While the Japanese national team is preparing for the World Cup qualification in the final stage of the Asian qualifiers, the J-League is reaching the halfway point of the Levain Cup group stage. Tokyo will play against Shonan Bellmare at home at Ajinomoto Stadium.
Yuto Nagatomo of Tokyo has been called up to the Japan national team, Kuryu Matsuki has been called up to the U-21 Japan national team, and Kosei Tani of Shonan has been called up to the Japan national team, while midfielder Satoshi Tanaka has been called up to the U-21 Japan national team.
Shonan is currently in first place in the Levain Cup with 2 wins in 2 matches, while Tokyo is in a situation of 1 draw and 1 loss, tied for third place. Considering that 2 out of the 3 matches in the second half of the group stage are away games, this will be a crucial match at home against the top team, where we want to accumulate 3 points.
One of the points to watch in this match is the selection of the members.
After the Iwata match, Coach Albert said, "I want to make good use of this Levain Cup, give many opportunities, understand what possibilities we have, and further evaluate them in the future." With about a week of preparation before and after this match, it is possible to work on new concepts and try different player combinations during practice. If that happens, it is expected that there will be more strategic choices and player selections, such as actively using young players or using players who have been used in new positions, in order to compete in the long season.
For players who have had few opportunities to play so far, their performance in this match could lead to the next league game. For example, Yojiro TAKAHAGI and Rei HIRAKAWA, who made an impact when they came on as substitutes in the Levain Cup match against Iwata on March 15th, were also included in the squad for the J1 league match against Kyoto Sanga F.C. just three days later. TAKAHAGI, who came on in the second half, played a central role in possession with his high technical ability and contributed to the team's 3-point win by defending with the ball (Coach Albert Pobor).
Albert Tokyo, who has steadily grown while permeating the team style, has achieved three consecutive victories in the league. Will the young players respond to their deployment and show their dynamic performance? Or will a new side of the players be discovered? We invite you to come to Ajinomoto Stadium while anticipating the next move of the commander.
Series "Expectations for Young Players"
Interview with Yuto Nagatomo
Interview with Yojiro Takahagi
Interview with Keigo Higashi
Interview with Kensuke Nagai
Interview with Masato Morishige
