Focused on victory, challenging Frankfurt before the Bundesliga opening!

Facing Eintracht Frankfurt at the home of Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, Germany. The stadium gathered 50,000 spectators, with about 200 fans and supporters traveling from Tokyo to cheer.

On August 30, Tokyo departed for Japan and arrived in Frankfurt, Germany. During the morning training session the day after arrival, the team focused on running and stretching, while in the afternoon practice, they reviewed defensive tactics. On the second day, the day before the match, they meticulously worked on confirming marks during set plays. The captain, Tokunaga, stated, "Even though it's a friendly match, I want to play with a focus on victory. That will also connect to our battles in the J League." Goalkeeper Enomoto said, "First, we need to do what we should do as a team. We want to showcase our performance in this valuable match against an overseas club." These two players are leading the team.

The starting members are goalkeeper Enomoto, center backs Yoshimoto and Maruyama, and full-backs Matsuda and Tokunaga. In midfield, Takahashi is the anchor. Mita and Hashimoto are the inside halves. And Kono is in the attacking midfield. The forwards are Maeda and Nathan BURNS.

Frankfurt will have Japan national team player Hasebe as the right side back. Inui will be positioned on the left outside, as they prepare for their final match before the Bundesliga season starts.

The match started at 15:15 with a kickoff from Frankfurt under the strong sunlight.

Although we took an early lead of 2 goals, we were pushed back by the opponent and went into halftime at 2-2.

　In the 4th minute of the match, we gave the opponent a left corner kick, but goalkeeper Enomoto caught it easily. In the 8th minute, the opponent's defender Hasebe sent a cross from the left side to forward Seferović in front of the goal, but it did not result in a goal. Furthermore, in the 13th minute, from a crowded area just outside our penalty arc, the opponent's midfielder Inui took a sharp shot. Enomoto calmly caught it right in front of him.
 

In the 19th minute, Mita broke through with a dribble that varied in pace at the center of the pitch. He earned a foul about 20 meters in front of the goal, resulting in a free kick. The kicker was Maruyama. The kicked ball hit the opponent's wall and went to a corner kick. In the 20th minute, Tokyo's left corner kick was punched away by Frankfurt's goalkeeper Lindner. Furthermore, the opponent's defender cleared it with his head. However, the ball spilled under Maeda in the area, and he calmly sank it to the right of the goal, GOAL!! Tokyo took the lead!! Additionally, in the 22nd minute, Nathan BURNS ran into the near post to redirect a cross from Kono on the left side into the goal, GOAL!! Tokyo scored another goal early on, extending their lead.

Although they led by 2 points, they continued to be pressed as the opponent passed the ball around. However, with goalkeeper Enomoto at the center, they defended calmly and did not allow a goal. In the 41st minute, while passing the ball around in their own half, the play was developed from left to right. Forward Seferović matched the ground cross from opponent defender Hasebe and scored in the bottom right corner of the goal, making it a one-point difference.

In the 43rd minute, a free kick was awarded in front of our goal, and the opponent's kicker was Stendler. The right-footed free kick hit the crossbar. We escaped without incident. However, just before the end of the first half, the opponent's MF Flume made a heel pass in the center of our half. Stendler received the ball and shot from the penalty arc. This found the top right corner of the goal, bringing the score to 2-2 at halftime.

Pushed back in our own territory, we allowed a comeback and lost 2-3.

　As the second half began, there were consecutive shooting chances that created dangerous scenes, but goalkeeper Enomoto remained calm and prevented the opponent from scoring. However, in the 59th minute, defender Ochipka delivered a cross from deep on the left side. Midfielder Eichner, positioned in front of the goal, connected with a gentle header that found the left side of the goal, allowing the opponent to take the lead.

After that, Nakajima, who came on as a substitute, made a dribble on the opponent's left side in the 20th minute. He brought the ball from left to right into the area and took a shot, but the opponent's goalkeeper Lindner stretched out to catch it. In the 75th minute, Takahashi broke through from the right side and passed to Nakajima, who had slipped behind the opponent's defensive line in the center. Nakajima found himself one-on-one with Frankfurt's goalkeeper Lindner, but was denied and failed to score. Furthermore, in the 79th minute, forward Waldschmidt unleashed an incredible bullet shot from the left inside his own area. However, this shot hit the right post directly. They escaped without any issues.
 

85 minutes have passed, and Tokyo is passing the ball, but they are struggling to penetrate the opponent's territory. They fought calmly against a stronger opponent, but ultimately lost 2-3. However, playing in front of a large crowd away from home was a wonderful experience, although they wanted victory. They will use this experience to make a comeback in the second stage.
 

[Player Comments] 

《Enomoto》 "It was a shame to concede three goals after being up 2-0. Playing against overseas teams is a good experience, and I want to work hard to overcome the challenges for the upcoming league."

《Takahashi》 "As a soccer player, I felt happiness and excitement playing in a dedicated stadium filled with many supporters. I owe this experience to everyone at the club, and I want to express my gratitude. I believe it is a good thing for the club to grow not only domestically but also in Asia and the world, and I want our fans and supporters to watch Tokyo's matches overseas, so I want to continue building on this."

《Hashimoto》 "The best atmosphere of the stadium was a great experience. Since we were winning 2-0, I think I was personally inexperienced in how to manage the game. I want to practice hard in Japan and become a player who can compete in the world."

[Tokyo - Massimo FICCADENTI Coach's Press Conference Summary] "The goal conceded just before the end of the first half had a big impact on the players. In the second half, the opponent's chances increased, and they scored again, making the match difficult. I was truly impressed by the wonderful fans and supporters in Germany, and they are a positive influence on the football world. I sincerely wish Frankfurt success this season." (Reflecting on the match) "The first 30 minutes of the first half were really good. However, conceding a goal at the 45th minute had a significant psychological impact on the players. The pace of the game was slow, allowing the opponent to utilize their physicality, but I think we responded well with formation changes and substitutions. We left 6 or 7 players in Japan, and the young players played solidly even in a difficult situation. I believe it was a very valuable experience for them." (Were you satisfied with the content of the match?) "There is no satisfaction in losing. The start of the first half was very good, and we want to train to maintain that until the end."

【Summary of Frankfurt's Coach Armin Veh's Press Conference】 "In the first half, we were weak in applying pressure to the opponent and started the game waiting for mistakes. In the second half, we improved that aspect and were able to create more chances. I believe today's match was a wonderful game for Tokyo as well."