Aiming for the first victory since 2006 against Kyoto... at Ajinomoto Stadium, aiming for the first victory since the start of the league

　On the 17th (Saturday), the league's Sec. 7 will be held, welcoming Kyoto Sanga F.C. at Ajinomoto. In the Nabisco match against Omiya, despite having a player sent off, the team fought with great spirit and secured a victory. Following the previous league match against Kashima, they have shown a committed performance, and in this match, they aim to enhance their quality further and secure 3 points at home, where they have yet to achieve a victory since the season began. Although they will face this match just two days after the Omiya game, Ishikawa and Gonda return to the squad, while Ricardinho will start for the second consecutive match. On the other hand, Mukuhara will be suspended, with Kim Yong-gun taking the left-back position, Nagatomo on the right, and Tokunaga and Hanyu in the defensive midfield roles. In contrast, Kyoto currently sits in 11th place in the league with 7 points. Building on their solid defense from last season, this year they focus on "valuing build-up play, not only boasting passing and combination play but also being able to target the backline with individual strength and create breakthroughs. They are also strong in restarts. The depth of their squad is impressive, and they have everything," said Coach Jofuku. Although Kyoto has conceded 11 goals in the league, he warns, "If we do not properly recognize Kyoto's style of play, we will not only lose control but also must be prepared for defeat." For Tokyo to win, the key will be how to break down Kyoto's defense, which fills spaces effectively. Kyoto's defensive line, led by center-backs Mizumoto and Kaku, boasts strength, and in past encounters, Tokyo has often struggled to break through this solid defense. Since March 2006, Tokyo has not won against Kyoto for two seasons, but in this match, they want to exploit the gaps left by Kyoto's full-backs, such as Masushima, and utilize Tokyo's strong points from the sides. Above all, in the league, they have only earned 1 point from the last two matches. They want to express their strong desire for victory through their play and connect it to 3 points. The unseasonable rain mixed with snow that fell from last night to this morning has stopped, but the cold remains in the shade at Ajinomoto. The match started at 17:04 with Kyoto's kickoff.

Unable to take advantage of the one chance and conceding the first goal, unable to mount a counterattack...

　The time of competing for the ball continued from the start. In the 4th minute, Hanyu's vertical pass was received by Ishikawa, who connected with Hirayama to Matsushita on the left, but the left cross was blocked by the DF. In the 8th minute, Ricardinho aimed behind the opponent's DF but was caught offside. After that, neither side could create chances, but in the 11th minute, from a throw-in by Kyoto, FW Yanagisawa headed the ball deep into the right area. Right MF Nishino ran in, and a grounded cross came in front of the goal. Left MF Nakayama, who jumped in from the far side, kicked the ball, which hit Morishige at close range and spilled to the opposite side, but was quickly closed down by Kyoto MF Kakuta... Unfortunate circumstances led to conceding the first goal due to a momentary lapse. However, there was still plenty of time left, and they wanted to calmly initiate their own style of football and counterattack, but even when they brought the ball into the opponent's territory, they couldn't convert it into chances. In the 14th minute, Matsushita took a direct shot from a free kick on the right side, but the GK caught it. In the 27th minute, Tokunaga from their own half showed a dynamic attack to Morishige. Matsushita on the left followed up, passing to Ishikawa, who ran in from the right. However, Ishikawa's shot from just outside the area was saved by the GK, resulting in a corner kick. Ultimately, Tokyo only had these two shots in the first half. From there, they lost the ball frequently in front of Kyoto's tough defense, gradually resorting to long balls. On the other hand, Kyoto also had only one shot that led to a goal. Neither side could seize control, and time passed with a back-and-forth struggle, ending the first half.

Despite the strong attitude of Shigematsu, who came on as a substitute, the match ended in a draw

