In the previous match, Tokyo won against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo for the first time in 12 seasons in Sapporo, and with three consecutive wins, Tokyo moved up to 4th place. With their lead in the lead starting to show, they returned to their home Ajinomoto Stadium this season and played against Kashiwa Reysol, aiming for their fourth consecutive win for the first time in three seasons since the 2021 season.
Matsuki Kuo, who returned after competing fiercely in Qatar as a member of the U-23 Japan National Team for about a month and earning the right to participate in the Paris Olympics, was included in the starting lineup. Although it has been a long time since he played an official J League match, he still wears the captain’s mark on his arm, a symbol of being the leader of the Blue-Red team. He was paired with Hiroshi Takao as a volunteer in place of Kei Koizumi, who was suspended due to accumulated warnings. It was also a match against his old team for Diego and Oliveira, who has scored in three consecutive games.
1stHALF—Although we conceded goals early on, we steadily scored goals to lead by 2 points.
Just like in the previous match against Sapporo, where they conceded the first goal early on, they suddenly found themselves in the net. Teruto Nakagawa tried to keep the ball in front of his own penalty area, but was caught by his opponent and the ball was kicked into Matthaus’s side by Savio.
However, today’s Tokyo does not give up on little things.
Matsuki called out to Nakagawa to encourage him, and the entire team switched things up, resulting in the equalizing goal in the 6th minute of the first half. The corner kick was quickly taken from a short corner, and Kota Tawara Tsukuda dribbled and crossed the ball. Enrique and Trevisan’s header was stopped by the goalkeeper, but Nakagawa pushed the ball in. Making up for the goal he had conceded after losing the ball himself, the number 39 was quick to make up for his mistake and got the score back to square one.
After catching up, the build-up from the defensive line worked, and they were able to push the ball further. Tawara Tsukida and Banguna Gunde Kashifu worked together to break up the left side and put in a quick cross ball, and Anzai Souma, who ran at full speed from the far side, was knocked down in the penalty area and earned a penalty kick. In the 32nd minute of the first half, Diego converted this chance and successfully turned the game around with his fourth consecutive goal.
Furthermore, in the 37th minute of the first half, Matsuki reacted to a loose ball from a left corner kick and kicked it with his left foot, sending the voltage in the stadium to a climax.
However, immediately after entering additional time, an accident struck the team, which had gained momentum.
When the ball was lost in the defensive line and the opponent’s forward got out, Go Hatano, who jumped out to cover the ball, was judged to have knocked down an opponent, and was shown a red card and sent off. Tsuyoshi Kodama, who will be making his first appearance in the J1 League this season, was brought in as goalkeeper and Nakagawa was dropped.
2ndHALF—Unable to overcome the numerical disadvantage, the game ended in a draw
They conceded a goal early in the second half. It happened less than a minute after kickoff. When Inukai, the center back, received the ball from beyond the center circle, no one could get close and he hit a powerful mid-range shot. The ball went into the top left corner of the goal, closing the lead.
After that, they continued to be forced into a tough period of time, and were unable to overturn their numerical disadvantage. In the 13th minute of the second half, they were swaying from side to side and managed to deflect a cross ball thrown into the penalty area, but when the ball was picked up, they allowed another mid-range shot. Shirai’s mid-range shot was saved by Kodama, but the second ball spilled into the feet of Shimamura, who was in front of the goal, and was pushed in to tie the score.
After the match was brought back to square one, Tokyo tried to move forward, but they were unable to find time to keep hold of the ball and were forced into a difficult match.
Still, they tried to push back by introducing Riki Harakawa and Yuto Nagatomo in the 27th minute of the second half. However, although they had several opportunities for set plays, they were unable to capitalize on them, and the game ended at 3-3. Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, they ended up with one point.
MATCH DETAILS
GK Hatano Go
DF Kosuke Shirai/Masato Morishige/Enrique Trevisan (45 minutes in the second half: Kyosuke Kimoto)/Kafufu Bangunagunde (45 minutes in the second half: Jaja Silva)
MF Kuo Matsuki/Hiroshi Takao/Teruto Nakagawa (45+5 minutes in the first half: Tsuyoshi Kodama)
FW Diego Oliveira (27th minute in the second half: Riki Harakawa) / Kota Tawara Tsukuda (27th minute in the second half: Yuto Nagatomo) / Soma Anzai
SUBS
DF Yuhei Tokumoto
FW Rei On Nozawa
GOAL
6 minutes of the first half: Teruto Nakagawa / 32 minutes of the first half: Diego Oliveira / 37 minutes of the first half: Kuo Matsuki
GK Kenta Matsumoto
DF Diego (33 minutes in the second half: Yugo Tatsuta) / Taiyo Koga / Tomoya Inukai / Daiki Sekine (29 minutes in the second half: Naoki Kawaguchi)
MF Nagachi Shirai/Takumi Tsuchiya (0 minutes in the second half: Yoshiro Toshima)/Takuya Shimamura (44 minutes in the second half: Kazuki Kumazawa)
FW Mateus Savio/Tomoya Koyamatsu (0 minutes in the second half: Kosuke Kinoshita)/Masahiro Hosoya
SUBS
GK Morita Tatsuya
FW Ikuya Umu
GOAL
2 minutes of the first half: Mateus Savio / 1 minute of the second half: Tomoya Inukai / 13 minutes of the second half: Takuya Shimamura
[ピータークラモフスキー監督インタビュー[ピータークラモフスキー監督インタビュー]
Q: Please give us your overall review of today’s match.
