Aiming for victory in the club's first ever quarterfinals appearance in the ACL

Tokyo, who won the first match of the Round of 16 with a score of 2-1, arrived in Shanghai on Sunday the 22nd. They entered the away ground in Shanghai, aiming for the club's first ever quarterfinals.

The lineup consists of GK Akimoto, DF from right to left Hashimoto, Morishige, and Yoshimoto, with Tokunaga as the left fullback. In the midfield, Takahashi is the anchor, with Uchida and Yonemoto as the inside halves, Mizunuma on the right wide, and Higashi on the left. Maeda is the lone striker.
 

Shanghai SIPG, on the other hand, will be without Zhang due to injury, but they have Conca and Ewerton, strong foreign players. It is also necessary to be cautious of the speed and breakthrough ability of Urawa.

The match started with a kick-off at 19:30 in Shanghai under cloudy skies.

Tokyo Aim For Final Eight

With a 2-1 lead from the first leg FC Tokyo arrived in Shanghai on May 22nd, aiming to reach the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League for the first time.

The team lined up with Akimoto in goal, Hashimoto at right back, Morishige and Yoshimoto in central defence and Tokunaga at left back. Takahashi played as midfield anchor with Hanyu and Yonemoto as inside halves, while Mizunuma played wide right and Higashi wide left. Maeda filled the lone striker role.

Shanghai SIPG were without injured forward Asamoah Gyan but were still able to field strong attacking players such as Dario Conca and Elkeson from their foreign contingent. Tokyo would also need to pay attention to pacy forward Wu Lei.

The hosts set the ball rolling at 7:30 on a cloudy evening in Shanghai.

The score remains 0-0 thanks to a great save by GK Akimoto

4 minutes: Shanghai's counterattack allows Dawhan to dribble up from the right side.
Lu Wenjun, the 11FW who rose from the center, entered the area. His leg was stretched out against the cross, but the trap failed and the ball went off target, resulting in Tokyo's possession.
 

19 minutes: Tokyo holds back Shanghai's 4DF Wang Shenchao, who overlapped, with a foul, giving a free kick from the right sideline inside Tokyo's territory.
19 minutes: Shanghai - MF Konka sends this FK to the front line. The shot, which was headed by DF Kim Juyong in the area, was saved by Akimoto with one hand, just barely. It resulted in a corner kick.

26 minutes: Another foul against Shanghai. A free kick is awarded to Tokyo from the right side of the Tokyo team's field. MF Conca's powerful kick goes past both enemies and allies and reaches Akimoto. The ball momentarily slips from Akimoto's hands, but both teams pause for a moment and do not create an opportunity.
28 minutes: Shanghai FW Uray attacks the right front line and crosses negatively in front of the area.
Tokyo blocked a powerful volley from FW Lu JUN, preventing a goal.

30 minutes: Shanghai - Left cross, headed by 7FW Ureli in the center, but the shot is saved by Akimoto.
32 minutes: Shanghai, deeply penetrated Tokyo's right side, and a perfect header from FW Ewerton from the center, but Akimoto catches it.

37 minutes: Shanghai FW Ureli dribbles to the left front line. Hashimoto is evaded and Ureli breaks through to the sideline, but his short final pass towards the goal is controlled by Akimoto at his feet.
45 minutes +1 Shanghai MF Konka takes the distance in the right area and makes a skillful vertical pass to the right area.
FW Ewerton made a run in response to this, but Morishige responded perfectly and prevented a shot.
45 minutes +1 Shanghai's throw-in flow pushed into the goal area, and in the end, an overhead kick was taken by FW Ureli in the area, but it went wide of the goal.

Stunning Saves From Akimoto Keep First Half Scoreless

4th.minute: Shanghai countered at speed down the right through defender Wang Shenchao. He attempted to find forward Lu Wenjun with a low cross into the box but Lu's first touch was heavy and the ball flew out for a Tokyo goal kick.

19th.minute: Shanghai pushed forward down the right through the overlapping Wang once more until Higashi stopped him with a foul. Dario Conca whipped in the free kick, defender Kim Juyoung flicked the ball on with a back header and Akimoto produced a stunning one-handed save to claw the ball out from under the crossbar.

26th.minute: Shanghai won another free kick in a similar position out on the right. Conca whipped the ball in again but this time it cleared the scrum of players in front of goal and bounced up towards Akimoto. He lost control of the ball and both sides froze momentarily until a Tokyo defender moved it away to safety.

28th.minute: Wu Lei raced down the right channel and cut a cross back into the centre. Forward Lu Wenjun latched onto the ball and crashed a powerful volley goalward that a Tokyo defender blocked away.

30th.minute: Shanghai crossed from the left, Wu Lei outjumped the Tokyo defence and Akimoto made another fine save to tip the header over the bar.

32nd.minute: Shanghai took the ball deep down the left and crossed from the byline. Elkeson met the ball but was unable to impart much power to his header and Akimoto held it comfortably.

