完全アウェイで厳しい連戦の中でも、一丸となって勝利をめざす

ACLグループステージ第3戦は、アウェイで北京国安と対戦。第2戦蔚山現代はロスタイムに追いつかれ悔しいドローとなったが、それでも現在蔚山とは得失点差で首位をキープ。ポポヴィッチ監督は「日本を代表するチームとして、それにふさわしいサッカーを見せられるようにすべての準備はしてきた」と話し、グループステージ半分となる今回の北京戦は、アウェイではあるが今後の厳しい日程を考えれば、勝ち点3を奪って日本に帰りたい一戦。

　対する北京国安は、ここまで2戦して勝ち点1のみ。前日のJaime Pacheco監督の会見で「もし負けるようなことになれば私たちのACLが終わってしまう」と話すように、今日の東京戦の結果次第では予選突破が難しくなってくるだけに、相当な覚悟でこの一戦にかけてくるだろう。2011シーズンのセルビア得点王のFW・Kaluderovicに目がけてロングボールを入れ、MF・Piao ChengやWang Xiaolongが2列目からスピードを活かして飛び出していくため、DFラインでのマークの受け渡しがカギとなる。

　東京はリーグ広島戦で出場停止のため欠場した長谷川がボランチとしてスタメンに復帰。渡邉がルーカスに代わって1トップに入る布陣で臨むことに。森重は「広島に負けたからといってやることは変わらない。ここまで取り組んできた攻撃サッカー、パスをつなぐサッカーで北京戦もいつもどおりに戦いたい」と話し、無得点という課題はあるものの、ぶれずにチームとして戦う事が重要となる。

　約3万人の北京サポーターに対して、移動や応援にも規制を受けながら東京から駆けつける約300名のファンのためにも、ポポヴィッチ監督は「自分たちの力を証明する。自分たちの土俵にひきずりこむようなサッカーをする」ことを誓い、完全アウェイの状況で強い気持ちでそれをはねのけ、最後まで攻撃的な姿勢で戦いたい。試合は北京工人体育場にて20時ちょうどに東京のキックオフで開始された。

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. 

PKを与え失点するも、長谷川の狙い澄ましたシュートがネットに突き刺さり同点で折り返す

　多くのサポーターの大声援を受けて、北京が攻勢に出る。6分には加賀が足を痛めて治療のためピッチ外に。すると加賀不在の中、10分に高橋が微妙な判定で相手を倒したとしてPKを与えてしまう。これを北京FW・Wang Xiaolongに決められて早くも先制を許す。直後にチャン ヒョンスがそのままセンターバックに。反撃に出たい東京であったが、相手の反則ギリギリのタイトなマークを受けてボールを繋ぐことができず。

　18分には、前線に飛び出した渡邉が相手のスライディングをかわして、右エリア外から浮かしたシュートで狙うが、枠外に。21分は長谷川の縦パスから、羽生がダイレクトで右へ。オーバーラップした徳永がクロスを送るが、ゴール前の渡邉には合わず。34分には前線へのフィードを相手がクリア。これを右寄りの位置でセカンドを拾った石川が、中へドリブルで切り込み、シュートしたがヒットし切れずGKに。中盤での厳しいプレッシャーを受けて、悪い形でボールを奪われ、何度もカウンターを受ける展開。

　40分を過ぎると徐々に疲れから東京が主導権を握る。すると44分、右スローインから押し込み、一度はクリアされるが、これが徳永に渡り、ダイレクトで中央の石川へくさびを入れる。石川が一歩中に持ち出して落としたところに、アーリアが走り込み、左足で豪快にゴールネットに突き刺して同点に。その後も両サイドを使って攻め続け、CKからチャンスを作るもこのまま前半を終了した。

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 centre 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 hurdled an opponent's sliding tackle, burst into the Beijing area on the right and attempted to float a shot into the net. The ball sailed narrowly wide. Hasegawa stroke a pass straight up the field in the 21st.minute, Hanyu laid it off to Tokunaga on the right wing with a first-time touch and the Tokyo full back drove a cross into the penalty area that marginally evaded Watanabe. Ishikawa latched onto a poor clearance in the 34th.minute, cut inside from the right and shot. He failed to strike the ball cleanly however, and it ran through to the keeper for a comfortable save. Tokyo struggled in the face of some intense midfield pressure, frequently losing possession in poor positions and inviting the counter attack. 

　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 equaliser 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. 