A: I think it was a game where a lot of things happened. The first half and the second half had completely different developments. In the first half, we were able to play the type of football we wanted to play, and by moving the ball and utilizing the spaces we wanted to use, we were able to attack well. I would like to continue with that aspect.
In the second half, we ended up having to play with 10 players. Of course, it’s always difficult to play with 10 players, but the players gave their all. Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, they cleared their heads, came together as a team, showed their character, and played well in the second half. After this, we will look back on our performance and, while taking the ongoing process, we would like to recover our condition properly and move on to the next match. It’s disappointing that we didn’t win, but we will take this one point and prepare for the next match.
Q: I’m sure you’re in a tight schedule with injuries and conditioning adjustments, but what is important to you in order to overcome the back-to-back matches?
A: The important thing is to continue the process we are doing. I think there were many positive aspects in today’s match, so we will continue to do so. It is important to make a good recovery for the next match, and I think there is still time to assess which players are fresh and ready for the next match. Masu.
However, as I always say, we need everyone’s efforts during this long season. Of course, it can be difficult at times, but we have to make sure that no matter who comes on, we can make an impact, contribute to good performances, and grow our football no matter who comes on. . We are already seeing the signs. I believe there is still a lot of room for growth, so I would like to continue working toward my goal without wavering.
[選手インタビュー]
Q: Please look back on the match.
A. We conceded a goal early in the first half, but I think we were able to express the kind of soccer we wanted and were able to score three goals in the first half. Early in the second half, the opponent scored a super goal, and as a team we were too defensive, which increased the amount of difficult times we had to endure. One player was sent off in the first half, so we had to spend a lot of time on defense in the second half.
Q: It was a well-coordinated volley shot.
A: From practice the day before, I had the goal of shooting loose balls. My ball feeling was really good from the day before, so I think I was able to make a good impact. It was my first goal in a league match at Ajinomoto Stadium, so I’m happy about that.
Q: How did you organize your team as a team going into the second half with fewer players?
A: At halftime, we talked about putting up some blocks, defending well, and aiming for additional points on the counter. However, we placed too much emphasis on defense and were unable to create many chances in the second half, which left us with some regrets.
Q: The game ended with us trailing by two points.
A: As I said earlier, we were able to play the kind of soccer we aim for and want in today’s match, so I’m not too pessimistic. The atmosphere in the locker room wasn’t too depressed, and there was an atmosphere of wanting to clear their heads and get organized for the next game.
Q: Please look back on the match.
A: It was a game in which we lost two points. Conceding a goal at the beginning of the match is a big point to reflect on, but looking at the first half as a whole, I felt like I had a good shot. Personally, I was almost perfect at pulling out the ball, managing risks, and recovering the ball. As a team, we were able to score three points, and we had a long time to push the opponent, including our sense of distance, so it was a very good performance. However, some players were sent off, and I think the situation became very difficult. Even so, we still had a two-goal difference, and we had a chance to score another goal, so I think it was still our lack of ability that we couldn’t win. I think we need to thoroughly examine the points we need to reflect on.
Q: What was your mindset going into the second half with fewer players?
A: I was talking about trying to attack so as not to accept anything. We conceded a goal early on. In that scene, we had to put more pressure on them, and since we ended up receiving more from them, I think we had to be more focused going into the match. I was also conscious of moving the ball properly so that I didn’t just kick long balls. There were some parts that went well, so I would like to improve on the finer details.
Q: After the score was tied, what were you conscious of while playing?
A: We were conceding goals in quick succession, so we made sure to avoid conceding a fourth goal. During that time, there were some scenes where if we could take away one or two things, the players on the side could get involved in a positive way, so I thought I could make a stab at it. However, we would like to take a positive view of the fact that we were able to get one point instead of conceding another goal and leaving the score at zero.
Q: Throughout the match, there were many scenes where the players were talking to each other.
A: Even after scoring three points, no one was satisfied, and I personally wanted to dominate even more. Even if it’s just something I personally thought, regardless of age, when I notice something, I want to share it and make improvements. I think once this becomes a common understanding among the team, conversations will inevitably increase. I think we are gradually getting better at this point as the entire team is getting more opinions, so I would like to continue working on this.
Q: Please look back on the match.
A. We conceded a goal early in the first half, but after that we were able to score three points. It would have been nice if we could have finished the first half without anyone being sent off, but we conceded a goal at the beginning of the second half, making things difficult.
Q: How did you feel about Diego and Matheus Savio’s countermeasures and matchups?
A: I don’t think we broke down too much, but our opponent was also a hard-working player, so we were unable to attack as well. I get the impression that they were working on each other’s good qualities.
Q: Please give us your thoughts on the defense.
A. The second goal we conceded was at a time when we should never have conceded. Although the opponent’s shot was amazing, we still needed to get closer to the ball holder. The second half was a bit of a letdown, which is something I regret. After that, we conceded another goal and were caught up, but even considering our lead, the important thing was how long we could maintain our advantage, so it’s unfortunate that we were able to catch up so early.
Q: Because we had so much time on defense, we needed a little more power on offense.
A: We weren’t able to generate much offensive power, and our opponent was also doing a good job of risk management, so we ended up being pushed into the match for a long time. There were a few counters, but I don’t think there were many scenes where I was able to attack.
Q: More battles will continue. How would you like to change things up as a team?
A. We had a draw after three consecutive wins, so whether we win or lose the next match will be really important. The consecutive games in May will be an all-out effort, so we want to combine our efforts to get the three points and remain in the race for the top spot.