The first home game after the restart of the 2nd stage will be against Verdy at Komazawa.

After the J1 restart, the first home game will be against Verdy Kawasaki. In the final match of the 1st stage, we were defeated on enemy territory, so we definitely want to repay the favor in this match. It will also be a game where we want to show the improvement we have made in the past two months at home.

Tokyo will be without Naito on the right side due to injury, and Sandro, a key defender, is cautioned for accumulation. Yamao and Furube form a partnership at center back for the first time this season. Komine will start at right back. Amaral, who is being cautious, will start on the bench. TUTO and Kanno will lead the attack as a duo, just like in the previous match.

Verdy dominates the game with high individual skills

Early on, Tokyo showed an aggressive attitude, with Masamitsu KOBAYASHI sending a cross into the goal area from a quick restart and Masuda attacking from the left to win a corner kick. However, Verdy, who had the advantage of the wind, quickly took control of the game. In the 4th minute, MF Sakurai broke through on the right side and MF Kim Togun followed up with a shot from a negative cross. With quick movement and strong ball control, Verdy had no trouble dominating possession. Whenever there was an opening, the fullbacks would overlap and attack wide. In the 9th minute, Tokyo's right side was broken by MF Ishizuka, and Furukawa couldn't help but commit a foul in the penalty area. MF Hayashi confidently converted the resulting penalty kick, giving Verdy the lead.

After the game, Coach Zhang said, "In the first half, we were able to execute our attacking pattern as we studied Tokyo." As a result, Verdy consistently exploited the space behind the sides. In the 14th minute, left SB Mikami sent a cross-like ball into the goal, carried by the wind. It was an unfortunate goal for Tokyo, but they were already down by two goals in this early stage of the game.

The speed of switching and the abundant amount of exercise should be the strengths of Tokyo, but so far Verdy has been faster and more active. In the 24th minute, the ball was passed to Koike from a set play and GK Motonami rushed out, creating a big chance, but the return of Verdy's DF was surprisingly fast and TUTO, who received the pass, couldn't make it to the shot. On the other hand, in the 30th and 35th minutes, Kim Togun took a decisive shot, but it was saved nicely by Doi and they managed to escape the first half.

Amaral creates rhythm with a brilliant member substitution.

Tokyo, who had poor coordination and couldn't create a shape centered around Kamiya, substituted Amaral in for Kamiya at the start of the second half. In the 46th minute, Kobayashi received a through pass from Amaral and entered the penalty area. Although he was blocked by the defense, Tokyo started to show signs of attack. Amaral not only kept the ball in the front line, but also played a key role in connecting the attack and defense from a withdrawn position, which led to a good rhythm for Tokyo. In the 53rd minute, Kina was substituted in for Koike. From here, Tokyo continued to dominate the game.

However, Verdy also calmly dealt with the situation without rushing, even though they started to make more passing mistakes while being downwind. They did not force anything, but once they had the ball, their play showed a consciousness of ending with a shot in any form.

TUTO 2 goals! Leading the top scorer

Tokyo, who couldn't break through Verdy's focused play despite riding on the rhythm. In the 59th minute, TUTO's powerful free kick was barely punched away by GK Motonami. However, finally in the 65th minute, Lins quickly broke away from the DF line to receive a long pass from the right side by Komine, and calmly scored while competing with the DF! In just a few seconds of flowing attack, they were able to secure their chance.

Tokyo's favorite comeback mode starts here. Just 7 minutes after scoring a goal, Amaral quickly switches from defense to left side to pass to Masuda. Masuda sends a perfect direct pass to the space between the goalkeeper and the defense line, where TUTO runs in with speed and shoots, leaving the defense behind. This equalizing goal marks the 17th goal of the season for the top (tied) scorer.

Tokyo continues to attack. In the 74th minute, Amaral takes a header shot from a left corner kick. In the following 79th minute, TUTO, who was unmarked again from a corner kick, takes a shot but misses the goal both times.

Disappointing goal conceded in stoppage time

However, Verdy, who had caught up with two points, did not stay silent. "We need to score one more goal," they said, and they quickly launched a powerful counterattack by taking advantage of Tokyo's aggressive play. Yamao and Furube desperately defended against the corner kicks, but in the 81st and 85th minutes, the unmarked and free headers from DF Yoneyama and MF Kim Togun were shot. Although they missed the goal, it could be said that Tokyo was in a precarious state where they could have been scored on at any time. In the 89th minute, Amaral on the right side broke through the defense after stealing the ball in the midfield and sent a precise final pass, but it narrowly missed connecting in front of the goal.

In the reverse, finally in stoppage time, a counter attack connected two passes and fresh FW Hiramoto, who was subbed in at the 71st minute, took a bold shot. Although GK Doi initially saved it, the rebound was kicked in by Hiramoto again, and all hope was lost.

After the game, Tokyo had 7 shots compared to Verdy's 18. It's clear when you see TUTO, who is now leading the top scorer race, that they don't lack finishing ability. However, it's undeniable that the current situation is due to the lack of chances leading up to that.

After two consecutive losses since resuming. Tokyo, who have suffered six consecutive losses with one draw in the 2nd stage, are struggling to overcome this situation. TUTO's two goals will hopefully serve as a catalyst for the team's recovery and help turn things around.

"Coach Zhang's comment"

"It was good to win in extra time, but the way we played in the first and second half changed drastically, and it was difficult to understand our performance in the second half. There were many points to reflect on in the second half."

"Coach Ooguma's comment"

"Regarding the goals conceded, I think there were also elements of traffic accidents and luck involved, so I wanted to switch my mindset and hold on to the 0-2 scoreline in the first half. From there, in the second half, until the last goal was conceded, I think we were able to play Tokyo-style football, including player substitutions, in the expected flow of the game. In the second half, due to the wind, we were playing with a lot of energy, but that itself created a trap-like situation for the final moments. The position of the defensive midfielder Asari and the defensive line were a bit open at that time. However, no matter how the game unfolds, we have to defend that area, so I want to review it again. However, we were able to play very positively and try to turn things around, so I want to continue playing Tokyo-style football and give our all to get results."