最後は相手の猛攻をしのぎ切り、アウェイで勝ち点1を得ることに

　後半に入ると一進一退の攻防に。46分に渡邉がエリア手前から強引にシュートを放つもGKがキャッチ。50分には北京にドリブルでエリア内に進入されるが、粘り強い守備で守り切る。続けて51分は、右サイドからの相手のFKは太田がクリアし、スローインに逃れた。56分には、左サイドでの谷澤と太田の連携から、太田がサイドを駆け上がり、アーリー気味に鋭いクロス。ニアにどんぴしゃで石川が飛び込んだが、至近距離のシュートは相手GKの素早い反応に阻まれる。

　すると58分、中盤での激しいボールの奪い合いから羽生が倒され、試合は一時中断。膝を痛めルーカスが代わりに投入される。70分には東京のパスミスを奪って北京がカウンターに。だが遠目からのシュートは権田が余裕をもってキャッチ。互いにファールで試合は分断されがちになるが、東京も気持ちで負けず、厳しく守っている。71分はゴール前で石川が粘ってつなぎ、ルーカスを起点にチャンスを作るも、フィニッシュには持ち込めず。

　72分に谷澤に代えて田邉を投入。しかし相手の粘りに対し受け身に回る展開。78分には左サイドのDFの裏にパスを出され、ドリブルシュートを放たれるが、権田のセーブでCKに。82分には相手FKから、左エリア手前でコントロールされ、枠へのシュートを飛ばされるがこれも権田がセーブ。逆に85分には、田邉と長谷川のパス交換から、徳永が右エリアに突進。相手DFと競り合いながらもシュートまで持ち込んだがGKにセーブされる。その後の相手の猛攻も、チーム一丸となって守り抜きホイッスル。引き分けに終わる。

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 in to 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 counter attack. 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 defence. Gonda made another good stop in the 82nd.minute following a free kick on the left on 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 defence showed concentration and resilience to deny the hosts. The final whistle blew on a hard-fought draw. 

【選手コメント】《長谷川》「得点は、完全にコースが見えていた。当てるだけだったし、力も入っていなかった。落ち着いてコースを狙えた。北京は立ち上がりから圧力をかけてきたし、PKを含めてアウェイでは何が起こるかわからない。そのための気持ちを含めた準備はできていたが...。ただ、後半になった相手の時間帯のときに、もっとできることがあったと反省する。それでも日本からたくさんのファンが来てくれたし、このアウェイの雰囲気やジャッジの中で結果として勝ち点1を取れたことは大きい。もちろん勝ちたかったが、こういうゲームで負けないことも大事。次につながる試合だったと思うし、ホームでは必ず叩きつぶしたい」

　《石川》「悔しい！　目指すサッカーもできなかったし、自分たちのサッカーを表現できなかった。次回ホームではさらに内容や展開でもしっかりとしたプレーができるようにしたい。こういう試合を経験して、タフに戦うことで成長できる。ただ本当は勝ちたかったが...(かけつけてくれたファンに）とても頼もしかった。人数は約300名でしたが、何か絆が深まったというか．．．本当はそれを結果で示したかったができなかった。次回ホームではファンのみなさんが喜んでもらえるように頑張りたい」

　【ポポヴィッチ監督の会見要旨】「今日はサッカーをするために来ましたが、サッカーとは言えないものであったと思います。われわれはサッカーをしようとしましたが、相手のラフプレーが目立ったと思いますし、そのラフプレーに対してのジャッジも理解できません。今日は怪我をしてしまった選手もいますし、最後まで11人が残っていたことが奇跡。そのような内容であったと思います。選手が受けたダメージ・体の傷跡は写真でも分かると思いますので、写真を確認して下さい。選手は非常に良くやったと言いたい。このような中でも最後まで自分たちがやってきたことをやり続けたことに」

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". 


F.C.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". 

【北京国安・ジャイメ パチェコ監督の会見要旨】「みなさまこんばんは。選手たちは素晴らしいパフォーマンスを見せてくれた。私が望むことは最後に勝ちあがっていることです。試合に関して、攻撃面ではコントロールできていたし主導権を握れていた。前半終了間際に国際経験が足りていないことを見せてしまった。前半の最後にPKのチャンスがあったが。そこは残念です。ハッキリ言うと結果に満足はできません。しかし全力を出して、場面・状況で良い判断もできていた。試合に対する自信や態度は褒めることができると思います」

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".