J1 Top Battle with the Champion Iwata!?

　The match of the 5th round is against last year's J-League champion, Júbilo Iwata. This season, they are challenging a new 3-5-2 system with new signings Inohara and Suzuki as the center-backs and Fukunishi as the libero. Although they lost the opening match to Kashiwa, they have won three consecutive matches since then. They are currently in first place and have a sense of being one step ahead. Their strong defense and ability to score from anywhere make them the toughest opponent in the J-League. Tokyo suffered a 0-3 defeat in the Emperor's Cup last year, but it has been four months since then... Today's match is a battle for first place. We want to limit the number of goals conceded as much as possible, score as many goals as possible, and aim for victory!

Toughest battle of the season against a skilled opponent

It was a cautious start. Due to the slippery footing caused by the rain that continued until just before the match, both teams struggled to connect passes. However, seeing that passes were difficult to connect, Iwata's FW Takahara and MF Oku boldly took middle-distance shots, and from around the 10th minute, they began to find their rhythm. Occasionally mixing in long balls from DF Ihara to the forward Nakayama, they gradually gained control of the midfield. At the 14th minute, Nishi on the right outside ran into the center, drawing Takahara free, who unleashed a powerful shot. Sandro barely managed to deflect it for a corner, but the game progressed in Tokyo's territory. With the FW Nakayama and Takahara frequently moving wide, and Oku and others making runs from the center, Tokyo's defensive line had to defend deeply. Overall, playing a withdrawn game, Tokyo failed to create attacking opportunities, and when their fullbacks tried to advance, they lost possession and faced quick counterattacks, putting them in danger. Still, at the 27th minute, a quick restart saw Fujiyama send a through pass to TUTO, but Iwata's GK Ozaki caught it. At the 34th minute, Amaral, TUTO, and Kobayashi tried to aim for a goal with direct passes targeting a small gap, but Iwata's players moved quickly, and no chance materialized. Starting with Ihara, even the defenders actively joined the attack for Iwata. Then at the 35th minute, Kobayashi fouled Suzuki who was advancing. From the free kick taken by MF Fujita, Ihara skillfully evaded his marker and headed the ball. Although the only goal conceded was from this set piece, Tokyo managed just two shots. The first half ended with a heavy atmosphere that made one wonder, "Is there no way to turn this around!?"

Never give up, Yukihiko's Tokyo spirit!

　In the second half, although KINA was brought in to replace KOIKE, the pace of Iwata did not change. Iwata was quick to approach loose balls and skilled in one-on-one situations, forcing Tokyo onto the defensive. Tokyo could not create their favored pattern of attack from the sides starting with Amaral. Although shots from Takahara and Oku went off target, at the 50th minute, Nakayama headed down a free kick from Ihara, and Takahara, who broke behind the defenders, took a free shot! This also missed the goal, narrowly avoiding a crisis. However, missing this great chance ultimately made coach HADZIEVSKI lament. At the 55th minute, when KINA, who had gradually fit into the team through substitute appearances every match, finally started to keep possession, Yukihiko intercepted a sideways pass from Iwata's defender as if he had been waiting for it! Immediately reacting, TUTO dribbled forward, calmly placing the ball into the right corner of the goal, leaving the pursuing defenders behind! Even if only a slight chance existed, Yukihiko created the opportunity aiming for a goal, and TUTO firmly capitalized on it!! In a pressured situation, this was a valuable equalizing goal.

TUTO, Anima! The night when Kokuritsu melted with heat

The match started to move from here. At the 61st minute, when the Júbilo Iwata goalkeeper and defender collided, TUTO and Amaral quickly closed in on the ball. At the 65th minute, there were three consecutive corner kicks. Naito connected with Yukihiko's low and fast ball and took a shot that almost became a goal! However, this was cleared by Ihara's left foot alone. Tokyo created chances, but Júbilo Iwata never panicked and connected passes to counterattack. Tokyo, eager to attack, was often pushed back instead, and at the 69th minute, Júbilo Iwata's breakthrough in front of the goal was stopped by a foul. The free kick taken by Hattori with his left foot was absorbed into the top left corner of the goal, the only place it could go, and Tokyo once again conceded the lead. However, the spirit of Tokyo's eleven never fell. Encouraged by the voices shouting "TUTO, Anima! (Keep it up!)", TUTO courageously attacked. Just two minutes after conceding, Fujiyama dribbled the ball received from Kobayashi and passed it. TUTO, who dodged the defender with a superb trap, dribbled straight to the goal!!! Tokyo caught up once again! Japan National Stadium became a whirlpool of excitement. Júbilo Iwata replaced the slowing midfielder Nishi with the speedy forward Kawaguchi. Immediately after, they also replaced left-side Yamanishi with center back Tanaka and moved Fukunishi up to midfield. The battle over the single point continued, but Hattori, who had been active in both offense and defense at the base of midfield, moved to the left side, increasing Tokyo's possession rate. Then finally, at the 83rd minute, when TUTO ran onto Asari's pass, Oku, trying not to be beaten, unintentionally handled the ball. Amaral powerfully and carefully converted the penalty kick gained from this, and Tokyo took the lead. With about 7 minutes remaining, Júbilo Iwata naturally launched a fierce counterattack. But Tokyo defended with truly, truly committed defenders... And both the pitch and the stands united as they heard the final whistle. As shown in the first half, the difference with Júbilo Iwata was clear. There are many things to reflect on, such as conceding from set plays. However, it was a night when the Japan National Stadium was passionately melted by a team with incredible tenacity that believes without doubt in winning at all times.

"HADZIEVSKI Coach's Comment"

"I think Tokyo played a game that deserved victory as a 90-minute fight. Iwata, despite having more experienced players than Tokyo, made mistakes and gave away 2 goals. Until then, we had many chances and the content was definitely good. It was painful to miss the chances in the second half, but at that time there were still plenty of chances to win. However, it was very difficult to catch up after conceding a penalty kick. Nakayama, Takahara, and Kawaguchi were brought in, and Fukunishi was also moved up to the midfield, and we tried our best to change something, but there was too little time left in the remaining 7-8 minutes, and we ended up getting nervous. If the handball that led to the penalty kick was accidental and not intentional, it would be good, but if a mistake like that happens, we won't be able to win. In any case, Tokyo ran a lot and was a good team."

"Coach Okuma's comment"

"In the first half, we were unable to play our own soccer for the most part, and it was disappointing that we conceded a goal due to a lack of concentration during the restart. Along with that, it became a soccer game where we could have conceded two goals in the first half because it was unclear what we should not do or what we should do when it was not our rhythm. We must reflect on what we should do as a team in times like this. However, the players must have had confidence that they could somehow equalize if it was only one goal, and I thought we could manage if it was 0-1, so I tried to keep the first half with the minimum number of goals conceded. In the second half, Kina functioned well, and we were able to create a tempo in the midfield and the front line, and I think we played with a good rhythm."