League match opening at home Ajinomoto Stadium

　Home opener of this season's J1 League at Ajinomoto Stadium. Tokyo has not secured any wins in the two Nabisco Cup matches and has struggled to find its rhythm, but they cannot afford to lose at home. With the motto "90 minutes of attacking football," they want to start the league with a clear victory. The starting goalkeeper, Doih, who was sidelined due to a back injury during the Gotemba camp, makes a triumphant return. The field players remain unchanged from the Nabisco Cup lineup.

　Kashiwa Reysol also seemed to be in a stage of trial and error in the Nabisco Cup. With many injuries, it was difficult to predict today's starting lineup, but the formation was 4-4-2. Former Japan national team midfielder Myojin entered as right back, resulting in a young squad with an average age of 23.45 years. Although it was spring, it was still a chilly cloudy day as they kicked off the 1st stage in Tokyo.

First goal of the league match by Toda opens the scoring!

　In the first minute, Toda made a bold long-range shot, and in the second minute, he dove for a cross from Ishikawa on the right, showing Tokyo's fighting spirit from the start of today's match. In contrast, Kashiwa's midfielder Ohno brought the ball into the penalty area from the left and took a shot in the fourth minute. However, after that, both teams faced intense pressure and frequently lost possession of the ball, leading to a tense development.

　However, the chance came surprisingly early. In the 10th minute, Kanazawa advanced on the left side with a dribble and delivered an early cross. Although the Kashiwa defender was waiting in the center, he couldn't clear it completely, and the ball grazed his foot and rolled behind him. There, Toda, who was following up, fell and shot! The net shook, marking Toda's first goal of the season in the league, giving Tokyo the lead. Although it took advantage of the opponent's mistake, Kanazawa's low trajectory cross and Toda's relentless pursuit of the goal were perfectly connected to result in a goal.

　Tokyo gained momentum with this. Utilizing the field in all directions, they seized the pace with aggressive movements. In the 18th minute, Abe boldly shot as he entered the right penalty area from a counter. In the 25th minute, after a steal by Miyazawa, Kelly connected to Abe, and Toda jumped in on Ishikawa's cross to take a shot, but was thwarted by a fine play from the opposing goalkeeper. In the 39th minute, from a left throw-in, FW Marcinho acted as a pivot, returning the ball, and MF Otani's middle shot hit, but Doih was able to make a nice save to deflect it for a corner kick. In the end, Tokyo overwhelmed Kashiwa with 7 corners and a total of 8 shots in the first half, but could not secure an additional goal. They turned to the second half.

Unable to capitalize on the chances, during a difficult time...

　Tokyo often saw a drop in energy in the second half during the Nabisco Cup, but today, in the 48th minute, Kelly's switch found Ishikawa, who cut back past the defender on the right side and crossed. In the 49th minute, Ishikawa broke free in the right penalty area and passed towards the goal. However, no one was able to connect with the final pass, missing the opportunity.

　However, it was in the 53rd minute. Kashiwa FW Yano made a run into the penalty area to meet a through pass. A foul was called on Kanazawa's attempt to stop his advance, resulting in a penalty kick. Myojin converted it cleanly, bringing the match back to square one. Unable to score additional points, a negative atmosphere settled in as the equalizer was scored early in the second half.

　However, today Tokyo held on, and in the 57th minute, Abe made a drilled shot from the left side of the penalty area after Asari intercepted a pass. It went just slightly to the right, but they showed a bold attack. Kashiwa, on the other hand, revived compared to the first half, and in the 65th minute, Myojin picked up a cleared ball from Tokyo's defense and aimed for the goal, but it went wide, escaping danger.

With the anticipation of a goal in the air, Kelly pulls ahead with a final round strike!

　In the 68th minute, Suzuki was brought on for Toda. In the 70th minute, Abe's cross from the right side was blocked by the defense and flowed to the far side, but Ishikawa couldn't connect. Immediately after that, Kashiwa launched a counterattack, and defender Hirayama had a free shot. Doih's fine save led to a rebound that Marcinho attempted to capitalize on, but it went over the bar. It was a decisive moment, but they escaped the danger. In the 71st minute, it was now Tokyo's turn, with Abe taking a powerful shot from the right penalty area. In the 80th minute, Kelly received the ball with his back to the defender, brought it into the goal area, and unleashed a powerful shot with his left foot. The match was intense, with back-and-forth attacks continuing, but the aggressive plays represented by Abe and Kelly's shots hinted at a goal to come.

　In the 81st minute, Baba was brought on to replace Ishikawa. Just after that, in the 83rd minute, Baba moved into the center and received a cross-field ball from Shigeno, who was on the right side. He advanced with a dribble and sent a pinpoint cross towards the goal, filled with determination. Kelly met the ball with a header. The ball was drawn into the goal, scoring the go-ahead goal!

　In the 86th minute, Abe made a solo run from Kelly's through pass, exploiting the gap in Kashiwa's defense. Just as he was about to push the ball in after evading the goalkeeper, he was thwarted by a tackle from behind by a Kashiwa defender. Abe's performance today was such that he was only missing a goal, making it disappointing to miss this chance. Then, in the 87th minute, Miura was brought on to replace Miyazawa. The final stages saw intense back-and-forth action, but the defense, led by Asari, held firm without easing up, and the match ended. Each player fulfilled their role, marking a joyful first victory of the season in the league opener. With this, FC Tokyo's record in opening matches stands at four consecutive wins since their promotion to J1 without a loss. They also won the opening match in J2 in 1999, making it five consecutive wins without a loss since the club's establishment.

[Player Comments]《Kelly》"Even without Amaral, I was focused on passing the ball to the side spaces so that Abe and Toda could utilize their strengths. I believe our physicality and combinations will improve even more from now on." 《Toda》"It's not so much about my goal, but the fact that the team won is significant. There were some dangerous moments in the second half, but it was important that we didn't concede another goal there. I think we were able to play a game where we didn't give up until the end."

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "We somehow couldn't secure a win in the Nabisco Cup. I'm most pleased that we were able to earn 3 points since FC Tokyo has never lost in the opening match until now. We were fighting well until we scored early on, but I think things went awry after we conceded a penalty in the second half. We held on well there. With Amaral as our key player, and with Doi injured until last week, we were missing two players who had been consistently on the field last year, so we planned to fight with speedy players up front. We aimed to attack in home games, and even when defending, we would quickly transition to attack once we regained possession, embodying "90 minutes of attacking football." = Trying to showcase FC Tokyo's strengths. Rather than thinking about the opponent, we focused solely on playing our own football. Suzuki and Baba are also gaining strength, and Miura, along with Amaral, shows signs of returning, so I want to continue strengthening the team from here on out."

[Summary of Coach Aurelio's Press Conference] "It was a fiercely contested match with a good balance. Both FC Tokyo and Kashiwa created opportunities, but Tokyo won by capitalizing on their chances. The two goals conceded were both from crosses into the penalty area. Our marking and positioning were lacking. Tokyo had players who delivered good crosses, which caused us trouble. We have many injured players, and we are managing by converting players from other positions. There are many young players, and the team is being led by Shimozono and Myojin. However, it's not just about giving young players experience; they are showing that they have the ability to handle the matches themselves. They are competing against other players and standing on the pitch. They are working hard, so I believe that in the near future, they will enhance their talents."