＜Match Review＞
The J1 League match reached the halfway point of the 2023 season. The final game of the first half was an away match against Gamba Osaka. It was the third meeting between the two teams this season, including the Levain Cup.
Tokyo has the same starting lineup as the previous match. Kei Koizumi, who was substituted in the first half due to discomfort in his leg, started the match without any issues. In the forward line, Diego Oliveira, who has scored 4 goals in the last 3 matches, played in the center, with Teruhito Nakagawa on the right wing and Ryoma Watanabe on the left wing, which is Tokyo's typical formation. Kuryu Matsuki, who received a red card in the previous match, is suspended, and Kota Tawaratsumida, who performed well in the Emperor's Cup second round three days ago, is on the substitute bench.
1st HALF - Conceding 2 goals after an accident
Both teams increased the pressure on the ball side from the beginning, and Tokyo quickly gave the ball to Diego to create opportunities and looked for attacking openings after retaining possession in a high position.
The opportunity came in the 9th minute of the first half, when the ball was passed to Koizumi in the central space from the left side. Koizumi then entrusted the ball to Diego, who was in front of him. After confirming that the opponent's mark was not behind him, Diego turned around towards the goal and actively aimed for a shot from the mid-range.
On the other hand, there are scenes where the opponent is able to carry the ball deep into their own territory. In the 15th minute of the first half, when the ball was held in the vital area, the marker could not catch up with the ball holder and allowed them to shoot freely in the penalty area, but Jakub SLOWIK made a fine save with his foot to avert the danger.
Before this pinch, player Takuya Aoki was injured when he cleared a decisive pass in the penalty area. He returned to the pitch once, but he couldn't stand up when he survived the above-mentioned pinch in the first 15 minutes of the first half, and player Keigo Higashi was hastily substituted.
We wanted to respond to the accident, but the opponent took the initiative. In the 25th minute of the first half, when a corner kick from the left side was crossed towards the goal, Issam JEBALI pushed it in and scored the opening goal.
Tokyo wants to counterattack, but in the 29th minute of the first half, they were slow to react to the opponent's restart in a throw-in situation, and a looping pass was played into the goal area from the midfield position. Issam Jebali, who had jumped in, was able to head the ball and it flowed into the right corner of the goal, resulting in an additional goal being conceded.
At the end of the first half, Nakagawa was fouled and earned a free kick opportunity. Shuhei Tokumoto delivered a sharp ball into the goal area, and East player headed a free header shot near the goal, but it was saved by the goalkeeper in front of the goal.
2nd HALF - Takakawa's goal at the end of the match ends the comeback with only one point
Tokyo, who wants to change the flow of the game, substitutes Yuto Nagatomo with Adailton at halftime to boost their attack.
From the start of the second half, Tokyo showed a strong focus on playing vertically, pushing forward deep into the opponent's half using Adailton. In the 2nd minute of the second half, they shook the opponent wide while pushing them back, and Diego headed the cross from Tokumoto on the left side, but the shot went straight to the goalkeeper.
They aggressively attacked with a strong focus on scoring goals, but in the 15th minute of the second half, they were caught off guard from behind. They penetrated deep into the opponent's territory on the right side, but lost the ball and were countered on the opposite side. The ball was carried to a high position, creating a numerical disadvantage in the penalty area. Yasuki Kimoto player initially blocked the cross ball with his body, but the loose ball was seized by Handa player, widening the lead.
Tokyo, who wants to strengthen their counterattack without letting up, increased their intensity in the 21st minute of the second half. Nakagawa started the play near the penalty area and used Tokumoto, who had made a run into the box. Tokumoto held the ball near the goal line and made a strong pass into the goalmouth. Diego stretched his leg to make contact, but the shot narrowly missed to the right of the goal.
In the 26th minute of the second half, they were once again countered and shaken wide, and a shot was taken in a free position in front of the goal, but player SLOWIK made a super save.
