2nd Stage Home Opener, a must-win battle for both teams

　Tokyo, who suffered a come-from-behind loss in the opening match, wants to avoid consecutive defeats at all costs in order to make a good start in the 2nd stage. They are aiming for a victory in their first home game. However, Kaji, who participated in the Argentina national team match on the 18th (Wednesday), suddenly fell ill today and will be absent. In addition to injured players Asari, Toda, and Suzuki, the absence of Olympic representative players and Masushima, who is also absent due to U-19 representative team activities, makes the team's depth difficult. However, there are expectations for the players currently on the pitch, including Maeda, who will make his first league start as a right full-back. The starting lineup is the same as the previous match except for Maeda. The key point will be how they can rebuild their defense after conceding four goals in the opening match and connect it to their good attacking form.

　On the other hand, Shimizu also lost their opening match to Yokohama FM with a score of 1-2. Under the new coach, Shinsuke Ishizaki, who took command from July, they surely do not want to experience consecutive defeats. Furthermore, Taku Shimizu returned from the Netherlands for this stage. Today, he replaced the injured Tsurumi and played in a formation with three defenders, placing Shimizu on the left. The game started with Shimizu's kickoff at Ajinomoto Stadium, where there was no wind despite the temperature being 26.3 degrees Celsius and the humidity being 58%.

Despite being under pressure from Shimizu, they did not allow any scoring opportunities

　The game progressed at a fast pace, driven by the cheers from the stands. Shimizu connected fast passes, and Tokyo also chased well, but it was Shimizu who took the offensive. In the 4th minute, FW Kitajima headed the ball backwards from a left corner kick. In the 8th minute, Kitajima received a through pass from FW Kuboyama, who had drifted to the right, and shot while carrying the defender in the area. However, both shots lacked power and were caught by Doi. In the 11th minute, Tokyo dropped Kelly's early cross, and Kurisawa's shot from outside the area went over the goal. In the 16th minute, the ball was played to the right side of Tokyo's field, and Ichikawa crossed it. In the 19th minute, Shimizu launched a quick attack and Kuboyama took a shot, but Doi caught it.

　Just before that, Tokyo tried to break down the Shimizu DF with a one-two play in front of the goal by Lucas and Kelly, but their quick defensive play stopped them. In the 20th minute, Baba dropped Maeda's right cross with a header, but it didn't reach Lucas in the center. While Shimizu took control of the game with their quick defensive play and aggressive movement, Tokyo couldn't gain an advantage on the sides and couldn't play the game at their own pace. So, they targeted Lucas in the front line with long balls, but they were caught offside three times by the 23rd minute. In the 24th minute, Lucas and Baba broke through on a counterattack, but with little support, they couldn't take a shot.

　However, even in the defensive battle, they never lost their composure and created a decisive chance in the 35th minute. Kelly ran into the space on the right side and crossed the ball directly to Maeda. Lucas slid in to meet the low and fast ball, but the shot hit the post! Unfortunately, they missed a goal-scoring opportunity. In the 38th minute, Shimizu conceded consecutive corner kicks, but they didn't allow any clear-cut chances. In the 40th minute, Miura advanced forward and received Lucas' pass in the left area, then connected with Baba and Kelly. Miura once again got into a shooting position, but was slightly offside. Shimizu's dominance throughout the first half was well defended, and they ended the first half with expectations for the second half.

Just as we were getting a hold of the rhythm, we conceded a goal...

　In the second half, Tokyo took the initiative. In the 48th minute, Kanazawa skillfully stole the ball from their own defense and launched a quick attack through Baba, Maeda, and Baba. The final pass reached Lucas on the left side, but his shot was blocked by the opponent's defender. In the 50th minute, Kajiyama and Lucas intercepted the opponent's ball, and Lucas connected with Kurizawa directly. Kelly received the final pass and took a free shot from just outside the right goal area, but it curved to the left.

　However, it was in the 52nd minute just as they were starting to get into a good rhythm. The ball was being contested in the midfield, but when it was taken back by Tokyo on the left side, DF Morioka, who was overlapping, crossed the ball. Kuboyama, who received the ball just outside the central area, trapped it and unleashed a looping shot that went over Doi's head and into the top left corner of the goal. Tokyo was caught off guard and conceded the opening goal.

