“FC Tokyo Battles Through Adversity but Falls Short Against Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Thrilling Clash”[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eNt3zBNbY4[/embed]

＜Match Review＞

A fight to overcome numerous adversities and aim for goals and victory. It truly showcases the team’s determination.

In the away match against Hiroshima for the 29th round of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League, the team faced the direct impact of Typhoon No. 10 as they prepared for the game. The players moved their travel plans up by one day, heading to Hiroshima on Thursday, but they were halted by the Tōkaidō Shinkansen service. They remained stuck for over seven hours in Eastern Shizuoka Prefecture and could only move to a lodging facility in the same region when the date changed. The next day, they faced difficulties moving west due to road closures and massive traffic jams caused by the typhoon and heavy rain, forcing them to first travel by bus to Tokyo in the afternoon. On the day of the match, they took a plane to Yamaguchi Ube Airport, followed by a three-hour bus ride, finally arriving in Hiroshima City just about six hours before kickoff.

The opponent is Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who is currently on a six-match winning streak and just two points away from the league lead. Tokyo is struggling with no goals scored in four matches since the resumption of play, drawing twice and losing twice. However, they want to respond to the passion of the fans and supporters who came to the venue, as well as those sending their thoughts through the DAZN broadcast. Originally, they were supposed to conduct a training session on-site the day before, but they couldn’t; thus, there were hurdles regarding their condition. Nevertheless, the team has prepared as much as possible and is ready to fight for a spark to rise.

The starting eleven in the blue and red jersey, eager to fight as one, features goalkeeper Brandon Nozawa. The backline comprised Hotaka Nakamura, Kanta Doi, Masato Morishige, and Kosuke Shirai, lined up from the right. Morishige returned from a concussion that caused his substitution in the previous match against Tokyo Verdy. The midfield duo consisted of Hiroshi Takau and Kei Koizumi. Everton Gaudino, making his first start for the team, was placed on the right wing, while Teru Nakagawa occupied the left wing. In the center, Ryotaro Araki and Diego Oliveira formed a vertical partnership.

Furthermore, Yuto Nagatomo, who has been selected for the national team, and Enrique Trevisan, who was sidelined due to injury, were also included in the squad. Considering the burden of travel, Teppei Oka and Tsuyoshi Kodama also accompanied the team and participated in training, truly showing the collective intent to aim for victory as they approached kickoff.

1st HALF — Early Chances But Conceding Two Goals

The first big opportunity was created by Tokyo. In the second minute of the first half, when the opponent’s build-up misfired, Everton pressed and retrieved the ball in the center, which led Diego to take a left-footed shot from the left side. Although the shot was caught by the opposing goalkeeper, they created a promising scene right away. Following that, they maintained connected pressing from the beginning, connecting with Diego as a focal point in the attack as they sought out opportunities.

However, just five minutes into the first half, things took a turn. They conceded a headed shot from a left cross at the far side. Although they managed to deflect it somehow, Hiroshima quickly picked up the loose ball in the penalty area and calmly slotted it in by Turgay Arslan, taking an early lead.

Tokyo aimed to gain momentum. Diego and Koizumi showed intense pressing and led the charge, and in the 20th minute, Nozawa caught a perfectly timed header from a corner kick by the opposition. They continued to strive to regroup defensively.

Yet, facing the opponent’s swift predictions and movements, Tokyo struggled, and in the 32nd minute, they were again pressed into the penalty area, conceding another goal to Turgay Arslan, who capitalized on a loose ball. They now faced a two-goal deficit.

In the 35th minute of the first half, Araki suffered an injury to his right ankle during a physical confrontation with an opponent. His condition raised concerns, but fortunately, he managed to return to the pitch.

Araki then orchestrated a good opportunity with his skilled technique. In the 42nd minute, he advanced from the left side, received the ball in the center, and turned while fending off the approaching opponent. Receiving his pass, Everton unleashed a powerful left-footed shot from outside the penalty area. Although it was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper, he showed his threat with a powerful shot that was tough to catch.

Tokyo gradually strengthened its attacking plays but couldn’t find the back of the net in the first half. After two minutes of added time, they went into halftime with a score of 0-2.

