Striving for victory together as one, even in tough consecutive away matches

ACL Group Stage Match 3 will be played away against Beijing Guoan. In the second match, Ulsan Hyundai was caught up in injury time and ended in a frustrating draw, but they are still currently leading the group with a goal difference against Ulsan. Coach Popovic said, "We have prepared everything to show soccer worthy of being a representative team of Japan," and considering the tough schedule ahead, this match against Beijing, although away, is a crucial one where they want to secure 3 points and return to Japan.

　Beijing Guoan, who has played 2 matches so far, has only 1 point. As mentioned by coach Jaime Pacheco in the press conference the day before, "If we lose, our ACL will be over," so depending on the result of today's Tokyo match, it will become difficult to advance to the qualifiers. They will come into this match with a considerable determination. They will aim long balls towards FW Kaluderovic, the Serbian top scorer of the 2011 season, and MF Piao Cheng and Wang Xiaolong will use their speed to break through from the second row, so the key will be the exchange of marks in the defensive line.

　Tokyo's Hasegawa, who was suspended for the Hiroshima match, returned to the starting lineup as a defensive midfielder. Watanabe will replace Lucas as the lone striker. Mori Shige said, "Just because we lost to Hiroshima doesn't mean we will change what we do. We want to play the Beijing match as usual with our attacking football and passing game that we have been working on." Although there is a challenge of not scoring, it is important to stay focused and fight as a team.

　For the approximately 300 fans who traveled from Tokyo, facing restrictions on movement and support, as well as the approximately 30,000 Beijing supporters, Coach Popovic vowed to "prove our strength and play a style of soccer that drags them into our own arena." He wants to overcome the complete away situation with a strong determination and fight with an attacking attitude until the end. The match started exactly at 20:00 with Tokyo's kickoff at the Beijing Workers Stadium.

Tokyo United For Stern Test In Beijing

　For the 3rd.game of the ACL group stage Tokyo took on Beijing Guoan of China. Tokyo conceded a late goal in their previous outing in the competition and were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Ulsan Hyundai, yet retained top spot in the group on goal difference. Tokyo manager Popovic commented, "As a representative of Japan we have prepared thoroughly to perform in an appropriate way". With the match marking the midpoint of the competition and considering the crowded future schedule, this was a game that Tokyo wanted to win and take the three points back home with them.

　Opponents Beijing Guoan had a single point to show for their two games to date. As manager Jaime Pacheco acknowledged, "If we lose then the ACL is over for us". With their chances for advancement to the next round dependent on the result it was expected that the team would be thoroughly prepared for the fixture. With 2011 Serbian League top scorer Kaluderovic as target man supported by pacy midfielders Piao Cheng and Wang Xiaolong, the key to defending for Tokyo would lie in handing over marking duties.

　Hasegawa returned from suspension for the Hiroshima game to take a place in central midfield while Watanabe replaced Lucas as lone striker. Morishige commented, "We may have lost to Hiroshima but we aren't going to change the way we play. We want to play against Beijing the same way as in the other games; attacking football, passing football, everything we've worked on so far".

　Amongst the 30,000 Beijing supporters were 300 hardy Tokyo fans who had traveled to support the team despite heavy restrictions on their movement and activity inside the stadium. Tokyo manager Popovic vowed that the team would show proof of its strength, like a sumo wrestler on the dohyo. Strong nerves were called for in a most intimidating atmosphere for the team to show its attacking intent until the final whistle. The game kicked off at exactly 8pm in the Workers Stadium.

Despite conceding a penalty kick, Hasegawa's focused shot pierced the net, equalizing the score.

　With the loud support of many supporters, Beijing launches an offensive. In the 6th minute, Kaga injures his leg and goes off the pitch for treatment. In Kaga's absence, Takahashi brings down the opponent in a delicate decision and gives away a penalty kick in the 10th minute. Beijing FW Wang Xiaolong converts it and takes an early lead. Immediately after, Hyun Soo JANG moves to center back. Tokyo, who wants to counterattack, is unable to connect the ball due to the opponent's tight marking on the edge of fouling.

　In the 18th minute, Watanabe, who had advanced to the front line, avoided the opponent's sliding tackle and aimed for the goal with a shot from outside the right area, but it went wide. In the 21st minute, Hasegawa passed vertically to Hayashi, who immediately passed to the right. Tokunaga, who overlapped, sent a cross, but it didn't reach Watanabe in front of the goal. In the 34th minute, the opponent cleared the feed to the front line. Ishikawa, who picked up the second ball in a right-leaning position, dribbled into the middle and took a shot, but it didn't hit cleanly and was saved by the goalkeeper. Under pressure in the midfield, they lost the ball in a bad position and were repeatedly countered.

　Tokyo gradually takes control as fatigue sets in after 40 minutes. Then, in the 44th minute, they push forward from a right throw-in. It is initially cleared, but it reaches Tokunaga, who plays a direct pass to the center where Ishikawa is making a run. Ishikawa takes a step inside and lays it off, and Aria runs onto it, smashing it into the net with his left foot to equalize. Tokyo continues to attack using both sides and creates chances from corner kicks, but the first half ends like this.

