The first match after a break of about two weeks was the Emperor's Cup Round 16, and we traveled to Kumamoto to play against Roasso Kumamoto. The team, which aims for continuity and development, has been training hard even during the period without official matches and has gained a solid sense of accomplishment. Since taking office a month and a half ago, the influence of coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI is also growing.
The notable starting members are goalkeeper Jakub SLOWIK and captain Masato MORISHIGE absent. Goalkeeper Taishi Brandon NOZAWA made his first appearance in this tournament, and Kosuke SHIRAI, who joined in the summer, was deployed as a right back. Kei KOIZUMI, who had been used as a side back in the new system, entered the midfield, and familiar faces lined up in the front line.
In the lingering heat unique to Kyushu, the battle to show the difference in strength against Roasso Kumamoto, who belongs to the J2 League, and to advance to the quarterfinals, kicked off.
1st HALF - Concede the first goal with an early penalty kick
It was an unexpected start. In the 2nd minute of the first half, Ryoma WATANABE threw in from the right side, Diego OLIVEIRA dropped it and Koki TSUKAGAWA took the first shot. From the clearance in front of their own goal, Ito was caught behind the high line and allowed to run alone, but Taishi NOZAWA brought him down in the penalty area, giving away a penalty kick. In the 4th minute of the first half, this was scored by Hirakawa, who had been with Tokyo until last summer, and they conceded the opening goal at the start.
After losing the lead, they tried to push forward from both sides, but perhaps because it was their first official match in a while, the tempo of moving the ball did not increase. The misalignment of passes and controls stood out, and there were continuous situations where they invited danger from counters. They managed to prevent additional points with a great save from player Taishi Nozawa, but the situation remained difficult.
A chance finally came in the 42nd minute of the first half. The ball was passed around in the center, and when a cross from player Shirai, who was waiting on the right side, was fumbled by the goalkeeper, player Kota Tawaratsumida was there to follow up. However, his shot hit the side net and did not result in a tie.
2nd HALF - Allow additional points and leave the tournament in the round of 16
First, we wanted to catch up in the second half, so we didn't make any player substitutions, but we quickly took control of the game from the beginning. In the 5th minute of the second half, we approached the goal from the right side. At the center of it all was player Watanabe. Standing in the corner of the penalty area, he delivered a close cross ball, followed by a last pass from player Tsukagawa, creating a scene where he entered the penalty area and ended with a shot. However, the ball that was on target was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper.
Just as a good flow was starting to emerge, another pitfall awaited. In the 9th minute of the second half, Tokyo's Academy player, Matsuda, picked up a pass mistake made in the enemy's territory. Watanabe, who chased after him from behind, couldn't catch up, and Henrique TREVISAN was evaded as he dribbled all the way to the goal, and in the end, calmly shook the net.
When the game was behind by 2 points, the team made an early substitution and lined up fresh faces, but they couldn't make a big change. In the 19th minute of the second half, Leon NOZAWA broke through with a through pass from Adailton, and the two substitute players created a big chance, but Leon NOZAWA's shot missed the target.
After the second half's water break, spaces opened up in the opponent's half and the number of shots increased. However, there were scenes where the shots lacked power or missed the target, and the game ended with no goals. The Emperor's Cup ended for us in the round of 16.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING XI
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Yasuki KIMOTO / Yuto NAGATOMO (27th minute of the second half: Shuhei TOKUMOTO) / Henrique TREVISAN / Kosuke SHIRAI
MF Kuryu MATSUKI / Koki TSUKAGAWA (11th minute of the second half: Leon NOZAWA) / Kei KOIZUMI (26th minute of the second half: Keigo HIGASHI)
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (31st minute of the second half: PEROTTI) / Ryoma WATANABE / Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (11th minute of the second half: Adailton)
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Kanta DOI
GOAL
―
＜Roasso Kumamoto＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Ryuga TASHIRO
DF Kohei KUROKI/Ryotaro ONISHI (38th minute of the second half: Takumi SAKAI)/Takuro EZAKI
MF Shuhei KAMIMURA/Yuki OMOTO (38th minute of the second half: Keisuke TANABE)/Yuhi TAKEMOTO (26th minute of the second half: Itto FUJITA)/Rei HIRAKAWA
FW Shun ITO (7th minute of the first half: Yutaka MICHIWAKI)/Rimu MATSUOKA (26th minute of the second half: Tatsuki HIGASHIYAMA)/Takuya SHIMAMURA
SUBS
GK Yuya SATO
FW Shohei AIHARA
GOAL
First Half 4 Minutes: Rei HIRAKAWA/Second Half 9 Minutes: Rimu MATSUOKA
[Peter Cklamovski Coach Press Conference Comments]
Q: please review the game.
I think it was a good football match. I think Roasso Kumamoto had a very good fight, and I would like to congratulate them.
We have prepared and done what we can to respect Kumamoto. However, I think we lacked the power. The game was decided by the goals, and within that, we had several chances that we could have scored. I think Kumamoto firmly took advantage of their chances.
The players fought devotedly and I am extremely proud of their desperate efforts. The players continued to fight and give their all. In the midst of that, I believe we were able to create scoring opportunities. The players here, the remaining players, will feel pain and be disappointed. With that pain, I hope we can progress and become a strong team, a strong group, and a strong club.
Q, how did you think about the game plan against Kumamoto and how much were you able to execute it?
A, Kumamoto is a very good team and they fought desperately in front of their home fans to grab a victory. Even in such a situation, we wanted to attack the opponent and I think we were able to do that. We anticipated that Kumamoto would play while moving the ball, so we fought while understanding how to exploit that space. It was a game where both teams tried to play football.
