Aiming for the first victory in 7 league matches

　Sec. 13 of the 2nd stage will be an away match against Niigata. This will be the first time the match is held at Niigata Stadium since the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake. Last week, the Emperor's Cup was held, and Tokyo achieved a long-awaited victory with a 1-0 win against Sendai in a full 90-minute match. However, in the league matches, there has been no victory since the 6th round against Urawa on 9/23. We hope to win all remaining 3 matches and improve our position even a little.

　Niigata is currently in 2nd stage with 5 wins, 2 draws, and 5 losses, earning 17 points. After the earthquake, they have suffered 3 consecutive defeats, and it is also unfortunate that all matches have been held outside of Niigata. However, recently they have been struggling to achieve victories. Considering their 14th place finish in the 1st stage, it is clear that their current situation is different from the team they faced in the opening match of the 1st stage. In particular, the foreign trio of Edmilson, Ozeas, and Fabiano in the attacking line-up poses a significant threat. As evidence, their total goals in the 2nd stage are 24, ranking 3rd behind Urawa. In this match, Ueno will replace Ozeas, but they will approach the game with their proud attacking formation.

　Tokyo, on the other hand, increased their two center-backs, Mashihiro and Fujiyama, in place of the injured Moriba and Jean. Although there are some defensive concerns, the rest of the team is almost at full strength, and they hope to achieve their first victory in 7 league matches. The match started with Tokyo's kickoff under clear skies. In addition, Toda, who started in this match, achieved his 100th appearance in J1 league matches.

Take the lead with a brilliant goal by Miura, but...

　The head coach sent the team onto the pitch with the instructions to "score more than two goals and win" and to "play a good game no matter what". Both teams attacked aggressively from the start of the match. In the 2nd minute, Kelly passed to Lucas, who then sent the ball to Toda on the left side. Toda immediately crossed the ball, but the opponent's defender intercepted it and it resulted in a corner kick. In the 4th minute, Kelly passed to Lucas, who then passed to Imano, and then back to Lucas, showcasing intricate passing skills to outmaneuver the opponent's defenders. Finally, Lucas took a shot, but it hit the crossbar.

On the contrary, in the 5th minute, MF Kenji SUZUKI of Niigata took the ball from Tokyo and passed it to MF Shin Suzuki on the left side, then ran up and earned a corner kick. In the 6th minute, FW Edmilson cut off Inamoto's back pass and dribbled, then connected with FW Fabinho for a shot. Both teams have been attacking each other from the beginning.

　In the 11th minute, Kelly broke through with a brilliant direct pass and took a shot. In the 13th minute, Toda dropped the ball that was passed behind the opponent's defense by Kaji's long feed, and Lucas shot it as it was, but both shots hit the crossbar. Furthermore, in the 16th minute, Kanazawa broke through the left side with a passing play, but it resulted in a corner kick. In the 20th minute, Ishikawa kept the ball on the right side and earned a free kick. Ishikawa put the ball near the goal, but Toda couldn't redirect it into the net with a header from the far side. Tokyo effectively created chances through passing plays from both sides, and in the 21st minute, the opening goal was scored, giving a sense of anticipation for more goals.

　From their own half, Kelly dribbles up and passes the ball to Toda on the left side, who then switches it to Ishikawa on the right side. Ishikawa traps the long ball, bypassing the opponent's defender, and cuts back after reaching the end line, passing it to Miura who has come up. Miura shoots the ball directly from outside the penalty area, and the ball pierces the side net on the left side of the goal! They took an auspicious lead with a fine goal that hasn't been seen in recent matches.

Easy goal from a mistake

　However, just as they were celebrating, they conceded a goal just one minute after taking the lead. In the 22nd minute, Edmilson forcefully dribbled through the center, shaking off Fujiyama who was marking him, and entered the penalty area. He then crossed the ball back to the center along the ground, and Ueno, who had been making a run, perfectly connected with it, bringing Niigata back to square one.

