2nd Stage Opening, Approaching the First Match with Renewed Spirit!

　After a two-week interval following the end of the 1st stage, the 2nd stage begins. Tokyo struggled at the end of the 1st stage with three consecutive losses and could not achieve results. With a renewed spirit, they aim to make a comeback in this opening match of the new stage.

　JEF United Chiba faced a strong performance in the latter half of the 1st stage, achieving 5 wins and 1 draw in 6 matches, maintaining good form. While a tough battle is expected in the away game, this first match is important for predicting the future. We want to somehow seize victory and build momentum.

F.C. TOKYO Aim For Victory In Second Stage Opener

The opponents for the opening game of the second stage were JEF United who had finished the first stage strongly with a won 5 drawn 1 record in the final six games. A tough match was expected.

Did not allow a goal even in Ichihara's big chance

　The game started cautiously. Both teams maintained a compact formation, trying to attack wide from the left and right. In the 5th minute, Jean attempted a header from a left corner kick, but the opposing goalkeeper caught it. In the 6th minute, Ichihara's ace Choi connected with a weak clearance from Tokyo's defense and took a shot. In the 8th minute, on Tokyo's right side, Ichihara's left MF Murai cut back past the defender, and MF Muto ran in to shoot from a negative cross. As Ichihara attacked from both sides, Tokyo gradually found themselves pushed back. However, led by Toda, they regained possession with tough checks in midfield, and in front of the goal, Jean showcased his aerial strength, preventing any decisive chances from being created.

　In the 21st minute, Shigenobu picked up a cleared ball from Ichihara's defense after a left corner kick and shot, but it went wide. In the 23rd minute, Kelly connected a pass from the midfield to Miyazawa, and after receiving a return pass in the center of the penalty area, Kelly took a shot, but the goalkeeper caught it.

　Ichihara, who began to take control, saw Muto react to a long pass from the defensive midfielder Abe in the 24th minute, breaking through the defensive line in a near-miss situation, but Dohi caught it just in time. In the 38th minute, after receiving a throw-in from the right side near the goal area, MF Hasebe passed it back, and Abe ran into the right corner of the penalty area for a powerful shot. However, the ball just barely missed to the left of the goal, and Tokyo escaped the danger.

　However, Tokyo's attacks were concentrated in the center and were cut off in front of the opponent's goal every time. In the 43rd minute, Fukuda, Kelly, and Ishikawa launched a quick counterattack, but this too was caught in the defense's net and failed. Conversely, in the 44th minute, Ichihara sent a cross from a left short corner by Abe, aimed towards the far side parallel to the goal. Doih flew out but couldn't reach it, and the defender Milinovic received it and headed it towards the unguarded goal. However, Ito, without giving up, returned and cleared it just before it crossed the line. Although this incredible play by Ito prevented a goal, the team went into halftime lacking some brilliance in their performance.

JEF U Miss A Sitter

The game kicked off with both sides adopting a compact formation and looking to spread the play wide to the wings. Jean went up for a corner after only 5 minutes and made contact but the keeper held the ball cleanly. A minute later a poor clearance by the TOKYO defence allowed JEF ace striker Choi a shot on goal and in the 8th minute Murai breached the defence again and pulled the ball back for Muto to shoot. The visitors slowly began to exert a grip on the midfield with the terrier-like Toda battling to regain possession and Jean dominating in the air.
In the 21st minute Moniwa latched onto a cleared corner and fired narrowly wide; soon after a midfield interception saw Kelly find Miyazawa whose neat return pass reached Kelly just inside the area but the JEF keeper held his shot.
In response JEF increased the tempo and a long ball over the TOKYO defence from Abe saw Doi race out to deny Muto. In the 38th minute a throw in on the right reached Hasebe just outside the TOKYO area; he slipped the ball inside for Abe to thunder a shot fractionally wide of the left post.
The TOKYO attack had become one-dimensional, straight through the middle, and rarely threatened the JEF goal. With a minute of the first half remaining JEF won a corner, played short to Abe who floated a teasing cross into the TOKYO area. Doi decided to come for the ball but failed to reach it and JEF defender Milinovic seemed certain to score as his header flew towards the unprotected goal. From nowhere Tetsuya Ito appeared to hook the ball clear and save TOKYO's bacon. Thanks to Ito's dramatic goal line clearance the first half ended 0-0.

