kashima goal.
At 2 minutes into the game, Julian broke away on a counterattack, carried the ball forward vertically, and took a shot. It hit an opposing defender and struck the right post. Then, at 4 minutes, from a left cross by Muroya, Julian chest-trapped the ball and fiercely swung his left foot inside the penalty area, but this too was stopped by the sharp reaction of the opposing goalkeeper, preventing the ball from hitting the net.
Tokyo continued to take control of the match with aggressive play. In the 15th minute of the first half, from Ogawa's left cross, Leo CEARA connected in the center, but goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu showed an outstanding reaction to the close-range header. Then, in the 18th minute, he also made a flying save to block a powerful long shot, with the defense firmly supporting the team.
Both teams created chances and the tense moments continued, but the next big chance was created by Tokyo. In the 25th minute of the first half, Nagatomo broke through on the right side, marked by two defenders, and delivered a pinpoint cross to the near side. Nagakura connected with the inside of his right foot, but once again, the opposing goalkeeper's excellent reaction prevented the ball from hitting the net.
Tokyo launched a well-rounded attack from the sides and the center. In the 39th minute of the first half, following a cutback from Tawara Tsukida, both Nagakura and Sato rushed into the area, but their timing was just slightly off.
In the first half, all 11 players on the pitch showed focused play, surpassing their opponents in battles for the ball, quick anticipation, and transitions between offense and defense, but even during the two minutes of additional time, neither side could change the score. The tightly contested, evenly matched game was carried over into the second half.
2nd HALF—Counterattack Attempted but Revenge from Previous Match Not Achieved
With the lessons learned from the away game five months ago in mind, Tokyo aimed to firmly convert their chances. There were no substitutions at halftime as they entered the second half. Meanwhile, Kashima had switched their system from 4-4-2 to 4-2-3-1 during the first half, but at the start of the second half, they made two player changes to reinforce the team and reverted back to 4-4-2 to take the fight to their opponents.
Tokyo wanted to take the initiative, but an accident struck early in the second half. Muroya, who passed the ball on the left side, injured his leg and sat down, forcing a substitution with Kashif BANGNAGANDE in the 8th minute of the second half.
Both teams were looking for attacking opportunities, and Tokyo created a chance by utilizing Lukian's speed. In the 14th minute of the second half, Sato quickly turned and made a through pass from the right side. Lukian broke free, dribbled forward, and aimed with his right foot, but the opposing goalkeeper saved it, preventing a goal. Then, in the 21st minute, after Tawara Tsukida's shot hit an opponent and the ball spilled loose, Sato attempted a direct half-volley, but it narrowly missed to the right of the goal.
In the 33rd minute of the second half, wanting to meet the expectations of the Blue-Red family who continued to cheer passionately despite the heavy rain, Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI made a move. He brought on Teruhito NAKAGAWA and Leon NOZAWA in place of Julian and Tawara Tsukida. Sending fresh attackers to the front line, he entrusted them with breaking through the situation. Then, immediately in the 34th minute, after Nagatomo’s right cross was cleared and the loose ball flowed to the far side, Leon NOZAWA took a direct shot as the ball dropped. He showed an aggressive attack right away.
However, the failure to convert chances once again led to a difficult situation, just like in the away game. In the 36th minute of the second half, a momentary lapse was exploited as the left side of their own defense was broken through, and from a grounded cross, Tagawa was pinpointed at the near post and scored. Entering the final stages of the match trailing by one goal.
The final substitution came in the 44th minute of the second half, with Ewerton and Keigo HIGASHI entering the pitch in place of Sato and Hashimoto.
During the six minutes of added time displayed in the second half, despite the heavy rain, the energy behind the goal continued to rise. Fueled by the loud cheers of "Today is a day we cannot lose," the blue-red eleven, chasing a goal, launched attacks on Kashima’s goal through counters and set plays.
