The start of the season, which is the first time as Peter Tokyo. Finally, the start of the 2024 season. Tokyo will face Cerezo Osaka away in their first match. In order to bring the title of league champions to Tokyo after 38 games, first step forward one step of 38.
Go HATANO, who took charge of the goalmouth at the opening, played his first starting match in the league as a center back, forming a partnership with Henrique TREVISAN. On the full-back positions, Yuto NAGATOMO was placed on the right and Kashif BANGNAGANDE was placed on the left. In the midfield triangle, new signing Ryotaro ARAKI stood at the top, with captain Kuryu MATSUKI and Riki HARAKAWA forming a double pivot. Up front, Diego OLIVEIRA, the central pillar, was placed in the center, with Teruhito NAKAGAWA on the right wing and Kota TAWARATSUMIDA on the left wing.
1stHALF - First goal of the season by Araki "Taro Shot"!
The start was a back-and-forth exchange of kicks as both teams struggled to settle the ball. As Tokyo increased the pressure from the front line, they were able to create quick opportunities by connecting passes and quickly entering the opponent's territory. On the other hand, there were also moments where they lost the ball during the build-up and were countered by the opponent, leading to a tense and exciting attacking battle between the two teams.
Tokyo can carry the ball to the vital area in front of the opponent's goal, but they struggle to shoot as they lack one more idea right before the finish.
In the first chance of Tokyo, at 25 minutes in the first half, they get a free kick on the left side near the half line. Matsuki sends a big cross ball towards the far side. Yoshifu wins the competition and crosses the ball back to the center, where Tawara takes a one-touch volley shot. Unfortunately, it is blocked by a defender, but the loose ball falls in front of Nakagawa, who takes a one-touch volley shot, but it narrowly misses the goal and goes over.
It seemed like we had a good grasp on the flow, but unfortunately, things didn't go our way. In the 27th minute of the first half, the ball was brought deep into the penalty area by Maikuma player through a combination on the left side. Enrique player tried to block the cross ball, but it hit his foot and floated to the far side, where Capixaba player was left free to score the first goal.
Even if the home team takes the lead, it wouldn't be strange to feel down, but Tokyo kept pushing forward. And they answered, "This is how we are this season."
In the 34th minute of the first half, the ball was played from the right side, and player Nakagawa passed it to player Matsuki who had come to support near the right corner of the penalty area. Matsuki, who was facing the goal at a 45-degree angle to the right, did not hesitate to swing his left foot and shoot a curving ball. The shot was heading towards the far side, but player Araki, who had entered the goal area, touched the ball and redirected it into the goal.
As the game entered the final stage, both teams created scoring opportunities. In the 38th minute of the first half, Leo CEARA received a pass from Maikuma and stripped the defender with one touch before unleashing a powerful shot, but it hit the post and was saved. On the other hand, Tokyo's Araki made a run down the right side in the 41st minute and carried the ball all the way to the goal, where Tsumeta was able to tap in a low cross and score. However, Araki was ruled offside in the build-up and the goal was disallowed.
2ndHALF - Take home points again with "Taro's goal"
As the second half begins, Cerezo Osaka continues to be pushed back. In the 5th minute of the second half, every bear player receives the ball for free in a deep position on the left side of the penalty area, but HATANO blocks the shot in a 1-on-1 situation. However, immediately after, they concede a goal from a near-side header by TANAKA from a corner kick.
In the 10th minute of the second half, Leo CEARA was able to penetrate the penalty area and take a shot in front of the goal, but Go HATANO made a great save. The rebound was then taken by CAPIXABA, but Go HATANO bravely blocked the shot and protected the goal.
Tokyo, who struggled to maintain possession of the ball, created a chance from a counter attack in the 25th minute of the second half. Jája Silva, who was subbed in at the 20th minute of the second half, received the ball in a high position on the left side and carried it with speed. He then took a powerful shot with his right foot from outside the penalty area, but it was deflected by an opponent defender and hit the crossbar.
