Avoid losing streaks and show the growth of attacking football

　Sec. 13 will see us face Shimizu S-Pulse. In our home game at Tokyo Stadium, the first in three weeks, we aim for victory with attacking football, leaving behind the defeat from the last away match. Of course, we will give our all to aim for a higher ranking, and as the 2nd stage approaches its climax, we also want to show evidence of our growth this season. Toda has left the team due to an ankle sprain, and Ishikawa is also out with an injury, but rookie Baba will make his first league start as a forward. Sato will step in as right midfielder, and Kaji has returned from injury. This has created a lineup that brings new expectations.

　On the other hand, S-Pulse is listed as a 4-4-2 on the roster, but in reality, it operates a 3-5-2 system with Ichikawa, the right back, positioned high up. Baron, who is strong in headers, and Japan national team player Mitsuhashi form the two forwards, while South Korean national team player Ahn Jung-hwan, who joined midway through the second stage, occupies the central midfield, bringing an intimidating presence.

　The match kicked off under a chilly, cloudy sky with a temperature of 11.6 degrees.

Proof Positive

F.C. TOKYO returned to Tokyo Stadium for the 13th game of the J.League second stage, against Shimizu S-Pulse, hoping to make amends for their last-gasp defeat by Grampus in the previous match. TOKYO were without the injured Ishikawa and Toda; Sato replaced the former while youngster Yuta Baba made his first appearance as striker. Kaji returned from injury to complete the starting lineup.
S-Pulse presented a 4-4-2 formation on paper but on the field right side back Ichikawa was pushed forward, creating a 3-5-2 system. Towering center forward Baron and fleet-footed Japan striker Santos formed the strike force with Korean World Cup star Ahn Jung Hwan in the creative midfield role.
The game kicked off on a cold afternoon in suburban Tokyo.

A showcase of goals in the early stages

　The game, which started with both teams feeling each other out, moved quickly. In the 3rd minute, Shimizu picked up a loose ball in midfield, connected with MF Ito, and after receiving a return pass, he handed it off to FW Mitsunashi, who was in the center of the penalty area, and made a dash towards the goal. Receiving another return pass, he scored in an instant. Shimizu took the lead with a brilliant one-two attack.

　For Tokyo, it was a goal conceded at the start that felt like they were caught off guard, but without getting discouraged, they built a solid attack for a counter. In the 6th minute, Kaji on the right connected with Baba in the center, and after the opponent's DF cut the ball, Miyazawa took a shot. It was saved by the GK, but they showed a good tempo in their attack. Then, just after that, in the 7th minute, Baba actively engaged with Amaral's advance, drawing out the opponent's DF. The ball was cut just before the penalty area, but Miyazawa rushed in for the loose ball, and with a left-footed strike from behind the left corner of the penalty area, the ball bounced in front of the opponent's GK and found the right corner of the goal. They quickly brought the match back to square one.

Flying Start

Both teams soon generated some heat on the pitch, however, as the game began at a furious pace and S-Pulse needed only three minutes to take the lead.
Ahn latched on to a loose ball in midfield, played a one-two with Ito then played another one-two with Santos on the edge of the TOKYO area before coolly stroking the ball inside the left post for a sublime goal.
TOKYO, given an early and painful lesson on the danger posed by Ahn and Santos, refused to panic and attacked with purpose and commitment. In the 6th minute, Miyazawa reacted fastest to a deflected pass from Baba and fired a low drive that the Shimizu keeper did well to save. A minute later, and in a similar position, another TOKYO attack was broken up with the ball again falling to Miyazawa; he produced a curling shot which bounced awkwardly in front of the keeper and buried itself in the right corner of the net. TOKYO needed only four minutes to restore parity.

Shimizu Baron is sent off...

　Both teams scored goals in situations without pressure, but afterwards, while trying to connect passes and develop play, they were unable to create space for each other, resulting in a struggle for possession in midfield.