In the 33rd minute of the second half, Diego received the ball in a high position and drew a foul from the opponent, earning a free kick. Tokumoto delivered a sharp ball into the goal area, and Kimoto unleashed a high-heading shot, but the ball heading towards the goal was cleared by a covering player.
Tokyo, who continued their attacking stance until the end without giving up, finally scored a goal in the 45+2 minute of the second half. The ball flowed from the right side to the opposite side, where Tokumoto picked it up and made a vertical run before crossing the ball. Tsukagawa, who had made a run into the far side, headed the ball into the left corner of the goal, finally scoring a goal.
However, the counterattack was limited to one point, and they lost 1-3.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jakub SLOWIK
DF Yuto NAGATOMO (46': Adailton) (44': PEROTTI)/ Yasuki KIMOTO (43': Henrique TREVISAN)/ Masato MORISHIGE/ Shuhei TOKUMOTO
MF Kei KOIZUMI/ Takuya AOKI (17': Keigo HIGASHI)/ Shuto ABE (23': Koki TSUKAGAWA)
FW Ryoma WATANABE/ Diego OLIVEIRA/ Teruhito NAKAGAWA (23': Kota TAWARATSUMIDA)
SUBS
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
GOAL
Second half 45+2 minutes: Koki Tsukagawa
＜Gamba Osaka＞
STARTING XI
GK Junsho HIGASHIGUCHI
DF Shota FUKUOKA/Riku HANDA/Yohei SATO (39th minute of the second half: Genta MIURA)/Keisuke KUROKAWA (45+3 minutes of the second half: Wataru YANAGISAWA)
MF Aki KURATA (23rd minute of the second half: Yuya FUKUDA)/Neta LAVI/Dawan (23rd minute of the second half: Hideki ISHIGE)/Yuki YAMAMOTO/Juan ALANO (39th minute of the second half: Ryotaro MESHINO)
FW Issam JEBALI
GOAL
First half 25 minutes: Issam JEBALI/First half 29 minutes: Issam JEBALI/Second half 15 minutes: Riku HANDA
[Coach Albert's Press Conference Comments]
Q: please review the game.
A, I think today's game was a game we lost due to two defensive mistakes during set plays, which resulted in conceding goals. Those two goals had a significant impact on the flow of the game. Today, we disrupted the balance between offense and defense. Regarding the attack, I think we played well in both halves. We were able to possess the ball, actively aim for the goal, and create decisive chances. On the other hand, if we disrupt the balance of defense, the balance between offense and defense will be disrupted. Even if we can hold the ball as intended and play more aggressively, if we make defensive mistakes and concede goals, our progress will be hindered.
I have just informed the players. I think the quality of play was worse last season than this season. However, there were many games where we were able to finish with a clean sheet by tightening our defense. On the other hand, this season, I think we have been able to play better, especially in terms of attacking. However, even if we are able to attack, if our defense becomes unstable and the balance between offense and defense is disrupted, it can lead to unfavorable results and loss of confidence. I think this season is a difficult season. The number of injured players has overlapped, making the battle more difficult. However, we must overcome this obstacle.
Q: We were unable to catch the opponent's attacks from the first half. What kind of plan did you have?
A, I think that conceding two goals in the early stages of the first half has had a significant impact on the subsequent play. The two goals have had a big influence. After conceding two goals, we are placed in a psychological situation where we have to play more aggressively. I think that in that situation, we ended up giving the opposing team a lot of space.
I think until the first goal against us, it was a time when we were able to play aggressively. However, after that, we easily lost the ball and conceded a counter-attack, resulting in a corner kick and a goal, which then affected the subsequent development of the game. The same goes for the second goal. It was a goal that was born because we were not able to respond properly to the opponent's throw-in. Those two goals created a situation where we had to be even more aggressive in our attack, and I think it had an impact on the subsequent play.
Q: What do we need to do in the second half of the season to make a comeback, considering we have 19 points after the first half?
