The first step to becoming the leader of Asia!

　A preseason match will be held away against FC Seoul from the K League. Masushima, Inoha, Kajiyama, and Ozawa are absent due to activities with the U-21 and U-19 Japan national teams. Injuries have sidelined Toda, Suzuki, Kanazawa, and Rychely, and Konno, who was selected for the Japan national team, suffered a left knee injury in the previous day's practice and had to cancel the expedition just before departure. Although the team composition is challenging, they want to take something back as a team and not just end it as a mere friendly match, especially with the J1 League match against Urawa resuming on 8/12 (Saturday).

　FC Seoul, which won the FA Cup in July, shows a sense of momentum. Most of the team members, including FW Park Joo-sung and MF Lee Ul-ryeong, have been selected for the South Korean national team at various age levels, making them a formidable force. Additionally, it is the retirement match for FW Che Yong-soo, which is expected to boost motivation.

　In Tokyo, the formation is a 3-6-1 with Fujiyama, Moniwa, Jean in the back three, Ishikawa and Tokunaga as the left and right full-backs, Asari and Miyazawa in the midfield as holding midfielders, Lucas and Baba as the attacking midfielders, and Akamine as the lone striker. As Ishikawa said, "Matches overseas are rare opportunities. They are necessary experiences for the team and for each individual," it can be said that each player has a good chance to determine "what they can do and what they cannot do" by playing at full strength.

　As teams from both capitals, FC Seoul and our team have been exchanging ideas among the front staff for several years, and the long-awaited preseason match has finally been realized. Today, the registered members will be within 22, with a maximum of 6 substitutions. The match is taking place at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, completely filled with about 60,000 FC Seoul fans. It started with FC Seoul's kickoff at 7:04 PM.

Although they allowed a goal from a mistake, the first half ended at Tokyo's pace

　Due to the stadium's bowl shape, the wind does not flow well, and although the humidity gauge reads 62%, the situation is so muggy that it becomes difficult to breathe. In the 2nd minute, a miscommunication between Dohi and Shigeno allowed FC Seoul to score first. However, after that, Tokyo launched attacks rhythmically from a strong defense in the midfield. In the 6th minute, Lucas passed to Ishikawa, who cut in from the right, evading two opposing defenders to take a shot, but ultimately could not finish. In the 7th minute, Miyazawa's through pass found Tokunaga breaking through on the left side, who cut inside and took a decisive shot, but it hit the opposing defender. In the 12th minute, after winning a right corner kick, Ishikawa delivered a ball that Tokunaga headed freely, but it went well wide of the target. In the 16th minute, Shigeno dribbled up and made a last pass to Tokunaga, who was in the middle, but his shot was blocked by the opposing defender.

　FC Seoul's attack has become monotonous, targeting passes behind the defense to FW Park Juyoung and Che Yonsu, failing to create a shape for their offense. Tokyo faced a decisive moment in the 18th minute. Lucas passed to Tokunaga, who broke free in front of the goal and had a one-on-one with the opposing GK, but the shot was saved by the GK. Akamine picked up the rebound and sent a grounded left cross in front of the goal, but Ishikawa couldn't finish it. Later, in the 21st minute, Miyazawa took a free kick, and in the 23rd minute, Lucas took a shot from outside the area, but they couldn't find the back of the net.

　In the 25th minute, Akamine shot from the right side after a one-two with Baba, but the goalkeeper deflected it and no one was able to follow up. In the 36th minute, starting from Tokunaga on the left side, Baba advanced into the area through a combination with Lucas, but his shot went just slightly to the left and missed the goal. Just before the end of the first half, in the 44th minute, Ishikawa took a right corner kick that Lucas headed perfectly, but it went over the bar. Despite dominating the match with a shot count of 12 to 5 in the first half, they could not find the decisive blow and ended the first half still trailing.

Despite bringing in fresh members to counterattack, we were unable to score and lost the match.

　Coach Garo said before the match, "In international matches, each individual must fight with pride for their country," and the entire team vowed to fight back in the second half as they headed onto the pitch. In the second half, Abe was brought on to replace Akamine. Abe actively surged towards the goal. In the 50th minute, Baba on the right side aimed for a last pass to Abe, but the opposing defender cut it off. In the 52nd minute, a through pass from Tokunaga to Lucas reached Abe in front of the goal, shaking the net, but it was ruled offside.