　Among them, Tokyo dominates the ball and shows a proactive attitude towards the goal. In the 9th minute, Kelly's cross from the right side finds Sato, who is waiting in front of the goal, and he takes a free volley shot, but is denied by a great save from the goalkeeper. In the 19th minute, Baba sends a decisive ground through pass to Amaral from midfield. However, he is closed down by the opposing defender just before the shot. In the 22nd minute, Sato shoots from outside the right penalty area. In the 25th minute, Jaan aims for the goal from a free kick, and in the 26th minute, Sato utilizes his speed to run onto a ball connected by Amaral and takes a shot. However, despite overwhelming pressure, they cannot break through for a goal.

　In the 29th minute, Shimizu FW Baron received a second yellow card for rough play and was sent off. Shimizu was forced to fight with 10 players from this point on.

　Tokyo added rhythm with Kelly's ball control, Fujiyama's overlaps, Miyazawa's switches to the side, and Baba's dribbling, but they couldn't create decisive scenes. In first-half stoppage time, the ball was passed from central Kelly to left Baba to Amaral, and once again, Kelly's shot hit the goalkeeper directly, leaving the score at 1-1 as they headed into the second half.

Baron Off!

Shocked by their defensive profligacy both teams tightened up; space was at a premium and the game developed into a midfield battle. TOKYO nearly claimed the lead in the 9th minute when Kelly danced down the wing and centered at waist height; Sato fired his volley into the ground and Shimizu keeper Hada produced a superb save to turn the ball around the post. TOKYO slowly began to gain ascendancy in midfield and created a series of half-chances, repelled by some increasingly desperate defending from the visitors.
TOKYO seemed to receive a major boost in the 29th minute when Baron was red-carded for two consecutive fouls. The home side, paced by Kelly's ability to hold the ball up, Fujiyama's overlapping, Miyazawa's cross field passes and Baba's dribbling, were comfortably in the driver's seat but unable to fashion a clear-cut opening. In first half injury time Baba and Amaral worked an opening for Kelly but his shot was straight at the keeper. The half finished 1-1.

Unable to take advantage of the numerical superiority, sunk by Shimizu's counterattack

　Tokyo continues to attack from the start of the second half. Right after the start, Miyazawa aims for the goal directly from a free kick on the right side of the penalty area. In the 48th minute, Kaji's cross is headed down by Baba in front of the goal and sent to Amaral on the left side of the goal area, but it just misses.

　However, taking advantage of Tokyo's vulnerabilities, Shimizu struck back. In the 49th minute, Shimizu intercepted a pass from Tokyo in their own half, connecting with Mito and then to An with two passes. An charged forward with a dribble. Allowing this solo run, he delivered a final pass to Mito, who had moved up from the left side. Mito aimed for the position of goalkeeper Doi and executed a looping shot. This went in, and Shimizu's sharp attack from the Japan-Korea representative duo secured an additional goal. With the lead, Shimizu firmly established their strategy here. They solidified their defense by increasing numbers in the back line and focused their attacks on counterattacks initiated by An and Mito. Tokyo struggled against this approach.

　In the 58th minute, Sato broke through the defensive line to meet a sharp cross from the left by Miyazawa, but his close-range shot from the right corner of the goal area was unfortunately blocked by the opposing goalkeeper. In the 63rd minute, rookie left-footer Suzuki was brought on to replace Fujiyama. The team shifted to a 3-5-2 formation to aim for a goal. Despite being his first appearance in the league, Suzuki boldly created a chance with a cross from the left, and in the 64th minute, Mogi connected with that cross to win a corner kick. However, three consecutive corner kicks were unable to result in a shot due to the opposing defenders' tight marking. In the 69th minute, Fukuda was brought on to replace Baba. The attacking Tokyo and defending Shimizu continued to engage in a captivating back-and-forth. In the 74th minute, Suzuki rushed in on a cleared ball from a right corner kick, but the ball went over the goal.