2nd HALF — A Goal from Kogashi & Teru’s Brilliance Leads to a Fierce Comeback, But Not Enough

The second half began with Tokyo maintaining their lineup while looking for breakthroughs with passes from Takau and Diego, applying intense pressing in midfield. Nakagawa made a sliding cut in the penalty area, showing a concentrated start.

This attitude began to shift momentum in Tokyo’s favor. In the 9th minute of the second half, Everton launched an incisive attack from the left side, creating a chance with his left foot. In the 11th minute, Araki also aimed with his right foot. Then, two minutes later, Morishige connected with a corner kick taken by Everton, which was touched by Nakagawa right in front of the opposing goalkeeper in an attempt to redirect it, but the ball narrowly went over the crossbar.

Just when it seemed that Tokyo had taken control of the game, they faced an unexpected third concession. Right after creating a big chance, they allowed Hiroshima to penetrate into the penalty area, resulting in a foul leading to a penalty kick for the opponent. Turgay Arslan scored, completing his hat-trick.

Chasing three goals, Tokyo made substitutions immediately after conceding. Replacing Araki and Everton, Keita Endo entered as a right wing and Kota Tawara as a left wing to attempt a comeback.

Furthermore, in the 18th minute of the second half, they brought in Tsugumi Kobayashi and Kento Diego in place of Takau and Diego to invigorate the pitch.

Then, in the 34th minute of the second half, a long-awaited goal arose for the blue and red troops that could not be allowed to end the match without scoring. Receiving a throw from goalkeeper Nozawa, Tawara broke past the left side with a high-speed dribble from their own half. Moving powerfully until the penalty area, he softly turned the ball back to the center where Kobayashi had made a run. With a forceful sliding shot, he shook the net, marking a defiant goal after five matches and sparking the counterattack.

This strike made the players move with newfound lightness. They increased the pressure going forward and continued to play within the opponent’s half. Even amidst physically demanding stretches, the substitutes and starters anticipated second balls better and overwhelmed their opponent’s movements. Following this, long through passes from Honda and Tawara’s shots cutting in from the left side saw Tokyo fully dominate the match pace.

Then, just after entering six minutes of added time in the second half, a corner kick from the right side was taken. Nakagawa quickly received a ball from a short corner, taking advantage of the opponent’s gap, and made a sharp return toward the goal line. This shot-like delivery provoked an own goal from the opposing team, drastically reducing the deficit to one point.

Tokyo continued their vigorous assault. Nozawa made a big save against the opposition in a one-on-one situation, backing his team.

However, the match ended here. Facing the harsh realities of travel due to Typhoon No. 10, the away game against Hiroshima resulted in a 2-3 defeat. Nevertheless, they managed to showcase their determination, including the spirited play from the substitutes.

The players’ expressions reflected their thirst for victory and the frustrations of coming up short. Some players had red eyes.

After the match, the supporters in the stands chanted, “We are always with you. If you believe in yourself, victory will follow,” followed by a beautiful rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

The league will now enter a break due to the International Match Week, but it is essential for the club to unite in moving forward with these feelings and translating them into victory in the upcoming match against Nagoya Grampus at National Stadium. The match fought through adversity should surely trigger something positive.

MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Brandon Nozawa
DF Hotaka Nakamura/Kanta Doi/Masato Morishige/Kosuke Shirai
MF Hiroshi Takau (26th min: Kento Diego)/Kei Koizumi/Ryotaro Araki (19th min: Keita Endo)
FW Diego Oliveira (26th min: Tsugumi Kobayashi)/Teru Nakagawa/Everton Gaudino (19th min: Kota Tawara)

SUBS
GK Go Hatano
DF Enrique Trevisan/Yuto Nagatomo

GOAL
34th min: Tsugumi Kobayashi / 45+1 min: Own Goal

＜Sanfrecce Hiroshima＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Keisuke Osako
DF Shuto Nakano/Hayato Araki/Shō Sasaki
MF Naoto Arai (22nd min: Kōta Koshimura)/Turgay Arslan (22nd min: Douglas Vieira)/Shun Kabe (11th min: Shizuo Shioya)/Toshiuki Higashi
FW Taishi Matsumoto/Makoto Manda (22nd min: Yōta Nakajima)/Rikuji Kato

