Under the command of new manager Okuma, we will strive to turn things around with a new system.

　On the 25th (Saturday), we will face Omiya Ardija in Sec. 24 of the league. After losing to Iwata in the previous match, we have gone nine league matches without a win, dropping to 16th place. Subsequently, the team replaced former coach Jofuku with new coach Kiyoshi OKUMA on the 19th. The new management aims to make a comeback in the latter part of the season. Coach OKUMA first discusses the primary goal, stating, "The theme is to pursue the essence of soccer. While that essence is not singular, if we lack even one aspect, such as strength in ball contests, quick transitions between offense and defense, or competitiveness in key situations, we cannot achieve results. I want to thoroughly instill what is necessary before tactics." The preparation period for this match was a short four days, but the team is focusing on returning to their roots based on the soccer they have developed so far. On the other hand, Kajiyama has left the team due to injury. The team composition continues to be challenging, but Coach OKUMA explains regarding player usage, "We confirmed combinations and pairings in practice. Due to the short time, we also referred to each player's history." For this match, Hirayama and Ooguro will form a two-top. On the sides, Ishikawa and Ricardinho will play, while Morishige and Tokunaga will form a double pivot, with Konno and Kim Yong-gun as center-backs. The formation will feature Mukuhara as the right back and Nakamura on the left. In contrast, Omiya currently sits in 14th place with 24 points. In the last four matches, they have one win and three losses, with all lost matches being scoreless, indicating some difficulty in finding their rhythm. However, FW Lee Choong-soo joined in August and, along with FW Rafael, has become a key part of their attack, steadily increasing their scoring ability. This match will see the suspension of holding midfielder Kanazawa, but the midfield boasts skilled MF players like Fujimoto and Kanekubo, who can break through from the second line. The height of 190cm FW Rafael and the goal-scoring threat of FW Lee Choong-soo from anywhere require careful attention, but we want to maintain a defense that functions on "aggressive defending" and continue with quick transitions in attack. Coach OKUMA states, "I understand the importance of one match, but before that, the priority is on 'one goal.' I want to approach this match feeling the weight of that." The rain from last night has cleared, and the match started at 13:04 with a kickoff in Tokyo at Ajinomoto Stadium.

Use your energy to move the ball forward and create opportunities as planned

　In the early stages, they utilized their physicality to win the ball and connect it to their attacks, but they couldn't finish. Conversely, Omiya sent the ball to forwards Rafael and I Chonsu, resulting in a back-and-forth battle. However, gradually Tokyo began to dominate possession, finding their rhythm and launching quick attacks. In the 18th minute, from Tokunaga's pass, Hirayama headed the ball back into the area, where Morishige made a run and took a shot. They created a decisive chance from the intended play with Hirayama as the starting point, but the shot went over the bar...After that, they created opportunities on the left side from the attacks of Ricardinho and Nakamura, closing in on the Omiya goal. In the 27th minute, Morishige passed to Hokuto, who moved inside, and Hirayama at the right corner of the area sent a cross that was shot-bound. Daigoku dove in front of the goal, but the ball didn't connect and went out of play. In the 33rd minute, Hirayama headed a shot from an early cross by Ricardinho from the left. In the 41st minute, they launched a quick attack, with Ishikawa passing to Hirayama on the right, who sent a through ball to Morishige, who had made a run into the center of the area, but the pass lacked speed and was cleared by the defense, resulting in a corner kick, and they couldn't score on either occasion.In the 42nd minute, from this corner kick, they were hit by a counter from Omiya, with central forward Rafael dribbling to the right to Fujimoto. After switching with Nakamura, a shot was taken from the right area. They escaped the danger with a save from Gonda. Just after the danger, in the 45th minute, Morishige passed to Hirayama, who spread the play to the right. Mukuara, who overlapped, sent a sharp ground cross in front of the goal. Although it didn't connect with Daigoku, Ricardinho met the ball that had gone to the far side with a direct shot, but it was blocked by a covering defender... Despite finding their rhythm, they couldn't finish, and the first half ended.

Unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities, they lost their rhythm and their counterattack in the all-out battle did not bear fruit...