　FC Seoul made defensive adjustments at halftime and completely shifted to a counter-attacking strategy. They cut off Tokyo's advances and created several decisive chances. However, with the introduction of Shiota and the defensive midfielder Asari, they managed to hold on and prevent any additional goals. In the 67th minute, during a right-side free kick opportunity, Miyazawa delivered the ball to the far side to a free Shigeno. His well-aimed header went straight to the goalkeeper.

　Both Tokyo and FC Seoul made substitutions one after another, bringing in fresh players. Kawaguchi, Kurizawa, and Ikegami entered the game, energizing the attack. In the 78th minute, Ikegami sent a cross from the right side to Tokunaga on the opposite side. He then cut inside and passed it to Kawaguchi, who took a direct shot with his left foot. It went straight to the goalkeeper. However, in the 84th minute, they finally conceded another goal to forward Dodo from a counterattack. Tokyo also launched an attack aiming for a goal, but instead conceded their third goal in the 89th minute, sealing their fate. Ultimately, they lost 0-3 without scoring any goals, leaving them with the challenge of improving their finishing as they head into the resumption of the league.

　【Player Comments】<Asari> "Since this was the first match of the year, I approached the game hoping to bring out my strengths, but conceding 3 goals, especially conceding 2 quick goals in the second half, was a situation where we, who were responsible for stopping them, had to do something about it. In the first half, communication was poor due to the surrounding noise, and we were on the back foot at times, but in the second half, the defense worked well in some parts. However, in the final decisive moments, the opponent was one step ahead. This year, I played various positions, and it was my first time in a while playing as a defensive midfielder. Still, I think it was very good that I was able to make an impression in this position." <Ishikawa> "Of course, it was a match we wanted to win. Rather than a friendly, for me personally, I wanted this match to be a stepping stone to improve the upcoming league matches. Also, since it was a showdown between the capitals Tokyo and Seoul, it was very disappointing that we couldn’t get a result. There were many supporters from the opponent’s side, and many came from Japan as well, so I wanted to show what Japanese soccer is about. I also felt like I was representing Japan, so it’s frustrating that I couldn’t show that strength. The league has resumed, and I think we showed our fighting spirit in today’s match. If we get results and change the team’s momentum, I believe we can play good soccer, so I hope everyone will trust us and support us." <Fujiyama> "It was a chance, so I wanted to produce a result, but it didn’t go well. The opponent was strong. However, we identified points to fix, so it should be good heading into the Urawa match. In the first half, I couldn’t do what I wanted. This was my third time in Korea, a completely away game, but I didn’t think about that and gave it my all. Still, the result didn’t come." <Ikegami> "I’m glad I was able to play in a match after a long time, but it’s disappointing that the result was 3 goals conceded. Also, it’s frustrating that after I came on, we conceded 2 goals when we pushed forward offensively. Among the rookies, I’m the only one who hasn’t appeared in an official match yet, so I want to play soon, and I realized I have to definitely seize chances like the one today."

　[Summary of Coach Garo's Press Conference] "The result was 0-3, but in terms of content, it was a good match with both sides attacking. Unfortunately, we couldn't score, and the difference was that the opposing team did. It wasn't as significant as the score suggests. (What about the impact of Konno's absence?) There is no doubt that he is an important player for the team, but that doesn't mean this result was solely due to his absence. Soccer is not something that can't be played without someone; if a player is missing, others can cover for them. The result is disappointing, but I believe we had chances just like FC Seoul. Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of the team for inviting us from Japan and creating such a wonderful opportunity, and for the warm welcome from FC Seoul and everyone in Korea."

　【Summary of the press conference by FC Seoul coach Lins】"Today's match ended with a score of 3-0, but it was a difficult game for both teams due to the heat. There was fatigue from the FA Cup, and physically it was tough, so I was thinking of using various players to somehow compete. However, since it was also the retirement match for Che Yons, the motivation of the other players was very high. (Which opposing player left an impression on you?) Number 18, Ishikawa. I didn't have any information beforehand, so I wasn't aware, but he created some very dangerous situations for us."