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

The match against Verdy Kawasaki will be the first home game since the J1 restart. In the final match of the 1st stage, we lost without putting up a good fight in the away game, so we definitely want to repay that debt in this match. Additionally, it is a game where we want to show the proof of our improvement over the past two months at home.

Tokyo will be missing key defender Sandro due to accumulated warnings and right side player Naito due to injury. In center back, Yamao and Kobeba will form a partnership for the first time this season. Komine will take the right side back position. Amaral, who is being cautious, will start on the bench. The two forwards will be TUTO and Kamino, just like in the previous match.

Verdy dominates the game with high individual skills

Right from the start, Masamitsu KOBAYASHI sent a cross in front of the goal from a quick restart, and Masuda attacked from the left to win a corner kick, showing an aggressive attitude from Tokyo. However, Verdy, who had the wind at their back, quickly took control of the game's pace. In the 4th minute, midfielder Sakurai broke through on the right side, and midfielder Kim Togun connected with a negative cross to shoot. Verdy, with their quick movements and individual ball control, dominated the ball with ease. When they saw an opening, the full-backs made overlapping runs and attacked wide. In the 9th minute, Tokyo's right side was breached by midfielder Ishizuka, and Kobayashi could not help but foul in the penalty area. Midfielder Hayashi confidently converted the resulting penalty kick, putting them in the lead.

After the match, Coach Zhang mentioned, "In the first half, we were able to execute the attacking patterns we studied about Tokyo effectively." Verdy thoroughly exploited the gaps on the sides. Then, in the 14th minute, a cross-like ball delivered by left-back Mikami as he advanced towards the goal floated into the net with the wind. It was an unfortunate goal for Tokyo, as they found themselves already two goals behind at this early stage.

Tokyo should be characterized by its quick transitions and abundant physical activity, but so far, Verdy has outperformed in both speed and stamina. In the 24th minute, a counterattack from a set piece led to Koike receiving the ball, and goalkeeper Honami rushed out, creating a big chance, but Verdy's defense returned quickly, and TUTO was unable to take a shot. Conversely, in the 30th and 35th minutes, Kim Togun had decisive shots, but thanks to Doih's nice save, they managed to escape and ended the first half.

A brilliant substitution, Amaral sets the rhythm

Tokyo, struggling with coordination and unable to create plays starting from Kamino, brought in Amaral to replace Kamino at the start of the second half. In the 46th minute, Kobayashi received a through ball from Amaral and entered the penalty area. Although he was blocked by the defender, the team began to show signs of attack. Amaral not only held the ball up front but also connected defense and offense from a deeper position, creating a good rhythm for Tokyo. In the 53rd minute, Koiike was replaced by Kinama. From here, Tokyo continued to dominate the game.

However, Verdy also began to show noticeable passing mistakes while being downwind, but they handled it calmly without panicking. They didn't force things, but once they had the ball, their awareness to finish with a shot in any form was evident in their play.

TUTO 2 goals! Leading the top scorer rankings

While keeping the rhythm, Tokyo struggled to break through Verdy's concentrated play. In the 59th minute, TUTO's powerful free kick was barely deflected by goalkeeper Honnami with a punch. However, finally in the 65th minute, Komine on the right side sent a long pass from the defensive line, and TUTO quickly broke free, calmly scoring a goal while competing with the defender! In just a few seconds, it was a flowing attack that turned the chance into a definite goal.

From here, it's Tokyo's specialty counterattack mode. Seven minutes after scoring one goal back, Amaral quickly switched from defense to Masuda on the left. Masuda sent a superb pass directly into the space between the goalkeeper and the defense line, where TUTO, running in with great speed, broke free from the defense and shot! This equalizer became his 17th goal of the season, tying him for the top of the scoring chart.

Tokyo continued to attack. In the 74th minute, Amaral made a header shot from a left corner kick. In the following 79th minute, TUTO, who lost his mark from another corner kick, took a shot, but both went wide of the goal.

A goal conceded in stoppage time that I can't regret enough

However, Verdy, who had conceded two goals to tie, would not remain silent. "We need to score one more somehow," they quickly launched a powerful counterattack, exploiting Tokyo's defensive gaps. Yamao and Kobayashi managed to hold on with their physical play and escaped to a corner kick, but in the 81st and 85th minutes, the heading shots from DF Yoneyama and MF Kim Togun, both taken unmarked and free, were fired from that corner. They missed the target, but it could be said that Tokyo was in a precarious state, where they could concede at any moment. In the 89th minute, Amaral on the right side broke free from the defender after winning the ball in midfield and sent a well-aimed final pass, but it was narrowly missed in front of the goal.

On the contrary, finally in stoppage time, after connecting two passes from a counter, the fresh forward Hiramoto, who was brought on in the 71st minute, took a decisive shot. Although goalkeeper Doi made a save, the rebound was kicked back in by Hiramoto, sealing the deal.

In the end, Verdy had 18 shots compared to Tokyo's 7. It's clear when looking at TUTO, who is at the top of the scoring race, that they are not lacking in finishing ability. However, one must say that the current situation is such that there are simply not many chances leading up to that point.

Two consecutive losses after the restart. In the second stage overall, Tokyo has not been able to overcome the situation with six consecutive losses, including one draw. We want to use TUTO's two goals as a catalyst for the team's recovery and somehow break through this situation.

Director Zhang's Comments

"In the end, winning in extra time was good, but the way we fought in the first half and the second half changed drastically, and I couldn't understand the way we played in the second half. There were many points for reflection in the second half."

Director Okuma's Comments

"Regarding the goals conceded, I think there were aspects that were like a traffic accident and some luck involved, so I wanted to switch my mindset and endure the first half at 0-2. From there, in the second half, up until the last goal conceded, including player substitutions, I believe we were able to play a style of football that is characteristic of Tokyo. In the second half, due to the wind, we were in an 'aggressive' mode, but the very act of pushing forward created a situation that turned into a trap at the end. The position of our defensive midfielder Asari and the defensive line were somewhat open at that time. However, regardless of how the situation developed, that is a place we must defend, so I want to confirm that once again. Still, we were able to play very positively, trying to recover somehow, so I want to continue playing football characteristic of Tokyo in the upcoming matches and give our all to achieve good results."