A crucial battle we cannot afford to lose

　This round, which will be held in 3 days since the previous round, will be a match against Verdy 1969. It's an away game at Tokyo Stadium, which only happens once a season, but it's a game that players can't afford to lose and will put all their effort into.

　Verdy, currently in 15th place and struggling in the lower ranks, will face today's game with only 2 days of rest since the previous match. However, as a "Tokyo strategy", they have changed their formation from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2. Tokyo's Amaral makes his first start since the restart and the kickoff has begun.

Tokyo Derby a Crucial Fixture

Just four days after the previous game F.C.TOKYO returned to Tokyo Stadium as the visitors for the away leg of the biannual Tokyo Derby against stadium co-hosts Tokyo Verdy 1969. Verdy, currently struggling in 15th. place in Division 1, were playing their second game in three days. Verdy switched to 4-4-2 from their usual 3-5-2 and Amaral returned to the starting lineup for TOKYO.

First goal by Amaral! Get on the rhythm

　Tokyo aggressively approaches the Verdy goal from the start. In the 8th minute, Amaral and Kelly connect from the left side, and Ishikawa cuts in from the right side to take a shot in the penalty area. They showed a proactive attitude towards scoring. In the 9th minute, Kelly receives a throw-in ball and takes a shot with his back to the goal. In the 14th minute, while Kelly is keeping the ball in the center, Miyazawa runs into the goal area and Toda connects with a header, but unfortunately it is offside.

　Tokyo, who tries to break through Verdy's tough pressure and disrupt their combination play, cannot break through and instead allows mistakes here and there, leading to a counterattack. In the 15th minute, FW Edimundo creates space on the left side of the penalty area, where FW Hiramoto runs in and takes a shot from close range. However, this is saved by Premist's goalkeeper. In the 21st minute, DF Soma sends a pass from a free kick, and MF Nagai takes a shot in the center, but it is easily caught by Premist's goalkeeper.

　And at 23 minutes, Ishikawa ran up the right side and sent a cross, which Amaral headed for a shot. It initially hit the opposing DF and bounced off, but Amaral cleverly took advantage of the weak clearance and floated a kick into the goal, GOAL! Tokyo took the chance and turned it into a solid result, taking the lead.

　With this Amaral's goal in the fifth game, the team gains momentum. In the 25th minute, Fujiyama and Kelly exchanged passes on the left side and rushed towards the goal. In the 27th minute, Ishikawa sent a ground cross from the right side and Amaral took a shot. They shook from left and right, and Miyazawa also sent a live side change pass. Toda and Ishikawa run into the inside and Kelly connects the ball in a way that flows to the side, threatening the Verdy goal. In the 37th minute, Miyazawa received Ishikawa's FK ball and took a long shot, but it missed above the goal. They used the pitch widely and dominated the game with a good rhythm.

　Verdy tried to break through the wall with skilled dribbling from players such as Nagai, Hiramoto, and Tanaka on the left side for 40 minutes. However, the Tokyo defense remained calm and dealt with Tanaka's dribble breakthrough in the 43rd minute and Edimundo's dangerous run in the 44th minute. The first half ended with high hopes for the second half.

Amaral Puts TOKYO Ahead

Tokyo started brightly, putting Verdy under pressure straight from the kick off. A flowing move involving Toda, Amaral and Kelly set up Ishikawa on the right of the area after eight minutes; TOKYO were looking sharp and aggressive. A minute later Kelly received a throw in with his back to goal, twisted around and fired in a shot. In the 14th. minute Kelly held the ball up expertly in midfield but his lay off to Miyazawa was judged offside.
Verdy were being forced onto the back foot but nearly took the lead in the fifteenth minute as Edmundo burst into space on the left and slipped the ball to Hirano whose point blank blast was superbly blocked by Doi in the Tokyo goal. The TOKYO keeper was called on again five minutes later and held Nagai's effort comfortably.
TOKYO took the lead in the twenty third minute. Ishikawa whipped in a cross from the right but Amaral's initial header was blocked; attempting to clear a Verdy defender succeeded only in flicking the ball up in the air. Amaral reacted fastest, trapping the ball on his chest then flicking it over the advancing keeper before volleying it gleefully into the net, for his first goal in five games.
Two minutes later Fujiyama and Kelly combined neatly in front of goal and in the 27th. minute Amaral nearly had a second from Ishikawa's low cross. TOKYO were using the full width of the pitch, Toda and Ishikawa drifting inside as Kelly hugged the touchlines, playing a confident and stylish game.
Verdy attempted to increase the tempo as the first half drew to a close but the TOKYO defence held firm, denying dangerman Edmundo space or time on the ball. The first period ended 1-0 to TOKYO and expectations were high for the second half.

Sunk by dangerous man Edmundo's FK...

　In the second half, Verdy repeated fierce collisions. Taking advantage of the FK obtained there, Miyazawa took a shot in the 46th minute, but it was blocked by the DF wall. In the following 47th minute, Ishikawa aimed from the center slightly to the left, but it missed the goal just below the left. In the 57th minute, Ishikawa chased after a pass that came out to the right side and crossed it, but Toda's shot in the center was not a perfect hit. Despite creating numerous chances including set plays and corner kicks, they were unable to score an additional goal.

　In the 58th minute of that situation, Jean fouled Verdy's Soma, who was waiting for the ball near the penalty arc on the left side. He received a warning and gave away a free kick. Edimundo, who scored a direct goal in the previous match, took the free kick and it slipped through the fingertips of Doi and landed in the bottom right corner of the goal. With this strike from the most dangerous man, the score was tied 1-1.

Edmundo Strikes....

