The fighting spirit is the base of Tokyo. Return to the origin and achieve victory!

　Sec. 23 will be held at Japan National Stadium against Shimizu S-Pulse. Reflecting on the previous match against Kashiwa, Coach Hara harshly said, "We were losing in terms of speed of movement and one-on-one battles. If we can't fight in every single play, it's not soccer. Without that foundation, even if we say 'we want to win,' we won't get results." From that reflection, this week we will go back to the basics of Tokyo soccer, conduct intense and focused training, and as a result, "intense collisions and a fighting spirit were born from the players within the team." The focus now is how we can demonstrate this in the match.

　However, there are concerns about the fatigue of Higa, Motoniwa, and Kaji due to the match of the Japan national team held on the 7th (Wed). In addition, Ishikawa injured his left foot the day before yesterday and did not join the team today to take precautions. On the other hand, Toda returned to actual play, and in practice, various formations were tried, including Toda and Nori Suzuki entering the midfield in various variations, and putting Fujiyama, who is in good condition, in the center or on both sides as full-backs. Due to Sasa's injury, Lucas will play as the lone striker, Nori Suzuki as the right midfielder, Toda as the left midfielder, and Fujiyama as the left full-back in a 4-5-1 formation. In response, Coach Hara declared that he is considering it more as a 3-1 formation rather than a lone striker and will play aggressively.

　Shimizu currently sits 13th with 25 points. They are 2 points behind Tokyo, but in the previous match against Kawasaki, missing DF Morioka due to suspension, they were constantly trailing but took the lead in the 88th minute. Showing resilience, they secured a 3-2 comeback victory, their first win in 7 matches. This match, in addition to Morioka, FW Cho Je-jin will also be suspended, but they will maintain a solid defense, with right MF Sato and left MF Hyodo acting as the starting points on the flanks, connecting to FW Marquinhos and others, keeping their style of play unchanged. Although they have conceded 2 or more goals in the last 3 matches, including the defensive midfielders Ito and Sugiyama, their fluid midfield movement always results in scoring goals. For Tokyo, the challenge is to firmly suppress the opponent’s passing outlets and prevent them from establishing rhythm. They want to win the battles on the sides and break down the solid defense by stealing the ball through intense pressing. Both teams are positioned in the lower ranks, making this a crucial match to climb up, and consecutive losses are not allowed. Tokyo aims to return to the basics of their football and strive for victory.

Back To Basics

The 23rd contest of the season saw F.C.TOKYO take on Shimizu S-Pulse at the Tokyo National Stadium in central Tokyo. Manager Hara's verdict on the loss to Reysol was harsh, "We weren't fast enough or determined enough in the challenge. If we don't fight for every ball we can never play football. Simply saying 'We want to win' is meaningless without that base." The squad went back to basics in rigorous training sessions during the week. Whether the team could bring the heightened intensity into the game was the question.
Doi, Moniwa and Kaji had all been away with the Japanese national team during the week and worries over their condition remained. Ishikawa was injured in training and missed the match, another setback for the team. Toda had returned from injury though, and TOKYO tried a variety of formations in training involving he and Suzuki in midfield, and the in-form Fujiyama in defence. Sasa had a slight knock and started on the bench as TOKYO lined up in a 4-5-1 formation; Lucas as lone striker, Suzuki on the right, Toda on the left and Fujiyama at left back. "It's more of a three-striker formation than a one-striker formation," manager Hara commented on his attacking intentions.
Opponents S-Pulse lay in 13th place with 25 points at kick off. They had ended a 7 game winless run with a battling 3-2 victory over Frontale in the previous outing but were without the suspended Morioka and Cho Jae Jin. Saito on the left and Sato on the right would bear the weight of attacking duties, with Marquinhos the target man in the centre. The defence had leaked goals recently and midfield uncertainty persisted; it was imperative that TOKYO break up passing movements and prevent the visitors from finding their rhythm. This was an important game for F.C.TOKYO; the team needed a solid performance and three points to pull away from the impending relegation dogfight.

