In the previous match, Tokyo faced Nagoya Grampus and suffered their first defeat in 5 games. They looked to restart their momentum in this match against Yokohama F.Marinos at home in Ajinomoto Stadium. Facing such a tough opponent, Tokyo made 4 changes to their starting lineup from the previous match. Henrique Trevisan was placed at center back, Yuto Nagatomo at right back, Kuryu Matsuki at attacking midfielder, and Ryotaro Araki at striker. Teruhito Nakagawa, who will face his former team, started on the bench and waited for his chance to play.
Preventing consecutive losses, and aiming for the second win of the season at home at Ajinomoto Stadium, the stands were dyed in blue and red, and the kickoff whistle blew amidst high voltage.
1st HALF - Gradually take control after conceding the first goal
The first chance came to Tokyo. In the 4th minute of the first half, Ryotaro ARAKI's free kick was crossed by Henrique on the far side. Kashif BANGNAGANDE reacted to this and aimed for a shot, but it was blocked by the opponent. Then, immediately after, Yan Matheus from Yokohama FM created a chance from the right side. In the 5th minute of the first half, he cut in and swung his left foot, but it was touched and deflected by goalkeeper Taishi Brandon NOZAWA.
From there, the opponent held onto the ball for a while and Tokyo continued to chase the ball. In the 25th minute of the first half, the flow changed as Matsubara intercepted a pass from Takahiro KO aimed at Tawara Tsumita and quickly changed sides. In the end, Nam Tae-hee scored a beautiful goal and we conceded the first goal.
After passing the first 30 minutes, Araki, the forward, started to move left and right to pull out the ball, gradually creating an attacking rhythm for Tokyo. In particular, Tawarazumiya, the player who made bold moves, came close to scoring multiple times. However, they were unable to score due to the opponent's desperate blocks in front of the goal. In the end, Matsuki had a big chance but couldn't convert, and they went into halftime trailing by one point.
2ndHALF - Despite a fierce attack, Nagatomo's powerful equalizer was not enough for a comeback.
Tokyo continues to attack even in the second half.
Immediately after the kickoff, a big chance was created. Yasuki KIMOTO passed the ball to Soma ANZAI, who broke through the right side and sent a fast ball into the goal area. Ayumu ARAKI threw his body forward and dove for the ball, but he couldn't quite reach it.
However, Tokyo, who gained rhythm with this play, aggressively approached the goal and a tying goal was born in the 10th minute of the second half.
Matsumaki player connected the loose ball from the cross ball put in by Lori player from the left side, and Nagatomo player who jumped in near the penalty area flashed his right foot. The brilliant shot pierced into the goal.
Tokyo, who has completely grasped the pace, aims to reverse without letting go. They surpass the opponent in both ball possession and second ball recovery, and add thickness to the front line by bringing in players such as Nakagawa and Diego OLIVEIRA. However, the crucial reverse goal is not easily decided.
In the 23rd minute of the second half, player Yoshifu jumped in to volley a cross from player Nagatomo, but the shot was not met cleanly and flew straight to the opposing goalkeeper. In additional time, player Nakagawa's left-footed shot narrowly missed the goal, and right after that the game ended. While they were able to prevent a loss, they were unable to score a goal despite their offensive efforts, leaving them with only 1 point.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Taishi Brandon NOZAWA
DF Yuto NAGATOMO/Yasuki KIMOTO/Henrique TREVISAN/Kashif BANGNAGANDE
MF Kuryu MATSUKI (43rd minute of the second half: Riki HARAKAWA)/Takahiro KO (43rd minute of the second half: Kosuke SHIRAI)/Kei KOIZUMI
FW Kota TAWARATSUMIDA (21st minute of the second half: Teruhito NAKAGAWA)/Soma ANZAI (31st minute of the second half: Jája Silva)/Ryotaro ARAKI (31st minute of the second half: Diego OLIVEIRA)
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi KODAMA
DF Teppei OKA
GOAL
10 minutes into the second half: Yuto NAGATOMO
＜Yokohama F.Marinos＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK William POPP
DF Ken MATSUBARA/Takumi KAMIJIMA/Taiki WATANABE (37th minute of the first half: Riku YAMANE)/Katsuya NAGATO
MF Kota WATANABE/Takuya KIDA/Nam Tae-Hee (0th minute of the second half: Keigo SAKAKIBARA)
FW Matheus Yan (17th minute of the second half: Kenta INOUE)/Anderson LOPES (17th minute of the second half: Asahi UENAKA)/Elber (17th minute of the second half: Ryo MIYAICHI)
SUBS
GK Fuma SHIRASAKA
DF Ren KATO
GOAL
First Half 25 Minutes: Nam Tae-Hee
[Interview with Peter CKLAMOVSKI, Manager]
Q: please review the game.
