FC Tokyo 3-2 Tosu

J1 Matchday 12

Yeaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Photo from FC Tokyo Official Website

The biggest home crowd of the season, just under 26,000, rolled up to Aji Sta on Sunday afternoon to see The Gasmen take on fellow promoted club Tosu. The Kyushu side had enjoyed a remarkable start to their first-ever J1 campaign, and sat just one spot below us, in 7th, at kickoff. They had defied expectations by riding the league's best defence and an unbeaten home record to sit comfortably in the top half of the table, and were sure to prove a tough nut to crack.

We were coming off the unfortunate A.C.L. loss to Ulsan, but having won two on the spin in the league, we hoped to carry on our decent recent form knowing a win would take us a point behind second-placed Hiroshima with a game in hand.

We made three changes to the XI from the Ulsan game, with Shuichi Gonda restored in goal and Yohei Kajiyama and Lucas returning in the hole and up front respectively in place of Hiroki Kawano and Kazuma Watanabe, while pleasingly Naohiro Ishikawa was fit enough to make the bench after not training all week.

There were chances at both ends in the first half hour, and Hideto Takahashi really should've done better in the 12th minute but couldn't hit the target from eight yards, his shot flashing across goal, and later on Kajiyama shot first time from Kenta Mukuhara's cut back but the ball clattered the 'keeper's right hand post and rebounded to safety. For Tosu, Kim Min Woo was lively and gave Jang Hyun Soo a tough time, and he fired over the top from a good position after 16 minutes.

As the half wound down it appeared certain to end scoreless, before a Tokyo cock-up in midfield released Kim and we were caught out on the counter AGAIN. Two of our players crashed into each other in the centre circle, which allowed Kim to run free down the middle of the park with our defence scrambling to regroup. Kota Mizunuma made excellent ground down the Tosu right, and was completely unmarked when Kim fed him in on the edge of the box. Mizunuma steadied, took a touch and fired high into the net at Gonda's near post to give the visitors a shock, but not undeserved, lead.

Two Games With One Post

There's good news and bad news in this, another FC Tokyo update.

Firstly, the good:

Sapporo 0-1 FC Tokyo

After the impressive away win over Niigata, the Gasmen were on the road again in Matchday 11, when we headed up to Hokkaido to take on fellow promoted club Sapporo. They had sealed their spot in J1 with a final day win over us last season of course, so we were out for a spot of revenge, and there were some familiar faces waiting for us.

Three ex-Tokyo players were in the starting XI for the hosts: Fatty (Yusuke Kondo), Fatty Jr (Shunsuke Maeda) and Jade North, and I'd heard from Jade in the week, he was really looking forward to facing his former teammates.

Our XI showed just one change from the win over Niigata, with Naohiro Ishikawa recalled in place of Naotake Hanyu, who was injured. That meant Yuhei Tokunaga continued alongside Masato Morishige in central defence, and Aria Hasegawa was again preferred in central midfield ahead of Takuji Yonemoto.

Casual Magic!

Photo from Tokyo Chunichi Sports

As most people were settling into their seats, Tokyo were suddenly ahead, in the first minute, thanks to a fantastic piece of skill and technique by our captain, Yohei Kajiyama. After we had won a corner on the left almost straight from kickoff, the ball was cleared out of the area by the Sapporo defence, but only as far as Ishikawa. He darted into the box, drove the ball low and hard, and Casual, who had worked his way in front of his man just outside the six yard box, dinked the ball with the outside of his right boot, the ball spinning across the helpless 'keeper and settling inside the far post.

And that turned out to be the only goal of the game. There were plenty of goalmouth incidents, with Shuichi Gonda turning in a man of the match display that almost matched his performance in the season opening win at Omiya (though he left the scorpion in his locker this time), but our first minute goal was enough and meant we had notched our second straight league win, rising to sixth in the table in the process.

I should also mention that I had further messages from Jade North (who turned in a strong display himself, having become ever-present in the league for Sapporo) after the game, and he was very thankful for the reception the Tokyo end gave him after the game.

FCT Update - While we were away

Firstly, apologies for not updating the blog since the A.C.L. win over Beijing. We've been planning our wedding reception (held last Thursday), and I've been too busy to post.

Therefore, here's a quick update on recent games, and it hasn't been smooth sailing in the league...

Sendai 4-0 FC Tokyo - J1 Matchday 7

We travelled up to Sendai on the 21st of April hoping to maintain our unbeaten away record in the league, but after an even first 45 minutes things began to unravel in first half stoppage time, when Shingo Akamine just managed to beat the offside trap, controlled a free kick over the top and fired past Shuichi Gonda to give the home side the lead.

Thirteen minutes into the second half Sendai doubled their lead, and things fell to bits in the last twenty minutes, as Sendai scored twice more to send us to our heaviest league defeat since October 2008 (a 5-1 loss to Shimizu).

FC Tokyo 0-1 Shimizu - J1 Matchday 8

We finally had good weather for a home game on Saturday, April 28th, but a disappointing crowd of  22,406 (including a brilliant turnout of travelling S-Pulse supporters) rolled up to Aji Sta. After a dire first half things looked to be going our way as first Jymmy Franca and then Alex Brosque were sent off for the visitors, but even playing against nine men didn't help us and we could find no way through.

Four minutes after Brosque's red, Kosuke Ota, who was heckled by his former club's support all day, again gave away possession and Naohiro Takahara was off to the races. He played the ball inside to fellow substitute Toshiyuki Takagi, who took a touch and lashed home past Gonda to give Shimizu a shock lead.