Fight for victory in the remaining 3 matches!

　J1 League 32nd round is an away game against Albirex Niigata. In the previous round against Chiba, we completely took control of the game with our high intensity and stole the opponent's thunder, winning with almost perfect performance. This season, we have lost all three matches against them, including the Nabisco Cup, but this time we will win decisively and the team atmosphere is also good. This week, we have a tough schedule with three consecutive games in two days, and it will be an away game at Niigata Stadium, but we will unite as one and aim for consecutive victories and a rise in the rankings.

　Niigata is currently in 12th place with 39 points, and from Sec. 27 they have had 2 wins, 3 draws, and no losses, so the team's condition seems good. In particular, the scoring ability of the Brazilian player trio = FW Anderson Lima, Edmilson, and Fabiano is a threat. In the previous match against Iwata, Edmilson scored a hat-trick, and in the last 5 matches, all 8 goals were scored by these three players. Coach Hara also cautions, "They can score even with few chances." Additionally, there is still a possibility of a playoff with J2 based on the numbers, so it is expected that they will aggressively go for the points today.

　Tokyo, on the other hand, will face the match with injuries to Baba, who injured his left knee in the Chiba match, and Kaji, who is suffering from an ankle injury. Manager Hara stated, "Both players could play if we push them, but considering that it's an away game, we will prioritize their rest." In place of Baba, Kurisawa, who will start for the first time since the 27th round, will play as an attacking midfielder, and Fujiyama will replace Kaji as the right full-back. Kanazawa, who has returned from injury, will play on the left side. "Kurisawa is fully recovered from fatigue, and Kanazawa is eager to play. These fresh players will bring new energy to the team," Manager Hara said.

　In the away match last season, Niigata showed their strength when they were able to concentrate and perform well, as mentioned by (Manager Hara), "We were overwhelmed by their high motivation." It is necessary to compete with determination instead of being on the defensive. Without being overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the away game, which attracted more than 40,000 spectators, let's show Tokyo's soccer to the fullest and aim to win 3 points! The match started with Tokyo's kickoff at 3:04 pm, despite the temporary rain and cold wind.

Both teams launched quick attacks from solid defense, but the first half ended with no goals.

　Both teams showed a cautious start, focusing on each other's fast attacks and launching quick counterattacks from solid defense. In the 4th minute, Tokyo had a left free kick from the opponent's half. Kajiyama aimed directly but missed the target. In the 6th minute, two consecutive corner kicks from both sides were cleared by the opponent's defense, and despite attacking the Niigata's half from the beginning of the game, they couldn't create any clear chances.

　On the contrary, Niigata seizes the chance from FW Anderson Lima's FK. In the 8th minute, he takes a direct shot but Doi clears it with a punch. In the 9th minute, the Tokyo DF escapes with a CK as Kaimoto, the DF in front of the goal, connects. Niigata often falls into the net of the defending DF who retreats, and each time they counterattack, they are stopped by fouls, creating a vicious cycle where they cannot control the pace.

　18 minutes, Niigata DF Kikuchi runs up the left side deeply and crosses negatively. FW Edmilson fills in the clearance of Tokyo DF and shoots from an angleless position, but it slightly cuts to the right of the goal. In the 19th minute, Edmilson runs up the right side from a quick attack, and FW Lima in the center follows up, but Doi catches it. Niigata creates a decisive scene, but manages to keep a clean sheet somehow. Then, following Coach Hara's instructions, Suzuki Nori and Abe Yoshiro switch sides gradually and begin to grasp the rhythm of the attack. In the 31st minute, a quick attack is launched and Abe Yoshiro jumps out to the area from Lucas, and it seemed like he was fouled by the opponent's DF, but it was not a foul. In the 32nd minute, Kurizawa runs up the right side again from a quick attack and takes a cross that hits the opponent's DF, winning a right corner kick. Connecting this corner kick, Lucas shoots from the left area, but it goes wide to the right.

　After 35 minutes, we finally took control of the pace and especially seized opportunities from set plays. In the 36th minute, Norio Suzuki's right corner kick couldn't be finished. In the 37th minute, Jean headed Kajiyama's left free kick, but it didn't meet the target. In the 43rd minute, Kurizawa kicked a right corner kick, and Imakuno tried to push it in from the goalmouth scramble, but was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper. Despite the decent performance, we couldn't create decisive chances due to Niigata's solid defense, and ultimately the first half ended scoreless.

A stunning volley shot by Sasa secures a consecutive victory

　Shortly after the start of the second half, Niigata created a decisive chance. Tokyo quickly stole the ball near the halfway line and launched a counterattack. The ball was passed to FW Edmilson from FW Lima's dribble, and he skillfully evaded the Tokyo defenders and took a shot from the front of the goal. The ball hit the bottom left post, but somehow they managed to avoid a clear-cut opportunity.

　51 minutes, Tokyo tried to get a rhythm by substituting Suzuki Nori with Sasa. They formed a two-top with Lucas and put Kurisawa on the right. They put long balls to the two-top early and picked up the loose balls. In the 53rd minute, Kajiyama picked up a loose ball and played a one-two with Sasa, shooting from inside the right area, but the opponent's defender cut it off. In the 56th minute, Kurisawa dribbled centrally and passed to Lucas on the right. He broke free inside the right area and took a shot, but it was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper's great save. They finally took control. In particular, Imano and Kajiyama picked up most of the loose balls and launched wave-like attacks. Also, Niigata's occasional counterattacks did not give any work to the three Brazilian players, Jean and Shigeki.

