Match Review & Preview

Review of the previous match against Verdy

A gritty victory that connects dreams. Secured 3 points with a final round goal in the additional time of the second half against Verdy, who also use Ajinomoto Stadium as their home ground.

Entering the last 3 matches of the season, this is the final game at Ajinomoto in the special tournament. To chase and overturn the top-ranked Kashima Antlers, who are 5 points ahead, and keep the possibility of winning the championship alive, this match is all about continuing the winning streak. From the early stages of the game, Tokyo V showed aggressive pressing and strength in duels, while the Red and Blue gradually took control of the pace.

A powerful shot from Keita ENDO's large side change was unleashed by Megumi SATO, hitting the crossbar. From Ryunosuke SATO's through pass that sliced through a narrow area, Marcelo RYAN's right-footed shot just missed to the left of the goal. However, the blue and red players skillfully positioned themselves between the lines while watching their opponents, gradually taking control of the game.

At the 29th minute of the first half, they conceded the opening goal after the opponent connected a long ball from their goalkeeper, but Tokyo continued to press forward relentlessly against the opponent's goal.

Then, in the 41st minute of the first half, when Ryu Sato timed a through pass from the center, the player who broke through was Sei MUROYA. Inside the penalty area, with a sharp turn, he broke vertically and struck with his right foot in a flash! The reliable captain's graceful and powerful finish brought the match back to square one.

In the second half, both teams continued to show intense battles for the ball. During the 7 minutes of added time displayed, Tokyo kept pressing forward with power plays such as pushing Kento HASHIMOTO up front, and the moment of joy arrived for Tokyo. The key player was Motoki NAGAKURA, who came on as a substitute.

When player Megumi Sato skillfully trapped a shot-type kick and brought it forward, he calmly scored the winning goal with a loop shot over the goalkeeper's nose with his left foot. With the calm finish of number 26, Ajinomoto Stadium was swept up in a frenzy. They won the final home game of the regional league ground, secured a solid 3 points, and left the possibility of a comeback victory in the last two away matches.

This Week's Preview

"All that's left is to win. The only thing we can do is win."

Player Sato Yoshimasa succinctly describes the situation the team is in. With 4 points behind the top in the last 2 matches, to keep the dream alive for the direct showdown with Kashima Antlers waiting in the Final Round, they must secure a 90-minute victory against Urawa Reds this round and accumulate 3 points.

The stance of "must-win every match" remains unchanged. First, it is crucial to close the gap to just 1 point behind Kashima, who have a match on Sunday, and to stand in a position to apply pressure. This is a decisive match that tests whether the team can become the "team worthy of the championship," as continuously emphasized by head coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI. The coach said, "There is no change from before, but it will be a game full of passion," and he simply reminded the players of the goal by saying, "Let's win the championship."

Keita ENDO, who received those words, said, "If it is a team aiming for the championship, it will definitely be a game we must win. I don't want to think too much about Kashima; I just want to focus on winning the match in front of us. The last few games of the season are not easy to win, but every player on the pitch wants to face them with confidence, courage, and responsibility."

On the 15th, it was announced that Yuto NAGATOMO has been selected for the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan national team) to compete in the FIFA World Cup 2026™. He secured his 5th appearance in the tournament, the most ever for a Japanese field player. Since the national team training camp starts on the 25th, he will not be able to participate in the playoff round of the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League, so the only matches where he can wear the red and blue uniform and compete in the special tournament are this round and the final round. NAGATOMO said, "This is my 5th selection, but I have never been this nervous before. I am only filled with gratitude to everyone who has supported me. However, we still have a chance to win the special tournament, and tomorrow's match against Urawa Reds is an important game. Let's do our best!" He first expressed his determination to advance as the top of the regional league round.

Urawa, on the other hand, had a difficult period this season, including a seven-game losing streak that featured a defeat in a penalty shootout. However, after Tatsuya TANAKA was appointed as interim manager at the end of April, the team quickly recovered with four consecutive wins. The roles given to the players were clarified, and the team was reborn as a competitive unit, with sharper transitions between offense and defense.