　At the beginning of the second half, Tokyo aggressively went on the attack. In the 46th minute, they launched a quick counterattack, with Ricardinho dribbling up the center. Facing an opponent inside the area, he passed to Nakamura, who overlapped on the outside and advanced to the left side of the area. Nakamura’s carefully aimed shot hit the right post, but the pass to Nakamura was offside. In the 51st minute, Hirayama passed to Ricardinho, who took a shot from the left area. Then Kim Young-gun passed to Hirayama near the edge of the area, who turned and aimed a mid-range shot, but it went wide. At 53 minutes, Morishige sent a vertical pass forward, which the opposing DF tried to intercept but dropped; Hirayama skillfully seized the ball and took a decisive shot from the center of the goal. However, it was saved by Omiya’s goalkeeper.At 57 minutes, Otake was brought on for Oguro, moving Ricardinho to the top to aim for a goal. But around this time, overall stamina began to drop and the defensive line stretched out. Conversely, Omiya brought FW Ishihara up front and placed FW Lee Chunsu on the right midfield, launching sharp counterattacks and gaining momentum. At 62 minutes, Otake headed to Hirayama, who pressed near Omiya’s goal but couldn’t finish, losing the ball and conceding a counterattack. Unable to stop it, FW Lee Chunsu entered the area and took a shot, but Tokyo’s DF blocked it.At 67 minutes, Shigematsu replaced Ricardinho but couldn’t suppress Omiya’s momentum. At 69 minutes, from Omiya’s speedy attack, FW Lee Chunsu crossed to FW Rafael, who volleyed directly; the shot hit the bar and bounced down. It was ruled no goal, but at 73 minutes, a similar attack occurred, and Tokyo failed to clear the ball inside the area. FW Rafael then delivered a right cross, and MF Kanekubo, running to the far post, scored a header from a tight angle, conceding the first goal.At 78 minutes, Maeda replaced Mukuhara on the right side. The two forwards were Hirayama and Shigematsu, with Otake on the left. The defense switched to a three-back, with Ishikawa and Tokunaga supporting the back line as they launched a counterattack. However, Omiya also brought on defensive players MF An and DF Mato to hold their defense. In response, in the final stages, Konno and Morishige pushed forward for a power play, but the ball didn’t settle up front, and they couldn’t create attacking chances. Ultimately, despite taking 20 shots, they ended scoreless and suffered a frustrating home defeat. They couldn’t start the new system with a win and suffered their third consecutive league loss.Player CommentsRicardinho: “All the players changed their mindset and united toward victory in today’s match. We were able to do what we tried in practice and got close to the goal. But I think we couldn’t finish at the crucial moment. I started on the left side, and there were many one-on-one situations with the opponent, including counterattacks. While maintaining defensive awareness, I personally was able to create chances and felt positive. We need to keep good practice and switch focus to the next game to accumulate points.”Tokunaga: “We applied pressure from the front and created several opportunities for counters and quick attacks. We committed many players to attack, but the accuracy in the final moments was the problem. To score goals, we have to discuss more and refine our approach.”Coach Okuma’s Press Conference Summary“Although the preparation period was short, the players worked hard and expressed our intentions on the pitch, though not perfectly. However, the precision of slow attacks where counters don’t work, ball circulation, and over-rotating the ball which prevents counters, are areas we want to improve in team and individual decision-making. The main issue is scoring, not content. Whether we can finish chances or not. Also, not only the starting eleven but the substitutes and young players need to express their feelings and improve physically. This match made me keenly aware of that. We want to continue positively as a united team.(On what else is lacking besides slow attack precision) It’s definitely finishing ability, but just saying that won’t solve it. How to enter the goal area is a challenge we have worked on in practice, and we want to keep repeating it to improve players’ decisions. Ideas combined with technique won’t improve immediately, but we want to increase team awareness and options. Shooting is the top priority, but we want to improve the quality of the attacking third.(What was emphasized during the short preparation period and what to continue) If the essence of soccer is lost, tactics become hollow. We want to keep pursuing what’s missing, such as ball contests, switching between offense and defense, thinking and running to create numerical advantages, and ball circulation, and aim to score and win.”Omiya Coach Suzuki’s Press Conference Summary“The first half was largely controlled by FC Tokyo. Especially, long balls to Hirayama and FC Tokyo’s superior stamina led to Omiya falling behind in second balls and anticipation. The start of the second half was similar, but substitutions and position changes allowed us to create outlets on the sides and gain control. Although we had some unlucky moments, unlike the previous match against Kashima where players lost their mental composure and collapsed, we maintained stability and didn’t lose pace. I think that was the key to today’s victory. Defensively, we struggled, and offensively, the midfield’s low work rate made it difficult to build the game, but the two forwards FW Rafael, FW Lee Chunsu, and FW Ishihara held firm.(Intent behind substituting MF Fujimoto for FW Ishihara) We struggled to hold and move the ball in midfield from the first half. So, we made position changes and substitutions aiming to control the ball ourselves. The ball settled at FW Lee Chunsu, and FW Rafael’s runs and ball retention were effective. How to use FW Lee Chunsu is key now—where to use him effectively to threaten the opponent. He can play various positions due to his abilities. The substitution wasn’t according to plan but was decided during the game.”