　66 minutes, Jean's long ball was headed by Imakano and passed to Abe Yoshito who ran into the left area and shot, but the goalkeeper caught it. In the 68th minute, Lucas took a direct volley from the loose ball of the right free kick, but it went over the bar. Despite having a scoring opportunity, it was not converted. In the 76th minute, Toda was substituted for Kurizawa, who showed signs of fatigue, in order to regain momentum on the side and score a goal. And then, in the 77th minute, the long-awaited opening goal was born. Abe Yoshito, who kept the ball on the left side, passed a ground pass to Kajiyama in the right area after dribbling past the opponent's defender. Just when it seemed like he would trap the ball and get into a shooting position, he passed it to the center. Sasu then perfectly volleyed it and scored the opening goal! Finally, the balance was broken.

　After that, in the 80th minute, Toda broke through the center and shot with speed, but it was saved by the goalkeeper and resulted in a corner kick. In the 82nd minute, Sasa aimed for a shot from mid-range, but it went slightly to the right. They struggled to score an additional goal. Niigata also made three substitutions in the 81st and 83rd minutes, changing their system and launching attacks. However, in the end, everyone defended with their bodies and prevented the goal from being breached, resulting in a 1-0 victory. They struggled against Niigata's fast and sharp counterattacks, but in the end, they managed to win thanks to the difference in finishing ability and achieved their second consecutive victory.

　【Player Comments】Sasa "(The goal) came from a good pass by Kajiyama, and since I was free, I shot it directly. I was confident I would score at the moment of the shot. I was also happy to be selected for the Paraguay national team, and after returning home, I was glad to score and contribute to Tokyo's victory. (You have been coming on as a substitute recently?) I definitely want to play more, but I am part of the team. Contributing to victory is the top priority. We haven't lost recently, and I really think this is a good team. The 'cradle' celebration after the goal was for Lucas, who is expecting a child in December. I want to do it again." Moniwa "The current team has both fighting spirit and momentum. Spectators might have thought 'Maybe a draw?', but we were determined to win. That's why we could make bold substitutions. For example, Mr. Toda came back right after returning, took a shot, then from the corner kick, kept the ball after the rebound... we were able to play like that. It's proof that our rhythm is improving. (There was a moment late in the game when you pushed forward?) We had been taking the ball and attacking, then losing it again up front repeatedly, so I wanted to calm things down a bit. I showed the intention to use sideways passes and spread the field. Playing by taking the ball, attacking, then losing it again won't lead to progress. Of course, we will attack, but for example, if we score one goal, we shouldn't rush to attack again; we need to play considering the timing and the opponent. Strong teams like Iwata at one time could do that. I think we are starting to play that kind of soccer now. We have players like Yohei who can receive and keep the ball, and we want to play in a way that makes the opponent think 'I want to take it but can't. If I go, it will be a foul.' We want to play that kind of annoying style. It should lead to the next step."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "Both Kaji and Baba could have played if they pushed themselves, but we let them prepare for the next home game. We brought in fresh players Kanazawa and Kurisawa, who had been adjusting for today. We expected a tough match away, so winning there was very good for us. Niigata has the strength that when good balls reach their three Brazilian forwards up front, those three can carry the ball by themselves. Especially when attacking, I instructed to take care of them. They don’t open to the sides but stay central, making it difficult for our four defenders to mark them, so we made adjustments at halftime. We used Fujiyama on the right for the first time in a while; he could attack but lost the ball a few times and we faced counters. Early in the second half, FW Edmilson had a shot that hit the post, which is Niigata’s favorite pattern. Thankfully, it didn’t go in. We actually wanted to use the field more widely, but due to rain, the pitch was wet, and Norio SUZUKI was careful with his ball touches, so his strengths didn’t show. Also, because the ball slipped, it didn’t always reach Lucas’s feet properly, so we brought in Sasa early, aiming to simply deliver crosses and pick up second balls. It wasn’t that Norio SUZUKI played badly; he was tired, so we brought in Sasa and had Kurisawa balance the team. In the end, we brought in Toda and tried to keep it simple with ball recoveries and exchanges, aiming to take all three points. Sasa was energetic throughout, and whenever loose balls came, his strength in front of goal was effective. He scored at a really good moment, and the defense stayed focused and defended well. There are two matches left, but we will fight with all our might in each game and want to play well, including the final home game. Niigata’s stadium gathers many supporters. I told the players that although it’s an away game, it’s a blessing to play in front of such a large crowd. I encouraged them to freely show their strengths."

　[Summary of Niigata Coach Sorimachi's Press Conference] "We have been progressing the game well all along, but it is disappointing that we couldn't earn points and dropped in the rankings. The next match is against Nagoya, so we definitely want to jump up. It's the same as in a marathon; it's more satisfying to run the final sprint and cross the finish line, so we want to win two consecutive matches in the last two games. Numerically, I am happy that Niigata can compete in J1 next season as well. Our big goal set before the season was to remain in J1. Although we lost the game today and can't smile here, honestly, I think it was good that this was decided. I want to express my gratitude to the supporters who cheered hoarsely despite the team not being in great condition. Defensively, Tokyo plays with a lone striker and wingers, so we simply organized ourselves to avoid falling behind there. We could somewhat predict the style of play after Sasa came in and knew they would send long balls to the front line. Since it would be tough to have a 2-on-2 in the center considering the strength of Lucas and Sasa, we switched to a three-back formation once Sasa entered. Although the result did not come, we fought with a stance of breaking Tokyo's strengths while showing our good points. In the end, Sasa scored, and there were still parts where we couldn't handle long balls well and our overall play was not good enough. We want to reflect on the basics and improve before the next match. There were good moments here and there, but Tokyo was a step ahead in the strength of central battles, second ball recoveries, and individual power. Especially Konno and Kajiyama are very good talents who will carry Japanese soccer in the future, which I felt in this match. Even so, we have to keep fighting, and I hope that this kind of competition will serve as nourishment for us. Although this may sound like the words of the defeated, I feel our approach was not bad."