As the game goes on and we push the opponent little by little, it becomes harder to find opportunities to attack as they solidify their defense. We have possession in their half, but we struggle to make decisive plays in the final third. It was Jael, who came on as a substitute, that broke through this deadlock.
In the 30th minute of the second half, the ball was passed to Jaja, who was open on the left side, from a build-up play from the defense line. Despite the crowded opponent players, the passing lane was closed, but Jaja managed to dribble past two defenders and break through the defensive block. He then advanced into the open space in front of him and entered the penalty area. He attracted the defender and passed a ground cross ball to the front of the goal, where Araki was able to score and equalize for Tokyo.
Afterwards, both teams created scenes of approaching the goal in an open development. Tokyo also increased their attacking opportunities after the equalizer, but they were unable to secure the goal that would lead to 3 points until the end. However, they fought in a very difficult situation in the away opening match, and as a result of breaking through the opponent's defensive block in the midst of being pushed back by their momentum in the second half, they want to take back 1 point as a reward and a source of motivation for the home opening match.
One week later, our home will be visited by the blue and red warriors for the first time in a while. We want to continue the tough fight we showed in Osaka, facing Sanfrecce Hiroshima and aiming for our first 3 points of the season.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Go HATANO
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Kanta DOI/Henrique TREVISAN/Kashif BANGNAGANDE (37' Kosuke SHIRAI)
MF Kuryu MATSUKI/Riki HARAKAWA (37' Kei KOIZUMI)/Ryotaro ARAKI
FW Diego OLIVEIRA (45+5' Keigo HIGASHI)/Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (20' Jája Silva)/Teruhito NAKAGAWA (20' Soma ANZAI)
SUBS
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Masato MORISHIGE
GOAL
First Half 34th Minute: Ryotaro ARAKI/Second Half 30th Minute: Ryotaro ARAKI
＜Cerezo Osaka＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Jin Hyeon KIM
DF Seiya MAIKUMA/Kyohei NOBORIZATO/Kakeru FUNAKI/Koji TORIUMI
MF Shinji KAGAWA (33rd minute of the second half: Masaya SHIBAYAMA)/Shunta TANAKA (45th minute + 6 minutes of the second half: Satoki UEJO)/Hiroaki OKUNO (33rd minute of the second half: Vitor BUENO)
FW Leo CEARA/Capixaba (45th minute + 6 minutes of the second half: Hirotaka TAMEDA)/Lucas FERNANDES
SUBS
GK Keisuke SHIMIZU
DF Hayato OKUDA/Ryuya NISHIO
GOAL
First Half 27th Minute: CAPIXABA/Second Half 6th Minute: Shunta TANAKA
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI, Manager]
Q, please give us an overview of today's match.
A, I think it was a great football battle. Cerezo Osaka is a very good team, so it was a tough away game where we respected each other. Even though we were twice behind, we were able to catch up and show that we never gave up and continued to fight. The players gave everything until the end and fought until the end to score the winning goal. I am proud of the players who fought desperately and together with the one point we earned, I think it is important to take home the performance we showed today and continue to create our own football.
Q: Please tell us about the sense of depth we have built by strengthening our player layer so that the intensity of the game does not decrease even with player substitutions.
A, I talked before the game and at halftime, but it's important for whoever comes out to contribute to the team and to perform well. The players who came on during the game also gave us very good performances, and I think we are able to show our fitness and physical strength that we have been working on.
Q: Please evaluate players Ryotaro ARAKI and Kanta DOI, who started in the opening lineup.
Both players contributed to the team and fought hard. Araki is a player with great potential and he seems to be enjoying football right now. He can be a starting point when he has the ball and he fought hard even when he didn't have it. I think the hard work he has put in over the past few weeks led to his two goals, and he should continue to improve even more.
I think Hoi player gave a good performance. It was a tough away game, and there were difficult parts to the fight, and I think there were parts where my own strength was tested, but he fought strongly from the beginning.Not just the two of them, but I think it is important for all players to continue to grow steadily as a team.
Q: Please tell us your evaluation of the players who fought forward even when they were behind.