Unable to convert chances into goals

　At 18:33, with the lingering humidity, the kickoff of Shimizu started. However, from the beginning, Shimizu allowed chances, and in the 1st minute, Marcinhos, the forward, headed the ball from a right free kick in front of the goal. It was a perfect timing, but it hit the crossbar. Tokyo was pushed back into their own half, and in the 5th and 7th minutes, they were threatened with goals from set plays. However, Tokyo also created chances by sending the ball to Lucas and Toda in the front line. In the 8th minute, Toda headed Suzuki's cross from the right. Lucas picked up the loose ball and took a shot, but it was blocked.

　At 10 minutes, Shimizu quickly restarted the game and sent FW Marcinho running up front with a long kick. Shigetani sprinted back at full speed and escaped with a corner kick. At 12 minutes, Shimizu created a chance from the right side and midfielder Ito advanced deep into the area with a negative cross. The Tokyo defense barely cleared it. Tokyo tried to attack with quick vertical passes, but the ball couldn't be controlled up front, and Shimizu dominated in the midfield. However, chances came alternately.

　In the 14th minute, the opponent's DF cleared the long ball. Kajiyama connected with a header from the melee, and Lucas, who received the ball near the area, turned around and took a shot. He had a big chance, but it was blocked by the opponent's GK's nice save. Kurihara took the resulting CK and kicked it, but the opponent's GK punched it. Jean picked it up and tried to push it in with a header, but the opponent's DF cleared it again just before it could go in. Then, Toda headed the ball from the right CK, but it went wide to the left. In the 23rd minute, Toda shot from Kurihara's pass from the right, as he jumped out in front of the goal. He aimed for a looping shot, but the ball hit the bar! Lucas picked up the rebound but couldn't make a good contact with his shot.

　Toda created many chances starting from his breakthrough, but was sometimes intercepted and countered while attacking. In the 30th minute, the ball was taken away in their own half and connected to a long cross from the right by Shimizu. Marcinhos moved up to the left area and passed it back. The shot from the running midfielder, Hyodo, was caught by Doi. In the 36th minute, Marcinhos took a decisive shot from the right area but missed to the left. In the 41st minute, Marcinhos' marking in the right area became loose, but the shot hit the crossbar. In the 42nd minute, Marcinhos jumped into the fast left cross from Shimizu's Hyodo. They showed no weaknesses in defense, but both teams lacked finishing ability and ended the first half with a 0-0 score.

Chances Created In Open Encounter

S-Pulse kicked off shortly after 6:30 on a warm evening and came very close to taking the lead in the very first minute as Marquinhos directed a strong header just over the ball from a well-struck free kick. The visitors posed a serious threat from further free kicks in the 5th and 7th minutes. TOKYO showed their attacking strength in the 8th minute as Toda met Suzuki's cross with a header and Lucas seized the loose ball, but the visitors' defense blocked his effort.
Moniwa and Marquinhos raced shoulder to shoulder after a long punt upfield in the 10th minute; the TOKYO defender won the battle and poked the ball out for a corner. S-Pulse again penetrated deep into the home area in the 12th minute through Ito, but his pullback from the byline was cleared by some alert defending. TOKYO were sending long balls toward the forward line but failed to keep possession, and the visitors began to play the ball around in midfield. Both sides continued to create chances.
In the 14th minute Kajiyama nodded a clearance down to Lucas on the edge of the S-Pulse area; Lucas twisted away from a defender and shot, but Nishibe, the S-Pulse keeper, produced a superbly athletic save to deny TOKYO the opening goal. Jean looped a header goalward after Nishibe punched the resulting corner away, but a defender on the line stretched to head the ball clear. Toda headed the second corner just wide. Kurisawa played an early cross to Toda in the 23rd minute; Toda's attempted shot struck a defender, arced over Nishibe, and came back off the bar. Lucas failed to connect cleanly with the rebound.
Toda's well-timed runs created chances for TOKYO, but loose play gave the ball away and allowed S-Pulse to counterattack. In the 30th minute the visitors won the ball in midfield on the right and played a deep cross to Marquinhos on the left of the TOKYO area. Marquinhos cushioned a pass into the path of Hyodo, and Doi produced a good save to hold his low drive. Marquinhos fired wide from an excellent position in the 36th minute and should have hit the target in the 41st but blazed over the bar. He lunged at and missed another cross from Hyodo in the 42nd minute. Poor finishing rather than expert defending kept the halftime score at 0-0.

