<Match Review>
Tokyo is blue and red. Ajinomoto Stadium is our home.
As if to show it off, the path from the pedestrian deck to the stadium was paved in blue and red, and the stands were decorated with blue and red patterned choreography from the warm-up. Then, loud chants of support echoed from behind the home goal.
"Fight, my Tokyo. Believe in victory today as well. Let's burst forth, Tobitakyu. There's no way we can lose."
The support system is perfect. The stadium is filled with energy. Now, all that's left is for the team to deliver results. This is a game approached with the determination to win at all costs, harnessing the energy of the blue-red family and turning it into positive power. Tokyo welcomed back members who had been absent and players who were suspended in the previous match, aiming for 3 points with a deep roster.
An important game that must be won at all costs. The goalkeeper position was assigned to Kim Seung-gyu, who returned from the South Korean national team. The back line featured Yuto Nagatomo, who returned from the Japanese national team, on the right; Masato Morishige and Alexander Scholz as center backs; and Sei Muroya, who made his return to the lineup after about a month, at left back. In midfield, Takahiro Ko, also returning from absence, partnered with Kento Hashimoto. The attackers were Marcos GUILHERME on the right and Keita Endo on the left. Up front, Motoki NAGAKURA and Marcelo Mian, who dyed his hair blonde, formed the two-forward line. Additionally, Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA, who had been out for a long time, was named to the bench for the first time in about five and a half months.
1st HALF—Endured early pressure and attacked but failed to score. The outcome is left to the second half.
Tokyo was chosen to change ends by the coin toss and attacked toward the blue-red goal behind the stand from the first half. At the start, Tokyo Verdy pressed continuously with set plays, and afterward, Tokyo was pushed back by the opponent’s sharp initial pressure, struggling to leave their own half.
Unable to establish shape in ground play, they attempted to push forward while supplying approximate balls ahead. In the 14th minute of the first half, Nagakura kept possession, turned forward, and passed to the left. Here, Endo cut inside and aimed a shot with his right foot. Then, in the 16th minute, Marcos received the ball on the right side, advanced, and sent a cross pass, which Endo again shot with his right foot. They created chances in quick succession, gradually drawing the momentum closer.
However, they struggled against the opponent's aggressive pressing from the front line, and in the 17th minute of the first half, there was a scene where a long shot bounced off the crossbar, providing a narrow escape.
As Tokyo began to gradually gain possession by alternating between long balls and short passes, Tokyo V held back their high press and switched to a mid-block defensive strategy around the 25th minute of the first half. This allowed Tokyo to further increase their possession rate and display a more substantial attack, utilizing speed and breakthrough ability on both flanks.
However, the opponent also solidified the center and did not allow freedom, and although they advanced into the penalty area, they were unable to create a decisive chance. Around the 37th minute of the first half, as they probed for an opening by moving around the outside, Morishige made a sharp pass diagonally to the right front. Nagatomo, who was overlapping, received it and crossed. However, this was blocked by the opponent and did not lead to a decisive opportunity.
The score remained unchanged even during the 2 minutes of additional time in the first half. The outcome was left to be decided in the 45 minutes of the second half.
2nd HALF—Victory at home in the league for the first time in 21 years with Motoki’s goal
At the start of the second half, both teams launched fast-paced attacks. In the 3rd minute of the second half, Tokyo countered as Marcos powerfully advanced down the right side into the opponent’s territory, pushing forward in combination with Nagakura but failing to get a shot off. They continued to connect passes mainly on the right side, showing a substantial attack including Scholz’s overlapping runs, but were unable to break through the opponent’s five-back defense and create a decisive chance.
Then, in the 15th minute of the second half, the score finally changed. The starting point was a long kick from Min Gyu JANG, who had repeatedly created chances since the first half. When Hyan contested the ball with a header from the back and flicked it forward, Nagakura broke through between the opposing center backs and, from a middle range, skillfully curled a shot over the goalkeeper’s head with the outside of his left foot while checking the keeper’s position to score the opening goal. Ajinomoto Stadium was filled with a roar of cheers as the number '1' appeared on Tokyo’s scoreboard.
