The last league match before the break, facing the top-ranked Shimizu!

　In the 12th round of the league, we will face Shimizu S-Pulse at home. Not only does this league match mark the one-third point of the season, but it is also the last match before the break due to the World Cup. We aim to continue our winning streak from the previous round and, most importantly, achieve a victory at Ajinomoto Stadium to bring our record back to a draw. We also hope to build momentum for the Nabisco Cup. This round, we will face Shimizu's height and speed, so our DF line will consist of Nagatomo at right back, Kim Yong-gun at left back, and Kajiyama returning to the starting lineup. Tokunaga and the defensive midfielder will form a partnership, while Hanyu will play on the left side. On the other hand, Shimizu is currently in first place with 7 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss. In the previous round against Niigata, three players, Ota, Bosnar, and Ono, were suspended and we lost 0-2, marking our first defeat of the season. In his sixth season as manager, Hasegawa speaks candidly about the team, saying, "We have experienced players like Ono in midfield and Bosnar in defense, and we may be in our prime as a team." This season, we have been playing in a 4-3-3 formation and have scored the most goals in the league (tied with Kawasaki at 21). We have also only conceded 10 goals, showing a high quality in both offense and defense, and a well-balanced game. In particular, we need to be careful and focused in dealing with the movements of FW Yonson, who is the target, and FW Okazaki, who is looking for space behind our defense. At the same time, Shimizu has been scoring from side attacks and set pieces. With a variety of attacking patterns, the key is how patient and resilient we can be. We want to press hard, win the ball, and quickly transition to attack without losing focus. To prevent Shimizu from gaining momentum, we need to be careful about how we start the match and aim for good defense, followed by good attacks that suit the situation, in order to score and win. Under the refreshing sunshine at Ajinomoto Stadium, with the temperature gradually rising to 19 degrees, the match kicked off at 2:04 PM with Shimizu's kickoff.

Aggressively taking the ball and turning it into an attack, we gained momentum, but...

　The start of the game saw Shizuoka launching a strong attack, but Tokyo remained calm and defended well. In the 3rd minute, Kajiyama intercepted the opponent's clearance and sent it to the left side, where Ogamatsu made a daring run into the penalty area. He managed to get past the defender once, but was stopped on his second attempt. Although they couldn't create any chances, Kajiyama continued to be the catalyst for Tokyo's attacks, with Hayashi and Ishikawa linking up well and threatening Shizuoka's goal. In the 13th minute, Hayashi received a pass from the left side and took a powerful shot at goal. In the 14th minute, Hayashi picked up a loose ball from Ishikawa's cross and skillfully passed it to Kajiyama, who took a shot. However, both shots missed the target. Shizuoka also launched counter attacks, making for an exciting back-and-forth game. But Tokyo aggressively pressed for the ball and found their rhythm with dynamic plays. In the 24th minute, Kajiyama and Ishikawa pressed hard in the opponent's half and won the ball, with Ishikawa quickly launching an attack and sending a final pass from the right side to the center. However, Shizuoka's goalkeeper stopped the attack. But in the 25th minute, Tokyo committed a foul on Shizuoka's forward Okazaki on the left side of Tokyo's half, resulting in a free kick. In the 26th minute, Shizuoka's midfielder Ono took a sharp shot towards the goal. Defender Hiraoka was left unmarked and scored a powerful header, giving Shizuoka the lead. In the 32nd minute, Shizuoka's forward Fujimoto made a run down the left side and crossed the ball. Forward Yonsen took a shot in the center of the penalty area, but Konno blocked it. The rebound went back to Yonsen, who attempted a looping shot, but it missed the target and Tokyo escaped danger. Despite this, Tokyo continued to attack by exploiting the space behind Shizuoka's defense and playing short passes to create coordinated attacks. In the 36th minute, from Ogamatsu's cross from the right side, Hayashi took a shot from the left side, but the goalkeeper made a save. In stoppage time of the first half, Ishikawa and Nagatomo created chances from the sides, but were unable to score. Tokyo went into the second half trailing by one goal.

Nagatomo and Matsushita score their first goals! They come back from behind with two late goals.