Defending Toda's first goal after his return, securing 3 points!

　Position change between Toda on the right and Noriyuki Suzuki on the left from the latter half of the first half. In the second half, Noriyuki Suzuki becomes the accent from the left and heads towards the Shimizu goal. In the 47th minute, from Inamoto's attacking move, to the left side. Noriyuki Suzuki, who rushed up, crosses from the left, but Kurizawa jumps in front of the goal without meeting. However, they couldn't fully grasp the initiative and the game developed with advances and retreats.

　Tokyo substituted Noriyuki Suzuki with Sasa in the 53rd minute. They are betting on a two-top formation. In the 55th minute, Sasa made a dash to the left area and took a shot from a beautiful form, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper. Immediately after that, Sasa, who had now drifted to the left, was fouled and won a free kick from outside the left area. Kurizawa's kick went to Imano, who was waiting at the far post. Imano made a good decision and headed the ball back. Toda, who had circled from right to left around this ball, appeared in the middle again and volleyed it in to take the lead! This was Toda's first goal since his return, in the match against Kobe on July 23, breaking the balance.

　Tokyo, which turned the tide after taking the lead, attacked. In the 63rd minute, Sasa took a shot from a free kick. In the 66th minute, Kaji picked up the loose ball from the opponent goalkeeper's clearance from another free kick and took a middle shot, but it went over the bar. In the 74th minute, the opponent goalkeeper cleared Kurizawa's corner kick. Jean jumped in with a high header from Fujiyama's cross, but unfortunately it hit the goalkeeper's face. Tokyo wanted to keep attacking, but in the 60th minute, Shimizu substituted MF Cheteuk for right MF Sato, and in the 69th minute, substituted MF Sawato for FW Kuboyama. Gradually gaining rhythm, they launched a counterattack starting from the right side with Che. In the 75th minute and beyond, Tokyo's clearances became sloppy and they faced a wave of attacks, but the defense fought hard and managed to hold on. In the 78th minute, Kurizawa substituted ABE to regain control of the side, but Shimizu's pace remained unchanged.

　In the 82nd minute, MF Che broke through the right area from Shizuoka DF's long feed, cut past two or three Tokyo DF players, and entered the center to take a shot. It was a decisive scene, but it was cut off by Fujiyama's tenacious DF! In the 84th minute, MF Che -> DF Ichikawa, who had moved up to the right front line, made a free cross. This created a chance for MF Sawato, who came on as a substitute, to jump in the center. In the 86th minute, they launched a fierce attack with Che as the starting point, but they defended it by putting their bodies on the line. In the 85th minute, Bamba was substituted for Toda, and they maintained their attacking posture until the end. On the other hand, the DF line defended the goal without losing concentration. They protected Toda's goal with a spirited fight and achieved their first victory in six games since the Yokohama FM match on July 13th.

