Face off against South American powerhouse Club Olimpia

　TOKYO GAS CO.,LTD presents the 2008 preseason match. We will welcome the prestigious Paraguayan club Olimpia to Ajinomoto Stadium for a match. Coach Jofuku said, "I want to make the best preparations for the upcoming Nabisco Cup and league matches. I want to confirm our team's axis that we have been trying to establish since the start of the season and reaffirm the team's fundamentals in both offense and defense." We have prepared ourselves to make this game a stepping stone for the Nabisco Cup quarterfinals and the subsequent league matches.

　Club Olympia, on the other hand, boasts a midfield with high technical skills and creativity unique to South America. Although they finished in 8th place in the previous league, they are rejuvenating the team by promoting talented young players from their youth academy. Among them, FW Amarizha, a towering striker whose father is former J-League Yokohama Flugels player FW Amarizha, is a player to watch. Additionally, MF Martinez, who represents the U-20 Paraguay national team, is a technician who adds an attacking accent from the midfield, having come through the youth academy.

　How can we stick to our own style of football against Club Olympia, who come close to the goal by increasing the speed of their attack from a solid defense? We aim for growth throughout the season by addressing individual challenges and take on the challenge with "Moving Football". The starting lineup consists of Fujiyama at left back, Mobata and Sahara as center backs. Additionally, Tokyo has 11 players on the bench as substitutions are limited to 6.

　In the midst of the slightly soothing heat of the daytime, a ceremony was held before the match to welcome Mr. Amaral, and the game started at 19:30 with the kickoff of Club Olympia.

From a speedy attack, own goal takes the lead

　Both teams started with a 4-4-2 formation and tried to attack by connecting short passes in the early stages. The first shot came from Olympia. In the 2nd minute, MF Segovia took a precise middle shot from a right throw-in, but it missed to the left of the goal. In the 9th minute, Tokyo brought the ball into the left area from a left throw-in, and Akamine crossed it along the ground. It was a fast ball, but Cabore in the center couldn't reach it. However, in the 11th minute, Akamine intercepted a pass in the Olympia's half. He dribbled up the center and sent a lofted pass with his right foot to Cabore, who came up from the right. The ball was cleared by the opponent's defender, but it headed towards the goal and grazed the goalkeeper's hand, resulting in an own goal and Tokyo taking the lead.

　Tokyo will take this opportunity to grasp the rhythm and launch attacks with Cabore and Emerson as the starting point. In the 14th minute, from a big development, Hayabusa passed to Cabore who was on the left side. Cabore brought the ball into the left area and tried to shoot after cutting back the opponent's defender. However, it hit Akamine who had come up from the right for support, resulting in an offside. In the 19th minute, Emerson cut back the opponent's defender in the left area and sent a pass to the center, but Akamine couldn't receive it. In the 25th minute, from a loose ball in a set play, FW Edison from Olympia boldly shot from the right area, using a feint to cut back against Fujiyama and Sahara who were facing him, but it went wide of the goal.

　Tokyo showed the intention to move towards the goal, but lacked accuracy in the final moments and couldn't finish. In the 31st minute, Cabore headed in from Hanyu's left corner kick. In the 34th minute, Fujiyama passed to Emerson in the center, who then passed to Hanyu on the left front line. Hanyu sent a cross behind the opponent's defense, and Akamine, who had made a run, took a left-footed shot. They created a good opportunity with a direct play, but the shot missed the target. In the 44th minute, Cabore attempted a long shot with his left foot, seeing the opponent's goalkeeper coming forward from the ball contested by Akamine. However, the goalkeeper quickly returned and made a save, and the first half ended with a one-goal lead.

Although we couldn't score any additional points, we managed to secure a victory at Ajinomoto by suppressing the counterattack.

　In the second half, Sato was replaced by Mukuhara as the right full-back. Fujiyama moved to the center and Tokunaga shifted to the left, actively attacking from the beginning. On the other hand, Olympia started to show signs of fatigue in the heat. In the 54th minute, Cabore, who had entered the left area, was fouled and awarded a penalty kick. However, Cabore himself took the penalty kick in the 55th minute, but it was saved by the goalkeeper in the bottom left corner, and no additional points were scored...

　In the 60th minute, Morimura, Hirayama, and Kawaguchi were substituted for Konno, Akamine, and Cabore, respectively. The injection of fresh players increased the movement. In the 64th minute, Morimura volleyed a shot from Kawaguchi's cross on the left side of the field. In the 65th minute, Olympia inserted a wedge between FW Edison and MF Rohas, attempting a breakthrough in the center. The ball from MF Rohas reached FW Edison, who had slipped behind Tokyo DF, but his attempt to shoot from a chest trap ended in a miss.

　In the 69th minute, Emerson was replaced by Ishikawa. Ishikawa boldly broke through the back of the Olympiad DF, which had become stretched, and in the 77th minute, skillfully moved from the left side to break through to the front of the goal. There, Morimura made a through pass from the right to create a chance, but the pass narrowly missed and was caught by the goalkeeper. The Olympiad also did not let their fighting spirit waver, and in the 86th minute, there was a fierce collision inside the Tokyo team's territory, resulting in a free kick for the Olympiad. However, the free kick from the left side was blocked by the Tokyo wall.

