Average 0.69 points per match

An average of 0.69 goals conceded per match... This is FC Tokyo's average goals conceded per match this season (as of Sec. 16). This is, of course, the best figure in J2, far ahead of Oita and Niigata, who both average 1.00 goals conceded per match. Looking at the recent matches, since the Oita game on Apr 29 (Sat, Holiday) (Sec. 14), FC Tokyo has achieved three consecutive clean-sheet victories, strongly impressing the reputation of "Solid Defense Tokyo." Despite continuing tough circumstances, such as missing "right-side craftsman" Umeyama in the match before last (6/27, Sec. 6) against Kofu and "guardian" Horiike in the last match (7/4, Sec. 7) against Sapporo due to injuries, Komine, who returned from injury, has competently covered for Umeyama, and Suzuki has safely covered for Horiike. The central defense, firmly held by the "iron wall" Sandro and the experienced Furube, remains stable without losing its solidity. On the other hand, the opponent on this day, Omiya, is an attacking team boasting the third-highest scoring power in the league. They deploy the "twin towers" Isayama, who shines in post play, and Okuyama, strong in aerial battles, as forwards, with former Reds player Iwase and new foreign player Mark organizing the midfield, and the attack involving Ujiie, who also participated in the recent World Youth tournament, is destructive. In the 1st round, FC Tokyo withstood Omiya's fierce attack in the first half and scored two consecutive goals in the second half when Omiya's stamina dropped, securing victory. The question was whether they could manage an efficient game this time as well... A match was expected where the strength of "Solid Defense Tokyo" would be put to the test.

Kagami scores the opening goal!

The match took a completely different turn from the 1st round, with Tokyo showing aggressive attacks right from the start. Yukihiko, who played as the right attacking midfielder that day, dazzled the opponents with his high individual skills, breaking through with dribbles at times and using wall passes with teammates to break down the right side, creating multiple goal chances. From the left, fullback Fujiyama demonstrated sharp dribbling breakthroughs cutting from the side to the center, creating chances with wall passes involving Amaral and Kagami. Perhaps inspired by the presence of Japan national team coach Trappier at the venue that day, the passionate play of these two fully showcased that they are players of an outstanding level in J2. Meanwhile, Omiya built their attacks simply from the midfield with Iwase and Mark as the starting points, targeting the feet of forward Isoyama, who moved widely from side to side, and the head of Okayama. Mark’s passing was especially accurate and occasionally created good rhythm, but the two defensive midfielders, Shinjo and Koike, who returned after six games replacing Asari suspended due to accumulated warnings, responded with persistent defense. Furube marked Isoyama tightly, and Sandro closely marked Okayama, preventing any clear scoring opportunities. Tokyo continued to win the ball with bold defense from the front line, organizing the game centered on Yukihiko, and creating chances through the attacking participation of both fullbacks. At 22 minutes, Shinjo, who joined the attack, noticed Omiya’s shallow defensive line and played a floating pass behind it. When the Omiya defender mishandled the ball for a moment, Kagami did not miss the opportunity and calmly struck the ball into the goal.

Decisive goal by Amaral seals the deal!

In the second half, Omiya, who had not pushed hard in the first half, increased their activity and launched attacks from the sides with fast passing centered on marking. In response to Omiya's crossing attacks from the sides, Tokyo's goalkeeper Suzuki, along with Sandro, Furube, and Komine, repelled the threats, but dangerous moments continued as loose balls from the scramble were picked up and shots were taken in free situations. Fortunately, most of those shots missed the target, and Suzuki's excellent judgment prevented decisive chances. At the 61st minute, Suzuki made a wonderful save on a direct free kick from outside the penalty area, rescuing the team with confident play. On the other hand, when Tokyo attacked, they concentrated the ball on Yukihiko and expanded to the sides from there. At the 62nd minute, the ball was passed to Komine on the right, and Yukihiko, who broke through on the return pass, dribbled forward and crossed. Amaral received the ball and took a free shot but narrowly missed. At the 65th minute, the ball was passed to Yukihiko, who had moved to the right side, and he made a direct pass forward to Amaral. Amaral broke free from a scramble with Omiya's defenders and scored the second, decisive goal. After that, the battle continued evenly, and although Tokyo was often pressed, the defense supported goalkeeper Suzuki with committed sliding tackles. At the 70th minute, midfielder Almir, returning from injury for the first time in five matches, also appeared and showed energetic play, raising hopes for the future and bringing some bright news. The match ultimately ended with Tokyo holding on to secure their first five consecutive wins of the season.

Director Okuma's Comments

The tenacious defense was good, but it was disappointing that the buildup after winning the ball was sloppy, and we couldn't create many goal-scoring opportunities. It's important to reduce mistakes and develop the play more carefully. GK Suzuki had his first start in a while, and following the previous match against Sapporo, he did well and remained calm.