Wanting to reinforce the attack even further, Tokyo made substitutions immediately after in the 16th minute of the second half, bringing on Keito SATO as the left attacker and Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA as one of the two forwards, replacing Hian and Endo. Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI took the initiative to energize the team with this move.
Advancing the match in the opponent’s territory, Tokyo in the 27th minute of the second half connected from Marcos, who held the ball on the left side, to Muroya, then sharply threaded a pass to Hashimoto, who had entered the penalty area from the left. When number 18 dropped the ball, both Kogashiwa and Nagakura went for it. Although the timing overlapped and they couldn’t take a decisive shot, it became a form of powerful and good attack including the attacking run from the defensive midfielder.
Having converted a rare chance into a lead, the team faced a critical period with 10 minutes remaining to determine how to play the rest of the match. At this point, an accident occurred for Tokyo. Substitute player Tsuyoshi Kogashiwa injured his right shoulder in a collision with an opponent. Although it was the opposite side from the left shoulder he had previously injured during a long absence, as a precaution he was substituted out for Leon NOZAWA. At the same time, Soma ANZAI was brought on as left side back. He replaced Naruki Muroya, who had been fighting fiercely, and was entrusted with the role of closing out the match.
Tokyo, determined to snatch victory with spirited play. When Mikiki Nagakura holds the ball with his body, Kei Sato rushes in with a fierce press to save the team. The passionate play continues through the 6 minutes of second-half stoppage time. They repeatedly repel the opponent’s set pieces at the near side, and at 45+7 minutes in the second half, a substitution is made from Tak to Kei KOIZUMI. Using the last substitution to run down the clock, they tighten up the pitch.
From behind the goal, the chant "We must not lose to Verdy" echoed loudly. Responding to that spirit, Nagakura fiercely chased the opposing defenders until the very end and made a sliding interception, and amidst the roaring cheers, the final whistle blew. United in blue and red at the home Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo secured their first victory in this matchup since April 12, 2008.
MATCH DETAILS
<FC TOKYO>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Kim Seung-gyu
DF Masato Muroya (39th minute 2nd half: Soma ANZAI)/Masato MORISHIGE/Yuto NAGATOMO/Alexander Scholz
MF Takahiro KO (45+7th minute 2nd half: Keisuke KOIZUMI)/Kento HASHIMOTO/Keita ENDO (16th minute 2nd half: Megumu SATO)/Marcos GUILHERME
FW Marcelo Jean (16th minute 2nd half: Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA) (39th minute 2nd half: Leon NOZAWA)/Motoki NAGAKURA
SUBS
GK Go HATANO
DF Teppei OKA/Kanta DOI
FW Ewerton GAUDINO
MANAGER
Rikizo MATSUHASHI
GOAL
15th minute of the second half: Motoki NAGAKURA
<Tokyo Verdy>
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Mateus
DF Kazuya MIYAHARA/Daiki FUKAZAWA/Hiroto TANIGUCHI
MF Tetsuyuki INAMI (19th minute of the second half: Issei KUMATORIYA)/Rei HIRAKAWA (45th minute of the second half: Soma SHOKUNO)/Koki MORITA/Yuta ARAI
FW Kosuke SAITO (19th minute of the second half: Yuya FUKUDA)/Itsuki SOMENO (30th minute of the second half: Shimon TERANUMA)/Shoji TOYAMA (30th minute of the second half: Yosuke UCHIDA)
SUBS
GK Yuya NAGASAWA
DF Kaito SUZUKI/Naoki HAYASHI
FW Hayato HIRAO
MANAGER
Hiroshi JOFUKU
GOAL
―
[Interview with Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI]
Q, please give us an overview of the match.
A, truly, in terms of aiming for victory, I am very pleased that the players gave their all during both good and bad periods, and that effort led to the win. At the same time, I believe this victory was made possible by the strength of the fans and supporters who always back us up and support us. Thank you very much.
Q, it was a match where both teams showed great determination, especially since it was against Tokyo Verdy, but I think Tokyo demonstrated a fighting spirit that surpassed the opponent's. I believe that was the key factor in today's victory. What are your thoughts on this, coach?