37th.minute: Wu Lei stormed down the left and into the Tokyo penalty area. He took the ball along the byline and aimed a short pass into the centre but Akimoto reacted sharply, smothering the danger.

45+1: Dario Conca showed his skill to play an upfield pass for Elkeson to chase. Morishige defended solidly, denying Shanghai an attempt on goal.

45+1: Shanghai threatened the Tokyo goal from a throw in. Wu Lei attempted an overhead kick but failed to hit the target. The first period ended 0-0.

Allowing a goal at the end and losing, eliminated...

48 minutes: Takahashi is judged to have held back against the speedy dribble of Shanghai's 7FW Urei, resulting in a free kick from almost directly in front of the goal.
49 minutes: This FK was directly aimed at FW Ewerton, but it went wide of the goal.
51 minutes: Hashimoto is brought down and wins a free kick on the right side. From this sequence, picking up the loose ball from the opponent's header, connecting it, and Hanyu in the center controls it with one touch, and plays a vertical pass into the area. Maeda runs in from the left here, trying to take a decisive shot... but the distance to the goalkeeper is too close and it is saved...

65 minutes: Takumi ABE is substituted for Mizunuma and brought in as a forward. Formation changed to 4-4-2.
66 minutes: Shangai swings wide, and FW Lu Wenjun's right cross reaches the far left area of the goal. FW Urelei jumps in freely here and creates a decisive opportunity, but Akimoto blocks it with his body and escapes with a corner kick.

70 minutes: Shanghai's 10MF Konka in the left area keeps the ball. Hashimoto confronts him, but the ball is passed between his legs and a through pass is made to the left front line. In response, FW Yu Hai breaks through behind the defense and crosses the ball, but Tokunaga clears it before Shanghai's player waiting in the far post.

80 minutes: Kawano replaces Higashi on the pitch.
84 minutes: Unable to bring the ball up from their own half. Shanghai steals the ball and passes it with one touch. It is eventually spread to the side and a right cross is delivered, but Akimoto catches it firmly.

85 minutes: Substituting Maruyama for Hanyu here. Changing to 3 center backs.
89 minutes: A high ball was put into the Shanghai area, and the clearance was shortened, resulting in a push-in. In the end, Hashimoto cleared it. It escaped to a corner kick, and we defended it here as well.

90 minutes: The scene continues where the ball is pushed into the goal area from Shanghai's set play, but once again Hashimoto calmly clears it and escapes with a corner kick.
90 minutes + 1: Yoshimoto cleared the long ball to the Shanghai area, but couldn't handle the second ball and was hit by a powerful shot from Shanghai's 9FW Ewerton just outside the area. Akimoto made the save, but... the ball spilled out and FW Ureli, who was right on the offside line, reacted. It was immediately kicked in, resulting in a goal. 0-1.
The match ended in a 0-1 defeat, and despite a total score of 2-2 over two matches, we were eliminated based on the away goal rule.

Last-gasp Goal Sinks Tokyo

48th.minute: Wu Lei set off on a dribble forward until stopped by a challenge from behind by Takahashi. The referee awarded a free kick to Shanghai.

49th.minute: Shanghai forward Elkeson took the free kick, some 25 metres from goal. His effort cleared the Tokyo wall but faded well past the near post.

51st.minute: Hashimoto was fouled out on the right, giving Tokyo a free kick. They moved the play on quickly and a weak clearance by the Shanghai defence fell to Hanyu, just outside the penalty arc. Hanyu took the ball down neatly and slid a pass through to Maeda who was suddenly free inside the box with only the Shanghai keeper to beat. Yan Junling raced off his line and managed to block Maeda's shot from point blank range.

65th.minute: Tokyo replaced Mizunuma with Abe and switched to a 4-4-2 formation.

66th.minute: Shanghai stretched the play and forward Lu Wenjun launched a deep cross from the right to beyond the far post. Forward Wu Lei raced behind the Tokyo defence, flung himself at the ball and managed to turn it back on target. Akimoto reacted sharply and turned it behind with his body.

70th.minute: Conca held the ball up on the left on the Tokyo penalty area, then poked it through Hashimoto's legs and played a ball down the line for striker Yu Hai to chase. Yu centred towards the far post where Tokunaga watched the ball all the way and cleared comfortably.

80th.minute: Kawano replaced Higashi.

84th.minute: Tokyo were struggling to get out of their own half. Shanghai won the ball and played it around with some crisp, one-touch passing. They moved the ball down the right and crossed; Akimoto held it comfortably.

85th.minute: Maruyama replaced Hanyu and Tokyo played with three centre backs.

89th.minute: Shanghai lifted a towering cross into the Tokyo box. The clearance was short and when the ball was played back in Hashimoto hooked it out for a corner. The visitors' defense dealt with the corner as well.