As I mentioned earlier, the important point is that we continued to play in our own way. If we had scored one goal, we might have continued to score two or three more. I think we were able to create chances. If we couldn't create chances while having the ball, there may have been some shortcomings, but today we were able to create chances. I think there were chances where we could have scored a few points, but we couldn't convert them tonight. What's important is that the players continued to play their game until the end and fought to find solutions. However, we couldn't convert the chances into goals.
Q, especially in the first half, it seemed like we struggled a lot against the opponent's press. Was a second plan necessary or was there not enough time to prepare?
Rather than a second plan, the opponent was also putting a very good press. There were parts where we were able to release the pressure and parts where we couldn't. As the game progressed, I think we were able to regain our rhythm and open up the opponent. The good point was that the players were able to come up with solid solutions.
Q: What are the points for reflection on today's match?
A, I would like to analyze all the elements. The biggest point is that the players bravely and selflessly continued to play their football and fight. That is the most important element and will lead to future success.
We will thoroughly analyze the performance and provide feedback. That is something we always do. However, what I felt from the players in today's game is the courage to play our own football, the dedication to give it our all, and the attitude to fight with passion. In games like this, players may sometimes hide when faced with pressure. However, our players believed in their own football and tried to find solutions while fighting. I think that is important to become the team we aspire to be in the future.
If you are answering the previous question, it is everything. I think we need to solve everything. We need to improve in every situation and continue to improve.
[Player Interview]
＜Kosuke SHIRAI player＞
Q, please give us a review of today's debut match in Tokyo.
It is very frustrating that I couldn't make the team win and that the possibility of winning the title has decreased by one.
Q, we balanced both offense and defense and also actively participated in the attack. Please tell us what you were conscious of on the pitch.
A, we conceded a goal early on, but as a player in the defense line, I was particularly conscious of not allowing consecutive goals. While defending well, I always looked for opportunities to join the attack and had a constant awareness of moving forward towards scoring. First and foremost, I was thinking about making a play to score a goal and equalize the game.
Q: The players who formed a vertical partnership with Ryoma WATANABE and Leon NOZAWA changed between the first half and the second half, but I think their strengths were evident.
I was conscious of playing that brings out the strengths and characteristics of the previous player. In that, I believe that thickness is created by my own participation in the attack as a supporting role. Even in the recent practice match, we had good coordination in that aspect. I think I was able to play well.
Q, we could see plays where Kosuke SHIRAI's strengths were utilized.
There were also situations where I was able to express scenes of overtaking the outer space with a sprint, carrying the ball to a deep position, and sending a cross ball. From here, I want to increase the number of defensive coverings and offensive participations in the sprint, which is my own characteristic, while deepening cooperation.
Q, please tell us your thoughts and challenges after today's match.
While setting the defensive line high as a team, we want to reduce the scenes that lead to the first goal conceded. On the other hand, it is important for the team to challenge and improve while correcting mistakes. I think there were good scenes throughout today's match. We want to improve as a team and make it better.
＜Player Kuryu MATSUKI＞
Q: please review the game.
A, if we concede a goal at the beginning, we will lose the momentum. The opponent pressed with a clear intention and put pressure on us when they entered the side, and we fell into their trap.
Q: Did the opponent's offensive breakdown cause any defensive gaps or unexpected situations in the game as you had anticipated?
A, the opponent pressed us with a lone striker against our backline, so I thought it would be surprising if we could break free, but there were many scenes where we lost the ball when it was passed to Diego OLIVEIRA from the center back without support. I think the defensive midfielder can pick up the ball as well, but if we don't push up from the center back, it becomes difficult against opponents who sit back a bit.
Q: When Matsuki had the ball during the attack, it seemed like he was tightly marked. How was the build-up of the attack?
In the latter part of the second half, the opponent was also getting tired, but we were able to execute our combinations well. We need to be able to do this from the first half. The game is still ongoing, so I want to take this challenge back and prepare to win the next match against Cerezo Osaka.
＜Player Leon NOZAWA＞
Q, I entered the game in the middle of the second half. What instructions did Coach CKLAMOVSKI give you?
From Coach Klamovski, I was instructed to execute the defensive duties on the right side and adhere to the team's rules, while also utilizing my own strengths and exploiting the opponent's vulnerabilities. As I came on as a substitute, I aimed to create a positive momentum by contributing to scoring opportunities.
Q, I was impressed by the ability to create plays that lead to scoring opportunities by working well with Kosuke SHIRAI.
A, Shiroi player always gave me instructions from behind. We were able to play while confirming each other's movements through overlapping and playing inside. We were able to break the opponent's defense in a good relationship while understanding each other's strengths, but personally, it is a challenge that I couldn't finish it in the end. I made the same mistake as the Levain Cup match against Cerezo Osaka, which was the debut match of this season, and I realized that I still have a lot of room for growth.
Q: The playing time has been gradually increasing. Please tell us again about the challenges and achievements of this round.
A, I think we lost the ball too many times. The accuracy of one-touch plays was low, and there were scenes where we easily lost the ball and it passed to the opponent. Another thing is that we couldn't finish in one-on-one scenes with the opponent goalkeeper or in chances for volley shots. I think if we don't finish in important scenes, we won't be able to survive from here. As for breaking through to the back, I have been able to grasp a good sense in today's match and the previous practice match. I want to organize the feeling as a striker and connect it to goals.
Q, I think we are getting closer to the goal, so please tell us your enthusiasm for the future.
A, I personally feel that I am getting closer to scoring, but I think that a striker is only valuable if they can produce results in official matches, even if they can express themselves in practice matches. From the next match onwards, if I have the opportunity to play, I want to leave visible results as an individual and continue to improve from my daily training.
