Second Stage Resumption

About two and a half months after the fierce battle against Kashima Antlers held on a midsummer night, and after the break for the Sydney Olympics and the Asian Cup, the J1 League second stage has resumed.

FC Tokyo has been actively strengthening its team during this break period. From September 11 to 14, they held a training camp in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, focusing mainly on physical conditioning. Following that, from September 18 to 24, they went on a tour to South Korea, where they regained their competitive edge through practice matches with K League teams. On October 8, they played a preseason match against Kawasaki Frontale in Nagano Prefecture, and from October 16 to 19, they held a training camp at J Village in Fukushima Prefecture for final conditioning adjustments.

After that, they held practice matches against top J1 teams such as Yokohama F.Marinos (2 matches) and Kashiwa Reysol, focusing all their efforts on preparing thoroughly for the remaining 5 matches of the 2nd stage.

And so the first match of the restart has arrived. The opponent is Júbilo Iwata, a powerhouse club representing Japan. In the last home game held at the National Stadium, we achieved a dramatic comeback victory of 3-2 thanks to TUTO's explosion, but the content was completely dominated by Júbilo. This time, Júbilo has transformed into a super team with the addition of the genius lefty and Asia Cup MVP, Japan national team player, Namiki, as well as Takahara, who has grown into Japan's ace striker in the Asia Cup, and Hattori, who has established himself as a key defender for the national team, significantly improving the team's strength compared to the last match.

On the other hand, Tokyo has been actively working on strengthening their team, but they have not seen results in their practice matches so far. Additionally, they are facing concerns with the absence of King Amaral due to conditioning issues as they restart. However, despite similar situations in the two previous season openers, they have a track record of starting well, so it remains to be seen if they can create another "storm" in this third opener. This highly anticipated match, filled with mixed expectations and anxieties, kicked off at 7 PM at the away Júbilo Iwata Stadium.

Incredible offensive power, on the defensive side

The first shot was taken by Tokyo. 30 seconds into the match, the ball was passed to Kamino from the right side, and he shot as he turned. The ball was right in front of the goalkeeper, but it showed Tokyo's aggressive attitude.

After that, DF Fujiyama repeatedly stole the ball from JEF United FW Takahara with sharp starts, distributing passes to Seigo KOBAYASHI flowing to the left side of the front line. Seigo KOBAYASHI, whose performance from studying in Brazil is anticipated, also actively attempted his signature dribbling breakthroughs, putting pressure on the opposing defense. On the right side, chances were created from the hot line between Naito and Masuda, who have been a duo since the Antlers days. In the first 10 minutes of the first half, Tokyo's aggressiveness stood out, showing a development that was more than even.

However, Jubilo was not going to stay silent. In the 10th minute, Jubilo took a right corner kick, and Namai sent a soft ball into the box, leading to a scramble in front of the goal with a relentless barrage of shots. Thanks to a great save by goalkeeper Doi, they managed to survive the crisis, but in the following 11th minute, right in front of Tokyo's penalty area, the ball was passed to Namai, who casually executed a heel pass. Takahara, who had made a run, unleashed a powerful shot. This too was dealt with by Doi, but Jubilo gradually began to show their teeth.

Júbilo Iwata applies intense pressure in the midfield to win the ball, first passing it to the defensive midfielder, Namai. From there, they either make a direct pass to the forward or pass it to the other playmaker, Fujita. Fujita constantly moves selflessly to keep the ball in motion, passing to Nishii on the right side, or to Fukunishi, who moves widely from the defensive midfielder position to the front line, or to Hattori, who makes a perfectly timed run into the space on the left side, leading to a breakthrough on the flanks. The individual skills are very high, and the imaginative attacks centered around Namai have multiple patterns, leaving Tokyo on the defensive. With Nishii attacking aggressively from the right side and Hattori from the left, Tokyo's wingers, Seigo KOBAYASHI and Masamitsu KOBAYASHI, are forced to defend, and even when they win the ball, they find themselves in a low position to launch an attack, falling into a vicious cycle that prevents effective counterattacks.

Game plan falls apart with Naito's dismissal

There was no lack of strategy in Tokyo. After the match, Coach Okuma reflected, "If we had kept the first half at zero, the entire team could have taken a more forward approach in the second half and regained control by winning the ball at a higher position... However, due to that unexpected incident, we had to reconsider the game plan itself..." As Coach Okuma said, we were fully aware that the opponent would dominate the ball, and we thought we could manage if we kept the first half at zero. In fact, DF Fujiyama was performing well, showing sharp attacking participation despite being isolated, and the defensive midfielder Koike was functioning effectively as a good relay point in attack. As mentioned earlier, the attacking players on both sides were too fearful of their opponents and were too withdrawn, which hindered our attacking momentum, but Coach Okuma believed that there was a chance of victory by pushing forward more in the second half. However, that plan collapsed due to an unexpected incident when right-back Naito had pain in his left hamstring and had to leave the field in the 33rd minute of the first half. Naito was a central figure in the tactics we had been working on during this break, focusing on "winning the ball at a higher position and launching an attack with momentum from there," and his departure from the pitch meant that we had to reconsider the plan itself.

Komine, who replaced Naito, is primarily a center-back, and while the defense in one-on-one situations has been strengthened, the strategy of "going for goals" to win needs to be reconsidered.

Endure with everyone's high concentration,期待 for TUTO's decisive moment

Despite the unexpected incident of Naito's ejection, Tokyo managed to keep the first half scoreless and entered the second half with a unified mindset of "calling out from behind and pushing forward, aiming to move as one," taking to the pitch.