90th.minute: Tokyo were again under pressure in their own penalty area from a set play yet once again Hashimoto put the ball into touch.

90+1: Yoshimoto headed a long ball clear but Tokyo were unable to deal with the second ball and it fell to Elkeson, just outside the box in a central position. Elkeson shot hard and low through a ruck of players. Akimoto saved the bounding attempt but the ball rebounded straight to Wu Hai in a just barely onside position. He slotted it home. The final whistle blew shortly after on a 1-0 defeat. The aggregate score over the two legs was 2-2, with Tokyo eliminated on away goals.

【Player Comments】

"Akimoto"
"I was done in at the very end. The goals we conceded in the first match and this match could have been prevented if we had cleared the ball when we had the chance, so it's my responsibility and I feel sorry for my teammates and the fans and supporters. Since the result is everything, I don't think it matters how many saves I make in the first half if we end up losing, so I feel sorry. I will accept it firmly, and both myself and the team will switch gears and focus on the next match."

"Yoshimoto"
"I really wanted to move up to the next stage and everyone fought desperately, so I'm really frustrated. In the last 5 minutes, 10 minutes, we were able to unify our intention to win with a 0-0 score. In the end, we couldn't endure it and were defeated, so it can be summed up in one word: we couldn't endure it. However, there will definitely be situations like this in the future, so I want to be able to defend against it when that time comes. We were talking about "changing the team up until now" together, so there is frustration in not being able to achieve that, and honestly, I don't have enough room to say that I want to use it for the next time. I'm so frustrated right now that I can't think about the next thing, but there's a game coming up soon, so I have to switch gears. I'm so frustrated that I can't switch gears right away, so it contradicts what I'm saying, but that's how I approached the game."
 

Players' Comments

Akimoto:
"They caught us right at the end. The goal in the first leg and the one tonight both came about from situations where I should have forced the ball away; it's my responsibility and I feel apologetic to my teammates and our fans and supporters. The result is everything so making all those saves in the first half is meaningless since we lost. We have to accept the result, shift our focus squarely onto the next game and bounce back".

Yoshimoto
"We were absolutely determined to get to the next stage and fought to the death with everything we had so it's bitterly disappointing. For the final five or ten minutes we were totally focused on playing as a unit and keeping them out. In the end we couldn't withstand them; that kind of situation will occur again in the future and next time we want to see it through. We spoke about changing the team we had been until now but weren't able to achieve it today which is disappointing. We don't have much leeway for putting things right before the next game but we have to. I'm so disappointed I can hardly think about the next game; that may be contradictory but that's how much we invested in the match today".

[Summary of Manager Hiroshi JOFUKU's Press Conference]

"It was an unacceptable outcome. All I can say is thank you to the players and let's return to Japan with our heads held high. We wanted to bring back a ticket to the quarterfinals with the fans and supporters, but it's extremely disappointing."
[Q&A]
Q=What was the deciding factor in the close result?
"Of course, there may have been tactical aspects and turning points in the game. However, I want to take responsibility for all the 'what ifs'. The players did well."
Q=After playing 9 matches against Asian teams since the playoffs in February, what did the team gain and what do they want to carry over to the league matches?
"Now, all I can say is that I wanted to compete on the Asian stage with the players. We haven't been able to achieve the desired results in the league, so we must use the evidence of growth obtained in such a tough battle in the league. Right now, I just wanted to fight with them on the Asian stage..."

[Shanghai SIPG - Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson's Press Conference Summary]
"Thanks to the players' efforts for 90 minutes, we were able to achieve victory. We are also very happy to advance to the ACL Best 8. To be honest, last weekend's C League was a very tough match, but the period until this FC Tokyo match was short and there was no time for the players to recover. I think we were able to make good preparations. I want to express my gratitude to all the players and club staff."

F.C.TOKYO manager Hiroshi Jofuku

"That's a very hard result to accept. What I can say to my players is "Well done, you can go home with your heads held high". We had wanted to earn a ticket for the final eight together with our fans and supporters but it was not to be, which is a huge disappointment".
It was a very tight game. What do you think made the difference? "Maybe there was something tactically, a turning point in the play. I have to accept the what-ifs are down to me. The players did extremely well".
Since the playoff game in February you've played nine games against Asian opposition. What have you learned that you can put to use in the J.League? "What I can say now is that we wanted to play further on this stage. The results haven't been going our way in the league so we want to use the experience of playing in intensely challenging games like today's as proof of our maturing as a team. For now though, I can say from the bottom of my heart that I wanted to continue to play on this stage with the team".
 

Shanghai SIPG manager Sven Goran Eriksson

"We were able to win thanks to the performance the players gave over the full 90 minutes. I'm delighted that we've qualified for the quarter finals of the ACL. To tell the truth, we had an extremely difficult game at the weekend in the C. League and very little time for the players to recover. Even so, they managed to prepare thoroughly; I'd like to express my gratitude to them and the club staff".