A, as you mentioned, I believe they approached the match with the unique passion and spirit that characterize the Tokyo Verdy game, and naturally, the opponent also responded with equal determination. However, in the end, surpassing them by a single goal and securing the result is extremely valuable. While not everything in our style of play went exactly as planned, the passion unique to this match and the moments where, if calmer, we could have performed better but didn’t quite manage to fully express ourselves remain challenges. That said, by observing the opponent’s situation, skillfully using both long and short passes, exploiting the spaces in between, or using the space behind the opponent, I believe the goal was scored through everyone’s deliberate efforts.
Q, early in the match when the opponent pushed forward, it seemed that Kim Seung-gyu deliberately slowed the game down by holding the ball longer and circulating it at the back. Was there any particular strategy behind that?
A, no, I did not give such instructions, but we did discuss carefully observing how the opponent would come at us and deciding which areas to use, so I think they were able to do that well based on their own judgment. However, I do feel there were moments when we relied too heavily on that approach. The flow of the match had its good periods, but there were also scenes where we lost the ball carelessly or attacked sloppily, immediately handing the ball to the opponent and getting pressed. That is something we need to correct going forward. It is a challenge in how we manage the flow of the game.
Q, The goal scene was a beautiful and technical loop shot using the outside of Motoki NAGAKURA's left foot. You have been watching him for a long time and surely understand well that he possesses such skills, but could you please give your evaluation of him?
A, First of all, I think it is truly wonderful that he scored firmly in such a big game and led the team to victory. The goal was born not only from breaking down the opponent or skillfully exploiting the space between the lines, but also from the relationship between Kim Seung-gyu, who made the decision in the previous scene, and Marcelo RYAN, who was involved there. It was a goal that took advantage of situations where the opponent was somewhat stretched out and skillfully used those gaps. Therefore, I believe it was a very excellent goal.
Q, You made two substitutions simultaneously immediately after scoring, but I believe these substitutions were originally planned for a 0-0 situation. As a result, the substitutions were made after taking the lead by one goal. Did you change your approach in any way at that point?
A, it was part of the game plan, but after scoring, I discussed with the coaches whether to make substitutions at that point. Even so, with the aim of going for an additional goal, I brought Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA on, hoping we could effectively utilize the ball with him and the relationships around him. He is a player skilled at dribbling between the lines and breaking through using the connection between two players. It also seemed that the opposing defensive midfielders were showing signs of fatigue and their movement was deteriorating, appearing worn out. If we could take the initiative there, there would be another chance to score an additional goal. So, the substitution was made with the intention of how to get the second goal.
Q, In the match against Tokyo V, there were moments when the referee called fouls on certain contact plays to prevent the players from getting too heated, which seemed to interrupt the flow of the game at times. Is this kind of flow challenging for you as a coach?
A, I respect the referee's decisions, and while I don't agree with everything, I try to respect them. What I think is that we want to avoid the additional time becoming excessively long. When it gets too long, it gives the opponent more time, and we also have to fight for an even longer period while already fatigued. Even if the pace is good, there is a possibility that the final one chance could slip to the opponent, so we must aim to minimize that and always maximize the time the ball is in play.
Q. Please give a message to the fans and supporters who cheered us on today despite the heat.
A. Truly, I believe today’s victory would not have been possible without them, and they are always backing us up as the embodiment of "Tokyo." What I conveyed to the players today is that this is not just a battle of history and pride, but a fight for the future. When considering to whom we can entrust Tokyo’s future, it is us. I believe we were able to show everyone supporting us today the will and determination to build Tokyo’s future, and I think the players responded to that. Including those who gave strength to the players and supported them, I believe this is a victory for everyone.
[Player Interview]
<Motoki NAGAKURA>
Q. After the match, please tell us your honest impressions.
A. It was the best.
Q. As a Tokyo player, how was the atmosphere at Ajinomoto Stadium after your first match against Tokyo Verdy?
A. The atmosphere was different from usual matches. It wasn’t just us; the feeling from the fans and supporters of 'We must not lose to Verdy' came through, and it stirred up more than usual.