Right after the start of the second half, Jubilo's fierce attack began, but Tokyo's strategy to consciously push forward also showed effectiveness.

In the 5th minute, Kamino turned to face forward from a post play and passed to Masuda on the right. Masuda easily crossed it into the center, where TUTO unleashed a powerful volley shot from an exquisite trap. Unfortunately, it did not result in a goal as it went straight to the goalkeeper, but it was a play that showed the "momentum" and "aggressiveness" that were lacking in the first half. In the following 9th minute, TUTO dribbled past two opposing players in a narrow central area and passed to Kamino, who immediately sent a heel kick pass to the running TUTO. TUTO charged towards the goal but was unfortunately stopped by two opposing defenders, proving that he could break through even one Iwata defender, showcasing a great play that boosted the team's confidence.

Yokohama began to feel the pressure gradually, and in the 11th minute, as they lost balance and shifted to attack, TUTO showcased his skills once again. After the Tokyo defense intercepted the ball from Yokohama, it was passed to TUTO at the front line. Receiving the pass in his own half, TUTO made a solo run of about 50 meters. Although Japan national team defender Hattori was closing in fast, TUTO, who was dribbling, was quicker. Ultimately, his shot was blocked by the opposing defender who tackled him, but he was able to create a good opportunity with his signature counterattack.

The efforts of Tokyo's defense were also remarkable. They were dominated by about 80% possession, and they endured Jubilo's attacks, which connected almost entirely through direct passes leading to finishes, with high concentration and fierce fighting, not allowing any goals. In terms of height, Yamao and Sandro completely shut down the opponent's two forwards, Nakayama and Takahara. In the 18th minute, they were broken down on the right side by Nishi, who delivered a perfect cross to Takayama running to the near post, but Yamao managed to contest it with a determined diving header, causing Takayama's header to graze the post and miss the goal. In this play, Takahara was injured and had to leave the field bleeding, and Yamao also suffered a cut on his forehead as a consequence.

The team that worked hard was also favored by luck. Jubilo's shots either went straight to the goalkeeper or just barely missed the goal. In the biggest crisis at the 21st minute, a perfect shot taken by Oku, who came on as a substitute, was saved by the goalpost from right in front of the goal.

Regrettable final five minutes

In the second half, there were two chances from TUTO's charge, but in the 21st minute, a third big chance arrived. In the same situation as the second chance, TUTO received the ball in his own half and once again went on a solo run. As he charged towards the opponent's goal, just before being sandwiched between a defender chasing from behind and another defender trying to stop him from the front, he made a small pass to the right as if it were a pass, slipped past the defender coming from the front on his left side, leaving both opponents behind. He quickly caught up with the ball he had passed and took a powerful shot while being free. It seemed like the decisive chance that would finally pay off, but the shot veered to the right of the goal. Given the scarcity of chances, it was very disappointing, but TUTO's brilliant speed and dribbling undoubtedly reaffirmed that he is among the top class in J. From this play, no matter how much pressure they were under, one couldn't help but hope for a repeat of the dramatic comeback shown in the match against Iwata on April 5.

On the other hand, Jubilo's fierce attack was extreme. The atmosphere in the stadium, where about 10,000 spectators were watching, conveyed that it was absolutely unacceptable to lose to Tokyo twice at home. This was not a pressure that negatively affected Jubilo's players, but rather a heavy supporting mood that made them aware of their tradition and pride.

In the 30th minute, Nishi unleashed a powerful shot from about 30 meters in the center, and Dohi barely managed to punch it away. Then, in the 33rd minute, a precise cross from Oka, who broke down the right side, found Nakayama's head at the far side, and the shot just barely went over the bar, but the danger continued, and it was clear that a goal could come at any moment.

In the 36th minute, a breakthrough on the left side led to a cross that resulted in a scramble, and in the end, Nishi attempted an overhead kick, but the shot hit the crossbar. Once again, luck was on our side.

However, luck did not last until the end. In the 40th minute, Hattori, who had been participating in the attack and looking for chances, passed the ball forward and rushed towards the goal. After connecting with Fukunishi and Oku, Hattori, who had come from behind, was unmarked and received a pass, which he pushed into the goal, resulting in a conceded goal. It was a goal born from the experience and determination gained from the recent Asian Cup battles. Then, in the 44th minute, just before the end, a ball was passed from Oku to Fujita, who had drifted to the left side in front of the goal. Finally, Nakayama, who had not been in good form today, dove in to meet a highly accurate cross to the far side and scored with a perfect header, sealing the match. In the end, they could not withstand the last five minutes and lost what seemed like a reachable victory.

The gap in strength with Jubilo Iwata, which can be considered one of the top clubs in Asia, was undeniable at this point in time, but we must face the day when we will overcome them with our strength. The precision of the skills displayed in this match was remarkable, even though they were the opposing team. This was most evident in the "crossing accuracy" that Coach Okuma often emphasizes. The balls they delivered were targeted, and they kicked them with pinpoint precision. We must not waste today's painful defeat. And in the near future, we will surely overcome them with our strength!

[Coach Okuma's Comments]

It was disappointing that we couldn't be more aggressive after Naito's dismissal. Also, when we conceded the goal, I thought, 'I can't endure this any longer,' and was preparing to make substitutions. I regret that we conceded before making those substitutions.

However, I think the things we were trying to do today with this team were executed well, and what I said at halftime about "pushing forward more" was achieved in the second half. If we can reduce mistakes in the front line, we should be able to create more good opportunities. From now on, I want to switch our mindset and prepare for the next match.