　After that, Niigata completely took control of the pace. In particular, Edmilson ran freely on the right side and put the ball in front of the DF that they disliked. And Niigata would score another goal 4 minutes after equalizing. In the 26th minute, Suzuki Shin put in a left corner kick with his left foot, and the Tokyo DF cleared it once. However, Maruyama, who was on the right side, put the loose ball back in front of the goal directly, and Doi, who had come out, punched it, but the clearance was small and the ball passed to Suzuki Shin, who took a one-touch shot with his right foot. The shot was unsuccessful, but Matsuoka, who had moved to the center, pushed the ball in with his head, allowing Tokyo to concede a lead.

　Tokyo is struggling to find a rhythm in their attack. In the 31st minute, Lucas forcefully dribbles past the defense and takes a shot, but the opposing defender clears the ball. Miura then takes a shot from outside the penalty area, but it goes wide to the right. In the 33rd minute, Kelly and Kaji exchange passes in the center, and eventually Kelly, with involvement from Lucas, breaks free and takes a shot, but the opposing defender clears it with a brave effort. In the 38th minute, Tokyo earns a free kick just outside the penalty area in the center. Lucas aims directly for the goal, but it is cleared by the wall. Tokyo creates several shooting opportunities, but the first half ends with a score of 1-2.

Allowing the opponent's counter until the end

　The instructions from Manager Hara at halftime were "Don't lose to Ueno in the competition for the ball, Mashiwajima" and "Let's put a low pass to Lucas and Kelly once and then spread the attack to the sides." Tokyo starts their counterattack from the beginning of the second half. In the 1st minute of the second half, Ishikawa takes a shot but it goes over the bar. In the 53rd minute, Kajiyama is substituted for Miura, further increasing the ball possession rate and the attack continues in the opponent's half.

　In the 55th minute, there was a big side change from Kajiyama to the left side to Toda. He then ran up and made a centering pass, but it was cleared by the opponent's defender. In the 59th minute, Kanazawa crossed from the left side to the center, and Lucas headed the ball near the goal, but it was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper. However, the rebound was passed between Imano and Kajiyama, and finally Lucas took another shot, but it was right in front of the opponent's goalkeeper. They just couldn't score.

　Tokyo substituted Abe for Kelly in the 63rd minute. Just as they were thinking of being more aggressive, they conceded a goal on the counterattack from a mistake. In the 65th minute, Ishikawa kept the ball on the right side, cut out a misplaced pass, and Suzuki Shin dribbled up the left side. Suzuki Shin crossed the ball with a liner-like timing between the goalkeeper and the defender, and Edmilson, who had run to the opposite side, threw himself forward and slotted the ball into the goal, giving Tokyo an undeserved additional goal.

　Tokyo made a substitution, replacing Ishikawa with Baba in the 66th minute, but they couldn't stop Niigata's counterattack and conceded another goal. In the 71st minute, Edmilson dribbled past three defenders and managed to win a corner kick. However, from that left corner kick, Shinnosuke Suzuki delivered a precise ball and Edmilson scored with a header. It was a goal conceded due to a lack of concentration, which hasn't been seen in recent matches, resulting in a three-goal difference.

Never give up and keep attacking until the end...

　Tokyo launched a full-scale attack while taking some risks. Kanazawa and Abe attacked on the left side, Kaji and Toda attacked on the right side, and Kajiyama and Baba created the rhythm of the attack with their accents in the center. However, the additional goal came in the 79th minute. Abe dribbled through the penalty area, causing the opponent's defender to commit a foul. They were awarded a penalty kick, and Lucas neatly converted it to a two-goal lead. In the 85th minute, Masushima headed the ball from the left corner kick to the center, and Lucas headed it in, but the opponent's defender cleared it on the goal line. Furthermore, Kajiyama took a shot from the loose ball, but it went over the bar and they couldn't score.

　The game ended with a threatening Niigata goal until the end, but the score remained 2-4. Although it was the team's first two goals in a while, they easily conceded a goal from a small mistake. They were unable to grasp a good rhythm in both offense and defense until the end, and once again, they could not secure a victory in the league.　

