J-League Resumes! More offensively, we will definitely win at home!!

　The J-League has resumed after the World Cup. Coach Hara stated that for the resumption, he wants to "put our feelings forward and play more aggressive soccer. Especially in home games, we want to attack fiercely and absolutely do not want to lose." The first match after the break is an important game that will indicate the future of the 1st stage. With the aggressive soccer that Coach Hara aims for, we want to defeat Sanfrecce Hiroshima and gain momentum for the future.

　Today marks the 6th anniversary of Samba Night. The stadium is at its peak excitement with the hot samba rhythms played by one of Japan's leading samba teams, belonging to the Asakusa Escola de Samba Association.

　The starting lineup for Tokyo is listed as 3-5-2 on the order sheet, but midfielder Kaji plays as a right side back, forward Toda is positioned on the left outside, and Fukuda takes the role of a lone striker in a familiar 4-5-1 system. On the other hand, Hiroshima has kicked off with a 3-5-2 system where defender Komano plays as a right winger.

J-League Kicks Off To A Samba Rhythm 

Following a three month break for the World Cup J-League football returned to Tokyo Stadium on Sunday evening with Sanfrecce Hiroshima the visitors for the sixth edition of Samba Night. The thunderous rhythms provided by Japan based samba teams organized in conjunction with the Asakusa Escola Za Samba whipped the expectant crowd into a pre-match frenzy,
as did manager Hara's comments: " We're going for all out attacking football. We will absolutely not lose at home. "
The Tokyo starting eleven read 3-5-2 on paper but with midfielder Kaji as right side-back, forward Toda as outside left and Fukuda as lone striker, lined up as 4-5-1 on the pitch. Sanfrecce opted for 3-5-2 with Komano as left winger.

Despite being pushed back, Dohi defends, and Toda changes the flow.

　From the start, both teams show a bold attitude towards the goal. In the 1st minute, FW Oki from Hiroshima takes a shot immediately, and in the 3rd minute, Jean heads the ball from a set piece for Tokyo. In the 4th minute, Ishikawa, who had changed positions, takes a shot from the left side. In the 9th minute, Miyazawa shoots from a loose ball after a throw-in, actively aiming for the goal. However, Hiroshima's midfield players return quickly, and with concentrated defense, they do not easily allow a goal.

　Both teams were pressing and countering from the front, but Hiroshima began to slow down a bit after the 15-minute mark. They started to use a mix of pace in their passing, no longer rushing their attacks.

　However, Tokyo's critical pinch will come after this. In the 26th minute, a pass from Oki, who advanced on the left side, goes behind the DF line, and with perfect timing, FW Kubo breaks through, facing Doih with a one-on-one situation. A near miss shot was saved by Doih's fine play. In the 28th minute, MF Fujimoto dribbled into the penalty area, and as he was closely marked by a DF, he shot while moving away from the center of the goal to the right side, but the ball hit the crossbar. In the following 29th minute, a pass found Kubo, who broke free behind the shallow DF line, but his shot narrowly missed to the left of the goal.

　Hiroshima created a decisive chance with a streamlined and efficient attack, but it was Tokyo that first shook the goal net. In the 36th minute, Ishikawa briefly held the ball outside the penalty area from a pass by Shimohira, but with a quick decision, he sent a through ball to Toda, who had made a run behind the defense. Toda took a shot that seemed to be a touch with his toes, and it went into the goal! With Toda's first goal of the season, Tokyo took the lead.

Doi Preserves, Toda Excels

Both teams launched into attack straight from the kick off, Sanfrecce's Oki having the first attempt on goal with only a minute on the clock. Jean went close with a header after 3 minutes and Ishikawa fired in a shot from the left a minute later. In the 9th minute Miyazawa latched onto a loose ball from a throw in but was blocked by some desperate defending.
From around the 15th minute Sanfrecce dropped the tempo and began to roll the ball around, looking for openings behind the F.C.TOKYO back line. In the 26th minute Oki picked out Kubo's run with a superb ball that set the lanky striker free inside the penalty area; Doi stood up then dived sharply to his right for a stunning save. Two minutes later the Tokyo stopper was beaten by Fujimoto's volley from an acute angle but the ball scraped the bar and bounced harmlessly into touch. Kubo wasted another glorious chance in the 29th minute as he blazed a shot past the post with only Doi to beat.
Their profligacy in front of goal proved to be their undoing as Tokyo took the lead against the run of play in the 36th minute, with a goal as sharp as it was surprising. Shimotaira found Ishikawa on the edge of the penalty area; he held the ball for an instant before gently rolling it into the path of Toda who burst into the narrowest of spaces between the last defender and the keeper to prod the ball home for his first goal of the season.

Outstanding combination play, Miyazawa pulls away from Hiroshima with a free kick

　Tokyo, who drew the flow of the game, scored again in the 43rd minute just before the end of the first half. This time, Miyazawa received a pass from Shimohira and sent it directly to Toda. Similar to the first goal, Toda burst forward from the second line, received the ball, slipped past the defensive line with a single touch, and shot. With a combination play that utilized Toda's speed, they secured an additional goal at the perfect moment. Both teams had an equal number of shots in the first half, with 8 each. However, Tokyo had 7 of those shots on target, including Toda's 2 goals. The difference in finishing ability was reflected in the scoreline at the end of the first half.

　Shortly after the second half began, Ishikawa cleverly chased a loose pass from Hiroshima's defender and earned a corner kick. However, Hiroshima applied intense pressure from the front line again and launched a counterattack. In the 50th minute, midfielder Matsushita charged into the center of the penalty area with a dribble and took a shot, but Doih was able to save it. Kubo's follow-up shot went wide of the goal. In the 54th minute, Matsushita took a shot from a direct free kick. In the 59th minute, a direct play similar to Tokyo's goal saw Oki pass to Kubo, who approached the goal, but the shot missed the target.