　In the 88th minute, Mori Murayama on the left side quickly restarted from Fujiyama and sent a long through pass to Ishikawa who entered the area from the right. The aim was good, but it was offside. In the 89th minute, Kawaguchi passed vertically to Ishikawa in the center of the area. Ishikawa and Kurizawa entered the right area as if crossing. Ishikawa → Kurizawa aimed for a shot, but couldn't turn around and couldn't finish it. The timing didn't match by a small margin, and although the second goal could not be taken, in the end, they defended against Olympia's power play and the time was up. They kept a clean sheet and achieved victory at Ajinomoto Stadium.

　【Player Comments】《Fujiyama》"It was my first time playing as a left back in a while, and there were moments when I made mistakes because I couldn't see my surroundings, but there were also times when I was able to create opportunities. I think it was decent overall. Before the match today, we talked about creating a flow to keep a clean sheet, so it was good that we were able to do that. Since teaming up with player Moino, we maintained our line and stayed focused in the final moments. In attack, there were also situations where we could take shots. Finishing with a shot and making runs behind the defense helps ease the pressure on the defenders. I think we were able to try many plays both individually and as a team to connect to the Nabisco and the league." 《Morimura》"I reflect that I needed to play a bit more as a starting point. If I come on at that time, I need to be involved in the scoring. Especially at the start, I lost the ball in duels and couldn't find my rhythm. That was really frustrating. (Was there a good through pass?) Player Ishikawa made a good run at the right time, so I just needed to pass it. Still, I lacked precision in the strength and weakness of my play. Also, it was when the opponent's press was fading, so I had time and space to hold the ball. Playing in those moments builds confidence, but playing when there's no time is a challenge. Even so, I want to use each experience as a lesson and prepare well from practice."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "First of all, I would like to express my respect to Club Olympia for coming from far away and for their sincere approach to the match and fair play. I also sincerely thank the sponsors and stakeholders who made this match possible as a venue for us to have a good fight, and to the more than 6,000 people who came despite it being a weekday, supporting us even though our current performance has not been great. In the past month, we have not been able to win, and today was a good opportunity to review what we have been doing since the start of the team and what we aimed to do. We positioned this as a game to firmly establish our foundation. The players were well aware of this and tried to embody it in both offense and defense. I wanted to give various players experience today, and there were individual conditions to consider, including players like Konno who have an All-Star game coming up. Therefore, substitutions were made not based on performance but to give many players a chance. Among them, including those who came on as substitutes, they worked well on their roles and what the team aims for. With the concentration of the defense line centered around Shigeno, we were able to keep a clean sheet, and I want to build a solid defense from this as we head into next week's Nabisco and league matches. (Was the only goal an own goal?) The goal was born from the intensity towards the goal. I think we were able to play with speed and had good attacks. There was also the possibility of creating a second goal. There are still issues in the final control part, but the way we moved the ball and the tempo were faster than we have seen before. Including the play that led to the penalty kick, everyone actively faced forward and made plays, and there was a sense of awareness towards the goal, even if slightly. (What is your impression of Club Olympia?) When their attacking switch was on, I felt the intensity of a South American team from Paraguay. Especially when the ball was played to the front line, 3 to 4 players would suddenly speed up, creating a sense of danger. Even in a disadvantageous situation, they played in a way that drew fouls by putting their bodies in, and we must learn from those aspects as well."

　[Summary of the press conference with Club Olympia's coach Costa] "In the first half, I think we were able to control the game reasonably well. We couldn't capitalize on our chances, but we were able to create a few opportunities, albeit limited. The critical mistake was, of course, the own goal. However, I want to emphasize that we were able to create chances. That is something I want to acknowledge. In the second half, fatigue became evident. It may be an excuse, but the long journey over the past two days might have taken its toll. Still, the players fought to the best of their abilities. Personally, I believe a draw would have been a fair result. (Which players left an impression in Tokyo?) Emerson and Cabore left an impression. Especially Emerson, who made great runs from the back and entered space well; I felt he has a strong weapon. (About FW Amarija) He is a valuable player contributing to the team, despite being early in his professional career. He established himself as a regular last season, but unfortunately, he got injured and hasn't been able to do anything for over two weeks. His playing style is very similar to his father's; he is a technician and particularly excels in the area. Although he couldn't capitalize on his chances today, I believe he is strong in aerial battles and has a bright future ahead. Our team is very young. We started building the team six months ago, and we are not just aiming for rejuvenation; we have been focusing on promoting homegrown players from the youth academy to the top team, creating a consistent club team. I believe that not only FW Amarija but also other young players will start to attract attention. The development of young players is also important for the national team, just as it is for our club. I believe it will function effectively from now on. Please look forward to it. Thank you for today."