The excitement and excitement of the match against Tokyo Verdy for the first time in 16 seasons aroused the fighting spirit of the players. The area behind the goal was packed with blue and red fans and supporters, who greeted the players as they came out to warm up with loud applause and cheers. The person who responded to this was Yuto Nagatomo. He hit the emblem on his left chest harder than anyone else, inciting the fans and supporters back.
Tokyo’s pride will not allow them to lose at home. The curtain rose on the 90-minute show, showing that “We are Tokyo” in the best atmosphere.
1stHALF—After conceding 2 goals, we were at a numerical disadvantage due to people being sent off.
The first half kicked off with high tension, and it was Tokyo who created the first chance. In the 11th minute, they tried to apply pressure from a high position in the opponent’s half, and Teruto Nakagawa made a cut in front of the area. Tsuyoshi Ogashiwa received the pass and swung his left foot inside the area, but it was blocked by the opponent. They also created a shooting chance in the 15th minute. Kei Koizumi picked up the second ball and Bangunagunde Kafufu made the last pass. The shot didn’t connect, but Teruto Nakagawa picked up the ball and aimed it with his right foot. The shot was on target, but hit the goalkeeper directly.
Unable to convert these two chances into goals, they conceded a penalty kick in the 26th minute. This was scored by Miki, giving them the lead. They then conceded their second goal in the 34th minute. Enrique intercepted the ball that Trevisan was trying to connect with, put in a cross, and Someno met the ball and hit it with a powerful volley.
Tokyo, who were immediately behind by two points, faced another blowback. In the 43rd minute, Anzai Souma received a second yellow card and was sent off. The remaining time was spent fighting with one less person.
2ndHALF—A dramatic equalizer is just one step away
Despite being at a numerical disadvantage and chasing 2 points, Tokyo did not falter at all. During difficult periods when Tokyo Verdy were giving the ball over to them, everyone ran and defended as hard as they could, and their attitude of waiting for opportunities gradually drew the momentum towards them.
In the 23rd minute of the second half, Kosuke Shirai, who did not miss the opponent’s short pass, ran up the right side from the interception and delivered a negative cross. Tsubasa Terayama, who had jumped in, made a through, and Keita Endo, who was diving behind him, kicked in with his right foot, giving him a point.
Tokyo, who wanted to make a comeback, introduced Riki Harakawa and Jaja Silva to further attack. However, Verdy’s defensive awareness was high and they were unable to break through the goal, leading to added time with a one-point deficit.
Even there, they were unable to carry the ball as far as they wanted, and just when they were ready for the game to end, it was Endo who saved the team. At 45+4 minutes into the second half, goalkeeper Go Hatano sent a feed to the front line. Nakagawa picked up a loose ball from Enrique, who was up front, and passed it to Endo, who was next to him. Upon receiving this, Endo created his own shot course and flashed his left foot. A powerful shot hit the goal net.
After that, Tokyo continued to try to score a come-from-behind goal, but they were unable to score the winning goal and time ran out. Still, the fans and supporters behind the goal cheered for the blue-red players, who overcame a two-goal deficit with 10 players, and were determined to win their home match against Verdy in August. I swore.
MATCH DETAILS
GK Hatano Go
DF Kosuke Shirai / Kanta Doi / Enrique Trevisan / Yoshifu Bangunagunde (28 minutes in the second half: Yuto Nagatomo)
MF Hiroshi Takao (38 minutes in the second half: Jaja Silva) / Tsuyoshi Ogashiwa (16 minutes in the second half: Tsubasa Terayama) / Kei Koizumi (38 minutes in the second half: Riki Harakawa)
FW Kota Tawara Tsukuda (16 minutes in the second half: Keita Endo) / Souma Anzai / Teruto Nakagawa
SUBS
GK Tsuyoshi Kodama
DF Masato Morishige
GOAL
23 minutes in the first half: Keita Endo / 45 + 4 minutes in the second half: Keita Endo
GK Mateus
DF Kazuya Miyahara/Naoki Hayashi/Hideto Taniguchi (39 minutes in the first half: Kohei Yamakoshi)/Daiki Fukasawa
MF Kosuke Saito (17 minutes in the second half: Sei Onaga) / Koki Morita / Tetsuyuki Inami / Tomoya Miki (34 minutes in the second half: Yuyasu Matsuhashi)
FW Yuzuki Someno (34 minutes in the second half: Yuto Tsunashima) / Yudai Kimura (17 minutes in the second half: Daito Yamami)
SUBS
GK Yuya Nagasawa
MF Thiago Alves
GOAL
28 minutes of the first half: Tomoya Miki / 33 minutes of the first half: Yuzuki Someno
[ピーター クラモフスキー監督インタビュー]
Q: Please look back on today’s match.
A. I think we got off to a good start in the first half, but there was a 10-minute period where we had a bad time, and we were defeated in that period. That’s where the flow of the game changed. However, there were some things we were able to do at the start of the first half and at the end. I thought that if something changed in one phase or scene, our game would change. At halftime, we talked about things like that and “If we can score one point, we can score another.” In the end, we tried to score the third goal, but we ran out of time.
The players really gave their all on the pitch and fought hard to turn the game around for the fans and supporters. Our fans and supporters have really given us great support, and they are the best fans and supporters in Japan.