SUBS
GK Goro Kawanami
DF Henry Iyoha
MF Yusuke Chajima

GOAL
5th min: Turgay Arslan / 32nd min: Turgay Arslan / 18th min: Turgay Arslan

[Interview with Peter Cramowski]

Q, Please reflect on the match.
A, First of all, I am proud of the players who exerted their efforts to deliver their performance and secure a win. We faced a significant challenge having to travel on the day of the match. Although we didn’t quite reach the point of overcoming this challenge, I believe there were key moments in the match where we could showcase the qualities of the kind of team we aspire to be. Sanfrecce Hiroshima capitalized on the good moments they had. Goals change games, and they executed theirs effectively. We must not give such moments to our opponent but create our own.

We fought strong until the end of the match and managed to score good goals. Additionally, we managed to create flow towards the end while playing our kind of football. Of course, I feel regret regarding the results. However, I am proud of the players’ dedication, and I thank all the fans and supporters who came out to support the team until the very end. I believe there are those who wanted to come but couldn’t, as well as those who tried but gave up. I appreciate everyone supporting the team. Today’s match was a battle that required a lot of travel to reach here. That was a significant challenge. Nevertheless, I take great pride in the fight the players displayed today. We just came up slightly short in the results.

Q, It took two days to travel and arrive on the day of the match, but in the end, the team showed determination. What did you say to the players?
A, I expressed after the match how proud I was of their selfless fight today. It took us three days to get to this match. We departed earlier than usual but faced some delays during the journey. As I mentioned earlier, it was a significant challenge having to deal with various things that arose. The best aspect of the match was how they fought in the end. They dedicated themselves to fighting for their football. By fighting with conviction, they managed to grasp the flow and score.

(Seeing the players’ frustrations post-match) There is disappointment due to the lack of results. What is essential for us is to analyze our performance thoroughly. I believe we were able to show how we can compete against a top team in the league and what kind of team we want to be. This was also a harsh lesson about the areas we need to improve.

[Player Interviews]
＜Tsugumi Kobayashi＞

Q, It was a goal that changed the tide.
A, I managed to enter the pitch calmly as usual. Facing a 0-3 situation, it was crucial to score back one goal at a time, and I believe my goal served as a catalyst for our second goal and helped create a good atmosphere. It was great for the team to score two goals, but we came to Hiroshima to win, and at the very least, we wanted to draw 3-3. No one is satisfied with today’s result or content with the performance; many issues were raised.

Q, The game involved irregularities, such as travel to Hiroshima.
A, Since we were playing, we aimed to win, and I believe that as professional soccer players, we can’t make excuses on the pitch. It was a must-win match, and I think the results simply reflected our abilities.

Q, Your goal today could lead to further achievements.
A, I received a great ball from Kota Tawara, and I believed that scoring would help me ride a good wave. I haven’t been scoring in recent matches, so it was encouraging for the team to score once or twice. Moving forward, I want to contribute with goals that lead to points for the team.

＜Hotaka Nakamura＞

Q, This match was played under difficult circumstances. Please reflect on it.
A, Regardless of the circumstances, if we’re playing, as professionals, we must give our all. Losing is a fact, so I can’t make any excuses. I feel truly sorry for the fans and supporters who came to cheer for us.

Q, The flow allowed the opponent to take a three-goal lead, but in the end, there was a display of determination in the attack.
A, Given the circumstances, we had to push forward, and the substitutions brought momentum. Kento Diego talked a lot, allowing us to have more possession of the ball. From there, we could begin winning vertically and create good opportunities, which led to our determined goals. After going so long without scoring, getting two goals today was a step in the right direction. I don’t know if it means we’ve taken a significant leap, but I firmly believe it will lead to our next match.

Q, You seem to be playing more freely in recent matches.
A, It’s not like me, but after going through a tough mental situation, with various people’s support, I was able to take a small step forward emotionally. Now, I just want to express myself and keep pushing forward.