Using fresh members in consecutive matches, challenging Yokohama FM

　Sec. 4: Yokohama F.Marinos will play in the 4th round, away. Although they couldn't secure a victory in the previous round, they managed to draw with determination with the support of their home fans. Now, they face a back-to-back match in just 2 days, but they aim for a victory away while addressing their challenges.

　Tokyo this season has always approached with the mindset of "those who produce results in practice will be able to play in the matches" to enhance competition. At the same time, Coach Jofuku also mentioned that he wants to "establish the team's base while not fixing the members and adapting to changes." Therefore, considering the opponent's countermeasures and consecutive matches, the team will face the match by replacing players. Kajiyama returns from injury and starts as a center back along with Sahara and Morimura as the right midfielder, marking their first starting appearances this season. Uchida is the left midfielder, and Hirayama and Kawaguchi form the front two in a 4-4-2 formation.

　Yokohama FM, who suffered their first loss of the season to Kashima in the previous match, has a record of 2 wins and 1 loss in the league, and 1 win and 1 draw in the Nabisco Cup, showing good form. FW Oshima, who excels in accurate post-play, as well as FW Ronnie, MF Lopez, and MF Yamase, all have the ability to hold and break through. It will be necessary to put pressure on them and not allow them to play freely. Additionally, Yokohama FM's lineup is listed as 4-4-2, with MF Komiyama and DF Tanaka Hayato serving as the wings, making the battle on the sides a highlight.

　Yokohama FM's 3-back has both height and strength, so we want to shake them up from both sides. Starting from the front line with Hirayama, Kawaguchi, Hanyu, Morimura, and others will use their movement to disrupt the defense and aim for a goal and victory. The match started at 19:05 with a kickoff in Tokyo at the NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium, which was partly cloudy.

Tightly contested match, ending the first half scoreless

　Immediately after the start, Morimura expanded to the right from Kajiyama. Tokunaga, who advanced to a deep position, took a corner kick. However, the right corner kick kicked by Morimura was cleared by the Yokohama FM defender. In the 6th minute, Kawaguchi → Hanyu connected on the left side, and Morimura, who was on the left side, attacked and took a shot. It was saved by the goalkeeper, but he challenged boldly from the start and created a good opportunity. In the 8th minute, Yokohama FM also quickly switched the ball after stealing it inside the Tokyo territory, and MF Yamase Koji aimed for a shot from the middle. In the following 9th minute, this time from inside the Yokohama FM territory, they launched a quick attack, and MF Lopez dribbled up and FW Ronnie, who received the ball outside the left area, took a shot. However, there was no momentum, and Shioda saved it.

　In the 14th minute, we earned a free kick on the left side, and Kajiyama quickly restarted the play. Morimura on the opposite side aimed for a header, but couldn't finish it off due to competition from the opponent's defender. Both teams attacked each other, but couldn't break through the defense. On the contrary, the game was evenly matched with concentrated defense. In the 26th minute, Kajiyama changed the side by penetrating the space from the left to the right. Tokunaga went up firmly and took a shot at the Yokohama defender in the penalty area, but it went way over. In the 30th minute, Kajiyama intercepted the ball in our own half. Nagatomo quickly sent it to the front line, via Hanyu, and Hirayama made a middle shot while advancing, but it also missed the target.

　After 30 minutes, Yokohama FM was pushed in from a set play. In the 35th minute, a free kick taken by MF Koji Yamase from a deep position on the right side was punched away by Shioda. In the 36th minute, from a left throw-in by Yokohama FM, MF Koji Yamase took advantage of the opening and took a middle shot. It flew towards the upper left corner of the goal, but Shioda made a last-minute save and escaped with a corner kick. In the 37th minute, Shigeki Moriba, who was trying to contain Yokohama FM's MF Lopez, collided and injured his shoulder, temporarily going off the pitch but quickly returning. After that, they invited danger from consecutive corner kicks, but Shioda and the defense held firm, and the first half ended with a scoreless draw.

後半に3失点を喫し、完敗でリーグ戦初黒星を喫す

　In the second half, in order to make a decisive move, Otake was substituted for Morimura. They go for a goal with a tactical substitution. However, in the 46th minute just after the start, the ball was stolen in the midfield and passed to Oshima, the left forward of Yokohama FM. He passed it back in a post-play and Koji Yamase, the receiving midfielder, made a fierce dash towards the goal with a dribble. No one could stop him, and Shigeki Shigeno, the last line of defense, couldn't close in either, resulting in a powerful shot piercing the net for a goal... They conceded a goal in the early stages and in the 50th minute, Cabore was brought in. They aimed to counterattack with fast attacks exploiting the space behind the defenders.