　60 minutes, Shimizu's quick attack was cut off by aggressive defense from Fujiyama and Jean. In the 61st minute, Shimizu MF Ota's shot from a fast counterattack slightly curved to the left, but no harm was done. However, Tokyo, without losing focus, launched a counterattack, with Abe replacing Baba in the 65th minute. In the 66th minute, Kajiyama dribbled into the area and Kelly entered a shooting position, but the opponent's DF cut it off. In the 67th minute, Lucas received a through pass from Kanazawa starting from Abe's left side and passed it to Kelly in front of the goal. Miura picked up the loose ball outside the area and took a shot. However, once again, it was blocked by the opponent's DF.

　In the 69th minute, ABE dribbled up the center and took a powerful shot, but the opponent's goalkeeper saved it with his left foot. Next, starting from the right side, KELLY passed to KURIZAWA in the center, and then KANAZAWA, who had advanced, took a shot, but was blocked by the opponent's defender. Immediately after that, ABE broke through with KELLY's through pass, but it was offside.

Expectations for victory are high with Takumi Abe's two consecutive goals, but...

　Tokyo, which quickly launched an aggressive attack, replaced Miura with Miyazawa in the 70th minute. Shimizu also replaced Kitajima with FW Hiramatsu. In the 72nd minute, Abe took a corner kick, Miyazawa kicked the ball and Kelly slightly offside. In the 73rd minute, the opponent's DF competed for Doi's kick, and Kelly, who broke through to the front line, took a shot. However, due to the opponent's DF's tight marking, Kelly couldn't get into position and the ball went over the goal.

　In the 75th minute, Tokyo, who connected the throw-in from the right side, advanced to the area with Miyazawa from Lucas' post, and passed to Maeda who overlapped. Maeda attracted the defender and sent a cross, and Abe, who was free on the far side, headed the ball! The ball, struck from a high jump, went into the goal beautifully. Tokyo, who had been defending with a back four, tore apart the Shizuoka defenders who had been concentrated until now, and equalized with Abe's consecutive goals in the last match! As the counterattack mood increased, in the 77th minute, Abe headed Maeda's early cross, but it went over the goal.

　However, it was four minutes after the scoring scene. In the 79th minute, Kashiwagi stopped Shimizu MF Hiramatsu, who ran up the right side, with a foul, giving a free kick near the right end line of the area. Midfielder Sawato, who came on as a substitute, took this free kick, and defender Saito headed it perfectly in the center to score a goal. In a form where Tokyo's counterattack was hindered, they were deprived of an additional point.

　Still, there was time and a chance. In the 80th minute, Maeda -> Lucas -> Kelly connected, and Abe's shot from inside the area was blocked by the committed Shimizu DF. In the 81st minute, Kondo Yu was substituted for Kajiyama. In the 85th minute, Lucas was fouled in front of the goal and won a free kick. Miyazawa's powerful shot from outside the penalty arc was saved by the goalkeeper, but Kanazawa followed up on the rebound! However, there was a collision and they couldn't take the shot. In the 89th minute, Kelly broke through the front line from Abe's cross from the left throw-in, but he was caught offside by a slight timing. In the end, including 3 minutes of injury time, they desperately tried to score a goal, but they couldn't break through Shimizu's committed defense. They were defeated 2-1.