　In the second half, Tokyo was unable to create chances, but in the 58th minute, Amaral was brought on to replace Fukuda. Amaral became the starting point for a counterattack. In the 70th minute, Ishikawa attempted a solo dribble breakthrough from a quick attack, and the opposing defender could not help but foul him. A free kick was awarded just outside the right penalty area. The ball kicked by Miyazawa grazed the opposing GK's hand and went into the bottom right corner of the goal! With a magnificent free kick, they pulled away from the pursuing Hiroshima.

Just Like Watching Brazil

Toda had to wait eight games for his first goal of the year; he waited just seven minutes for his second. In an almost identical move Shimotaira found Miyazawa on the edge of the area and this time Toda took one touch before sweeping a delightful layoff beyond the Sanfrecce keeper. The first half ended 2-0 to F.C.TOKYO; both sides managed eight shots but, 
including Toda's two goals, the home team had seven on target, to Sanfrecce's one. 
The visitors came out revitalized in the second half and produced a string of opportunities but again failed to capitalise on some fine approach work. Manager Hara replaced Fukuda with Amaral after 58 minutes and the momentum switched back to F.C.TOKYO almost immediately as the "King of Tokyo" was able to hold the ball up in advanced positions, relieving the pressure on the defence. In the 70th minute Ishikawa charged at the Sanfrecce defence until felled about 25 metres out on the right. Miyazawa stepped up and curled a sublime free kick inside the near post which the keeper could only help into the net.

A complete victory with a hat trick by speedster Toda!

　Tokyo, gaining momentum, does not ease its offensive efforts, showcasing a wide attack with Amaral as the starting point. In the 80th minute, a pass sequence from central Amaral to Kelly on the right and then to Ishikawa on the left ends with Ishikawa's shot going wide to the left, but it shakes the Hiroshima defense with a significant play. Then in the 84th minute, once again from central Amaral, a pass goes to Kelly, who has drifted to the left side. Kelly draws in the defenders with a dribble and, just before entering the shooting motion, passes in front of the goal. Here, Toda, waiting free, traps the ball with his chest and unleashes a beautiful volley into the goal! 'Until now, we created chances but couldn't finish. However, there is no player who can run like him, and it's wonderful how he contributes to the team both defensively and offensively,' said Coach Hara, as Toda's joyful hat trick secures the fourth goal as a clincher.

　In the 88th minute, Kelly was substituted for Kinama, who made his first appearance of the season after returning from injury. Although it was a short time, he ran around the pitch and showed a lively presence.

　In the end, there wasn't a noticeable difference in content as the score might suggest, but Tokyo executed their tasks without cutting corners, achieving a complete victory with Dohi's fine play and Toda's goal. This marks the sixth year since the JFL era for the Samba Night games without a loss. Of course, they are also undefeated in home games this season. Riding this momentum, they want to push through the remaining 7 matches of the 1st stage.

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "I didn't want to watch the first half video because we performed poorly at the beginning. After the break, we resumed practice and increased the training volume. Due to player injuries, we tried various systems, but the fatigue made it difficult to regain our form. At the start of today’s match, I felt our bodies were heavy. In the first half, there was a critical moment, and if we had conceded there, I think we would have lost. We were helped by Dohi's good positioning and the opponent's mistake, and then Toda scored at a good time, changing the flow of the game. There were dangerous moments in the second half as well, but from Miyazawa's goal, we finally calmed down, and I think we started to show our natural rhythm. In the first half of the season, we had many injuries, but players like Toda emerged, and Kinna also made a comeback. I want to leverage the positive aspects and prepare well for the next match against Iwata."

[Summary of the press conference by Acting Director Kimura of Hiroshima] "In the first half, we were able to play with a good rhythm, but after conceding a goal, our defense became fragile. We tried to carry the score of 0-1 into the second half, but after conceding a second goal, it became difficult overall. In particular, we tried to adjust our response to player Ishikawa during the match, but it did not communicate well, and as a result, I think we conceded a goal in a situation that did not function effectively. Given the circumstances of Director Gadzhi GADZHIEV returning home unexpectedly, we have been practicing to connect passes and attack in a good shape as much as possible. I believe some of that was evident in the first half."

Hat Trick For Toda-Four For Tokyo

F.C.TOKYO kept the pressure on as Amaral stretched the Sanfrecce defense hither and yon. Ishikawa flashed a shot inches wide in the 80th minute before Toda scored his third, and Tokyo's fourth, four minutes later. Amaral found Kelly just inside the area on the left; he dribbled inside, faked a shot and lofted a delicate ball to the unmarked Toda who controlled
it on his chest and smashed a volley past the keeper. Manager Hara said of Toda "Until today he had created a lot of chances but had been unable to finish any of them himself. However nobody runs harder or works harder for the team."
Kina made his first appearance of the season following a long injury layoff, received a hero's welcome from the fans and galloped around gleefully for a few minutes until the referee blew the final whistle. In truth the final score didn't really reflect the differences between the teams: Doi's saves and Toda's hat trick being the principal ones. F.C.TOKYO
are now unbeaten in six Samba Night games stretching back to their JFL days and unbeaten at home this season. Hopefully the team can maintain this form in the remaining seven games.

Manager Hara :
" The first half was terrible. Doi and our opponents' finishing kept us in the game until Toda put us ahead with two timely goals. The second half wasn't plain sailing either but the third goal was the clincher. Then we really found our rhythm. We've struggled with injuries this year but with players like Toda coming through and Kina coming back from injury things are looking up."

Sanfrecce manager Kimura :
" We played well in the first half and had a good rhythm. 0-1 at half time wouldn't have been too bad but conceding a second
made it very difficult for us."