　In the second half, in the 52nd minute, Ricardinho was brought on to replace Jumatsu. In the 55th minute, Tokunaga advanced into the front line and sent a vertical pass to Hirayama in the left area, who skillfully kept the ball and sent a last pass to the center, but Shimizu's DF cut it off. In the 58th minute, Nagatomo overlapped, received a pass from Ricardinho at the right corner of the area, cut back past two opposing DFs, and took a shot, but it went wide. In the 59th minute, Akamine was brought on to replace Hanyu. Akamine positioned himself at the front line, while Tokunaga and Hirayama played just behind him, with Kajiyama serving as a lone defensive midfielder in a 4-1-4-1 formation, aiming for an equalizer. In the 66th minute, Ricardinho evaded the marking of the opposing DF on the left side and sent in a cross. Akamine in the center connected with it and headed the ball, but... it couldn't find the target. Just after missing a great opportunity to equalize, in the 67th minute, Shimizu's FW Okazaki charged into Tokyo's territory. Kajiyama stopped him with a foul, giving away a free kick. The distance to the goal was about 26-27 meters, but Shimizu's MF Fujimoto aimed directly with his left foot, and a sharp shot went into the top right corner... They lost the second goal from a restart they were wary of... In the 72nd minute, Matsushita was brought on as a left back, Kim Yong-gun moved to center, and Tokunaga went to right back. Konno and Nagatomo advanced forward, changing the formation again to aim for a counterattack. In the 82nd minute, from a chance created by Ricardinho, Hirayama took a decisive shot from inside the area, but it was blocked by the GK... However, even as time was running out, they did not give up, and in the 83rd minute, Kim Yong-gun's powerful shot earned a corner kick. Matsushita's left corner kick was punched away by Shimizu's GK, but Nagatomo ran in, aimed from outside the area with a right-footed volley, and the ball went straight into the top right corner of the goal!! With Nagatomo's first goal of the season, they closed the gap to one point, and in the 87th minute, Nagatomo pressed in midfield to win the ball back and launched a counterattack. From there, Akamine's cross was cleared by the DF, but left back Matsushita ran up to the goal, neatly followed up on the loose ball, and scored with a well-aimed shot! Matsushita also marked his first goal, equalizing the score. After that, including four minutes of stoppage time, both teams continued to engage in tense battles, aiming for the lead. In the end, from Matsushita's right corner kick, Akamine headed the ball, but... it just went slightly to the left, and time was up. Although they could not achieve victory, they bounced back from a two-goal deficit and managed to draw. 【Player Comments】《Nagatomo》 "I was able to play aggressively from the first half. Even after conceding a goal to Shimizu, I had the determination not to give up, and everyone's spirit led to the equalizer. I regret conceding two goals and need to reflect on that, but coming back from a two-goal deficit should lead to something positive next. Before going to the Japan national team, I wanted to score in the blue and red uniform, and I wanted to win at Ajinomoto with everyone on this team. (Regarding the Japan national team) I carry the feelings of those not selected, and I want to challenge myself greedily to meet the expectations of the fans. I do not want to play passively. I want to be told that I am dynamic and fighting. I want to use today's goal as a springboard to ride the wave in the national team as well." 《Matsushita》 "I need to reflect on the goals conceded, but I stepped onto the pitch with the determination to absolutely take all three points. (I played as a left back and was involved in the scoring) I felt that I had not been able to deliver results in Tokyo for a long time, so I was determined to make it happen today. I think if we had scored just one goal in the first half... it would have changed the flow. Still, we allowed the lead, so when I came on, I tried to change the flow with bold plays. I think it was good that we were able to equalize from there as a minimum result. For the goal, I made sure to meet the loose ball properly, being careful not to lift it, and aimed to hit it hard on the ground. Although it did not lead to three points today, I want to continue to challenge and try to achieve results from now on." 【Coach Jofuku's Press Conference Summary】 "It has been a long time since we won at Ajinomoto, and considering our autumn goals, we did not want to fall further behind the top team, Shimizu. I don't think we need to think about rankings at this time, but considering our current points, we absolutely needed three points today. As a result, coming back from 0-2 to equalize may be seen by a third party as a good point earned, but I am filled with disappointment. Shimizu is in a near-peak team situation, but in the last 20 minutes, we were able to stop their feet and attack unilaterally, which I believe is a result of us moving the ball from the first half. We aimed precisely for that, and from the first half, we wanted to be patient, move the ball while taking the initiative, and decide the game. We conceded a goal from the first free kick and then another from a free kick in the second half, which means we were in a bad cycle of conceding goals while attacking. Being able to equalize in that situation is also a part where we could confirm our soccer and gain confidence. However, I am still filled with regret for not being able to earn three points. (What was the intention behind substituting Matsushita for Ishikawa?) I wanted to push Nagatomo up and make the sides more attacking. It was a substitution to regain possession as quickly as possible. In terms of speed, Nagatomo and Ishikawa may fall into the same category, but in terms of starting our attack by winning the ball, I chose this substitution. (What is your feeling after 12 rounds?) I have a sense of progress, but there are also clear issues. How we can break through those and whether this team can have a breakthrough. During the break, I want to approach everything I can and continue to work on moving the ball up to the attacking third while clearing the areas beyond that. In the Nabisco Cup, including player placements, it may be one of those trials." 【Shimizu Coach Hasegawa's Press Conference Summary】 "I am truly grateful for the support of so many supporters. Ideally, it would have been best to gift three points, but it ended up being one point, which is disappointing. From the first half, it was FC Tokyo's pace, so we couldn't get into a good rhythm. If we could have scored efficiently from set pieces and held on, it would have been great. In the end, we conceded goals in a flurry, and it was a situation where we were fortunate not to lose. However, FC Tokyo is also a team aiming for the championship. Considering that we couldn't win at home or away last season, if we calmly think about sharing points today and bringing home one point, it is not a bad result. After the restart, we want to fight to earn three points again."