Tokyo Fall Behind To Penalty But Hasegawa Grabs Equaliser

　Roared on by the vast crowd, Beijing attacked from the start. In the 6th minute, Tokyo defender Kaga suffered a leg injury and was forced to leave the field to receive extensive treatment. In the 10th minute, with Kaga still off the pitch, Tokyo's Takahashi was judged to have fouled a Beijing player and the referee pointed to the spot. Forward Wang Xiaolong beat Gonda with the penalty and Tokyo found themselves a goal down. Jang then replaced Kaga at center back. Tokyo attempted a fightback but were stymied by some tight marking that continually bordered on foul play, preventing them from playing their passing game.

　In the 18th minute, Watanabe jumped over an opponent's sliding tackle, broke into the Beijing area on the right, and attempted to float a shot into the net. The ball narrowly missed. In the 21st minute, Hasegawa played a pass straight up the field, Hanyu passed it to Tokunaga on the right wing with a first-time touch, and the Tokyo full back sent a cross into the penalty area that just missed Watanabe. In the 34th minute, Ishikawa seized on a poor clearance, cut inside from the right, and took a shot. However, he failed to strike the ball cleanly, and it went through to the keeper for an easy save. Tokyo struggled against intense midfield pressure, frequently losing possession in unfavorable positions and inviting counterattacks.

　Beijing gradually began to tire from around the 40th minute, allowing Tokyo to slowly gain control of the game. From a throw in on the right in the 40th minute, Tokyo launched the ball into the Beijing area; the ball was cleared and Tokunaga moved it inside to Ishikawa. Ishikawa took a step inside and touched the ball into Hasegawa's path as he stormed forward from midfield. Hasegawa lined up his shot and stroked the ball into the net, giving Tokyo an equalizer on the stroke of halftime. The visitors threatened again as they made full use of the width of the pitch to force a corner. The set play came to nothing and the first period ended all square.

In the end, we managed to withstand the opponent's fierce attack and secure 1 point away from home.

　In the second half, there was a back and forth battle. In the 46th minute, Watanabe forcefully shot from just outside the area, but the goalkeeper caught it. In the 50th minute, Beijing dribbled into the area, but strong defense held them off. Then in the 51st minute, Ota cleared the opponent's free kick from the right side, avoiding a throw-in. In the 56th minute, Ota and Tanizawa combined on the left side, with Ota sprinting up the side and delivering an early and sharp cross. Ishikawa jumped in near the goal, but the close-range shot was blocked by the opponent goalkeeper's quick reaction.

　Then in the 58th minute, after a fierce battle for the ball in the midfield, Hayashi was fouled and the game was temporarily stopped. Lucas, who had injured his knee, was substituted in. In the 70th minute, Beijing took advantage of Tokyo's misplaced pass and launched a counterattack. However, Gonda easily caught the long-range shot. Both teams were prone to fouls, but Tokyo remained determined and defended rigorously. In the 71st minute, Ishikawa fought hard in front of the goal and connected with Lucas to create a chance, but they couldn't finish it off.

　Substitute Tanabe for Tanabe in the 72nd minute. However, the development of turning passive against the opponent's tenacity. In the 78th minute, a pass was made behind the left side DF, and a dribble shot was taken, but it was saved by Gonda and resulted in a corner kick. In the 82nd minute, it was controlled from the opponent's FK near the left area, and a shot towards the frame was sent, but Gonda saved it. On the contrary, in the 85th minute, Tokunaga rushed to the right area from the pass exchange between Tanabe and Hasegawa. He managed to bring it to a shot while competing with the opponent's DF, but it was saved by the GK. The team defended against the opponent's fierce attack afterwards and the whistle blew. The match ended in a draw.

Tokyo Withstand Late Onslaught To Earn Point

　The game ebbed and flowed as the second half began. In the 46th minute, Watanabe fired in a fierce drive from outside the penalty area that the Beijing keeper caught while at the other end in the 50th minute, the Tokyo defence smothered the danger after a Beijing player dribbled into the area. Ota cleared a free kick out for a throw-in with a commanding header in the 51st minute. Ota and Yazawa combined neatly down the left in the 56th minute with the former taking the ball forward and firing an early cross into the near post. Ishikawa had anticipated the ball and moved smartly onto it, shooting from close range and drawing a fine reaction save from the keeper.

　In the 58th minute, Hanyu suffered a knee injury in a midfield battle for the ball and the game was stopped while he received treatment. He was unable to continue and Lucas took his place in the front line. Tokyo lost possession in the 70th minute, allowing Beijing to counterattack. A Beijing player shot from distance and Gonda collected the ball comfortably. The flow of the game was increasingly interrupted by fouls by both teams but Tokyo showed grit and defended intensely. Ishikawa showed great persistence to retain possession in front of the Beijing goal in the 71st minute and found Lucas, but Tokyo couldn't manage to fashion a shooting opportunity.

