Heading towards a perfect record in the last 4 games!

　Since their victory against Urawa Reds (September 29), FC Tokyo has not won a single game for over a month. On this day, they welcomed C Osaka, who was on the verge of relegation, to their home stadium, Tokyo Stadium. C Osaka needed to win by more than one goal to avoid being relegated to J2, so it was expected that they would launch a desperate all-out attack from the start. On the other hand, Tokyo had their reliable veterans, Amaral who returned from suspension and Miura who recovered from injury, back on the pitch, and an intense and exciting game was anticipated.

　FC Tokyo may have lost their goal of winning the championship, but in order to achieve better results than last year and aim for their first title, it is important to win this match in front of them. The stage is set to showcase Tokyo's strength. Let's go for a perfect record in the last four games and head into battle!

"Solid defense and quick attack" explodes! Scored 2 goals in a row!

　At 4:04 PM, the whistle announcing the start of FC Tokyo's "Last 4 Games, All Wins" challenge echoed loudly in Tokyo Stadium, where rain was intermittently falling.

　The match started with C Osaka launching an all-out attack regardless of their formation, but FC Tokyo was able to steal the ball with solid defense and create big chances through sharp counterattacks. The first clear chance for FC Tokyo came in the 9th minute, when Yukihiro, who had dropped back to his own half to support the defense, received the ball and passed it to Seigo on the left side. Yukihiro then made a fierce dash towards the front line. Seigo perfectly timed a through pass behind C Osaka's shallow defensive line, and Yukihiro broke through to face the goalkeeper one-on-one. Although Yukihiro was able to dribble past the goalkeeper, he couldn't get a shot off and barely managed to pass it back to Amaral in the center, but it was just out of reach and cleared by a defender. Although it didn't result in a goal, it was a big chance created by Yukihiro's excellent situational awareness. Unlike the previous match where they struggled to create a base in the front line and build up attacks due to a lack of tempo in the midfield, FC Tokyo in this match was able to create a rhythm in their attacks by having midfielder Miura control the tempo in the midfield and using Amaral and Toda as wedges to spread the attack to the sides. Up front, Amaral provided a stable target with his post play, and Toda, who made his first start in the second stage, caused trouble for C Osaka's defense with his abundant energy and aggressive movements. On the right side, Yukihiro created chances with his sharp runs into space.

　15 minutes into the game, Kominato, who had stolen the ball on the right side, quickly fed it to Yukihiro on the front line. Yukihiro made a well-timed run and received the ball from the deep right side, then crossed it to Miura who had made a run into the box and powerfully kicked it in with his right foot, giving Tokyo the lead. Riding on their momentum, Tokyo scored again in the 19th minute when Yukihiro once again broke through on the right side and passed it to Amaral in the center with a ground pass. Amaral controlled the ball with one touch and then unleashed a powerful volley with his right foot, scoring the second goal. C Osaka, who needed to win, became too aggressive and lost their balance between offense and defense, leaving space behind their shallow three-back line. Tokyo took advantage of this space, especially on the right side with Yukihiro, and quickly scored two goals in the early stages of the game.

Own goal that decided the match

　C Osaka, who lost two points from the beginning, moved immediately afterwards. In the 21st minute of the first half, when Korean genius game maker Yin was thrown in, C Osaka's attack changed from a monotonous one that just rushed vertically to one with thickness that utilized Yin and Morishima's keep power and fine pass work. However, Tokyo's defense line on this day had a higher concentration than usual, and Sandro, who was the target man, marked FW Okayama with a thorough man-to-man marking, and Kominato and Fujiyama checked FW Oshiba, who entered the side space with speed, with a strict check, so they did not create a decisive form. In the 30th minute, Yin was pushed into the back of the right side, and FW Okayama jumped into the cross from there, but Sandro barely cleared it. In the 38th minute, a powerful middle shot was taken from the center by Yin, but Tsuchi caught it in front. In addition, in the last minute of stoppage time, a decisive last pass was made in the penalty area, but Yamao, who had entered the cover a moment earlier, cleared it with a sliding. Tsuchi also managed to escape with a punch from the middle shot taken immediately afterwards, but the first half ended with C Osaka's pace in the end.

　1 minute into the second half, C Osaka's Yin kept the ball on the left side and made a wedge pass to the top, but FC Tokyo's defender cut it off. However, the clearance was small and Yin picked up the ball again and shot from the center, hitting the defender's foot and changing direction for a goal. "The next goal will decide the game," said Coach Okuma at halftime, so it was a regrettable goal to concede. But the sadness was short-lived. Recently, Tokyo has gained confidence in being able to recover even if they are scored against, and they calmly continued to play their own soccer without being shaken by the goal. In the 4th minute, Yukihiro dribbled in from the right side and Miura timed his run perfectly to get behind the defense. Yukihiro then made a perfect through pass to Miura. Miura crossed from the goal line, but it hit a C Osaka defender's chest and went in for an own goal. Tokyo was now completely at ease, but for C Osaka, who had just thought "let's make a comeback!" this own goal was an immeasurable shock.