Tokyo shows a proactive attitude, gaining momentum with the introduction of Amaral!

　Immediately after the start of the second half, Choi headed a cross from the left by Ichihara. It was a moment that made everyone break into a cold sweat early on, but Doi made a save and avoided trouble. Then, in the 52nd minute, Ishikawa received a pass from Kelly, who had drifted to the right side, and aggressively attacked towards the center, showing Tokyo's proactive stance towards the goal. In the 55th minute, Amaral was brought in to replace Fukuda. This tactical decision paid off beautifully, and the team became invigorated.

　In the 56th minute, Kelly passed from the right side to Ishikawa in the center, who then passed to Toda on the left side. Toda entered the penalty area and sent a final pass in front of the goal. Both Kelly and Amaral rushed in but just missed it. In the 57th minute, a long pass perfectly reached Toda, who had broken through the defensive line, but his trap was too heavy and he couldn't shoot. In the 58th minute, a pass from Amaral reached Kelly, who made a quick decision to send it to the center. Toda, who had drawn the defender, passed to the left side. Ishikawa ran in free and took a shot. The ball was overpowered and missed above the goal, but Tokyo continued to create chances.

The Right Stuff

JEF began the second half aggressively with Choi powering a header wide soon after the restart. TOKYO were on the back foot and only Doi was keeping them in the game. A surging run from Ishikawa in the 52nd minute relieved the pressure, as did the introduction of Amaral for Fukuda soon after. The complexion of the game changed almost immediately; a sparkling move that began with Kelly in midfield saw Toda bursting into the area and crossing.
TOKYO players were queuing up for the ball but in their eagerness none managed to make contact. A minute later a pinpoint pass over the JEF defense found Toda but poor control let him down. In the 58th minute Kelly and Amaral combined to present Ishikawa with a clear shot on goal but he fired over the bar.
TOKYO were creating chances almost at will.

Defended Kelly's opening goal as one and achieved victory in the season opener!!

　By keeping the ball up front, Amaral allows Toda and Ishikawa to make effective runs into space for Tokyo. In the 60th minute, Toda makes a run just on the edge of the offside line from a through ball by Miyazawa. In the 61st minute, Ishikawa, who has changed position to the left side, connects with Amaral, and Kelly takes a shot. In response to Tokyo's movements, Ichihara brought in attacking players, substituting left MF Murai for MF Hanyu in the 67th minute and MF Morafchik for Muto in the 69th minute.

　However, Tokyo's momentum did not falter. In the 71st minute, Shimozono made a long pass to Kaji, who surged up the right side. Ishikawa followed and made a deep cut along the end line, sending in a cross. Unfortunately, it was cut off by the defender, but it showcased a good attacking shape typical of Tokyo, starting from the side.

　Then, in the 76th minute, Kelly, who was holding the ball on the right side of the midfield, sent a pass to Ishikawa near the penalty arc and dashed fiercely towards the goal. Ishikawa, having observed Kelly's movement well, delivered a perfect header pass into the right penalty area at just the right moment. Kelly, who ran in, powerfully pierced the goal net, and Tokyo scored the long-awaited goal!

　After this, in the 78th minute, Komine, who had not played since April, was substituted for Kaji, and in the 80th minute, Baba was brought in for Toda. Komine showed aggressive defense on the right side, while Baba displayed fresh play and tenacity to regain possession when necessary, becoming a significant accent in the game.