　In the 53rd minute, Hayu's left cross was returned by Hirayama, and Otake skillfully controlled the ball in front of the goal, evading the opponent's defender and taking a shot. However, the goalkeeper made a save and the big chance was missed. This time, Yokohama FM had a chance. In the 57th minute, the second corner kick, right corner kick, was connected by MF Yamase Koji in a short pass, and received the return from DF Nakazawa, then made a right cross. This cross skimmed past Tokyo DF and reached MF Lopes who was positioned near the goal, and he scored with a header shot.

　It became a difficult situation to chase two points, but in the 59th minute, Hirayama broke through with a lob pass from Imano and pushed it into the goal as the goalkeeper came out. However, it was ruled as a handball and the goal was disallowed. After that, we launched a quick attack but lost the ball midway, leading to a speedy counterattack by Yokohama FM. In the 69th minute, Kajiyama, Otake, and Nagatomo worked together with dribbles and passes to attack the Yokohama FM goal, but couldn't take a shot in the end. On the contrary, we were countered and allowed Yokohama FM's MF Komiyama to take a shot.

　72 minutes, Tokunaga advances and delivers a sharp cross that flies parallel to the goal. Kajiyama shoots the ball that was spilled by Otake, the opponent's defender, and Hirayama in front of the goal, but it goes high. In the 75th minute, Hirayama on the front line swings to the left area, and Cabore, who broke through, goes around inside and passes to Otake in the center. They connect with short passes, and finally Imano shoots from just outside the area, but it curves to the right. Asari is substituted in the 77th minute. In addition to Kajiyama and Imano, both fullbacks also move up, putting numbers in the attack to score a goal.

　However, Tokyo approached the goal but couldn't break through. Yokohama FM launched a sharp counterattack, and the offensive and defensive battle quickly changed. In the 86th minute, Hiraoka in the center dropped a left cross, and Cabore on the left side volleyed while reversing his body to hit the loose ball from the opponent's defender. The powerful shot attacked the goal but was blocked by the goalkeeper. Then, in the 89th minute just before the end, Yokohama FM midfielder Matsuda became a wedge, and midfielder Yamase Koji received the return pass and confidently shot a ground shot. It hit the lower left corner of the post and bounced back into the goal. They lost the third goal by taking advantage of the opportunity when they attacked, and the game ended. They suffered their first defeat in the league with a score of 0-3.

　【Player Comments】《Morimura》"I was conscious of the speed of transitioning between offense and defense, and I wanted to launch attacks that exploit the gaps in the opponent's back three. I felt confident in the transition aspect, but I couldn't receive the ball much and couldn't establish a rhythm. I couldn't create space in the front line, and I felt the need to devise ways to enter from the sides to the center."《Sahara》"We were in a good shape in the first half. I think we were able to defend well with good coordination by communicating with each other. If we had scored first in that situation, the game would have been in our favor. I think our game plan for the rest of the match fell apart by a narrow margin."

　【Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference】 "We started with a different lineup compared to the last match, and I believe each starting member, including those making their first start, fulfilled their roles. Hirayama played a receiving role with his height, while Kawaguchi was utilized for his balance in both offense and defense, running and making runs behind the defense. They were in good condition, and considering it was a three-match series, I decided to start them. In the first half, we were hardly broken down, and I recognize it was a decent 45 minutes. In the second half, we lost the ball in situations where we could have moved it easily, and we were dispossessed unnecessarily, leading to the opponent's quick counterattack. I was wary of midfielder Koji Yamase, as when he faced forward near the penalty area, he could take a shot, but we lost the ball poorly, leading to that situation. After we conceded the first goal, our rhythm became a bit off. Additionally, in terms of chasing the game, we lacked a bit of sharpness, which remains a challenge. While we connected and moved the ball, even as time passed, we did not maximize the two-top formation with Cabore and Hirayama, and we ended up circulating the ball in the same flow as the first half. (What is the difference with Yokohama FM?) Once we entered the attacking third, we needed awareness and precision towards the goal, but there were moments when we could have gone straight to the goal after winning the ball back, yet we took too many touches. I think that is the difference."

　[Yokohama FM - Coach Kuwahara's Press Conference Summary] "We lost to Kashima in the last match, and today was an important game. The players understood that, and they put their bodies on the line for 90 minutes, and I think their desire to win showed in their play. I am grateful for today's victory, which the players gifted us. One difference from the last match was that today was a night game. The speed and distance perception are different at night, so we talked about going for it boldly. In the first half, MF Koji Yamase took a shot, and the opposing goalkeeper made a save, but his awareness of shooting was high. Previously, he hesitated to pass even in the penalty area, but today we discussed being aggressive, and he was able to aim as intended. MF Koji Yamase returned after scoring for the national team, but he hadn't scored for the team. I think the time difference affected him, and his original strengths were overshadowed. However, his combination with MF Lopez improved, and he seemed to be enjoying himself today. If he can play like that, we can expect around two goals."