Q, That was a splendid goal. Looking back, how do you feel about it?
A. I saw that the goalkeeper had come forward, so on a split-second decision, I decided to shoot over him. Based on the position of the ball and my running position, I aimed with my left foot.
Q, What kind of adjustments were instructed at halftime?
A. In the first half, the opponent’s defense was solid, so we talked about using the space behind them more. In the second half, we increased the number of runs behind the defense and targeted the open spaces.
Q, At the moment of the goal, an incredible cheer erupted.
A,I was happy. However, since the opponent had changed sides of the field, I felt a bit frustrated that it wasn’t right in front of our fans and supporters. On the other hand, I also think it’s good in its own way that I scored in front of the opposing fans and supporters. Since it was a goal at a moment when it was unclear which way the momentum would go, I was glad.
Q. Please tell us your honest feelings about winning the match.
A. I knew it had been a draw all along, and I believe I was able to play with a sense of responsibility. Matches like this are enjoyable, I’m happy to have won, and I want to do more. I think we’ll create a good atmosphere in the next "Tamagawa Clasico" as well, so I want to win.
<Player Kim Seung-gyu>
Q. This is your first clean sheet since joining. How do you look back on the match?
A. Of course, I aim for a clean sheet in every match, and it was disappointing that I hadn’t been able to achieve that until now, but I’m very glad to have kept a clean sheet in today’s match against Tokyo Verdy.
Q. Today, long balls from Seung-gyu seemed effective. What were you thinking about as you played?
A. Since the opposing forwards pressed from the front and their defenders were tall, I had already discussed with Yuto NAGATOMO before the match that if there was space, we would effectively use the area behind the opponents. Coach Matsuhashi also talked about always aiming for the space behind while circulating the ball, so I played with that firmly in mind.
Q. How did you hear the cheers from the fans and supporters?
A. They gave us loud cheers from the warm-up onwards. Throughout the match, I could constantly hear the strong support from the fans and supporters behind me, which was a great source of strength. I am very grateful.
Q. From here, there will be consecutive matches. How will you prepare for them?
A. Since all teams face consecutive matches, the situation is the same for everyone. I believe the team that can prepare better will win, so we want to continue making good preparations and playing good matches to steadily accumulate points.
<Takahiro KO>
Q. Please reflect on today’s match, which had a unique tension.
A. The passionate feelings of the fans and supporters created the best atmosphere and energy inside the stadium. The players also felt a different kind of tension than usual. Above all, it was truly great that we were able to secure the win. I think it turned out to be a good game.
Q. Against an opponent that set up a solid defensive block, it seemed like you were thoroughly focused on calmly circulating and controlling the ball. Could you tell us about that?
A. The start was negative, as we gave the opponent consecutive free kicks, but as the match progressed, the amount of pressing play gradually increased. However, I think it would have been better if the team had been able to express plays aiming behind the opponent or plays aware of the opposite side a little more while pressing. The goal came from a simple situation, but the opponent had solidified with five players, and overall, I personally felt that there was a lack of coordinated plays involving middle-range shots or the third and fourth players.
Q. Even in a situation where the team was pushing forward relentlessly, I think Takahiro’s positioning, conscious of risk management, maintained the balance.
A. I was constantly communicating with Scholz and Morishige regarding the opponent’s counterattacks and the positioning of their forwards. I believe we were able to create a situation where the opponent could hardly play as they wished. With the voices from the defense and from us in midfield, we coordinated well to prevent the opponent from scoring on a single counterattack, and even in attacking scenes, I feel we managed risk effectively.
Q. The league victory was the first in about 6,300 days. How do you want to build on this win in the remaining nine matches?
A. I myself was in poor condition and was just eager to get on the pitch and play as soon as possible. I am only thinking about winning all the remaining matches. What makes me happiest is that we were able to respond to the feelings of our fans and supporters with a victory in today’s match against Tokyo Verdy. Considering our current standing, I am only focused on aiming as high as possible. To make this win meaningful, I will just prepare well for the next match against Kawasaki Frontale.