However, the counterattack fell short. Despite showing a passionate fight, the fierce battle in the rain unfortunately ended in a 0-1 defeat.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC TOKYO>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kim Seung-gyu
DF Naruki Muroya (8th minute second half: Kashif BANGNAGANDE)/Yuto NAGATOMO/Alexander Scholz/Teppei Oka
MF Ko Woo-young/Kei Sato (44th minute second half: Ewerton GAUDINO)/Kento HASHIMOTO (44th minute second half: Keigo Azuma)/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (33rd minute second half: Leon NOZAWA)
FW Marcelo Jean (33rd minute second half: Teruhito NAKAGAWA)/Motoki NAGAKURA
SUBS
GK Masataka KOBAYASHI
DF Henrique Trevisan
MF Kei KOIZUMI
FW Taiyo YAMAGUCHI
MANAGER
Rikizo MATSUHASHI
GOAL
―
<Kashima Antlers>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Tomoki HAYAKAWA
DF Ryuta KOIKE/Naomichi UEDA/Kim Tae-hyun/Ryoya OGAWA
MF Yu FUNABASHI (0th minute of the second half: Kei CHINEN)/Kento MISAO (34th minute of the second half: Shuhei MIZOGUCHI)/Ryotaro ARAKI (0th minute of the second half: Yuta MATSUMURA)/Chavrich (16th minute of the second half: Kyosuke TAGAWA)
FW Leo Ceara (30th minute of the second half: Yuta HIGUCHI)/Yuma SUZUKI
SUBS
GK Yuji KAJIKAWA
DF Keisuke TSUKUI/Kaito CHIDA
MF Gaku SHIBASAKI
MANAGER
Toru ONIKI
GOAL
36th minute of the second half: Kyosuke TAGAWA
[Interview with Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI]
Q. Please give us a summary of today’s match.
A. It is extremely frustrating to have been defeated by the Kashima Antlers, who demonstrated truly remarkable strength. It’s not about the content or anything like that; we have no choice but to accept the result. There are still many things we need to build up and internalize. It’s the accumulation of small things. Unless those start to emerge more, we won’t be able to beat teams like this, and I think it will be difficult to rise higher. Despite the fact that many fans and supporters gathered today even in such weather, it is very disappointing that we could not deliver a victory.
Q, I think the result is frustrating, but I believe the content was very good. How do you evaluate that aspect?
A, regarding the content, I think we were able to properly respond to various aspects both offensively and defensively, and we were able to create chances. However, in the first phase of defense, everyone could somewhat sense the danger, which is of course important, but in the second and third phases—such as when the opponent picks up second balls or when we carelessly lose possession ourselves—the sensitivity to the sense of crisis or the moments when it is truly dangerous was, unfortunately, not very high. Of course, there were times when it was high, but in terms of how we were beaten, I have to say that this is the case.
Once those issues surface, no matter how good the game is, no matter how favorable the flow of the game is, even if it seems like a game we could probably win, conceding goals like that will hardly lead to a positive evaluation. We must approach it with that level of seriousness. It’s not just about acknowledging this one point; I believe the reasons we couldn’t secure the three points lie in both offense and defense. We need to properly address those areas and thoroughly refine the content as well.
Q, the timing of the substitutions seemed to be delayed; could you please explain the intention behind that?
A, regarding the substitutions, there were still parts where it didn’t seem like the players’ legs had stopped yet, so we aimed to push it as far as possible and then make all the substitutions at once to boost our power. However, since some players gradually showed signs of fatigue and the rain also had an impact, the timing of those substitutions in such conditions may have appeared delayed. Our intention was to overwhelm the opponent toward the end by making substitutions all at once, but unfortunately, we couldn’t achieve that today either. During that period, the priority shifted to dropping the ball back, and there were few challenges. I believe we were unable to perform well in receiving the ball in the most dangerous areas as a part of our performance.
Q, after a match where the content was good but the result did not come, what kind of words did you say to the players?
