Newly formed 'Galo Tokyo' has started!

　With just one week to go before the league season kicks off, a preseason match was held against Ventforet Kofu. This season, Tokyo has welcomed new head coach Garo and started with the goals of "connecting football" and "controlling the game." After training camps in Ishigaki Island and Ibusuki, they made their first appearance at home at Ajinomoto. This was an excellent opportunity to test the results achieved so far.

　It is concerning that Shigenobu is absent from the Japan national team activities, and there are many injured players like Doi and Jean, but today's lineup features players who have deepened their coordination in the practice matches so far. GK Endo, DF from the right: Tokunaga, Mashima, Maeda, Suzuki. At the base of the midfield is Inoha, right MF Kajiyama, left MF Miyazawa. The FW lineup is centered around Sasa, with Lucas and Abe moving freely in a 4-3-3 formation. Additionally, Konno and Baba are also recovering smoothly from their injuries and are on the bench.

　Kofu will compete on the J1 stage starting this season. Last season, they pressed from the front and played fast-paced, exhilarating soccer, finishing in 3rd place in J2. They won the promotion playoff brilliantly and secured their rise. Coach Oki stated, "To be honest, I still don't feel the reality of J1, and I haven't seen any of the opposing teams, so I don't know much. However, the former FC Tokyo was a model case for us. The coach has changed, and the players and style of soccer will likely be different from before, but that DNA should remain. Our goal is to keep playing for 90 minutes without any special tricks or gimmicks," vowing to fight fairly while also showing confidence in the team's improvement. The matchup of Kofu's 'speed' versus Tokyo's 'passing game' will also be one of the highlights.

Showing glimpses of Gallo Tokyo, but lacking decisiveness...

　Amidst the pouring cold rain, the match started at 13:33 with Kofu's kickoff. Tokyo aggressively attacked right from the start; in the first minute, Tokunaga's cross found Sasa, and Lucas had a shooting opportunity but missed. In the third minute, Kajiyama surged deep into the right area and sent a backward pass to Abe, who slid in to connect and took a shot, but it went wide to the right.

　As time passes, Kofu begins to settle down. While Tokyo controls the ball, there is also some stiffness in front of Kofu's press. In the 26th minute, from a pass by Miyazawa to Kajiyama, Abe breaks into the center and takes a shot. He is blocked by the opponent, but they create a chance in the flow of play. In the 28th minute, Kofu's left corner kick by Miyazawa is punched away by the opposing goalkeeper. Kajiyama skillfully picks up the loose ball and takes a long-range shot. In the 34th minute, starting from Sasa's post, Tokunaga races up the right side and crosses. Abe connects with a shot in front of the goal.

　Starting to find their rhythm, in the 35th minute, Abe, who was persistent in the left area, passed to Miyazawa, who found Sasaki free on the right. Sasaki played a direct ball to the center, and Kajiyama, who ran in, took a shot. They showed good teamwork, but the ball went straight to the opposing goalkeeper. In the 37th minute, this time Abe drifted to the right and crossed. Lucas at the far post headed the ball, but the shot went over.

　Although Kofu's attacks were often single strikes, in the 41st minute, a through pass reached forward Valley, who broke into the right side of the area. The shot grazed the crossbar, showing a moment of danger. In the first half, Tokyo created many crossing opportunities from the passing work of Miyazawa and Kajiyama, with right back Tokunaga and forwards Abe and Lucas as the starting points, but they lacked finishing power and failed to score. Both teams went into halftime without any goals.

Sasa scored first with a well-planned side attack, winning 2 to 1

　In the second half, a sudden crisis arose just after the start at the 47th minute. Kofu FW Bare's fast right cross could not be cleared, and MF Suzuki, who was in front of the goal, was in a shooting position. However, GK Endo rushed out and made the save. In the 49th minute, Kofu's right SB Sugiyama moved up to the center and took a long-range shot. In the 51st minute, Kofu had a free kick directly in front of the goal. FW Bare aimed directly, but Tokyo's wall blocked it.

　Still, without panicking, Tokyo aims to play their own football. In the 52nd minute, Lucas received a pass from Inoha, dribbled up the left side, and made a backward pass to the center. Sasaki, who received the ball in the area, skillfully turned towards the goal with a one-touch, shot before getting past the opposing defender, and it pierced the right side of the net! They scored the opening goal from the side attack as planned.

　In the 54th minute, Tokyo made three substitutions. Lucas and Abe were placed in the forward positions, while Baba took a more withdrawn position, with Konno on the left midfield and Kanazawa on the left back. While Tokyo connected well, Kofu also launched sharp counterattacks, but both teams struggled on the muddy pitch due to the rain, lacking precision. In the 73rd minute, Kanazawa advanced, exchanging passes with Lucas. Although initially blocked, Baba picked up the loose ball, cut into the left area, and sent a fast and strong cross in front of the goal. Akamine received it and took a shot, but it went wide to the left.

　In the 75th minute, a sweet clearance from Tokyo was intercepted, and a shot taken by Kofu MF Kurakuni hit a Tokyo defender and went in. The score was equalized, but without panic, they headed towards the Kofu goal. In the 78th minute, Lucas, who received a pass from Baba and broke into the area, was fouled by the opposing GK and earned a penalty kick. Lucas himself converted it accurately to secure an additional goal.

　In the 78th minute, Fujiyama came on for Tokunaga. Kofu also used all six of their substitution slots, and the ball was unsettled, leading to a frantic pace throughout. The match ended with a score of 2-1. However, in this match, players like Konno and Baba, who made their return, showed their determination to embody the new style of Tokyo soccer. This match must have provided both a sense of achievement and challenges to address as they head towards the season opener.

　【Player Comments】《Miyazawa》"The most important thing is that the three midfielders do not lose the ball. In terms of defense, we need to be a bit more aggressive. It is especially important not to let the opponent's holding midfielder have space. I have been instructed to apply pressure up front with the help of Abe and Lucas. We need to coordinate better and support each other." 《Baba》"Today, I was able to play enjoyably, and considering it was a last-minute preparation, I think I did well. I must not be satisfied with this and need to practice more. My current condition is about 70%. I will work hard to get to 100% as soon as possible, and I want to start the season in good condition this time."

　[Summary of Coach Garo's Press Conference] "Today we showed some good aspects, but also identified issues that need to be corrected. It's natural at the beginning of the year. We are aiming for a connecting style of football this season, but today the rain and the condition of the pitch were not good, making the conditions difficult. Even so, I think there was a consciousness to connect. I have heard that Kofu has been fighting with a solidified lineup for a long time. That's why their combinations were good and their marking was strict. I think they were a good team. We still have a way to go in terms of combinations. Currently, the conditions of players like Doi, Moniwa, Jean, Konno, and Baba, who were regulars last season, are finally starting to return. The combinations when they come back will be one of our challenges moving forward. However, I am not expecting a 100% condition right now. We are thinking of building up the team's condition through consecutive matches from this current situation."

　[Summary of Coach Oki's Press Conference] "In the first 10 minutes, we couldn't control ourselves well. After that, I think we played well overall. We used many substitutes, so although each had a short time, it was a game with many gains. There is still one practice match left, but basically, we will approach the main event with this. We have prepared well, but how we start the match remains a challenge. I don't think we were intimidated, but we allowed the opponent to create opportunities on the sides and couldn't make adjustments. We managed to hold on somehow, but I want to think about bench work and scouting as well. (In J1) I don't think the physicality is stronger compared to J2, but I felt they were good at body positioning. There was that kind of pressure, and the players seemed to struggle. From around the 10-minute mark, they seemed to get used to it, but I want to be conscious of that and fight while thinking about it."