　In the 80th minute, Kaji's early cross reached Fukuda, who was free in the penalty area, presenting a big chance, but his shot after one touch was saved by the advancing goalkeeper. In the 83rd minute, Suzuki's cross from the left was met by Fukuda with a header at the far side, but again the goalkeeper caught it. Tokyo continued to press with crosses from Kaji on the right and Suzuki on the left, desperately trying to score, but instead, they found themselves outnumbered in front of the goal, losing the loose ball to Shimizu and suffering a counterattack. In stoppage time, Dohi also advanced for a corner kick, showing determination, but Tokyo, lacking finishing power, ultimately failed to capitalize on their numerical advantage, and the match ended. They suffered consecutive defeats against Shimizu's resilient defense and sharp counterattacks.

【Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference】 "In the first half, the opponent was reduced to one player less, and at halftime, we discussed moving the ball quickly and creating 2-on-1 situations from the sides to attack. However, whether it was the quality of crosses, passes, or shots, there was a sense of urgency at the final moments, and we couldn't create good opportunities. The inability to convert decisive chances was the main reason for our defeat. We had many fans come to support us, and everyone was trying to play attacking football, which was evident in the players' attitudes. I think Baba and Suzuki were also playing boldly. We wanted to move the ball faster to equalize, but the rhythm of our attack became 'local train stops.' We lacked power and accuracy."

[Summary of Coach Zemunovic's Press Conference] "It was a difficult and challenging match. We took the lead but conceded a goal just a few minutes later, making it a game where anything could happen. To make matters worse, we were missing Baron, and in the second half, Tokyo had more periods of control. However, it was important to use counterattacks as one of our weapons. We managed to score an additional goal during that flow and faced a fierce attack from FC Tokyo, but we did not allow any goals. I want to celebrate not only our hard-fought battle but also the numbers and results we achieved. Furthermore, I would like to commend the fighting spirit and fair play of FC Tokyo's players as a true football man."

One Break Breaks TOKYO

TOKYO began the second half on the attack. The Shimizu keeper held Miyazawa's free kick soon after the restart then Amaral went desperately close to connecting with Baba's knock down from a Kaji cross. In the 48th.minute another attack broke down and Santos pounced on the loose ball to feed Ahn; Ahn raced up field, drew the defence and slipped the ball to Santos who chipped the advancing Doi from just inside the penalty area. The ball described a perfect arc into the far corner of the goal and TOKYO had fallen behind to the smoothest of sucker punches. 
>From then on the game settled into a predictable pattern: TOKYO piling forward in search of an equaliser, S-Pulse content to defend en masse and strike on the break. 
In the 58th.minute Sato raced through the S-Pulse back line to meet Miyazawa's powerfully struck cross with a leaping volley from point blank range that drew a stunning instinctive save from the keeper. Suzuki made his first J.League appearance when he replaced Fujiyama in the 63rd. minute as TOKYO switched to a 3-5-2 formation, and was soon involved as his cross to Moniwa earned a corner. TOKYO won a string of corners but the massed ranks of the visitors' defence proved an impenetrable wall. Fukuda replaced Baba in the 69th.minute and had a clear chance to tie the score in the 80th.minute as an early cross from Kaji found him unmarked in the penalty area. 
The keeper spread himself and somehow blocked the shot. The keeper again foiled Fukuda in the 84th.minute, this time holding a far post header. 
TOKYO keeper Doi joined the attack for a corner in injury time but to no avail; the home side had been undone by solid defending and the rapier-like counter-attacking prowess of Santos and Ahn. 


TOKYO Manager Hara:
" With our opponents reduced to ten men so early in the game I instructed the team to move the ball around at speed and use our advantage to outnumber them down the wings. But the crossing, passing and shooting were not of sufficient quality to produce an equaliser. Not taking our chances was the reason we lost. We maintained our commitment to attacking football, and in that respect I feel Baba and Suzuki performed well, but we couldn't add enough speed or variety in attack. We were a stopping train today, not a bullet train ".

S-Pulse manager Zemunovic:
" That was a hard game. It was impossible to predict what was going to happen next. After we lost Baron, TOKYO dominated the game and we knew we would have to find something on the counterattack if we were to have any hope of salvaging the game. We managed that and then held TOKYO in midfield and defense. I think all football fans would like to praise F.C.TOKYO for their fair play ".