Facing off against South American powerhouse club Olimpia from Paraguay

　Tokyo Gas presents 2008 Preseason Match. The prestigious South American club, Olympia from Paraguay, will be welcomed to Ajinomoto Stadium for a match. Coach Shirofuku stated, "We want to make the best preparations for the upcoming Nabisco Cup and league matches. We want to confirm our team's core that we have been working on since the start of the season." He also emphasized the importance of this match in reaffirming the team's fundamentals on both offense and defense. They have been preparing to make this game a stepping stone for the Nabisco Cup quarterfinals and subsequent league matches.

　Club Olympia, on the other hand, boasts a midfield with high technical skills and creativity unique to South America. Although they finished 8th in the first half of the league, they are rejuvenating their team by promoting talented young players from their youth academy. Among them, FW Amalija, a striker with a large build and the son of former J-League Yokohama Flugels player FW Amalija, is a player to watch. Additionally, U-20 Paraguay national team MF Martinez, a product of their youth academy, is a skilled technician who adds an attacking flair to the midfield.

　How can we stick to our own soccer against Club Olympia, who will come close to the goal by increasing the speed of attack from the solid defense? We aim to grow throughout the season by tackling individual challenges and take on the challenge with "Moving Football". The starting lineup consists of Fujiyama as left back, and Shigeki and Sato as center backs. Also, since substitutions are limited to 6 players, there are 11 players on the Tokyo bench.

　In the midst of the muggy heat during the day, a ceremony was held before the game to welcome Mr. Amaral, and the match started at 7:30 PM with a kickoff by Club Olympia.

First goal from a speedy attack, own goal

　Both teams started with a 4-4-2 formation and tried to attack by connecting short passes. The first shot came from Olympia. In the 2nd minute, MF Segovia took a precise middle shot from a right throw-in, but it missed to the left of the goal. In the 9th minute, Tokyo brought the ball into the left area from a left throw-in, and Red Mine crossed it on the ground. It was a fast ball, but Cabore in the center couldn't get to it. However, in the 11th minute, Red Mine intercepted a pass in the Olympia's territory. He dribbled up the center and sent a floating pass to Cabore, who had come up from the right, with his right foot from the outside. The ball was cleared by the opponent's DF, but it grazed the GK's hand and went in. They took the lead with an own goal.

　Tokyo will now take control of the rhythm and make moves through Cabore and Emerson. In the 14th minute, from a big development, Hayabusa passed to Cabore on the left side. Cabore brought it to the left area and aimed for a shot after cutting back the opposing DF. However, it hit Akamine who had moved up from the right and was offside. In the 19th minute, Emerson cut back the opposing DF on the left side and sent a pass to the center, but Akamine couldn't receive it. In the 25th minute, from a loose ball from a set play, FW Edison on the right side made a daring shot after cutting back Fujiyama and Sahara who were facing him, but it went wide.

　Tokyo showed their intention to score, but their accuracy was lacking in the final moments, resulting in a lack of finishing opportunities. In the 31st minute, Cabore headed in a left corner kick from Hayashi. In the 34th minute, Fujiyama passed to Emerson in the center, who then passed to Hayashi on the left side. Hayashi sent a cross behind the opposing defender, and Akamine ran in to take a left-footed shot. Although they created a good opportunity with a direct play, the shot missed the target. In the 44th minute, Cabore attempted a long shot with his left foot after seeing the opposing GK come out of the goal, but the quick save from the GK kept the score at 1-0 going into the second half.

Could not score any additional points, but managed to hold off the counterattack and secure a victory at Ajinomoto Stadium.

　In the second half, Mokuhara was substituted for Sasaki and played as a right back. Fujiyama moved to center and Tokunaga shifted to the left, actively attacking from the start. On the other hand, fatigue began to show for Olympia in the heat. In the 54th minute, Cabore, who had entered the left area, was fouled and awarded a penalty kick. However, in the 55th minute, Cabore himself took the penalty kick, but it was saved by the GK in the bottom left corner, and they were unable to score an additional point...

　At 60 minutes, Morimura, Hirayama, and Kawaguchi were substituted for Konno, Akamine, and Cabore, respectively. The introduction of fresh players increased the movement. In the 64th minute, Moriura volleyed from a cross by Kawaguchi on the left side in the right area. In the 65th minute, Olympia also inserted FW Edison for MF Rohas and launched a central breakthrough. The ball from MF Rohas was passed to FW Edison who had escaped behind the Tokyo DF, but the shot he attempted from a chest trap ended up being a miss.

　In the 69th minute, Lins was replaced by Emerson. The Tokyo DF boldly pushed through the stretched Olympia DF line and in the 77th minute, made a skillful move from the left side to break through to the goal. There, Morimura made a through pass from the right to create a chance, but the pass was just slightly off and caught by the GK. Olympia also did not let their fighting spirit waver and in the 86th minute, there was a fierce collision in the Tokyo territory, resulting in a FK for Olympia. However, the FK from the left side was blocked by the Tokyo wall.