Coach Matsuhashi and Coach Tanaka have a history of working together as coach and player, and later as head coach and assistant coach during their time at Albirex Niigata. Ahead of the Tokyo match, Coach Tanaka said, "I learned from Coach Matsuhashi the importance of trusting players. Having observed him closely, I have been greatly influenced." Coach Matsuhashi also fondly recalled, "He was a player who kept pursuing something until the very end. As a coach, he was very dedicated to his research, and he is one of the coaches who greatly inspired me."

Such reunions are one of the wonderful things about football, but Tokyo must bring back all three points from this away match at any cost. If the opponent comes at us aggressively in duels, we will dominate the game with even greater intensity. If they focus on defending against our counterattacks, we will break through with possession; if they press from the front, we will draw them in and launch quick attacks; and for immediate recovery, we will respond immediately. This will be a match to show who is hungrier for victory. First, we will fight with everything we have in this match. Kento HASHIMOTO, who knows the battle for the 2019 season championship, was determined, saying, "I don't want to think about what comes next; I want to put 200 percent of my effort into this match."

Overwhelming Urawa with all our spirit and play, we want to create a home-like stadium atmosphere and connect the dream with the entire Blue-Red family. In a match to prove our determination and strength, the Blue-Red army will electrify Saitama Stadium.

Interview with Manager Rikizo MATSUHASHI

Q, There are only two matches left in the Regional League round. The situation where we must win has not changed, but please tell us what you are thinking about for tomorrow's match.
A, we must continue to do what we can just as we always have. However, I believe it will be a match filled with passion.

Q. What did you tell the players ahead of the match against Urawa Reds?
A, I did not convey anything special for this match. What I told the players was just to state our goal; it was not about continuing as we are or staying the course. Our goal is to win the championship, so I only talked about "Let's win the championship."

Q. To become a team worthy of the championship, overcoming this match will also be a key point, won't it?
A, there are various meanings within "appropriateness," so this might be one of them. I believe the players have demonstrated the attitude, demeanor, words, and actions befitting a championship up to this point.

Q. What is your impression of the Urawa Reds since Tatsuya TANAKA took over as interim manager? The challenges for the ball have become more intense, and it feels like the team has been reborn.
A, I think the players' individual strengths have really come to the forefront within a clear and organized plan. They are originally a tough opponent, and since the match will be away, with the added passion of the opposing supporters, Urawa's strength will rise to an even higher level. The last two matches will be consecutive away games, so we just need to firmly get through the first of those matches and prepare to move forward to the next.

Q. When you were with Albirex Niigata, you spent time together with interim manager Tatsuya TANAKA. You will reunite in tomorrow's match; what kind of coach is he?
A, it was sudden, and there were parts I never imagined we would face each other in this match. I think he has done an excellent job so far. He is someone who loves football, and I was inspired by him. (Interim coach Tatsuya TANAKA) As an active player in his final season, while I was involved with him as a coach, even though he couldn't play in many matches, he never spared effort, stopped taking action, or stopped thinking. He was always in a position to ask questions as a coach. I got the impression that he truly loves football and is a player who continues to pursue something until the very end. I was very happy to witness his final active season. After that, we started working together in the top team, and he was a coach who always had football on his mind. He is diligent in research, eager to learn, and possesses great character as a person. He is one of the coaches who greatly inspired me.

Q, Interim Manager Tanaka also commented that he learned important things as a coach from Manager Rikizo MATSUHASHI.
A, I don't know exactly what I learned, but we always talked on the same level. Through that, I was able to get some hints myself, and above all, I really enjoyed talking about football with him. He is truly an outstanding coach.

Player Interview

Kento HASHIMOTO

Q, there are only two regular season games left.
A, I want to take on this match with 200 percent effort without thinking about the next thing. The last match against Urawa Reds was quite a while ago, so my memory of it is faint. The coach has changed, and the impression is that things have improved drastically.

Q. In terms of soccer, do you feel any changes in Urawa?
A, the positions are well organized, and it gives the impression that they are trying to maintain possession more than the previous coach. I feel that the strengths of each individual are being fully brought out.