King is still alive! Amaral achieves his first hat-trick of the season! "Unbeaten Myth" also extends

　C Osaka, who was once again two points behind in a shocking time, still had their fighting spirit (=soul) intact. After conceding a goal, they substituted midfielder Marcelo with 19-year-old rookie Yu Okubo, who has become the team's main attacking force. With a more aggressive shift, C Osaka launched a strong attack with the combination of Yin, Morishima, and Okubo. In the 7th and 9th minutes, they were both hit by a middle shot, but Tsuchi was able to barely deflect it with a punch, and FC Tokyo's defenders were able to clear the ball a moment faster than their opponents. In addition, in the 11th minute, Yin's free kick from the front of the goal hit the post. In the 13th minute, Okuyama attempted a jumping volley from Yin's cross from the left, but it went wide. C Osaka's desperate attack only increased in power, but Tokyo, who had a high level of concentration, calmly waited for the "opportunity to come".

　The long-awaited chance came in the 14th minute. Until then, C Osaka had been showing fierce attacks, and both the defenders and the team as a whole were completely on the offensive. In the 14th minute, Fujiyama intercepted and passed to Amaral and Kobayashi, who broke through with a wall pass, putting FC Tokyo in a numerically advantageous situation within C Osaka's territory. Kobayashi sent a long pass to Miura, who had run into the right side space, and Miura passed directly to Amaral, who ran into the center. With Miura pulling the defender to the side, Amaral was left with a 1-on-1 situation against C Osaka's defender in the center. Amaral took a big feint to the left and shot with his left foot, the sharp ground shot passing through the narrow space on the same side and shaking the goal net. At this point, Amaral was unstoppable. In the 18th minute, Yukihiro scored a spectacular header from a cross from the right side, jumping one head above the opponent in front of the goal, achieving his first hat-trick of the season and extending the score to 5-1, giving C Osaka a big lead.

　The match was decided by Amaral's decisive goal, but C Osaka continued to fight until the end, responding to the passionate support of the fans. Yu Okubo showed fresh movements and created a rhythm for C Osaka, while Tokyo's defense, including Shimodaira, showed a high level of concentration to withstand the pressure. The match continued with intense back-and-forth attacks, but in the 41st minute, Yoon floated a ball from the center and Morishima dropped it off the post, allowing Oshiba to run in and score. The match continued with C Osaka showing their determination until the final whistle, but ultimately ended with this result. At this point, C Osaka's relegation to J2 was decided.

　FC Tokyo tasted their first victory in about a month and took a steady step towards "four consecutive wins in the last four games". Although they conceded an unnecessary goal at the end, overall Amaral and Miura returned and the team was much more solid than in the previous round. And the players who joined the team from the previous round, such as Toru Kaburagi, have definitely improved their level through their experience in actual matches. They are still far from the best lineup, but in the next round, someone reliable will surely return to the pitch. With Amaral scoring a goal, the "undefeated myth" has extended to 9 wins and 2 draws this season (15 wins and 2 draws if counting from the 2nd stage of last year). With Amaral in top form, this record is reassuring. The next round will be a "big match" for both us and our opponents, Kashima Antlers. We will defeat the reigning champions Kashima in their home ground in order to achieve "three consecutive wins in the last three games"!

[Manager Okuma's Comment] With Kelly being absent and the current situation of (C Osaka), we knew that the opponent would come to win from the beginning. With Toda entering today, the movement of the front line increased, and the runs and jumps to the places the opponent dislikes were effective, and we were able to score at a good time, making it an easy development for the first time in a while. If Toda can do this much in other matches with other teams, he will be a great force. I have high expectations and I want him to aim higher and work harder.

[Coach Joao CARLOS's comment] The situation has been tough since before the game, and with this defeat, we have been relegated to J2. We were able to build our game and score, but FC Tokyo also played well and deserved to win. I think it was a good game. The record of 2 wins and 8 losses since I took over shows that I was unable to change the team. The front office supported us to the fullest and the players did well. We had some injuries, but I don't want to use that as an excuse. We have many talented players on this team. It's just that I couldn't make a change. I am a professional and I have responsibility. I will not run away from this result. I will take responsibility for the team not being able to stay in the league, but as long as I have a contract, I want to keep fighting. The current situation and the situation the players are facing are tough. This is the biggest challenge I have faced in my career. I know the players are going through a tough time. But for the supporters who cheer us on, for our families and friends, we have to keep fighting.