Win by suppressing Verdy's individual skills in the Tokyo battle after 3 years!

　Sec. 6 will be a match against Verdy, held at Ajinomoto Stadium but played as an away game. In the previous match at Ajinomoto Stadium, we achieved a victory after about half a year, and in this match, we aim for consecutive wins and an absolute victory in the Tokyo showdown that we cannot afford to lose. The players are all saying, "The match against Verdy is a battle between clubs. We, who stand on the pitch, want to express it the most," and their determination is also strong.

　However, Shigeni will be absent due to his right shoulder condition. Therefore, Sato and Fujiyama will form the center-back, while Hanyu will play as an attacking midfielder, and Cabore and Akamine will serve as the two forwards in a 4-3-1-2 formation. Otake, who was away from the team due to the activities of the U-19 Japan national team, will also be on the bench.

　Verdy, who returned to J1 for the first time in 3 years, as you may know, FW Hukki joined the team by surprise. The attacking power has improved significantly. They achieved their first victory in the previous match and should have momentum. Although MF Kono is absent from this match due to injury, it is necessary to control the attacking lineup with FW Hukki at the center, top midfielder Diego, left MF Leandro, and their powerful individual skills. They want to press from the front, launch quick counterattacks, and break through the solid defense. If they can carry out a speedy development with coordinated movements in both offense and defense, they should be able to exploit weaknesses. Suppress Verdy's individual skills as a team and win!

　Cloudy sky at Ajinomoto Stadium, many Tokyo fans rushed to the away stand. They sent loud cheers from before the game, and the match started with Tokyo's kickoff at 17:03, right in the atmosphere of home.

Despite withstanding Verdy's attacks well, they conceded a goal from a free kick...

　In the early stages, both teams fiercely pressed each other and continued to fight for the ball. Verdy's FW Hukki sprinted down the right side in the 2nd minute. In the 4th minute, FW Hukki entered a shooting position, but Nagatomo and Fujiyama defended with their bodies. In the 6th minute, Tokyo won a corner kick on the right. Then, the opponent's DF tried to clear the ball from Hanyu's kick, but his header shook the net. However, it was ruled as a foul in front of the goal, so it was disallowed. In the 13th minute, Tokunaga's free kick went through to the front of the goal, and Hanyu rushed in and took a shot while colliding with the opponent's GK. He created a chance by exploiting the opponent's opening, but the ball went just wide of the goal.

　However, gradually allowing Verdy's dominance, they were pressed by quick attacks. At the same time, even when attempting a counterattack, they couldn't hold the ball in the front line and couldn't create an attacking shape. Nevertheless, the defense fought hard. Shioda, Fujiyama, and Sahara defended tenaciously, and there were no decisive pinches. In the 37th minute, Tokyo had a right corner kick. Hayu's kick was punched by the opponent's goalkeeper, but Kajiyama picked up the loose ball contested by the defender and Asari, skillfully turned around from the trap, and took a shot, but it went over the frame. In the 42nd minute, they were robbed while attacking and suffered a counterattack, but FW Hukki's dribble was intercepted by Fujiyama and Nagatomo, sandwiching him.

　Amidst the intense attacking and defending, filled with passion, the 43rd minute arrived. This time, FW Hukki's breakthrough was stopped by a foul, giving a free kick from the right side. MF Diego played a short pass inside, and FW Hukki took a shot. The ball beautifully found the top left corner, resulting in a goal... We had been holding on well until this point, but we conceded the first goal at an unfavorable time. In injury time, Imano -> Tokunaga dribbled up and sent a grounded ball near the sideline, which Akamine jumped into with his whole body. The ball headed towards the opponent's goal, where the goalkeeper had come out, but it was cleared by a covering defender, and we couldn't score the equalizer. We entered the second half trailing by one goal.

Hanyu scores his first goal. He secures a fierce battle with a dramatic winning goal at the end!

　Although they lost one point, Tokyo, who bet on the second half, began to grasp the rhythm from their quick attacks. In the 52nd minute, Kajiyama intercepted and advanced into the area for a shot. However, it was blocked by the goalkeeper. Verdy also created chances from their speedy moves, and in the 57th minute, MF Diego -> FW Hukki, who had drifted to the left area, took a direct shot. It hit the right post and they missed an additional point. In the 60th minute, from Verdy's left throw-in, FW Hukki sent the ball to the goal area, and MF Diego broke free. It was a decisive moment, but the shot was saved by Shibata and resulted in a corner kick.

　In the midst of intense changes in offense and defense, in the 61st minute, Ohata was replaced by Otake. They aimed to counterattack with a 4-4-2 formation. Then, in the immediate 62nd minute, Otake dribbled up from the right side and passed to Cabore on the outside. Cabore sent a cross to Akamine just outside the area, who controlled it with one touch. Hanyu, who had made a run, took a direct shot. The ball, which was controlled near the corner, was sucked into the top right corner, resulting in Hanyu's valuable first goal of the season, equalizing the score!

　As the stands heat up and the mood of taking the lead increases, in the 67th minute, Kabore cuts back the opponent's defender on the right area and crosses. Akamine in front of the goal couldn't finish it, but Otake on the far side receives it and passes it to Kajiyama in the center from the shooting motion. Kajiyama also feigns a shot and passes it back to Otake. From there, it is passed to Imano who moves outside and shoots, but is blocked by the defender... In the 69th minute, Kanazawa is substituted for Hayashi in the defensive midfield position to assess his condition, and Otake takes on the attacking midfield role, aiming for "another goal".