　In the second half, Nagatomo and Matsushita changed positions and tried to create chances from the sides. In the 52nd minute, Ricardinho received a cross from the left side, following a combination with Nagatomo and Kim Yong-gun. The ball fell to Ishikawa in the right area, but he couldn't take a shot. They tried to attack again, but Ishikawa's middle shot from a 45-degree angle was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 60th minute, Shigematsu was brought on for Ricardinho, and then in the 63rd minute, Nakamura replaced Matsushita. In the 65th minute, Kim Yong-gun sent a left free kick into the goal area, and Nagatomo aimed for a middle shot from a deflection by the DF, but this was also blocked by the DF. In the 69th minute, Akamine was substituted for Hirayama. By using substitutions, they increased their movement and momentum, leading to longer periods of play in the Kyoto half. Then, in the 72nd minute, Akamine received a right throw-in high up the pitch and sent a backward pass into the area. The Kyoto DF cleared it once, but the ball bounced back off a Kyoto player in front of the goal, landing at Shigematsu's feet. Just as Shigematsu was about to quickly transition to attack, he was brought down by Kyoto DF Mizumoto, earning a penalty kick. In the 73rd minute, Shigematsu calmly converted this penalty to equalize. His strong determination towards the goal led to the penalty. From there, Tokyo aimed to take the lead and launched a powerful attack. Nagatomo, who returned to right back, aggressively overlapped, and Nakamura and Shigematsu effectively utilized their movement to create chances. In the 75th minute, Akamine headed a right early cross from Tokunaga, but the goalkeeper saved it. In the 80th minute, Nakamura aimed for a shot with no spin from a free kick in the center of the opponent's half, but this was also blocked by the goalkeeper. Kyoto also launched a quick counterattack, and in the 83rd minute, FW Diego initiated a play, allowing MF Ando to break free and take a shot from just outside the area, but Gonda caught it. As the counters exchanged, in the 90th minute, Nakamura made a last pass to Ishikawa in the left area. However, Ishikawa, with his back to the goal, attempted an overhead shot but was defended by the DF. Until the end, they couldn't break through Kyoto's strong defense, and they ended up with just one goal from the penalty, finishing in a draw at home. 【Player Comments】《Shigematsu》 "Due to the few shots in the first half, I was thinking on the bench about what I could do when I came on. I wanted to run around, break through behind, disrupt the opponent, and change the flow with my movement. I tried to express my feelings through my play so that everyone could feel like 'Let's go!' When I was about to take the penalty, other players told me to go for it, so I took it with confidence. The opponent shouldn't have any data on me, so I thought if I kicked it in the middle rather than to the side, it would go in. I didn't play mind games and just kicked it with a clear mind. Scoring a goal from a penalty is nice, but what I really want is three points. I'm disappointed that the team couldn't win." 《Nakamura》 "While starting from defense, I aimed to play with the goal in mind and intended to score. There may have been momentum, but both teams engaged in counterattacks. I think if we had calmed down a bit more and circulated the ball, we could have had more effective attacks... I regret that I couldn't help calm the team down." 【Coach Jofuku's Press Conference Summary】 "In the league, we have only earned one point in the two matches of Sec. 5-6, so we really wanted three points today. I believe the fans expected us to win at home, so it's truly disappointing to end with just one point. In the first half, I think the first time we were entered into the area was during the conceding scene. To be scored on with just one shot shows that we are still immature. Just being run behind on a throw-in disrupted our game plan and various other things, and both the player involved and the team need to realize this. Since we didn't start the match poorly, we lost our mental rhythm there. Our positioning should have allowed for more connections, but everyone rushed forward, and we only managed two shots. The first half was a regrettable 45 minutes. In the second half, we tried to score by changing the lineup, but we only managed to get one point from the penalty. There are aspects we need to review from the build-up, but we must improve the accuracy of our decisions leading up to the finish. The fact that the players who frequently show up only managed to score one penalty in recent matches is something we need to recognize. We can't just say 'That was close' or 'We got near the goal.' We need to understand how much that puts the team in a difficult position and be ready to step onto the pitch next time. While we need to reflect on how we build the team, I think it's also a time for strong individual reflection. We wanted to play more football. We want to increase actual time, and I believe it was our responsibility that the Kyoto players walked off the pitch and quickly returned. We want to reflect on many things and move forward." 【Kyoto Coach Kato's Press Conference Summary】 "To be honest, I think it was a game where we could have taken three points. It turned into one point, and I feel more regret. Regarding the content, I believe we were able to play organized football in both attack and defense. Of course, FC Tokyo pressed us, but in a situation where we scored first, we lowered our block and tried to create a chance for a second goal. Regarding the conceded goal, it wasn't that the opponent created a chance, but rather we rushed the clearance. Ultimately, it was DF Mizumoto who brought down the opponent, but he bears no responsibility. I regret that we lacked a moment of calm. Recently, we have been focusing on defensive corrections and balancing with the attack, and although we conceded a goal from a penalty today, I think the corrections worked well and we gained stability in our game management. We want to prepare our condition well for the next match and play a good game at home to earn three points."