　【Player Comments】《Maeda》"There were extremes of good and bad. I had the feeling that I wanted to do well in my first starting lineup, but I was also a bit too tense. I couldn't find my rhythm, and the way I started was a challenge. I'm always aiming for crosses, and in the scoring situation, I believed that Abe would come in, so I sent it to the far post, and he was able to connect well inside. In the situation where we conceded a goal, my feet were stopped. We needed to communicate and not show any gaps, even for a moment. For the second goal conceded, I lost my mark, so I have regrets." 《Abe》"I thought that if we could attack using the sides, even if we made some mistakes, it would create more chances, so I decided to take on the challenge. I wanted to keep challenging with dribbling that has rhythm and pace. In the scoring situation, Kazuya has strong kicking power, so if it were me, I would want to show that weapon, thinking it would come to the far post. It was just as I imagined. However, more than the content of the game, it is necessary to first secure a win."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "This morning, Kaji had a fever, so I used Maeda on the right side. Maeda did well, but in the first half, Shimizu created opportunities on the left side, and Araujo was moving in and out well, with Ichikawa getting involved. I think there was a bit of confusion there. We needed to adjust our positions, and while Shimizu was creating rhythm, we somehow managed to hold on without conceding a goal, thinking that the second half would be the decisive moment. In the second half, we were able to enter with that shape, but a wonderful shot from Kubo-yama, which normally wouldn’t go in, ended up in the net. After that, we brought in Abe, who broke through on the left side and created good opportunities by breaking down from the right as planned several times. However, we needed to score one more goal to pull ahead or at least avoid conceding a goal at all. The second goal from the free kick came when we were frustrated after a foul was called, and our marking became loose. I think that was the turning point. The loose ball from Miyazawa's free kick also resulted in a situation where teammates competed with each other and couldn’t score, which was unfortunate, but a loss is a loss. To break this two-game losing streak, I want to prepare well for a week with the help of the Olympic representative players. I don’t think the content was terrible, but I want to be stricter in finishing when we have the chance and in defending set pieces. This is where we need to show our determination. Although we have lost two in a row, I want to rebuild. (What roles did Baba and Kurizawa play?) With Ishikawa absent and both Toda and Suzuki injured, who rely on speed, I wanted to bring in players who could keep the ball and use the field widely. However, in the first half, we were often attacked by Shimizu and became passive. As a result, Baba also came inside and couldn’t break through on the side. There was a moment in the first half where he headed the ball down, but if he had faced forward in the penalty area, he could have made better plays. Today, we were chased by the defense and couldn’t make those plays, but he is a player who can do much more. Maeda was a bit nervous at first, but in the second half, he moved up well, and his assist was wonderful. He didn’t make perfect contact, but he did take a shot. He hadn’t started in the league before, but I think he showed that he has the ability to perform well in matches while steadily practicing. However, in crucial moments, he was marking Shimizu's Saito for the second goal, and he was beaten by a slight movement, which is a challenge. He is originally a defensive midfielder or stopper, but as he has played in various positions, he has become capable of playing any defensive position. He gained confidence during the recent trip to Spain. He is a player who is steadily improving."

　[Summary of Shimizu Coach Ishizaki's Press Conference] "In the first half, we were able to effectively use both sides to break through, but there were issues with the accuracy of crosses and shots on balls that came into the box. In the second half, we were pushed back, but after taking the lead, we often lost the ball in the midfield with Kitajima, Kuboyama, and Araujo, which led to quick counterattacks. Therefore, I brought in Sawatari to calm things down. However, Tokyo had momentum and we conceded a goal. There are still many issues with the content of the match, but I can evaluate that we managed to score a goal from a free kick afterwards and won. (Did you change the system including player substitutions in the second half?) Tokyo brought in Abe, and it became a three-top formation with Abe, Lucas, and Kurizawa. Abe is originally a center forward with speed and shooting power. When that happened, we tried to respond with a four-back as practiced. However, we allowed Abe on the opposite side to be free and conceded a goal. I brought in Takagi because Kajiyama was actively pushing forward, and I wanted to stabilize the situation there. I also intended to break through with Takagi's speed. (In the first half, although the possession rate was high, there was no fast attack?) We were able to win the ball a few times in good shape at the positions of Sugiyama and Ito in the holding midfield, but Kitajima was well marked by Jean, and the three players up front lacked movement, causing the ball to not progress forward and instead pass sideways. If we don't improve that, we won't be able to execute fast attacks. There is a challenge in how to support and pass the ball forward when we win it. However, in the first half, there were a few dangerous moments, often resulting from our corner kicks leading to the opponent's quick counterattacks. In the second half, we were often dispossessed in midfield, leading to shots on goal. I want to be able to effectively use both sides throughout the 90 minutes like we did in the first half."