Tokyo began the second half where they left off in the first with the Verdy defence conceding a series of free kicks in dangerous positions. Miyazawa blasted into the wall in the 46th. minute, Ishikawa curled one fractionally wide a minute later and Toda failed by a whisker to connect with another Ishikawa free kick shortly after that. TOKYO created a hatful of chances but were unable to convert any. In the 58th. minute Soma received the ball with his back to goal on the left side of the penalty area and went to ground under pressure from Jean who received a yellow card. Edmundo curled the ball beyond Doi's left hand for the equaliser.

After receiving a counterattack from a mistake, the team struggles with Jean's expulsion.

　And, as if shaken by this unexpected goal, Tokyo makes more mistakes. In the 62nd minute, they lose the ball in their own half and allow Verdy to launch a quick attack. Verdy connects a vertical pass and Edmundo creates space in front of the goal, then makes a final pass into the penalty area. Jean commits a foul against Hiramoto, who had made a run into the area, resulting in a penalty kick. In the 63rd minute, Edmundo precisely scores the PK into the right corner of the goal, and in no time, they have allowed Verdy to take the lead.

　Jean received his second warning and was sent off. With only 10 players, Tokyo was forced into a difficult battle. In the 66th minute, Toda was replaced by Shigeki Morita. Despite placing Fujiyama in a high position to counterattack, they were unable to pick up loose balls against Verdy's calm passing and were pushed back. In the 78th minute, even the set piece corner kick, which was their last hope, could not be turned into a chance. In place of Fujiyama, Baba was brought in.

　However, in the 79th minute, FW Sakurai, who had entered the field in the second half in place of Nagai, received his second warning for delaying the game, and Verdy was also down to 10 players. The game continued with warnings flying around, and the pace became hectic. In the 80th minute, Kaji, who had run up the right side, aimed for the goal but the GK caught it. In the 81st minute, Tokyo lost the ball to Edimundo in their own half due to a mistake, and FW Marquinhos was able to take a free shot. It was a decisive shot, but it narrowly missed to the right of the goal. On the other hand, in the 83rd minute, Miyazawa took a shot from a free kick on the left side, but it hit the DF wall. Then, in the 85th minute, Kelly, who had run into the left side of the penalty area, took a shot that was saved by GK Takakuwa, and they couldn't capitalize on their last chance before the final whistle.

　In the end, we couldn't hold onto our one-point lead and suffered a bitter comeback defeat. However, the battle continues with a tough schedule. It's important to move forward without being weighed down by this loss and aim to break our losing streak.

[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "It was a game we didn't want to lose. Verdy switched to a 4-back formation, but we were planning to play the same way as before and use the sides effectively. We took the lead, but losing Jean was a big blow. In the second half, our defense dropped too deep. We were too focused on Edmundo's free kick and that led to our downfall. Especially the second goal, we lost possession and conceded. We need to eliminate those mistakes and improve the quality of our play. We want to create a pattern where players like Kaji and Fujiyama can start from the sides and utilize Amaral and Kelly effectively. We have back-to-back games, so we want to switch our mindset and prepare for the next one."

[Verdy Lori's press conference summary] "We changed to a 4-4-2 formation to also contain the opponent's Kelly and because we wanted to have 4 players in the midfield. We put Hiramoto in because we wanted to press from the front and we thought he could compete better for long balls. Marquinhos is a second striker, while Hiramoto seems more like a center forward. In the first half, our balance was off and we were dominated in the midfield. Tokyo's press was effective and the goal we conceded was due to our own mistake while in possession. If we lose in the midfield, we lose the game, so we talked about putting pressure in the second half. I think Sakurai, who came on as a substitute, made good movements and contributed to the victory."

Jean Off As TOKYO Slump

Stunned by suddenly conceding a goal against the run of play TOKYO lost their composure and began to carelessly give the ball away. In the 62nd. minute they lost possession upfield allowing Verdy to quickly counter.
Edmundo rolled the ball into the path of Hirano as he burst between two defenders into the area then went down with Jean in a tangle of arms and legs. The referee pointed to the spot, then showed Jean a second yellow card. Edmundo sent Doi the wrong way and TOKYO found themselves 1-2 behind and down to ten men. Moniwa replaced Toda and Fujiyama was pushed further upfield but Verdy used their man advantage artfully, retaining possession and slowing the tempo down. Baba replaced Fujiyama in the 78th. minute and soon after both teams were reduced to ten men as Verdy striker Sakurai, who had come on for Nagai in the 54th. minute, was shown a second yellow card for not releasing the ball to Doi for a TOKYO goal kick.
The game deteriorated into a wild scramble and the yellow cards came thick and fast. Edmundo presented Marquinhos with a glorious chance to kill the game off in the 81st. minute but the Verdy man fired wide. The best chance for TOKYO fell to Kelly after 85 minutes but Takakuwa blocked his effort and time ran out.
A second consecutive defeat and the manner of it are galling but the team must put it behind them and focus on the next match, a " home " game at the National Stadium against Consadole Sapporo.

Tokyo manager Hara:
"That was a game we didn't want to lose. Verdy switched to a back four so we were hoping to attack them using both sides. We took the lead and were looking for a second but losing Jean really hurt us. The defense played too deep in the second half and after Edmundo equalized we lost our composure, making simple mistakes. We'll be looking to bounce back in the next game."

Verdy manager Lori:
"We switched to 4-4-2 with the intention of stopping Kelly and played Hirano as a target man for long balls. Our balance was poor in the first half and we gave away the first goal with some sloppy play. If you lose the midfield you lose the game so I told the team to tighten it up in the second half and they responded well, with Sakurai's excellent movement partly responsible".