In a very tough match, there were some difficult moments for us, but I think we showed a strong mentality. We allowed the lead to slip twice, but the players fought with a strong mental and spirit. They worked hard and trusted each other. It was a tough battle, but we were able to earn 1 point and we will continue to prepare for the next match.
[Player Interview]
＜Player Kuryu MATSUKI＞
Q, first of all, please look back on the 90 minutes.
A, Today, I wasn't able to play calmly, but I think it's a big achievement to bring back 1 point from an away game. However, I also feel that we won't be able to compete at the top if we don't win these types of matches, so we need to make some adjustments.
Q, this season, it is a season to face as a captain. There were also assists, but how was your personal performance?
A, I wanted to be more involved with the ball and I think I could have come up with more ideas to make a difference in my own way. However, in a game like today's, there are also difficult moments, so in that sense, I want to increase the number of times I jump out in front of the goal in future games.
Q, As the captain of Tokyo, what kind of season do you want to have this season?
A, I want to win, and I want to become a strong team that can bring back 3 points even in away games like this.
<Ryotaro ARAKI>
Q, What was the first game like after joining?
A tough 90 minutes. I think it was good that we were able to get at least 1 point. I think it was a tough battle throughout the game, and the fact that we conceded first made it even tougher.
Q, however, we quickly scored an equalizing goal after conceding one point first.
A, I was running thinking "I wish the ball would come here", and luckily it came there, so it was a scene where I just had to touch it to score.
Q, in the second half, Jája Silva scored the second goal by connecting with a cross ball.
A, I had been working on cross ball situations a lot during practice, so when the ball came there, I believed and ran.
Q, Ryotaro ARAKI's crucial season has begun. Please share your enthusiasm for the upcoming matches.
A, I want to leave behind these results.
Kanta DOI Player
Q: I made my first professional start in the league match. Please review the game.
A, the attacking part was completely useless because the traps were flustered, but in the defensive part, good defense was able to be done throughout the 90 minutes by communicating well with players nearby such as Henrique Trevisan and Yuto Nagatomo. However, two goals conceded is not good for the defense. In the future, I want to improve more and more in practice to keep a clean sheet.
Q, How much preparation did you make for Cerezo Osaka?
A, 1 week ago, Leo CEARA has been thoroughly analyzed by watching videos to understand his playing style, so we had a good idea of the opponent.
Q, What were you conscious of in terms of communication on the pitch, even though you could see the parts that needed to be fixed without major disruption?
A, I talked to Enrique and Go HATANO frequently. When responding to cross balls, I was able to change my position by communicating with HATANO and making adjustments such as moving one step inside or one step outside. That was the part that I was able to adjust in the second half.
Q: Please share your thoughts and enthusiasm for the next game after making your first start in the league.
A, the defensive part is working, but there were a few scenes where I lost to Leo CEARA in heading, so I think that's an area where I can grow, so I want to work on it in the future.
Q: Plays that changed the flow of the game from the middle of the second half were impressive. Please review the game.
A, it was a very difficult game. In the unique atmosphere and tension of the opening match, the actual game also became a difficult one. Today's draw, which earned us 1 point, so let's think positively and try our best for the next match.
Q, How did you watch the game from the bench until the middle of the second half?
There were two times when we were behind, and it was a long defensive game, so I thought it would be difficult to come on to the pitch in the middle.
Q, Contributed to an assist from the side by defeating Maikuma, a member of the Japan national team.
A, he was a very wonderful player, and I knew he was a highly skilled player even before the match. He was a player with high defensive abilities, but I am happy that he was able to dodge Maekuma player in a one-on-one situation and connect to an assist.
Q: Please review the scene of the assist that created the equalizing goal.
I think I was able to receive the ball on the side and skillfully avoid the defender in front of me to move the ball forward. I first saw Diego Oliveira making a run into the goal, but I am grateful that Ryotaro Araki was able to skillfully connect with the ball that flowed to the far side.
Q, You can see the good condition from the camp. What kind of performance are you expecting from here?
A, my physical condition and condition are better than last season. Although my playing time was short in today's game, if my playing time becomes longer from here, I believe I can show even better performance to everyone.