　【Player Comments】《Toda》"I believed that Ima-chan would surely deliver the cross. I'm relieved to have scored. It was the play we practiced. Playing in today's match was my way of expressing gratitude to the many people who supported me while I was injured. However, throughout the match, it was more tough than enjoyable. My match fitness wasn't fully back, and it was my first official game playing with Sasa. There were times our timing didn't match, and I also made passing mistakes, reflecting on them each time as I played. I was desperate just to show my own play, so I'm glad it led to a good result. There are many points to correct, but I want to aim higher without being satisfied, so that we can secure 3 points in future matches." 《Fujiyama》"I was really exhausted in my first official match in a while. For my participation, I focused on covering first, then tried to win the ball on the side. Playing as a side back was all I could do, but I wanted the forwards and my side partners, Moniwa and Jean, to be aware that 'cover is there, so it's okay.' Everyone put their bodies on the line. That's what made the difference from the Kashiwa match, and I think we defended well. Cheteuk created a 2-on-1 situation, which remains a challenge."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "In the previous match against Kashiwa, we conceded 4 goals due to a lack of concentration, but this week we discussed with the players that such things must never happen again. We emphasized the need to play with more focus and passion, as we cannot win against any team otherwise. We were able to conduct intensive training. However, once the match started, the players became tense and had difficulty controlling the ball well. On the defensive side, though, they were well focused. The previous match's performance was poor, but Todai returned from a fracture, so we tried to bring him in to revive the team's stagnant movement. The Japan national team players could only join practice from Thursday, and they were also tired. Kaji's legs were quite tight. Ishikawa had an accident the day before yesterday; although he wanted to play until the last moment, after consulting with the doctor, he ultimately gave up. Considering these factors, including whether to use Norio SUZUKI up front, we finally decided to use Fujiyama as the side back. Fujiyama's condition improved, and he was motivated. I think the veteran controlled Moniwa and Jean, calming the defense. We had difficulty winning for a while, but the supporters kept cheering for us. We cannot be satisfied with this win, so based on today's match, we want to play even better football. (After taking the lead, you brought in attacking players?) Among the substitutes, only Miura was a defensive player. If we tried to defend by pulling back, we would be vulnerable, so we decided to focus on attacking. Todai also had leg cramps, so I considered replacing him with Miura, but I thought we should bring in Baba and maintain an attacking stance. That mindset is what our team needs right now."

　[Summary of Shimizu and Coach Hasegawa's Press Conference] "We haven't been able to secure consecutive wins, and today, although there were several close chances from the start of the first half, we couldn't convert them. We were cautious about set pieces and discussed second balls at halftime, but we were caught off guard by a quickly reacted crossed ball and conceded. Overall, I think we defended with good balance, but we couldn't respond to that brief lapse, resulting in the very disappointing outcome of zero points. The players surely put their hearts into playing at the National Stadium and overcoming the fact that we hadn't won against lower-ranked opponents until now, but we couldn't finish well. However, the content was very good. We will prepare thoroughly over the next week for the Niigata match and aim to achieve consecutive home wins. (Specifically, what was good about the content?) Although FW Cho Jae-jin was suspended, there were few long balls, and we connected through midfield to the flanks. Good crosses were delivered, and MF Choi Tae-wook also broke through the sides, but the final finishing was lacking. Compared to FC Tokyo, there were fewer long balls, and we played good matches against Kawasaki and Tokyo. Although it was an away game, we were not focused on counterattacks. I think we kept possession more, and Tokyo played more long balls to Lucas. In terms of play development, although the opponent scored first and then retreated, Shimizu was able to play higher-quality soccer from the first half. However, losing the match means nothing. At halftime, we talked about continuing the good soccer created by the interaction between Ito and Sugiyama in the double pivot. Since we were breaking through the sides, we decided to be careful about the quality of crosses and making sure the players inside finish properly. Morioka's absence was not the cause of the defeat. Choi Tae-wook trained with determination this week and improved his condition, so I planned to use him at some point. He met expectations by repeatedly breaking through the sides. It was a performance that will lead to the future."

