Aiming for the first victory in 5 matches

　Since winning the Yokohama FM match on August 30, Tokyo has been struggling, with 3 draws and 1 loss in the last 4 matches. Although they are currently in 9th place at the end of Sec. 7, the top teams have also been struggling, and the point difference with the first-place Nagoya is only 4. In a historically intense battle, Tokyo is still in a position to aim for the top.

　On the other hand, Kyoto, the opponent of the day, has been facing a tough battle as they are currently in 15th place, which is within the relegation zone. However, in the previous match, they managed to draw against the top-ranked Kashima with a goal from their new signing, Reji. Their form is improving. Considering Kyoto's difficult experience of relegation from J2 in the past, it is expected that they will come to this match at home with the support of passionate fans, fighting desperately.

　Both teams want to win points desperately, even if their goals are different. Tokyo, who wants to stay in the top ranks by securing 3 points with a victory after 5 games, starts Asari, who hasn't been in the starting lineup since the 13th round of the 1st stage, in place of Miura in the defensive midfield. Ishikawa, who was injured and forced to leave the previous round against Iwata four days ago, also showed a lively appearance and prepared for this day's final round. The temperature was 24℃, normal for this time of year, but under the strong sunlight that reminded us of midsummer, the kickoff whistle blew at 2:02 PM.

A difficult development where the second ball is picked up

　The match started with both teams cautiously observing each other's movements. While Tokyo tried to create opportunities by sending long passes behind Kyoto's defense and having Toda make runs, it was predictable and couldn't break through Kyoto's defense. Ideally, Amaral would have contested for long balls and the second line would provide support, but Amaral often dropped back to the midfield to receive the ball and focused on post-play, making it difficult to establish a foothold in the front line. In the 8th minute, after a interception by Mobata, Amaral and Kelly connected with precise direct passes four times and made a breakthrough in the center, but Amaral's final pass didn't reach Kelly and they couldn't take a shot. In the 11th minute, Miyazawa dribbled into the vacant space in the midfield and took a shot, which was the first shot of the day.

　On the other hand, Kyoto's FW Kurobe, one of the two strikers, became the target man up front, frequently receiving long balls from both full-backs. In response, Tokyo's Moniwa and Jean marked tightly and cleared the ball, but the second ball that fell was picked up again by Kyoto's midfield, where the holding midfielder Ishimaru spread the ball to the sides. From the right, MF Nakahara and DF Kakuta, and from the left, MF Matsui or DF Suzuki aggressively attacked the flanks and delivered crosses. In the 9th minute, Kyoto launched a counterattack with left full-back Suzuki advancing and sending in a cross, which Kurobe headed back towards the goal at the far side, but Tokyo's DF cleared it just in time. In the 19th minute, DF Kakuta, who joined the attack, sent a low ground cross from the right side towards the goal, where Reji made a run, but the ball was deflected by Dohi. Furthermore, a Kyoto player who was following up took a shot, but Tokyo's DF blocked it and cleared it for a corner kick. New signing FW Reji did not seem to fit into the team that well, but he created a menacing presence with his post play utilizing his large frame of 183 cm and sharp runs into the box.

　Tokyo also had their chances. In the 17th minute, Toda quickly passed the ball to Kelly on the left side, who then passed it back to Toda in the center to break through. Toda then passed to Amaral on the left side, who was free. Amaral entered the penalty area and crossed the ball low, but the diving player couldn't reach it. In the 37th minute, Kanazawa broke free from the left side in combination with Ishikawa and made a perfect pass to Ishikawa running into the center. Ishikawa took a powerful shot with his right foot from just outside the penalty area and hit the target, but the Kyoto GK managed to punch it away and prevent a goal.

　When Tokyo missed a decisive chance, Kyoto launched a counterattack. In the 39th minute, Kurobe jumped into the cross after breaking through the left side, but Jean cleared it with a header. In the 43rd minute, there was a momentary gap and MF Bijou broke through to the front of the goal, but Tsuchiho made a judgment and bravely saved it. In the following 44th minute, Regi headed the cross from the right side on the far side, but it was not slammed due to competition from Kaji and the shot went over the bar. In the end, the first half ended 0-0. The game would be carried over to the second half.

Concede the first goal from a penalty kick

　At halftime, Coach Hara instructed, "Shigeki and Jean are competing well, but they are struggling to win the second ball. Let's try to make the ball ours in the midfield. Not only kicking long balls forward, but also creating a base from Akachi and Kanazawa's sides before Toda and Ishikawa go forward. Amaral is pulling back too much. I want him to compete more in the front line." In the first half, Tokyo, who was playing against the wind, was limited to only two shots on goal and will launch a counterattack from the beginning of the second half.

　In the 49th minute, Tokyo was once again breached on the left side by Kyoto, allowing Reji's header from a cross at the far side. However, just after that, in the 50th minute, they had a great opportunity. From a counterattack, Todai dropped the ball for Ishikawa, who surged forward and delivered a perfectly timed pass to Amaral, who was making a free run up the left side. Amaral took a left-footed shot just before being tackled by the Kyoto defender at the edge of the penalty area, but he missed the target and squandered the chance. In the 56th minute, from a throw-in on the left side, Kelly boldly took a long shot, but it went over the bar. In the 58th minute, Ishikawa sent a floating pass from the right to Todai in the center, who then delivered a last pass with his head to Amaral, who was running into the penalty area, but it was slightly too high. The highlight came in the 62nd minute when Ishikawa received a throw-in from the right side and, while the ball was still bouncing, turned and shot with his left foot. The ball flew towards the Kyoto goal with a powerful and beautiful trajectory from about 35 meters, but struck the bar and resulted in no goal.

