Match Review & Preview

Review of the Previous Match Against Tokyo Verdy

To hang on in the title race──. An important game with the aim of securing a crucial three consecutive away wins in this season’s turning point triple away matches. The blue-red family, positioned behind the away goal in a different section than usual, echoed with passionate support even before the match began. With a 4-point gap chasing the top-ranked Kashima Antlers from second place, this match is one they absolutely want to win.

In a crucial match where six players were changed from the previous game and the team went all out, Tokyo adopted a flexible system from the start as they searched for attacking opportunities. However, the opponent solidified the center and tightly marked the two forwards. Passes inserted from the midfield and fullbacks were blocked, resulting in long periods where Tokyo could not create a foothold in the attacking front.

In the 21st minute of the first half, a chance was created on the right side, and Sei MUROYA’s cross following a vertical pass from Alexander SCHOLZ seemed to have caused an own goal, but the goal was not awarded as the ball had crossed the goal line beforehand. Then, in the 27th minute, coordinated pressing high up the pitch forced a mistake from the opponent, and Leon NOZAWA took a shot with his right foot, but it went wide to the right of the goal. Despite creating several chances, the team struggled to consistently break down the opposition and went into halftime without scoring.

In the second half, a big chance came early on. After connecting passes on the right side between Muroya and Keita Sato, Nozawa, who was free on the far side, took a shot. However, this also went wide to the left of the goal, and the opportunity was not capitalized on.

Amid efforts to gain momentum from defense, including a fine save by Kim Seung-gyu, in the 32nd minute of the second half, Fuki YAMADA followed up on a cross from Keita ENDO, who had broken through on the left side, and shook the net. However, with VAR support, it was judged that ENDO was involved in the play from an offside position, and the goal was disallowed. Despite launching a fierce all-out attack in the final stages, they failed to score, and the match was decided by a penalty shootout.

This season, all players scored in penalty shootouts, resulting in a perfect record, but on this day, the first shooter Scholz and the third shooter Yamada were stopped, bringing everything to a halt. They were defeated by Tokyo V, who scored with all players, and suffered a loss that earned them only 1 point.

This Week's Preview

This week, we will visit Machida GION Stadium, where cherry blossom petals are fluttering, for the first time as an official J.League match and face FC Machida Zelvia. Due to schedule changes following Machida's advancement to the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League Elite, we will play two consecutive matches with only three days in between.

FC Tokyo has faced Machida five times in official matches, with one win and four losses. Last season, they also met in the Emperor's Cup Semifinal Round, where Tokyo suffered a bitter 0-2 defeat. The two matches to avenge that loss are about to begin.

After eight matches in the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League, Machida sits in 2nd place with 17 points. Tokyo is close behind in 3rd place, just one point behind. For both teams chasing the top-ranked Kashima Antlers, these two matches are crucial and cannot be dropped.

Machida's strengths lie in their solid defense that firmly closes down the center and their thoroughly executed side attacks. While being cautious of Machida, head coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI said, "There is no need to fear them unnecessarily," and continued as follows.

"Their main battleground is attacks from crosses, where they pick up the loose balls and target the broken areas. If we give them an opening to exploit at critical moments, Machida possesses a strength that does not misread the situation. Their strength lies in the fact that their attacking options are well coordinated. Impressively, their unique style is always evident. When that wave comes, how we suppress it, and once suppressed, connect it to our attacking wave will create opportunities, I believe."

A fierce battle for the ball is also expected, but player Keito Sato says, "We have no intention of losing in terms of intensity."

"However, we have also grown since last season. We have raised our playing intensity and want to overcome the opponent’s strengths. It’s not good to just match them, but we have an image that we can win even if we do. We want to overwhelm them in many ways."

Furthermore, in this match, the transition between offense and defense will be a key target for both sides. The outcome will likely depend on whether they can outpace their opponent in switching play. Keisuke Sato is expected to take on the role of the switch between offense and defense.