　[Player Comments]《Miura》"I feel like we can't win when I score the opening goal. It seemed that the opponent's intensity was greater. I understood that Niigata would come with the determination to win for those affected by the earthquake, especially since it was their first home stadium match in a while, but we talked about not just accepting that and instead pushing back with our own determination. However, once we were pushed back, it was difficult to regain our mental strength. Niigata's movements and their anticipation of the next play were quick. Just like in the Emperor's Cup, our attacking approach against a team that defends deep has been poor, leading to counterattacks and losing control of the pace, so as a team, we need to think about various strategies. We need to ensure we finish properly. I want our shooting practice to lead to victories in matches. Next is our final home game, so we must win that to finish strong. I apologize to the many fans who came today despite the inconvenient transportation. I want to repay that in the next match."《Masushima》"I was glad we scored the opening goal in a good way, but we conceded immediately and lost our rhythm. The subsequent goal further worsened the atmosphere. The defensive line was made up of members who usually don't play together, so it didn't go well. I think we managed better in the second half, but we allowed them to counter freely. I believe we need to communicate more in practice and correct the finer details. I wanted to build momentum with a win, but..."

　【Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference】 "Due to the impact of the earthquake, it was a match at the home stadium for Niigata, which they haven't had in a while, and considering that Niigata has been on a losing streak lately, I expected it to be a very tough match. The Niigata team, including their fans, brought a high level of motivation, so I told the players to not be outdone by that and to aim for a good match. As expected, Niigata had a speedy attack, and we struggled to attack effectively, getting our passes cut off in half-hearted attempts, which led to counterattacks and an unpleasant rhythm. However, in the 21st minute, after a connection from Toda to Ishikawa, Miura scored, and I thought we finally managed to score in a good way. But shortly after that, we conceded a goal, which was not good for the flow of today's game. In that goal scene, under pressure, Masushima, being young and inexperienced, was following Fujiyama who was marking Edmilson, and since it was a tight angle, if he had marked properly in the center, it would have been fine. However, he got a bit distracted by the ball and lost his mark. At halftime, I told Masushima to not be afraid and to compete against Ueno. In the first half, since Fujiyama was competing, the balance in the center was off, and both full-backs became worried and squeezed in, which allowed players like Suzuki and Edmilson to exploit the space left open. The second goal was due to Doih's punching the ball to the opponent, and the third goal was a result of a pass mistake by Ishikawa, so I think we were undone by mistakes today... However, I believe the players kept attacking until the end without giving up. I think substitutes Kajiyama and Baba did well, but honestly, I have to admit that today, Niigata's players, some of whom were cramping but continued to fight with all their might, were stronger than us. Since we haven't won in the league, the next match is our final home game, so we want to switch our mindset and do everything we can to win. I think Masushima has great potential, but if he doesn't overcome his moments of weakness, he won't become a stronger player. It's certainly tough without Jean and Shigeno, but Masushima and the team need to overcome such challenges. I want to learn from Niigata's fighting spirit today and defeat Ichihara at Ajinomoto next time."

　【Niigata - Coach Hoshikawa's Press Conference Summary】 "First of all, congratulations to Urawa for winning the league and Omiya for their promotion to J1. Saitama must be in a state of joy right now. I am very pleased that we were able to play a fast-paced style of soccer that is characteristic of Niigata at home after a long time. While we can overlook the goals conceded in terms of content and results, I think it was great to see the true essence of Niigata come through. Those who came to the stadium today had various feelings, and I am glad that we were able to meet their hopes and expectations. After the Reysol match, I used the expression "warm water," but I told the players before the match that the last three matches are a final sprint, and it is most frustrating to be overtaken by the opponent at that time in a marathon; conversely, it must feel good to overtake the opponent. I wanted them to show a proactive and active attitude today, running faster than the opponent and taking the lead. I believe that this was certainly reflected in various parts of the game. Both the first and second goals came from being a step quicker than the opponent, allowing us to gain possession and score. Considering this, I think today showcased the players' earnest attitude. FC Tokyo is originally a team with a sincere attitude, and I expected a speedy and quick transition in the game, which I believe was indeed the case. I am also happy that we were able to win in such a context."