　In the 88th minute, Mori Murai from the left side sent a long through pass to Ishikawa who had entered the area from the right after a quick restart by Fujiyama. The aim was good, but it was offside. In the 89th minute, Kawaguchi made a vertical pass to Ishikawa in the center of the area. Ishikawa and Kurizawa entered the right area as if crossing. Ishikawa → Kurizawa aimed for a shot, but couldn't turn around and couldn't finish it. Although the timing was not right by a small margin and the second goal could not be taken, in the end, they defended against the power play of Olympia and the time was up. They kept a clean sheet and achieved victory at Ajinomoto.

　【Player Comments】《Fujiyama》"I played as a left back for the first time in a while, and there were some moments where I couldn't see my surroundings and made mistakes, but there were also a few moments where I was able to be a starting point. I think it was decent. Before the game, we talked about creating a flow of zero goals conceded, so it was good that we were able to do that. After forming a combination with Shigetaka Shimo, we were able to maintain our line and focus on the final stages. There were also moments where I was able to take shots in attack. Ending with a shot, and also making runs behind the defense, makes it easier for the defenders behind us. I think we were able to try out many plays that can be used in the Nabisco Cup and the league, both as individuals and as a team."《Morimura》"I regret not being able to be more of a starting point. If I had come on at that time, I should have been involved in a goal. Especially at the beginning, I lost the ball in the air and couldn't find my rhythm. That's really frustrating. (Was there a good through pass?) I just had to pass it because Ishikawa made a good run at the right time. But even then, the accuracy was lacking in terms of strength and weakness. Also, it was when the opponent's press was weakening, so I had time and was able to hold the ball freely. Those kinds of plays give me confidence, but plays when there's no time are a challenge. Still, I want to use each and every one of these experiences to prepare well in practice."

　[Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference] "First of all, I would like to express my respect to Club Olympia, who came from far away and showed sincere efforts and fair play. I would also like to thank the sponsors and staff who made this match possible, as well as the more than 6,000 people who came to support us on a weekday, despite our current poor performance. In the past month, we have not been able to win, but today was a good opportunity to review what we have been doing and trying to do since the start of the season. We approached the game as a chance to firmly establish our foundation. The players were well aware of this and tried to maintain it both in attack and defense. Today, I wanted to give various players the opportunity to gain experience, and there were also players like Konno who are preparing for the All-Star game. Therefore, substitutions were made regardless of performance, giving many players a chance. Among them, the players who came on as substitutes and those who started all worked hard for their roles and what the team is aiming for. The concentration of the defensive line, led by Shigetaka Mori, kept us from conceding any goals, and this will be the foundation for us to face the Nabisco Cup and the league next week. (The only goal was an own goal?) The goal was created because of the power and speed of our attack. I think it was a good offensive performance, and we even had the potential to score a second goal. There are still some issues with controlling the ball, but the speed and tempo of our play were faster than ever before. There were also plays, including the penalty kick, where everyone was actively looking to move forward and create chances, showing a conscious effort to score. (What is your impression of Club Olympia?) When they switched to an attacking mode, their power was truly that of a Paraguayan or South American team. Especially when the ball entered our half, 3-4 players would quickly accelerate, creating dangerous situations. They also played physically, trying to draw fouls even in disadvantageous situations, and we need to learn from that."

　[Club Olympia Costa's coach press conference summary] "In the first half, we were able to control the game reasonably well. We couldn't take advantage of our chances, but we were able to create some despite the small number. The decisive mistake was the own goal. However, as I mentioned, we were able to create chances. I want to give credit for that. In the second half, fatigue became evident. It may sound like an excuse, but I think the long journey of two days had an impact. Nevertheless, the players fought well to the best of their abilities. Personally, I think a draw would have been a fair result. (Which players left an impression in Tokyo?) Emerson and Cabore left an impression. Especially Emerson, who came out from the back and entered the space well, I felt he had a powerful weapon. (About FW Amalija) He is a valuable player who is contributing to the team despite having a short career as a professional. He had established himself as a regular player last season, but unfortunately he got injured and today he was in a situation where he hadn't done anything for more than two weeks. His playing style is very similar to his father's, he is a technician and he shows his abilities especially in the penalty area. He couldn't take advantage of his chances today, but he is strong in aerial battles and I think he has a bright future. Our team is very young. We started building the team six months ago, but we are not just aiming to get younger, we are also focusing on promoting players from the youth academy to the top team and creating a consistent club team. In addition to FW Amalija, I think other young players will also attract attention. The development of young players is also important for the national team, just like our club. I believe it will function effectively in the future. Please look forward to it. Thank you for today."