"By shifting the ball to the sides, the key is how to make the opponent slide and wear them down. It’s crucial to keep moving the ball until the opponent can no longer keep up. To do that, we first need to target the space behind them. I’ve told the players at the back to aim for that as well. So, we want to keep taking advantage of the space behind the opponent."

Player Kei Sato shed tears of frustration immediately after last season's Emperor's Cup Semifinal Round match. To turn those tears into a smile, he ended with a determined statement, "We will win two consecutive matches."

Interview with Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI

Q: The Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League is approaching its halfway point. The last match of the first half and the first match of the second half will both be against FC Machida Zelvia. I believe these will be important matches in terms of standings.
A: I think it is extremely important to focus on how to keep the players concentrated during the match. How to maintain a consistently high level of motivation and enable them to perform at their best is truly crucial. It cannot be just a temporary burst; I fully understand that one energy leads to the next greater energy. However, it is always important to regard "the opponent in front of us as the strongest enemy." Regardless of the standings, if we do not position ourselves to see the current opponent as our strongest enemy, we might get caught off guard or become overconfident even while on a winning streak. There is no doubt this is a very important match, but I always tell the players to put everything into this one match without thinking about the next game, and I believe we just need to continue doing that.

Q. Last season, your ability to adjust during the match and the intensity of your attacks were remarkable. What do you think will be important when playing against Machida?
A. I don’t think there’s any need to be overly afraid. I didn’t view the two matches against Machida last season as something to be pessimistic about. It’s just a matter of how we finish in the crucial moments. There were also some errors on our part, which I believe led to giving them openings. Machida certainly has the strength not to misread such situations, and how we control that ourselves is important in every match. Above all, we must maintain the fundamental belief and confidence that we can do it.

Q. What do you think are Machida’s strong points?
A. Although their main attack comes from crosses, I think their strength lies in the whole team being aligned in their approach to second balls, loose balls, and attacking options when the opponent is slightly unsettled. Looking at the numbers alone, I don’t think they are particularly high. They are a team that consistently plays in a way that expresses their own style, and when the opponent’s momentum comes, it is important for them to firmly suppress it themselves. If they can then connect that suppression to our attacking momentum, I believe we can create many chances.

Q. Looking back on the eight matches so far, do you think you have been able to stay focused on your goals without wavering?
A. We are at the stage of gradually building on what we have been doing all along. There are times when many things go in a positive direction, and times when they do not. However, I believe there is no absolute correct answer, and I think it is actually dangerous to believe that we have the correct answer. Our objective is obviously to aim for goals, so from the outside, it might indeed look like we have a certain style, but that is, in a sense, just a method, and methods need to be flexible. I believe the philosophy must never change. “Keep the philosophy unchanged, but be flexible with the methods.” Relying too much on methods or means can lead us away from the essence, so we consciously work on this starting from training. It is very important to always consider how we can steer what happens during the flow of the game in a positive direction and simply towards the goal. I want to avoid being too fixated on methods or means and making wrong judgments in that regard.

Player Interview

Hayate TANAKA

Q: I believe you have been ready to play since the team’s start day, but now that you have the chance to appear in matches, how prepared are you mentally and performance-wise?
A: I’m looking forward to it. Even before joining Tokyo, I had considered various scenarios and was always preparing. I just want to prove myself through results and numbers, as I have done so far. That’s all.

Q. Having continuously played as a starter for Tokushima Vortis, I imagine you were prepared when coming to Tokyo, which has Kim Seung-gyu, an active member of the South Korean national team, as their goalkeeper.
A. I came here simply because I have confidence. Whether I get to stand on the pitch or not is something I understand better than anyone else. It’s hard to express exactly how, but I do have confidence. That’s why I made this decision. It’s been about three months since the season started, right? Since joining and starting, the environment has changed, and I’ve met many new people. At the club, that includes Head Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI and the two goalkeeping coaches (Shota YAMASHITA GK Coach and Ryota Inoue Assistant GK Coach). The coaching staff is constantly helping me update myself. They are approaching this in various ways to help me improve. I want to respond firmly with results to that support.