Toda Puts TOKYO Ahead

Suzuki and Toda switched sides for the second half as TOKYO started with a more aggressive approach. Suzuki powered down the left in the 47th minute and delivered a powerful cross that narrowly evaded the onrushing Kurisawa. The game ebbed and flowed, but TOKYO maintained the initiative.
Sasa replaced Suzuki in the 53rd minute as TOKYO shifted to a twin striker formation. Sasa burst into the area on the left in the 55th minute, cut inside, and shaped to curl the ball inside the far post; Nishibe made another good save. Sasa was again involved soon after, winning a free kick a yard equidistant from the byline and the penalty area on the left. Kurisawa stroked the ball over the crowd in the goalmouth to Konno on the right; Konno skillfully guided a header back over the crowd and Toda gleefully volleyed home inside the left post to give TOKYO the lead. On his first appearance since July 23rd, Toda had scored a priceless goal.
Buoyed by taking the lead, TOKYO attacked S-Pulse fiercely. Sasa hammered a free kick wide in the 63rd minute and Kaji flashed a shot over the bar in the 66th. Fujiyama curled a tempting cross back into the danger area after Nishibe had cleared a corner in the 74th minute. Jean outjumped the S-Pulse defense but directed his header straight at the keeper. S-Pulse responded by replacing Sato with Choi Tae Uk and striker Kuboyama with midfielder Sawanobori. The changes proved effective, with Choi making progress down the right as S-Pulse slowly regained their rhythm. The TOKYO backline struggled with Choi's pace, and the introduction of Abe for Kurisawa failed to stem the tide; it was backs to the wall as S-Pulse surged forward in search of an equalizer.
In the 82nd minute, Choi beat three TOKYO players and fired a low shot that seemed destined for the net until Fujiyama's outstanding block averted the danger. Choi buzzed around the TOKYO area probing for an opening, but the home defenders threw themselves manfully to plug the gaps. Baba replaced Toda in the 85th minute in an attempt to relieve pressure on the defense. TOKYO successfully ran down the clock and held out for a vital win: their first in six games since July 13th.


Players' comments
Toda
"It was something we had worked on in training and I had faith that Konno would get the ball back into the center. I'm very relieved to score. I'd really like to thank everyone who supported me while I was injured. That was a tough game today, though. I haven't got my game sense back completely and it's the first time I played with Sasa. I haven't got my timing right and I played a few poor passes so I've got plenty to work on. I'm going to work as hard as I can to get my game back to its usual level and contribute to the team".

Fujiyama
"That was my first game for a while and I'm really tired. I was concentrating foremost on covering and then winning the ball down the wing. I wanted the players in front of me and alongside to feel confident that the cover was there all the time. We stuck to our tasks very well today. It was two against one when Choi Tae Uk came on and that's something I have to work on".


TOKYO manager Hara 
"After we lost concentration and conceded four against Reysol last week we worked very hard in training but still looked stiff and didn't move the ball around at all well early on. But the defence concentrated well today. The team has become rather sluggish and we thought Toda's return would liven things up. The national team members came back on Thursday so we didn't have much time together and they had some tiredness of course, but Kaji in particular worked very hard today. Ishikawa was desperate to play but the doctor advised against it. We were unsure where to play Suzuki and eventually selected Fujiyama as left back. He's in good condition at the moment and was really up for the game today. He's very experienced and his prescence allowed Moniwa and Jean to defend more comfortably. We haven't been able to win recently but the fans have supported us through this lean spell. We have to use this win as a springboard to better performances and more victories. Miura was the only defensive player we had on the bench so we had to send on attack minded players as substitutes; we didn't want to become defensive and start playing too deeply. Toda picked up a knock and we thought about replacing him with Miura but that would have given the wrong message so we sent on Baba instead to maintain an attacking stance. That's what we should be doing as a team".

S-Pulse manager Hasegawa
"We just don't seem to be able to string wins together at the moment. We had some good chances in the first half but couldn't put them away. I spoke to the team about set plays at half time but we were a fraction slow reacting to the ball played back from the free kick and were punished for it. Our balance was good and we defended well but one momentary lapse cost us the game today. It's disappointing as we played well overall. We have a week to prepare for the game against Albirex and we'll be aiming for consecutive home wins. Cho Jae Jin was suspended and we didn't play the long ball, instead we built attacks from midfield and used the flanks. We put in some good crosses and Choi Tae Uk performed well on the right wing. We didn't make the most of our opportunities, though. We played fewer long balls than TOKYO who hit a lot up to Lucas. We weren't playing a counter attacking game; we tried to pass our way forward. We definitely played the better football today, but you don't get anything if you lose. Ito and Sugiyama both had good games and that allowed us to play our football. Choi Tae Uk worked hard in training this week and it showed in his performance. We're looking for more from him in the future."