The players put in a really great performance until the end and tried to turn the game around. It’s disappointing that we couldn’t get three points, but I hope we can learn from today’s match and improve. The players fought with a great warrior-like mentality and made plays that I’m really proud of. However, we didn’t have enough time at the end, and I feel sorry that we couldn’t deliver victory to our fans and supporters.
Q: Keita Endo, whose permanent transfer was announced yesterday, scored two goals.
A: I think he left an impact today and did a really great job as a player. However, he still has room to grow. He has a good character, and I think it’s a good thing that he made the permanent transfer. He worked hard and fought today as well.
Q: Please tell us about your intentions with the last change.
A. Hiroshi Takao and Kei Koizumi worked extremely hard and moved well to find their own flow. We wanted to bring in Riki Harakawa and Jaja and Silva as soon as possible, but we had to think about balance. The players who came on as substitutes performed very well and were able to catch up well. Even after the score was tied at 2-2, they showed their determination to win.Not every team has the warrior-like mentality of their players, and through the training we do every day, we are able to grow. I think this is proof that I have been working hard.
[選手インタビュー]
Q: That was a great tying goal. Please give us a review of the match.
A. The passion that the fans and supporters put into this match was clearly felt, and even though we were down to 10 players in the first half, we played without giving up until the end, which led to the tie. Most importantly, the support from our fans and supporters was a source of strength. Even during difficult times, we could feel the support of our fans and supporters from the bench, and we couldn’t afford to show a lackluster performance against Tokyo Verdy. When I went on the pitch, I was only thinking about returning with a result.
Q: Both goals were exciting.
A: I don’t know if it’s right or wrong, but I think it wasn’t just my ability, but I think it was all about how well we played as a team. We couldn’t afford to lose 0-2. I believe that these two goals were achieved through the support of our fans and supporters. Kosuke Shirai stole the ball from a high position, and Tsubasa Terayama and I were the ones running in front of the goal. As a substitute player, I was talking on the bench saying, “Let’s change the momentum,” and I think that being able to outperform the opponent in the sprinting part led to the points. Regarding the second goal, I was thinking about taking a shot when I received the ball, and I’m glad I scored it in a good way.
Q: On the 11th, your permanent transfer to the team was announced. How do you feel about your immediate success?
A: I hadn’t scored a goal so far, so I thought it would be a chance for me to play an active role in a big game like today. Even after we tied the score, we were still looking for a goal, but I think we were able to get at least one point. Ryotaro Araki and Kuo Matsuki had led the team’s offense up until this point, but after they were eliminated from the U-23 Japan National Team and failed to produce any results, I never thought to myself, “It was all down to them after all.” I didn’t want anyone to think that. When I was in Germany, there were times when I couldn’t even attend the games, so I want to do my best from now on so that I can be recognized by the fans and supporters. I think top-notch players can continue to play well. I want to continue showing my success and not just finish with these two goals.
Q: It was a tough match. Please look back on the match.
A: In the end, we were able to catch up from 0-2, which I think was the minimum result of the match. We had to play better in the first half, and I think it would be too late to switch things up after we were behind, so we have to do our best from the beginning.
Q: I think there were times when you had to look at both the opponent’s full-backs and wide-half players because you had one fewer player. What points were you especially conscious of in the second half?
A: If we conceded a third goal with a two-goal lead, it would have made the game even more difficult, so we played in a way that made sure we didn’t concede any goals. As you can see from today’s match, I knew that scoring one goal would change the flow of the match, so I was conscious of moving forward and not conceding any goals.
Q: What kind of goals did you have in your play in the second half?
A, we adopted a 4-4-1 formation, so I thought it would be good to form a solid block and then score from counters and set pieces, and I think it worked out well. We knew that our opponent would panic if the score went from 0-2 to 1-2, so we were able to score an extra point and catch up with them, so I think the second half of the game went as planned.
Q. Kosuke Shirai’s sprint speed saved the team.
A: That’s my weapon, so I’ve gradually improved since last season, and I feel like I’ve finally been able to play my best, and I’m glad that I was able to use that to help the team.
Q: What was the atmosphere like in the match against Verdy?
A: I think it was an intense match that I’ve never experienced before.
Q: What are your future goals?
A: I still have a lot of things to reflect on, but I’m starting to be able to show off my skills, so I’d like to firmly secure my position as right-back.
Q: This was your first appearance in the starting lineup after your transfer. Please look back on the match.
A: It was my first time in the starting lineup, but I think the reason we were down 2-0 in the first half and there were only 10 players left was because I was caught off guard when I showed my skills. . I have to reflect on that.
Q: You often played in close proximity with Teruto Nakagawa. What were you conscious of?
A: Both of them are players who can play either in the front line position or in the second line position, so when one of them falls down, the other one takes over, so we are conscious of playing while taking turns. I did.
Q. Until the 20th minute of the first half, you could see some plays that got behind the opponent’s defenders. What kind of sharing did you do within your team?
A: It was in the team’s concept to aim for the back, so we made plays to aim for the back, but we couldn’t make plays that would lead to a goal. I want to be able to come up with different strategies in such situations.
Q: You had a lot of time to play defense due to the players being sent off, but did you learn anything from today’s game?
A: I think it was good that we showed our true potential and were able to catch up in the end. However, I think we need to reflect on the first half. I hope we can continue to catch up with those who are ahead.