Q. How do you feel about what you have built up through training in Tokyo?
A. I can’t say because FC Machida Zelvia would find out (laughs). But I think if you watch the matches, you’ll be able to pick up on various things. I do feel that I have been able to properly update myself as a player. The coaching staff understands my strengths and is approaching me from various angles to make me even better. That is really good for me, and since I can experience it on the pitch level, I feel very fulfilled.

Q. Having watched matches from the bench until now, how do you think about fulfilling the role the team expects from you and demonstrating your own strengths?
A. It has been the same until now, but there is a goalkeeper with a large presence on the same team, and regarding where I can create value, there is little I can say here, but I think it’s important to clearly show it through numbers. There are various roles in a match, but ultimately, the goalkeeper’s role of not letting the ball into the goal does not change. As I said at the beginning, I am really looking forward to it.

Q: It’s been a while since your last official match, but are you concerned about your match sharpness?
A: Not at all. If I had only played around 10 matches in my career so far, I might be nervous, but thankfully I have had the opportunity to play in many games. I’m not nervous at all.

Q. Considering that the opponent is Machida, do you feel there is a lot to prepare for as a goalkeeper, including set pieces?
A. Yes, we do anticipate their style of play. On the other hand, we also have our own strengths, and by organizing who from Tokyo will face whom from Machida, and what will happen in which areas, we aim to finish with zero goals conceded. To achieve that, we have players with clear strong points, and I hope to be able to bring those out. I want to manage the use of time well and be able to sustain the full 90 minutes. Communication within the team is not an issue. There are many very open-minded people, so I was quickly accepted. Including that kind of interaction, I believe we can steer things in a positive direction.

Q. Lastly, please give a message to the fans and supporters.
A. This two-match series against Machida is extremely important. Since this season is short, we will be fighting through consecutive matches, and the results will be very crucial. There will be various moments, but I want us to share the same feeling and spend that time together. And ultimately, I want to do my best to deliver victory to everyone.

Player Kei Sato

Q. In recent matches, although the team has been able to express what they want to as a unit, there have been consecutive games where they have not been able to fully secure goals.
A. I think we have been able to build up well from the back, but there were moments when we couldn’t break down the opponent who set up a defensive block once we entered the vital area. Unless we draw out the opponent to create space or make bold runs to target the space behind, their defensive line won’t collapse. FC Machida Zelvia is a team strong in attack, so we want to take advantage of those spaces behind their defense as much as possible. Whether we can score from shots taken after exploiting those spaces will greatly influence the outcome. While it is important to take many shots, even more important is to strengthen our determination for each shot and aim to finish with a single decisive strike.

Q. The time has finally come to repay the debt from last season.
A, like last season, it will be a series of consecutive matches. I understand that winning both games is very difficult, but I truly believe that our current team can definitely achieve back-to-back victories. If we can win these consecutive matches, our league standings will change and the view ahead will be different. I intend to put everything into this with the mindset of repaying last season’s debt.

Q. To achieve consecutive wins, it is essential to secure a victory in the first match.
A. From the start of the match, we want to apply constant pressure on the opponent, win the ball high up the pitch, and immediately aim for a quick counterattack. We want to play with the same intensity that decided the game early on in the match against Yokohama F.Marinos. We understand that Machida is not an easy opponent to beat and that they have a solid defense. We want to break down their build-up play, exploit the spaces that open up, and connect those chances all the way to goal. Although they have many strong defenders, we have no intention of losing and only envision winning. In that sense, we want to repay the debt from last season.

Q. I believe that winning within 90 minutes becomes even more important as we aim for the championship. Please share your enthusiasm for this first match of the consecutive games.
A. Winning the league is our goal. Given the current situation, it’s no exaggeration to say that these two consecutive matches are the most important for our championship hopes. Since this will be the first and last match against Machida, who are currently competing for the same position, we want to secure back-to-back wins in this direct confrontation and keep close to the Kashima Antlers.