In terms of attack, we continue to grow, but now our defense has become unstable, so we need to make sure to improve from training. We have also advanced in the Emperor's Cup. In the Levain Cup, our progress to the group stage depends on the result of the final match. We want to fight to aim higher in both of these tournaments. Looking back on the first half of this league, there were also parts affected by injuries. On the other hand, I don't think we were able to consistently achieve the expected results even when the players were fully prepared. In that sense, I don't think we played the first half of the season as expected.
[Player Interview]
Diego Oliveira player
Q, what do you think is necessary for the team to win in a difficult match?
A, at this point it is difficult to talk about anything specific, but there is definitely some kind of mistake. However, it is not about someone's responsibility for that mistake, but rather reflecting calmly on what went wrong and although the situation is not good, I think we have no choice but to start over as a team.
Q, Diego player himself seems to be able to play in good condition. We could see plays where he pulled the team together even in difficult situations.
A, I don't think my condition is bad, but it's separate from the team winning. It is important to fight as a team, so I think we have to fight together and win.
Q, in the second half, we created many scenes where Diego TABA player approached the goal and scored one point.
A, I think the second half improved. We had many chances, but we could only score one point. There are areas in both attack and defense that need to be corrected. We would like to correct both and prepare for the second half of the league.
＜Player Shuhei TOKUMOTO＞
Q, please reflect on the game
I think everything was lost when we allowed the opponent to score first, despite our efforts to score first. We needed to have more momentum in both offense and defense from the first half. Adailton was also brought in during the second half, and it seemed like there were more opportunities for individual breakthroughs.
Q, it seemed like you were creating a lot of chances through breaking and crossing on the left side throughout the match.
A, the parts of side attacks and breakthroughs were communicated to me by Coach Albert before the game, and I was particularly conscious of how to get involved and play with driving force towards the front. Unfortunately, only one goal was scored from my involvement, so I want to create more impact in my own area.
Q: How will you continue to connect this assist to future goals, as it led to a goal for player Tokumoto's attacking participation?
There is a feeling that the team's chemistry is coming together, including set plays. Although it didn't result in goals, there were scenes where I was able to kick the ball with a good sense, about 3 or 4 times. We have no choice but to continue doing that. I want to continue supplying high-precision balls for the team and create many goals.
＜Kei Koizumi player＞
Q: please review the game.
A, speaking about this match, there were probably not just one but countless reasons for the defeat. The biggest difference between Gamba Osaka and us, I believe, lies in whether we were able to demonstrate our strength in winning the ball and effectively recovering second balls. Winning in those situations brought good momentum to Gamba Osaka. In a challenging match, the opponent took the lead from a set piece and created a flow that led to additional goals. There are many reasons for the defeat, but losing in situations like winning the ball made the game difficult. In the first half, I played as an inside half, but giving too much freedom to players like Neta LAVI and Dawhan is a major regret.
Q, I played as a right full-back from the second half. Please tell me what you were conscious of playing in a different position from the first half.
I particularly focused on creating the shape of the build-up. Among them, I paid attention to the suitability and playing style of wing players such as Teruhito NAKAGAWA and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA. I think the way teammates are used depends on the players behind, including myself. I want to play with even more emphasis on creating attacks and strengthen my intensity to not lose in one-on-one situations.
Shuto ABE player
Q, there were many scenes where I wasn't marking the opponent.
A, in the past few games, we have been conceding goals mainly from crosses, so we have been practicing cross defense in this week's training as well. However, we still conceded goals from set pieces and crosses, and I feel that I haven't been able to mark my opponent closely enough. It is also important to prevent crosses from being delivered. Especially for the second goal, I allowed the opponent to cross freely. There were also moments where I slacked off and it took me some time to apply pressure. I take full responsibility for that.
Q: Were there any opportunities to mark man-to-man among the players who move around fluidly?
A, it is difficult to watch the ball and the opponent at the same time, but if you are marked in front of the goal, it will directly lead to conceding a goal, so I think each individual has to take responsibility and mark their opponent.
Q, before entering the second half of the league season, there will be the final match of the Levain Cup group stage next week.
A, the Levain Cup is also an important match next, and it is a match that must be won. It is a different tournament from the league match, so we need to make adjustments and fight with a different mindset.