A, I also spoke to the players about what I am discussing here now. However, even before entering this game, there have been more opportunities to accumulate victories recently, and precisely because of that, I think it is important to have the feeling that we can do something and to have confidence. But I also told them that it is not good for their feelings to become too inflated because of that. At such times, you can easily be caught off guard. It is essential to pay close attention to the small things, to thoroughly carry out the basics, and to focus on how many times you can repeat those actions. You must keep your eyes on those things. Suddenly stopping what you have been doing until now is not acceptable. Just like personal growth, it is not good to become too big too quickly. That is what I believe, so I conveyed this while approaching this game, but if you cannot do that, the game turns out like this. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened. But now, we have no choice but to wake up once again together and take another look at ourselves. It’s not that we haven’t been doing it, but there is still much more we must do.
Also, we must engage in repetition to further heighten our sensitivity. While discussing with the coaches, we focus on how much we can repeat and instill this during training. Unless we stimulate the players’ sensibilities and essence, it may be difficult to fully draw out their performance and inherent abilities. This is not solely their responsibility; I believe such factors exist in everyday life as well, so I want to take another close look at this and work on it again.
[Player Interview]
<Takahiro KO>
Q, please review the game.
A, the game flow was good from the first half, and we had many chances, but failing to finish them resulted in a very frustrating match where the opponent took advantage of a brief lapse.
Q, while the team was able to show its strengths, the match ended up with a difference at the crucial moments.
A, we were able to create chances from the first half, and we communicated on the pitch and during halftime to make sure we finished those chances, continued to keep targeting the opponent’s goal, managed risks, and maintained our concentration. It’s truly frustrating.
Q, finishing ability greatly influenced the outcome of the match.
A, the opposing goalkeeper Hayakawa was also an excellent keeper and saved many big chances. While we were able to create numerous opportunities from the sides, there were many moments where I thought we could have connected better with the crosses. We want the entire team to strive for that final level of "quality."
<Player Kei Sato>
Q. In the first half, from the very start, we created decisive chances and progressed the match on our terms. How did it feel on the pitch?
A. Not only at the start of the match but throughout the game, there were moments when we held the initiative, and because we played our own style without adapting to the opponent, we failed to finish and, conversely, conceded from the opponent’s few chances. Their mental toughness was superior, and I truly think that was the difference. I believe there was absolutely no difference in ability, and on the contrary, I can confidently say that we were stronger. That’s why losing this way is incredibly frustrating.
Q. Until about 30 minutes into the first half, we kept pressing the opponent almost like a half-court game. What do you think were the factors that allowed us to take the initiative?
A. The main factor was that I, along with others, took positions that the opponents disliked, placing ourselves in spots that troubled their full-backs, and the good relationships on the flanks overwhelmed the opponents. Conversely, we also had good vertical passes through the center, with movements involved in those plays, allowing us to control both the sides and the center. Because of that, we were able to draw the opponents in and recover their forced clearances, creating a positive cycle.
If we had kept that up for the full 90 minutes, I think we could have scored. Because there were many good scenes in the first half, when we failed to finish, the momentum gradually shifted to the opponent. It’s not like the previous Kashima match, but even when playing good football, we ended up conceding and losing. In terms of the game content, Tokyo truly played better football, which is why it’s so frustrating.
Q. We also felt that player Keito Sato's performance was in good form.
A. Today, I was able to play with quite a bit of composure, I was aware of my surroundings, and the relationships on the sides were well established. Not just positioning, but if I can produce plays that threaten the opponent’s goal more and plays that the opponent dislikes, it will add depth to our attack, expand the range of my own play, and I believe it will lead to goals. So, I think that’s the only thing left.
Q. Even if we continue to outperform in terms of content, there may be matches where the outcome changes by a narrow margin. What do you think makes the difference?
A. As Coach Matsuhashi also said, it is precisely at times like these that we need to focus on the small things and details, and if we can win in each situation, naturally we will win the match and goals will come. We want to continue without neglecting those aspects. Our defense has also improved, and I believe it’s just a matter of maintaining that. Things are gradually getting better, so we just need to quickly switch our mindset and move forward without looking down, focusing on the next challenge.