　In the 84th minute, Ichihara replaced the defensive midfielder Hasebe with the speedy forward Hayashi, attempting to counterattack until the end, but Tokyo's defense remained focused and responded well. They successfully defended Kelly's opening goal until the time was up. They showed great effort in securing 3 points away, marking a promising start towards conquering the 2nd stage.

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "In the 1st stage, we kept starting fast and leading in the first half, but then games continued where we were overtaken in the second half. So today, we decided to start cautiously in the first half. However, we became too cautious, didn’t push forward in attack, and ended up defending half-heartedly. Still, we managed to hold on well despite not playing well, so I told the team not to be afraid. From the second half, we used both fullbacks as starting points and were able to attack effectively. Amaral was not at 100% condition, so I was thinking about when to bring him on. I thought if we tired out the opponent and brought him on at the decisive moment, the rhythm would change, and that worked as planned. We were able to keep possession up front and push forward more easily. It was by no means a performance to praise, but we managed to hold on during the times we had been conceding goals before, and when Amaral came on, Kelly scored at a good moment. Once we took the lead, we brought on Komine, a defensive specialist, to strengthen the defense. Being able to win this start will boost the players’ confidence. If we can play a bit more freely, of course we want to be more attacking, but I think we will be able to make tactical decisions during the game, being cautious when necessary."

[Summary of the press conference by Ichihara's VENGLOS] "In the first half, I think it was a decent development, and both teams played well. However, in the second half, we couldn't move as actively as in the first half, and our positioning was not good. Even though we were holding the ball in the second half, there was no movement to go forward. If we had been able to convert one or two chances in the first half, I believe it would have been a different game. We played two different games in the first and second halves."

Kelly Bags The Winner 

With Amaral maintaining possession upfield Toda and Ishikawa were able to attack the space in the JEF defence. The chances continued and a very close offside decision against Miyazawa in the 60th minute saved JEF again. A sharp passing movement involving Ishikawa and Amaral set up Kelly for another effort soon after. JEF responded by replacing Murai and Muto with Hanyu and Moravcik respectively, as they sought to stem the tide by switching to a more attacking formation. TOKYO were not to be denied, however, and a typical move saw Kaji's long ball pick out Shimotaira on the right. Shimotaira fed Ishikawa on the overlap but the JEF defence scrambled to clear his cross.
The goal that TOKYO had been threatening for so long finally arrived in the 76th minute. Kelly, on the right side of midfield, played a pass through to Ishikawa on the edge of the JEF area, and set off on a fierce run at the heart of the JEF defence. Ishikawa, with perfect timing, rolled the ball into Kelly's path and a superb first time shot sent the ball hurtling into the net. In the 78th minute Komine replaced Kaji for his first appearance in nearly 4 months and soon after Baba replaced Toda. The aggressive defensive qualities of Komine on the right and the fresh legs of Baba in midfield effectively preempted the expected JEF bombardment of the TOKYO goal as full time loomed. Defensive midfielder Hasebe was replaced by speedy forward Hayashi as a last throw of the dice but the TOKYO defence held firm and Kelly's strike proved decisive as TOKYO held on to collect the win and a well deserved three points.

Manager Hara:
" Well, after the first stage where we often took an early lead only to fall behind later in the game, I told the players to be careful today. Unfortunately they were too careful and we couldn't really create much going forward, but in the second half we brought our wing backs into play and attacked well. Amaral wasn't 100% today and I was concerned about when to bring him on so I decided to wait until our opponents began to show signs of tiredness, and I think that it worked out very well. He was able to hold the ball up, we didn't concede a goal and Kelly scored at an opportune time. Our defensive specialist Komine came on and performed well. This result will boost the players' confidence. Of course we would like to attack more but we must be pragmatic and use our cunning ".

JEF U Manager Venglos:
" Both teams played well in the first half, but our movement and positioning were not good after the break. If we had only been able to take advantage of one or two of the chances we created in the first half it would have been a completely different game".