Entering a series of consecutive matches, let's make the tough games count!

　From today until May 10, after the Golden Week, six matches will be held, including the Nabisco Cup. During this time, there will also be two Olympic qualifying matches for the U-22 Japan national team, making it a truly demanding schedule. Each match is expected to be tough, but we want to focus on each game and accumulate points.

　This week's opponent is Nagoya Grampus Eight. Nagoya has 1 win and 2 draws this season, remaining unbeaten. In the last match, they secured a close victory against Kashima, which should boost their morale. Historically, Tokyo has 1 win, 1 draw, and 4 losses against them, making them a challenging opponent. However, we want to defeat Nagoya at home at Ajinomoto Stadium and carry that momentum into the upcoming series of matches.

Dominated the match, created numerous chances but

　The game, which started with a kickoff in Tokyo, saw Tokyo take the lead from the outset. In the 1st minute, Kaji received a foul from a large play that went left to center to right, earning a free kick. In the 6th minute, Miyazawa took a shot from a long-distance free kick, but Nagoya GK Narazaki caught it. In the 11th minute, Kanazawa initiated a challenge on the left side and earned a corner kick. After connecting the second right corner kick with a short pass, Amaral headed in Miyazawa's cross. With quick pressing to regain possession, they transitioned to attack and overwhelmed Nagoya.

　In the 24th minute, Kelly exchanged a one-two with Amaral in the opponent's half and charged towards the goal. In the end, after evading a defender, Kelly found himself one-on-one with the GK, but his lifted shot was saved by Narasaki. He missed a great opportunity. In the 26th minute, Amaral intercepted a misplaced pass from the opponent in midfield and quickly passed to the right side. Ishikawa made a run and took a powerful shot just before the penalty area. Immediately after that, Ishikawa aimed for the goal with a soft, looping shot, but due to a great save by the GK, he could not score. In the 28th minute, Miyazawa sent a long pass with perfect timing to Toda, who was running behind the defender from the center circle of his own half, but the GK was quick to catch it.

　Tokyo completely dominated the match, aided by the opponent's poor coordination. However, Nagoya's final line was controlled by the tall DF Panadich, who tried to draw out the defense with mid-range shots but was unable to score.

Ishikawa's explosive left foot scores the opening goal of the season!

　However, Tokyo, not easing their attacking efforts when given the chance, intercepted a horizontal pass from Nagoya's DF line at the 35th minute, with Ishikawa on the right side. He surged forward, cutting into the center just before the penalty area. Despite being closely marked by a pursuing DF, he unleashed a powerful shot from straight in front of the goal! The ball struck the crossbar with a loud sound, but deflected off the diving GK Narazaki and went in!! Ishikawa's aggressive stance and left-footed cannon shot broke through Nagoya's DF, who had not conceded a goal in the last two matches, leading to the long-awaited opening goal.

　In the 37th minute, Kelly took a free shot from outside the penalty area. Conversely, in the 38th minute, a pass intended for Toda, who was trying to break behind the DF, was cleared by the DF just a step early, and it reached GK Narasaki before being fed forward. This became a pass to MF Fujimoto, who broke through the offside line and rushed into the goal area to take a free shot. It narrowly missed above the goal, escaping a crisis, but that was the only shot from Nagoya in the first half. They seized the momentum and turned to the second half with a good atmosphere.

Caught up to a tie, and a fierce counterattack...

　In the second half, it was Nagoya who made the substitutions. They brought in MF Yamaguchi for the defensive midfielder Sakai and FW Hara for the right side half Okuyama. By placing Weslley, Hara, and Fujimoto as a front three, with Vastić positioned just behind them, Nagoya found their rhythm. In the 49th minute, a cross from Miyazawa, who drifted to the left side, was met by Toda, who powerfully headed the ball, but GK Narasaki made a quick reaction and saved it with one hand. Nagoya continued to gradually push Tokyo back, and in the 55th minute, Hara broke down the right side, receiving a pass in the center from Fujimoto, who took a shot. The Tokyo defense managed to block it, but in the 56th minute, Weslley dribbled and shot from the left side. Vastić shot the loose ball after it was blocked by the defense. In the following 57th minute, Fujimoto unleashed a powerful shot from the left side, continuing the pressure on the goal.

　Then, in the 59th minute, a pass was sent forward from Vasitić, and Kanazawa cleared it with a header while retreating. The ball spilled in front of Nagoya's midfielder Nakamura, who trapped it with his chest and took a powerful shot from outside the penalty area. It was a beautiful goal that flew into the top left corner, leaving Doih unable to stop it, and the score was equalized.

　Tokyo, wanting to counterattack, brought in Abe for Amaral in the 67th minute. To meet expectations, Abe received a pass from the post after Ishikawa's cross to Kelly in the 75th minute and took a shot inside the penalty area. In the 78th minute, Baba was brought in for Toda. In the 79th minute, Abe dropped a long pass from Miyazawa, and Kelly took a shot. In the 81st minute, Miyazawa took a long shot from a loose ball after Kanazawa's cross from the left side. However, all of them missed the target. In the 86th minute, Baba made a sharp through pass from midfield into the penalty area. Ishikawa, who ran in from the right side, seemed to be fouled, but there was no whistle. They launched a fierce attack, but in the 89th minute, Baba was fouled in front of the goal, and the resulting free kick also failed to score, leading to the end of the match. It ended in a frustrating draw, following the previous match against Cerezo. However, while there are still challenges, the team's condition is improving. In four days, they will face Kashiwa in the Nabisco Cup, and a week later, they will have a league match against Kashima, marking the start of a tough series of matches. They want to convert their league-leading shot count into results and embark on a winning streak from here.

【Player Comments】《Ishikawa》"I wanted to aim for the goal, always keeping the image of a shot in my mind, even if it meant being aggressive and using my left foot. However, at the start of the second half, I couldn't endure when I needed to. The goal conceded was also due to my passing mistake (to Vasitić), so I reflect on that." 《Miyazawa》"The opponent's defense had height, so I was trying to use both the near and far posts for free kicks. My awareness regarding my shots has clearly changed compared to last year. I want to score a goal soon."

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "In the first half, we were able to create many good opportunities as planned. On the right, Ishikawa and Kaji, and on the left, Toda, or if Toda moved inside, Kanazawa would go wide, effectively using the field and allowing Amaral and Kelly to be utilized in the center. However, we still lacked finishing ability. Even Ishikawa's goal came because he had been practicing left-footed shots every day. I believe those results are gradually starting to show. In the second half, Nagoya changed two players and shifted to a three-forward formation. I was hoping we could endure a bit more during that time when Vastić dropped back, but we ended up dropping too deep. Amaral also dropped back to receive the ball, which allowed Nagoya to press us. Nakamura scored against us last year as well, and his shot was fantastic. Amaral is still not at 100%, so I was considering bringing in Abe or Baba at some point. Ideally, I want to pair Amaral with Abe, but their conditions are not aligning. Abe has good movement to the sides and speed, while Baba has skill. We need to combine those elements more effectively.

I want to create a team that plays better football and can earn 3 points.

[Nagoya - VERDENIK's press conference summary] "Neither the content nor the result is satisfactory. If there is anything to be satisfied with, it was the 25 minutes in the second half, where we had chances and scored, and we were able to take control and play our game. However, the time was too short to be satisfied. In the first half, we were passive. The (high) temperature may have affected us more than the opponent, and Tokyo played fresher, more aggressively, and better. I believe the two substitutes revitalized the team in the second half."