A, there are complex emotions. It was a game that we were able to win. I think it was a very entertaining game, and both teams played aggressively and good football. I think this was also a good promotion for Japanese football. I think there were situations where we had to endure for the first 30 minutes of the first half. We were able to fight stronger towards the end of the first half, and I think we were able to find the material to turn the game around in the second half. We were able to put that into practice in the second half and create enough chances to win the game. Overall, it was a good game, so I want to continue to build the team so that we can play better.
Q, the game development was completely different between the first and second half. What was the reason for the change in momentum?
A, in the first half we were a bit passive and became heavy in the back, but towards the end of the first half we were able to go on the offensive. And at the end of the first half, I think we were able to move the ball well by using the space we were trying to use. That continued in the second half and we were able to create a good flow. I was confident that we could equalize and even score a second goal.
I am truly proud of the players. They gave everything they had to fight for the win. We want to continue to improve and learn from each game. It is important and a strong aspect of our team that we were able to show our strength. We hope to continue to improve and grow, and get closer to the team we have dreamed of. However, there are still things we need to do in order to achieve that.
[Player Interview]
Yuto NAGATOMO
Q: It was the first goal in 5118 days at Ajinomoto Stadium. Please review the scoring scene.
When Kuryu MATSUKI had the ball, I was in a good position and free, so I had the image of shooting directly when the ball came. Kuryu MATSUKI passed at a good timing, so all I had to do was swing.
Q, I think the side back has become more aware of taking a high position.
A, not only myself, but also players like Kosuke SHIRAI and Kashif BANGNAGANDE, have been involved in many scenes of assists and goals. I believe this is the result of the team's efforts.
Q, What kind of communication did you have with Soma ANZAI, who is on the same side?
A, I haven't worked together much, so I think we can continue to improve our relationship even more. Anzai is dedicated to defense and plays with attention to detail, such as pressing back, so it's very helpful and easy for me.
Q, during the consecutive games, it seemed like the team was able to switch gears from the previous defeat and approach the game.
A, not collapsing is a good thing for the team. The first half was a tough start, but we were able to talk and make adjustments on the pitch, and by the end of the first half, we were able to get into our own rhythm. Being able to communicate and make adjustments on the pitch shows our growth as a team.
＜Yasuki KIMOTO player＞
Q, please review the game.
A, there were also instances where sharing and corrections were achieved on the pitch, and the overall low line was resolved, leading to counterattacks. I think the team's strengths were shown. In the previous match against Nagoya Grampus, we also gave away goals from situations that were not major crises. Therefore, we want to learn how to hold our ground and have a mindset of being satisfied with a 0-0 score in the first half, depending on the situation.
Q, in the second half, there were build-up plays and forward movements from player Yasuki KIMOTO.
A, I think I was able to show my strengths in how I participated in the attack. I want to continue doing that. The challenge for today's game was that there were not many chances created after passing the ball forward. Tokyo has a strong front line, so I want to continue being a key player in the attack.
Q, How do you look back on being able to avoid consecutive losses and multiple goals conceded?
A, I think it is absolutely necessary to avoid consecutive losses in order to aim for the top. I think we were able to achieve the minimum results. In today's match, we conceded a goal, but we were conscious of not conceding goals consecutively like in the Nagoya match, and we needed to concentrate especially for the 5 minutes after conceding. I believe that being able to fight patiently without giving away additional points or collapsing will lead to the next step.
＜Player Kuryu MATSUKI＞
Q, Ryotaro ARAKI was used in the starting lineup at the same time as the Urawa Reds match for the first time since the Urawa Reds match.
A, since today's match was an open game, there weren't many scenes where we could connect passes together, but both Araki and I were always in a distance where we could see each other, so we want to continue improving and achieving results.
Q, an aggressive attitude such as taking a middle shot was also seen.
A, Throughout the game, I wanted to calm down the game a little more. After the opposing center back player was substituted due to injury, the game became more open, so I think we should have moved the team without adjusting to the opponent and connecting the ball.
Q, the second half had more driving force forward than the first half.
A, we changed our pressing style in the middle of the first half. We discussed it at halftime and continued with it in the second half. We had a good pace going for the last 10 minutes of the first half, so I think if we had been able to finish our chances, we could have won the game. However, in order to win, we need to work on creating a good pace from the start of the game.