　Tokyo was able to pick up second balls and create chances from the side as confirmed at halftime, and they grasped the rhythm. However, in the 63rd minute, Kaji, who was marking Lezgi, who attempted to break through by reversing from ball retention in Tokyo's penalty area, knocked him down and resulted in a penalty kick. In the 65th minute, Kurobe scored this penalty kick, and Tokyo conceded the first goal.

Jean equalizes with a pinpoint free kick from Miyazawa, but...

　Kyoto Eleven and supporters are ecstatic. There is no way not to be excited about such a development in a situation where we want to accumulate even one point. However, that excitement will soon subside.

　68 minutes after conceding a goal, Tokyo earned a free kick from a distance of about 40m in front of the goal. Miyazawa sent a pinpoint pass with a sharp curve from his magical left foot, which dropped in front of the goal. Jean ran into it and changed the course of the ball with a header, sending it to the left side of the goal! The stadium fell silent as if stunned by the sudden equalizer. It was the exact same play that Yusuke Kondo scored in the match two rounds ago against Sendai, once again proving the accuracy of Miyazawa's kick.

　Tokyo, who desperately wanted to secure 3 points, increased their momentum and headed towards Kyoto's goal. In the 70th minute, Miyazawa crossed the ball from the right side after a corner kick, and Jean once again headed the ball on the far side, but unfortunately it hit the crossbar. On the contrary, in the 72nd minute, Kyoto's Matsui took advantage of a momentary gap and took a powerful shot from the central area, but Tokyo's goalkeeper, Doi, made a superb save. Immediately after in the 73rd minute, Toda broke through on a long ball kicked by Jean towards the front line, attempted an overhead shot while competing with the defenders, but it hit the opponent and resulted in a corner kick.

　Tokyo desperately wanted to secure 3 points. In the 74th minute, they substituted the fatigued Amaral for the fresh Abe. Furthermore, in the 83rd minute, Yusuke Kondo was brought on for Ishikawa, showing a relentless attitude to aim for goals until the end. In contrast, Kyoto took a completely opposite approach. Needing to secure at least 1 point, Kyoto substituted their forward for DF Hayashi in the 76th minute. They changed to a 5-4-1 formation, adding an extra defender and placing Kurobe as the lone striker. Additionally, in the 87th minute, they replaced Matsui with DF Nakamura to strengthen their defense. Tokyo continued to attack without giving up until the end, and in stoppage time, Toda attempted a volley shot from a floating pass by Kelly, but it unfortunately went over the bar. In the end, the match finished 1-1. Once again, victory was postponed, but despite a tough situation of conceding first away, they managed to equalize and definitely secured 1 point, which can be seen as a result that leads to the next match. They want to ensure they earn 3 points in the upcoming home game against Kashima.

【Player Comments】《Miyazawa》"Kyoto played in a compact 4-4-2 formation, not giving us much space. I was surrounded by Kelly and Amaral, and couldn't find a way to pass the ball. The goal was similar to the Sendai match, which gives me confidence, but we need to score from the flow of the game. Even in a tough away match, we need to become a strong team that can win."《Jean》"The ball from Miya was just like in practice, and I was able to evade the opponent and score a goal. It was satisfying to equalize with my own goal when we were one goal behind. Of course, it's not the best result, but considering that we lost in the previous match, it was good to be able to equalize in the tough situation of an away match. Next is a home match, and I really want to win. Kashima is strong, but I will focus on defending and hope for the other players to step up."

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "Kyoto is in a difficult situation in the overall standings, and I knew they would come at us with everything they have, so I expected a tough battle. After watching the previous match against Kashima, I knew they would compact the midfield, and I was thinking about which team would have the advantage in winning the ball. In the first half, Kyoto picked up the ball and often broke through from the sides. We made some adjustments at halftime, so we were able to win the ball in the second half, but their midfield was very compact, and they always sent two players to press Kelly, so we couldn't keep the ball or move it forward, leading to a difficult situation. Not just for us, but in the last few matches, I've noticed that other teams are also drawing a lot, and I feel again that it's tough to earn three points. It was good that we were able to respond quickly after conceding a goal today, but I really wanted to equalize and turn the game around to win. I thought Kyoto would come out more, but I didn't expect them to solidify their defense that much in the final stages. Next is at home, so I want to prepare well for a week and win against the Antlers."

[Kyoto Purple Sanga Coach Pim's Press Conference Summary] "We understood that Tokyo would kick long balls and come to win the second balls, but I think our DF did well against that. We won the second balls, and especially on the left side, Suzuki and Matsui broke through well. Tokyo's DF is strong in one-on-one situations and well-organized, so it was difficult to score, but overall I was satisfied with the first half. In the second half, I knew that fatigue would create space between Tokyo's DF and FW, but Reji did well at the right moment. After taking a 1-0 lead, we had to control the game, but it was unfortunate that we conceded a goal so easily. However, that FK was a ball of wonderful quality. It was the same in the Sendai match. Reji had to be substituted due to injury, and we couldn't mount a strong attack up front, but I think we had a chance to win if we could control the game for 10 minutes while leading 1-0."