Q, Players like Shoya NAKAJIMA, who have often started on the bench until now, seem to be energized by being chosen to start from the beginning.
A is a troublesome player if given freedom, and I think we have a lot of talent in the second line such as Matheus SAVIO and Kaneko, so the key will be to not let them play freely.

Q. One of Urawa's current strengths is their solid defense, having not conceded any goals since the coach changed (3 consecutive clean sheets up to the match before last). How do you plan to break through that?
A, I think former coach Maciej SKORZA probably focused a lot on defense, so by skillfully combining that with the attack, I believe they are playing good football. To break through there, we want to exploit our strength in counterattacks as well as the current ability to maintain possession while observing the opponent and attacking their weaknesses. There must be gaps, and we intend to exploit them.

Q. Isn't it true that these two matches will also lead to showing the culmination of this season?
AYes, that's right. We will be relying on others, but if we don't win, there won't be a next time. We want to approach it with the full spirit as if it were the Final Round.

Q. I believe you have been holding onto your feelings about scoring goals for a long time. This has been mentioned every week recently.
AI am happy to have people expect things from me. However, my job is not to score goals. Of course, if I get the chance, I will aim for it, and making runs from the second or third line is one of my strengths, and that sense is improving with each match. Now, the chances where I just have to finish are coming, so I have a strong desire to score in these important moments and contribute to the team.

Q. I believe the fans and supporters who have fought alongside us share the same feelings, but what would you like to ask of them?
A, it is an away game, but I think many will come to support us. Saitama Stadium 2002 is a somewhat unique stadium, and there may be times when it feels overwhelming, but the cheers from the fans and supporters will encourage us, so I want to share the joy together.

Sei MUROYA

Q: In the previous match, we fell behind early and it became a difficult game, but we were able to come from behind and win.
A, it was very important that we were able to catch up during the first half, and in the second half, we controlled the game for most of the time, so I thought if we could proceed without conceding a goal, we could score at least one point somewhere. In that situation, it was great that Motoki NAGAKURA scored. In the previous match, more than the content, we wanted to show our mentality and the genuine desire to win, so it was very significant for the team that this was clearly reflected in our performance. This was not only important for beating Tokyo V but also a truly valuable 3 points in terms of keeping our hopes alive in the championship race.

Q. Including the goal just before the end of the first half, I believe the fact that the fullback players are able to properly enter the area in front of the goal is proof that the team’s situation is good.
<div>A, it is precisely because the team is able to control the ball that I have more opportunities to move up to the front line. This benefits the team's style of play. Currently, this has become one of the team's strong points, and various forwards are scoring goals in a balanced way, so I think we have become a team that can create chances from anywhere. On a personal level, not only in scoring scenes but also by entering dangerous areas for the opponent, I was able to take about three shots. In every match, I am able to receive passes inside the box, and my own sense of "if I am in this position, I feel like I can score" has been sharpened with each game, so I am able to participate in the attack with a good feeling, adding depth to our offense.

Q. This will be a match against Urawa Reds while the team is on a roll.
First of all, since we just had a dramatic win, we need to stay focused and not let our guard down. Since the coach changed, Urawa seems to be playing with a lot of confidence. It will be a really tough away game, but even if we don't change our approach, I believe that as long as we fully bring out the strengths of our team, we will definitely win.

Q. Urawa has many strong attackers in the forward line.
A, Urawa has many talented players, so we need to be careful in defense. However, instead of always being on the defensive, we want to carefully judge the balance between offense and defense during the match, clearly identifying when to attack and when to defend.

Q. From here, what do you think will be important in order to seize the championship in the end?
A, I don't think there is a need to change our current mentality or attitude. I don't particularly feel the need to say anything special to the team, so I believe we should just continue to trust in our own strength. As a whole, the team feels like it is growing a lot, so we will prepare to fully demonstrate those results in the last four matches of this season.

Q, lastly, please give a message to the fans and supporters who cheered loudly in the previous match.
A, They really create a great atmosphere even before the match starts, so we will respond to their cheers with solid play. Please continue to give us your best support.