Can they make it six wins in a row?! Facing off against Hiroshima, known for their solid defense.

　In the 6th round, which was greeted with a 5-game winning streak at the start of the 2nd stage. The opponent is Sanfrecce Hiroshima, currently in 7th place. Hiroshima is a team that boasts a total of 15 goals conceded in the 1st stage and its solid defense. In the last two games, they have lost 6 goals and suffered consecutive defeats, but their strength with Popovic at the center and Uemura and Ito as the 3-back cannot be underestimated. Also, the focus of today's match will be how to contain ace Kubo, who has outstanding scoring ability and ball retention.

　Tokyo started with the same starting members as the previous match, with Kina and Asari in the double midfield, Yukihiro on the right side, and Masuda on the left. The rain that had been falling since last night has stopped, and the match kicked off on a field with a mild temperature of 25 degrees.

Despite dominating the game, they conceded the first goal with a strike from the "most dangerous FW".

　From the kick-off, Tokyo dominated possession. However, Hiroshima also countered with organized defense. It became a game where both teams utilized their strengths.

Tokyo's side back Fujiyama often pushes forward and creates chances from the left with his combination with Masuda. However, Hiroshima's defense is not only limited to the final line, but also has a quick awareness of midfield players' defense and transition between offense and defense, making it difficult to bring the ball to a shot. In the midst of such offense and defense, Asari injured his left foot in a collision with an opponent player around the 5-minute mark. Although he returned to the field for a while, he was unable to continue playing and was forced to be substituted by Koike in the 12th minute.

　Tokyo's first chance seemed to be at the 14th minute. Tsuchi connected with a goal kick and passed it to Masuda on the front line. It seemed like Yukihiro had broken through the defense line with great determination, but Hiroshima's GK Shimoda came out early and made a save. Shortly after, Yukihiro made a cross from the right side, but Shimoda caught it. In the 17th minute, Tsuchi ran in from the left to receive Masuda's pass and took a shot from outside the penalty area. This was the first shot for both teams, but it went straight to the GK.

　Hiroshima also had a header shot from Popovic from a set piece in the 18th minute. Then in the 19th minute, Tokyo had a header shot from Sandro from a corner kick, but both missed the target.

　Tokyo, who attacked the game advantageously, was unable to create a decisive chance. They should have been able to deal with Hiroshima's counterattack with ease. However, in the 21st minute, Hiroshima's Uemura threw a long throw from the left side, and Popovic headed it down in front of the goal. Kubo, who was free there, took a left-footed shot! In an instant, the ball was sucked into the goal, and they conceded the first goal in a moment of carelessness.

Conceded a goal again, the first two goals in the 2nd stage...

　Tokyo, who tries to expand widely with Amaral as the starting point without getting impatient even with the behind, faces the tough check of Hiroshima DF who gains momentum by taking the lead, and there are many scenes where they lose the ball.

　However, in the 28th minute, TUTO made a perfect through pass from a throw-in to the center, and Masuda took a shot. In the 30th minute, Amaral created a chance with a header from a corner kick, showing great determination. In the 36th minute, Hiroshima DF, who never gave up and defended until the end, stopped Amaral, TUTO, and Masuda from attacking the goal with a quick counter. In the 38th minute, Naito took a header from a corner kick. In the following 40 minutes, they tried to counterattack, and TUTO dribbled past two DFs on the right side of the penalty area after receiving a pass from Amaral, but Shioda caught the finish. ... They just couldn't break through the goal.

　On the other hand, in the 44th minute of the first half when there was little time left, a long ball from Hiroshima's DF line was passed to Kubo who was on the left side of the front line. Kubo dribbled into the penalty area, faked one way, and took a shot towards the goal. There, another FW Fujimoto ran in between the Tokyo DF and scored. It was a one-play that showcased Fujimoto's true ability as a MF who excels at making runs from the second row, and in an instant, Tokyo found themselves two goals behind...

Fierce counterattack with an offensive formation! Never give up Tokyo's soccer until the end.

　In the second half, Tokyo, who had no choice but to go for a goal, substituted Yukihiro for Amaral. They faced the game with Kanno at the top, Amaral in the center, TUTO on the left, and Masuda on the right. In the early stages of the game, in the 47th minute, Kanno made a diving header from a cross by Masuda! Although it narrowly missed the goal, it was a play that gave a sense of an impending goal.

　However, on the other hand, Hiroshima also substituted attacking MF Hattori for defensive MF Moriyasu. They have also moved Kuwahara, who was previously playing in the bottom of the midfield, forward to tighten their defensive posture. In the 48th minute, they connected the ball they won in the midfield to the DF and quickly sent it to the front line to Fujimoto. Fujimoto dribbled past the Tokyo DF who were trying to get back and took a shot. Although the shot missed, Hiroshima also showed a quick counterattack from their solid defense.

　Still, Tokyo continues to attack relentlessly. In the 56th minute, they connected with Fujiyama from Kina on a set play, and Amaral finished with a header. In the 57th minute, TUTO and Kamiya made a one-two play to attack the goal, and in the following 58th minute, Amaral reacted to a through pass from TUTO, but was unable to finish due to Hiroshima's strong DF. Tokyo dominates, but as they face Hiroshima's five-man defense in front of the goal, they begin to show signs of frustration. The game remains in a stalemate as they continue to send in crosses that are blocked by the high DF in front of the goal. In an attempt to break the deadlock, Tokyo substitutes Kobayashi for Koike in the 78th minute. They place Kobayashi on the right side and move Masuda to the center, while Fujiyama also takes a high position to increase the number of attackers.

　And finally, at 84 minutes, TUTO, who dodged the DF on the left side of the penalty area, made a last pass in front of the goal. There, Kamiya scored a goal! It was a moment when we finally took one point.

　Tokyo enters an incredible comeback mode. Pressed by the unified voices of the stadium, Sandro moves up to the front line and continues to attack. However, in the 87th minute, Amaral connects with Doi's goal kick and Godano's shot, which was fired into the goal, grazes the hands of goalkeeper Shimoda and hits the post. Despite their efforts, they are unable to break through the concentrated Hiroshima defense until the end. In the end, they are unable to convert their 16 shots into goals, while Hiroshima scores with only 9 shots, resulting in a 1-2 loss. This marks their first defeat in this stage.

　However, although the winning streak has stopped, it is a fact that Tokyo showed their never-give-up spirit until the end. We want to take this feeling and face the top battle against Gamba Osaka in just two days.

"Coach THOMSON's comment"

"I was really happy to win today because we had lost two games in a row, but I think we won because we deserved to. Our tactics worked well and the players encouraged each other and did well. We should have scored a third goal and decided the game there, but in the last 20 minutes, Tokyo was very good. They brought the game back. We had many chances to score a third goal, but we couldn't score there and it became a difficult game."

"Coach Ooguma's comment"

"It wasn't decisive, but there were several chances to score. By missing those, the transition from the front line to the midfield defense became slower. I think it was a lapse in concentration, but I believe that giving up a goal in such a predictable manner during that time had a big impact on this game. We have always taken the lead, so being two goals behind was tough. However, in terms of going for one goal as a team, there are still some issues, but I think the atmosphere and mentality of being a team that can "score" were evident. We want to start from scratch for the next game."