J League Restart! More aggressive, always win at home!!

　The J-League resumed after the World Cup. Manager Hara said, "We want to push our emotions to the forefront and play more attacking football. Especially in home games, we want to attack aggressively and never lose." The first game after the break is important not only for the 1st stage, but also to set the tone for the future. With Manager Hara's attacking football, we want to defeat Sanfrecce Hiroshima and gain momentum for the future.

　Today marks the 6th anniversary of Samba Night. The stadium is filled with the hot rhythm of samba, performed by one of Japan's top samba teams, the Asakusa Escola de Samba Association, reaching its peak excitement.

　Tokyo's starting members are in a 3-5-2 formation according to the order sheet, but MF Kaji is playing as a right back, FW Toda on the left outside, and Fukuda as the lone striker in a familiar 4-5-1 system. On the other hand, Hiroshima kicked off in a 3-5-2 system with DF Komano playing 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 as 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 the right side-back, forward Toda as the outside left, and Fukuda as the lone striker, they lined up as 4-5-1 on the pitch. Sanfrecce opted for 3-5-2 with Komano as the left winger.

Tsuchiho defends against the pressure and Toda changes the flow.

　From the start, both teams show a determined attitude towards the goal. In the 1st minute, Hiroshima's FW Ohki quickly takes a shot, and in the 3rd minute, Tokyo's Jean takes a header shot from a set piece. In the 4th minute, Ishikawa, who had changed positions, takes a shot from the left side. In the 9th minute, Miyazawa takes a shot from a loose ball from a throw-in, actively aiming for the goal. However, Hiroshima's midfielders quickly return and with focused defense, they do not allow an easy goal.

　Both teams were pressing each other from the front line, but Hiroshima slowed down their pace after 15 minutes. They used a combination of slow and fast passes, which resulted in a decrease in their attacking speed.

　However, Tokyo's decisive pinch will come after this. In the 26th minute, a pass was made behind the DF line from Oki who attacked the left side, and FW Kubo flew out with excellent timing, facing 1-on-1 with Tsuchi. The shot was almost saved by Tsuchi's fine play. In the 28th minute, MF Fujimoto dribbled into the penalty area and was approached by the DF, but he still managed to take a shot from the center of the goal to the right side, hitting the crossbar. In the following 29th minute, a pass was made to Kubo who broke free behind the shallow DF line, but the shot narrowly missed to the left of the goal.

　Hiroshima created decisive chances with an efficient attack, but it was Tokyo who first shook the goal net. In the 36th minute, Ishikawa briefly kept the ball from Shimodaira's pass outside the penalty area, then made a quick decision to pass it through to Toda who had run behind the defense. Toda took a shot with his foot and scored! 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 suprising. 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's FK puts Hiroshima in the lead

　Tokyo, which attracted the flow, received a pass from Shimodaira and Miyazawa directly to Toda just before the end of the first half at 43 minutes. Toda, who had jumped out from the second row in the same way as the first goal, received the ball and slipped through the DF line with one trap, and shot. With a combination play that took advantage of Toda's speed, they scored an additional goal at the best time. The number of shots in the first half was equal at 8 each. However, Tokyo had 7 of those shots on target, including Toda's 2 goals. The difference in finishing was reflected in the first half score.

　Shortly after the start of the second half, Ishikawa cleverly chased after a loose pass from Hiroshima's DF and earned a CK. However, Hiroshima also launched a fierce press from the front line and began to counterattack. In the 50th minute, MF Matsushita dribbled into the center of the penalty area and took a shot, but Tsuchi had a save. Kubo's shot on the rebound missed the frame. In the 54th minute, Matsushita took a shot from a direct FK. In the 59th minute, in a similar fashion to Tokyo's goal, Ogi->Kubo threatened the goal, but the shot missed the goal.

　In the second half, Tokyo was unable to create chances, but in the 58th minute, Amaral was substituted for Fukuda. Amaral became the starting point and launched a counterattack. In the 70th minute, Ishikawa attempted a solo dribble from a quick attack, causing the opponent's DF to commit a foul. They were awarded a free kick just outside the right penalty area. Miyazawa took the kick and the ball grazed the opponent's GK's hand, landing in the bottom right corner of the goal! With a brilliant free kick, they pulled away from Hiroshima who was trying to catch up.

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 capitalize 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 defense. In the 70th. minute Ishikawa charged at the Sanfrecce defense until felled about 25 meters 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.

Complete victory with Speed Star Toda's hat trick!

　Tokyo, gaining momentum, continues to attack without letting up, with Amaral leading the way and showing a wide range of attacks. In the 80th minute, a pass from Amaral in the center to Kelly on the right, then to Ishikawa on the left, resulted in a shot from Ishikawa that missed just left of the goal, shaking up the Hiroshima DF with a big development. Then in the 84th minute, another pass from Amaral in the center, this time to Kelly on the left side, who dribbled and drew in the DF before passing just before entering the shooting motion. Toda, who was waiting free in front of the goal, trapped the ball with his chest and took a beautiful volley shot, scoring the fourth goal to seal the deal. "We've been creating chances but haven't been able to finish them. But there's no one who can run like him, and it's great that he's contributing to the team both defensively and offensively," said coach Hara, happy with Toda's hat-trick.

　Kelly came on in the 88th minute, replacing an injured Kina who made his first appearance of the season. Although it was a short time, he ran around the pitch and showed his energetic presence.

　In the end, there was not much difference in the content of the score, but Tokyo's complete victory was achieved by not letting up at key moments, with fine plays by Doi and Toda's goal. This marks the 6th year of unbeaten games for Sanbanite since the JFL era. Of course, they remain undefeated in home games this season as well. Riding this momentum, they want to push through the remaining 7 matches of the 1st stage.

[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "At first, we were not doing well enough to even want to watch the video of the first half. After the break, we resumed training and increased the amount of practice. We also tried various systems due to player injuries, but due to fatigue, we were unable to get back into shape. Even today, I felt like our bodies were heavy at the start. In the first half, there was a decisive pinch, and if we had been taken there, I think we would have lost. We were helped by Doi's good positioning and the opponent's mistake, and then Toda scored at a good time, changing the flow of the game. There were some dangerous moments in the second half as well, but I think we finally settled down around Miyazawa's goal and the rhythm of Tokyo finally came out. We had a lot of injuries in the first half, but players like Toda emerged and Kina also returned. We want to make good preparations for the next game against Iwata, taking advantage of the positives."

[Hiroshima-Kimura Acting Director's Press Conference Summary] "We were able to fight in a good rhythm in the first half, but our defense became fragile after conceding a goal. We tried to connect in the second half with a score of 0-1, but we were scored a second goal and it became difficult overall. In particular, I tried to make adjustments to our response to Ishikawa during the game, but it didn't seem to get across well and we ended up conceding in a way that didn't work. With the sudden return of Coach Gadzhi GADZHIEV, we have been practicing to attack in a good way by connecting passes as much as possible. I think 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 defence 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 easy either, but the third goal sealed the deal. Then we really found our rhythm. We've had some injuries this year, but with players like Toda stepping up and Kina returning 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."