　The intense offense and defense continued, but gradually the line became stretched for Verdy, so they started connecting passes and launching an offensive. In the 75th minute, Cabore attempted a looping goal from a counterattack, but it hit the crossbar. In the 77th minute, Hirayama was substituted for Akamine, but they couldn't score a goal. In the 87th minute, Imakuno advanced and won a corner kick, but Sato's header from Otake's kick went slightly to the left...

　However, it was in the 89th minute, just after the display of injury time. Nagatomo on the left side received a return pass from Kanazawa, who had moved up to the center, and ran again to deliver the ball to Hirayama in the center, running all the way to the front of the goal. The ball was passed from Hirayama to Kanazawa, and Kajiyama in the back left side crossed the ball. In the far side, Imakano headed the ball down, and Nagatomo, who had escaped freely in front of the goal, trapped the ball with his chest. Just as he was about to enter shooting position, he induced an own goal from the opposing defender who stretched out his leg, resulting in a dramatic lead. They continued to challenge with determination and passion, never giving up, and succeeded in turning the game around. They won the heated Tokyo battle.

　【Player Comments】《Nagato》"It was a difficult match, but the supporters' voices were incredible, and they kept cheering for us, which gave us strength. (In the scene of the winning goal) we had been going vertically for a while, so I thought about passing to Kanazawa and moving inside. Then Kanazawa opened up well, and I found space to work inside. A good ball came from Konno to that spot. Even if it became an own goal, I was glad it went in. Verdy's attacking line had not only FW Hulk but everyone had speed and strength. However, I also have confidence in one-on-one situations, so I didn't want to lose. I want to continue this kind of performance consistently, not just in this one match." 《Hanyu》"The derby was beyond my imagination. The support from the fans and their feelings were amazing, and the coach talked about understanding the history of FC Tokyo up to now and focusing on winning. I think it was okay to be 0-1 at halftime. There was a bad feeling from conceding just before the end of the first half, but considering the total of 45 minutes, it was according to plan. Even though we were being attacked, there was a vibe that we could have chances, so we tried not to miss that. In the second half, I thought that if we played without rushing and observed the situation, we would definitely create chances. (In the scoring scene) I thought that if we were to score, it would only be from there. It flew in a looping manner, and I think the GK had a hard time timing it. However, I felt that today, apart from scoring, there weren't many effective movements or touches on the ball. It was a chaotic derby match, and there were many plays that didn't take risks. That is a personal challenge for me. I want to increase the number of fulfilling matches."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "We started the game in a way that prevented the individual strengths of Verdy's MF Diego and FW Hulk from being displayed as a team. I believe we were able to do that in the first half. When MF Diego and FW Hulk are fresh, they can utilize their characteristics to the fullest when they face forward, so we fought compactly to neutralize the opponent's strengths. I thought that if we could endure the first half, Verdy would stretch out in the second half, allowing us to play our football. We conceded a goal from the last free kick, which was an unpleasant way to end, but in the second half, we focused on maintaining our pace and continuing the style of play we had at the end of the first half. Instead of breaking our balance to score, we aimed to keep playing without rushing. In the second half, Hanyu scored in a good way, which revived the team. Asari, Hanyu, and Akamine, the players who came on as substitutes, all fulfilled their roles, making it easier for those who came in later to play. (What are your thoughts on the derby?) In every match, the result can only be 0, 1, or 3 points, but the media and supporters really energized the atmosphere. I am very grateful for the culture they have created, and those who step onto the pitch will bear greater responsibility in battle. The more opportunities there are for such matches, the more it will elevate the players' level and benefit Japanese football. I believe continuing to have these intense matches is important for both FC Tokyo and Japanese football."

　[Summary of Verdy Coach Hashitani's Press Conference] "We were fully aware of the derby and went aggressively for the win from the first half. However, we were turned around at the very end. It may have been exciting for the spectators and supporters, but it was a very frustrating game. In the first half, there were some rough plays, and it felt like FC Tokyo was cautious and had studied us, retreating and kicking long balls. FC Tokyo has a two-top formation, and with Cabore and Akamine having vertical speed, we were careful about counterattacks. We instructed the full-backs to not allow overlaps and to remain calm in defense even if they came forward. If we don't lose in one-on-one situations, they are not a team that can easily score against us. Even if the marking slips one by one, we instructed to solidify the area in front of the goal calmly. Still, I thought it would be difficult to keep a clean sheet, but conversely, it was painful that we couldn't score a second goal. I believe that led to the conceding of a goal in the final stoppage time. We have always valued possession, but when the ball went to FW Hulk, he was too eager and often held onto the ball. Ideally, I wanted him to mix in one or two-touch plays, but I think our team's possession was low today. So, I substituted MF Inoue for MF Shibasaki to try to increase possession, but the second half turned into a chaotic one where we couldn't circulate the ball. FC Tokyo started to take possession instead, and in that regard, I relied on MF Fukunishi for control, but he also became tired, and the distance between the midfielders widened. (Did the introduction of Ohtake change the flow?) I definitely think it did. I told MF Tomizawa to keep his eyes on the ball and not let it go; he has dribbling skills, but once you catch him, he’s not that scary. However, we also feel that if we had such weapons... It was unfortunate that MF Kono couldn't play due to a knee injury."