In the first half, there were scoring opportunities, but...

FC Tokyo, riding high on two consecutive opening wins, boldly launches attacks from both full-backs right from the start. In the 5th minute, a sharp interception by Umeyama leads to a cross from the right side by Sato Yu. Kagawa meets it with his head, but unfortunately misses the target. Then, in the 10th minute, a pass from Fujiyama, who held on well on the left side, goes to Amaral. Amaral delivers a superb looping pass that falls between the opposing goalkeeper and defense, allowing Sato Yu to break free and skillfully evade the goalkeeper to shoot. However, a fine play by the opposing defender prevented the goal. After that, Amaral's powerful left-footed shot hits the post, and they were unable to capitalize on several decisive chances, resulting in a back-and-forth battle.

Disrupting the rhythm against Niigata's solid defense

Niigata, who is also on a two-game winning streak like Tokyo, responded with a style of sharp counterattacks from a solid defense, characterized by quick starts and tight checks. In particular, the movements of Almir and Sato Yu, who are the attacking pivots among the two new midfielders this season, were effectively contained, preventing them from connecting passes and establishing rhythm, leading to a monotonous attack that often targeted Amaral's head with long balls. However, Amaral was closely marked by the newly joined tall defender, and the goalkeeper had a wide defensive range and was strong against high balls, so the monotonous long ball attacks did not manage to unsettle the opponent. As the second half began, the flow increasingly favored Niigata. Niigata thoroughly executed quick counterattacks after pressing in midfield to win the ball, quickly spreading to the sides to create chances with crosses. In the 33rd minute of the second half, the deadlock was finally broken. From a scramble in midfield, a ball that went behind Tokyo's defense was passed by Komine to the Niigata forward while competing, but this became an unintentional weak pass, and the Niigata forward touched it just a moment earlier, leading to a tackle by goalkeeper Horiike and a penalty kick. This was easily converted, and they finally conceded the opening goal.

Desperate attack at the end did not bear fruit...

With this, Tokyo awakens and shifts to an all-out attack. In the 36th minute of the second half, the highly offensive midfielder Shinjo is brought in. He becomes a new starting point for the attack. Furthermore, DF Sandro is pushed up to the front line in an attempt to gain aerial superiority. In the 41st minute of the second half, substitute Kaburaki takes a powerful right-footed shot. However, it is denied by a fine play from the goalkeeper. In stoppage time, they earn consecutive corner kicks and press towards the goal. Just before the end, Sato shoots from a corner kick rebound but unfortunately misses. And finally, the whistle blows to signal the end. Although they outshot their opponents, they were unable to break through Niigata's organized defense and suffered their first loss of the season at home. In the post-match press conference, Coach Okuma stated, "We couldn't convert our chances in the first half, and when the mood turned sour, we self-destructed (penalty). It's not about whether Niigata is strong or weak; in J2, the difference in strength among teams is minimal, and there are no teams to be treated as special. I emphasize to the players the importance of treating each match with care. Before the next match against Kawasaki Frontale, I want to quickly address the issues exposed in today's game and prepare for the future." Indeed, it is a painful loss, but only three out of the 36 matches have been played. It's important to switch gears mentally.