　Tanabe replaced Yazawa in the 72nd minute. In the face of Beijing's aggressive persistence, Tokyo gradually became passive and it took a smart save from Gonda to deny Beijing in the 78th minute as the hosts got in behind their defense. Gonda made another good stop in the 82nd minute following a free kick on the left in the penalty area. In the 85th minute, Tanabe and Hasegawa exchanged passes and slipped the ball to Tokunaga who burst into the Beijing area, battled to hold off a defender, and got a shot away. The Beijing keeper was equal to the challenge and the score remained 1-1. Beijing flung themselves forward in an attempt to snatch a late winner, but the Tokyo defense showed concentration and resilience to deny the hosts. The final whistle blew on a hard-fought draw.

[Player Comment] "I could clearly see the course of the goal. It was just a matter of hitting it, and I didn't put much power into it. I was able to aim calmly for the course. Beijing put pressure on us from the start, and I didn't know what would happen away from home, including the penalty kick. I was prepared for that, including the mindset for it... However, I regret that there were things I could have done more in the opponent's time zone in the second half. Still, many fans came from Japan, and it was significant to be able to earn 1 point as a result in this away atmosphere and judging. Of course, I wanted to win, but it's also important not to lose in games like this. I think it was a game that leads to the next one, and I definitely want to crush it at home."

　"Ishikawa: "I'm frustrated! We couldn't play the soccer we aimed for, and we couldn't express our own soccer. We want to play with a solid performance in terms of content and development in the next home game. By experiencing this kind of match, we can grow by fighting tough. However, we really wanted to win... (To the fans who came to support us) It was very reassuring. There were about 300 people, but it felt like our bond deepened somehow... We really wanted to show that in the result, but we couldn't. In the next home game, we want to do our best to make the fans happy."

　[Summary of Coach Popovic's Press Conference] "We came here today to play football, but I don't think what we played can be called football. We tried to play football, but the opponent's rough play was noticeable, and I can't understand the judgment on that rough play. Some players got injured today, and it's a miracle that we had 11 players left until the end. I think that was the content of the match. You can see the damage and scars on the players' bodies even in photos, so please check the photos. I want to say that the players did very well. Even in such circumstances, they continued to do what they have been doing until the end."

Players' comments
Hasegawa
"For the goal, I could see where I wanted to put the ball clearly and it was just a question of making a good contact with the ball. I didn't put a lot of power into the shot, I just tried to keep calm and place it. Beijing piled on the pressure straight from the start and in away games you don't know what's going to happen, including things like the penalty that was given against us. We had to prepare ourselves mentally for the game as well. In the second half when they were on top I felt there was more I could have done and that's something I have to reflect on. A lot of our fans came from Japan to support us and in such an away atmosphere and amid the refereeing decisions getting a point here is a good result. Of course we wanted to win but not losing these kinds of games is important. I think this experience will stand us in good stead in the future. We want to give them a good hiding in the return game at home".

Ishikawa
"Frustrating. We couldn't play the kind of football we wanted to and we weren't able to express ourselves on the pitch. In the next match at home we want to put in a better performance and play a better game. These kind of games are a good experience and having to dig deep will make us stronger in the future. However, we really wanted to win today for the fans who made the trip here. About 300 of them came and I feel that the bonds between us have grown even stronger. We wanted to win for them and will do our best to give them something to cheer about in the next match".


FC Tokyo manager Popovic
"Well, we came here today to play football but I'm afraid what we got wasn't football at all. We wanted to play but what stood out was rough play from our opponents and I can't understand the referee's decisions regarding it at all. Some of our players were injured today and it's a miracle that we ended the game with 11 men on the field. That's what kind of game it was. If you look at the photographs you can see what I mean about the injuries and damage our players were subjected to during the game. Our players were magnificent today for the way they continued to try to play the way we have been under such circumstances".

[Press Conference Summary of Beijing Guoan Coach Jaime Pacheco] "Good evening, everyone. The players showed a fantastic performance. What I want is for us to come out as winners in the end. Regarding the match, we were able to control the attack and take the initiative. However, towards the end of the first half, we showed a lack of international experience. It's disappointing that we had a chance for a penalty kick at the end of the first half. I can't say that I'm satisfied with the result. However, we gave our all and made good decisions in different situations. I think we can praise the confidence and attitude towards the game."

Beijing manager Jaime Pacheco 
"Good evening everyone. Our players produced a great performance today. I'd asked them to fight to the bitter end to get the win. I felt we seized the initiative and controlled the game, particularly in attack. I felt we showed a lack of international experience towards the end of the first half. We also had a good shout for a penalty that wasn't given and that was disappointing. To be honest, I can't say I'm happy with the result. Having said that though, I felt the team played to the full extent of their capability and the decision-making was good. I think I can praise the team for the confidence they showed and the way in which they accounted for themselves".