Final match of the 1st stage, challenging Iwata who aims for a comeback victory!

　The final match of the 1st stage. The conclusion will be an away game against Júbilo Iwata. Currently in 4th place, Tokyo has the chance to finish in the top 3 if they win today, with victory as the only goal. There are high expectations for how they will challenge and win against the strong opponent Iwata, serving as a culmination of the first half of the season.

　On the other hand, the championship race for the stage has come down to this match, making it an important game for second-place Iwata, who are vying for a comeback victory. They will likely come with a fierce determination to seize the three points. This match, where the results are crucial for both teams, will also be noteworthy as Tokyo's Kelly and Iwata's MF Nishi and Hattori are both missing key players due to suspensions. The last 90 minutes of this stage kicked off with Tokyo's kickoff amidst the continuing heat and humidity following the end of the rainy season.

Despite being pushed back, the goal is defended!

　From the beginning of the match, Iwata created chances. MF Fujita stole a loose ball in Tokyo's territory and passed it to the space on the right side. FW Grau caught up, evaded Tokyo's defense, entered the penalty area, and took a shot. Doih managed to deflect it for a corner kick, but from this corner, MF Fukunishi took a high header shot. In the 4th minute, Abe received a left throw-in, brought the ball to the center, and shot from outside the area, but the opposing goalkeeper caught it. Immediately after, Iwata's Grau aimed directly at the goal with a powerful free kick. In the 6th minute, Fujita broke free in front of the goal from Fukunishi's through pass, but Doih made an excellent timed jump to catch it. In the 7th minute, a through pass from MF Namai went to Grau on the right side. He took a shot from the right center, but again it was saved by Doih, resulting in a corner kick. In the 18th minute, Jean headed in from a long free kick taken by Miyazawa, but could not hit the target.

　Iwata skillfully spreads the play wide with intricate passing, with Grau often becoming the focal point in the front line, while Fujita, Nanami, and Fukunishi follow up from behind, launching a thick attack. In the 21st minute, a pass from the left by Grau goes to Fukunishi, who advances. Upon entering the penalty area, he shifts left, and Grau receives the ball again to deliver a cross. Fujita, running in from behind, makes a perfectly timed header shot, but it narrowly misses to the right, escaping a critical pinch. In the 22nd minute, Nanami on the right side skillfully keeps the ball, turns, and sends a floating pass in front of the goal. With excellent combination play, Fujita dives in and drops the ball with his heel in front of the goal, but Jean clears it.

　Tokyo was pushed back by the fast-paced play of Iwata, and even when they regained possession in a low position, they couldn't connect the ball in front of Iwata's press. In the 26th minute, Abe was fouled in the opponent's territory, leading to a free kick that Jean headed towards the goal. In the 29th minute, Tokunaga advanced on the right side and connected with Ishikawa, who picked up the clearance from his shot, allowing Miyazawa to take a mid-range shot. However, both attempts missed the goal. In the 33rd minute, there was a collision between Dohi and the defense in front of the goal due to Iwata's precise free kick. The ball spilled out, and they faced a near own goal situation, but Tokunaga, who came in to cover, cleared it with a sliding tackle, and although the ball hit the crossbar, they narrowly avoided conceding a goal. Despite being pushed back, they maintained a solid defense and did not allow a goal.

With a fierce defense, the time progresses with both teams still scoreless

　Tokyo struggled to build up play after regaining possession, but they certainly had chances. In the 38th minute, Ishikawa received a throw-in from the right side and used his speed to challenge. He charged into the area and took a shot. In the 41st minute, after connecting a corner kick, Miyazawa crossed from the left side. After the opposing goalkeeper cleared the ball, Shigeno picked it up in the right area and made a perfectly timed pass to Ishikawa, who had shaken off the defender with a sharp turn. Ishikawa received the pass and unleashed a powerful shot from the right side of the goal towards the near post, but it was thwarted by a great save from Iwata's goalkeeper Vanzwam. During this time, Jean was injured in a tussle in front of the goal. While he received treatment, Amaral dropped back to cover the final line, ensuring Tokyo defended their goal. Ultimately, the first half ended 0-0, keeping hopes alive for the second half to induce anxiety in Iwata.

　In the second half, Fujiyama came on for Jean, who was injured on his right knee. Just after the start, in the 46th minute, Abe received a pass from Kanazawa on the left and broke through the center with a one-touch. He took a shot while competing with the DF, but it narrowly missed to the right of the goal. In the 3rd minute, the DF cleared a left cross. Miura picked up the ball and took a direct shot. To change the flow, Baba was brought on for Abe in the 8th minute.

　However, although chances were created at first, the situation turned to being pushed back by a calm Iwata again. In the 56th minute, a foul was committed on MF Jivkovic in front of the goal, giving Iwata a free kick. Fujita's direct shot was saved by Doi, and although the loose ball was cleared by Moniwa, it was a dangerous scene. In the 62nd minute, Baba received a pass from the back, held it well, and flowed to the right, changing the angle for a through pass in front of the goal. It reached Toda, who ran in from the left, but he was unable to finish due to the quick approach of the opposing defender. In the 65th minute, Iwata had another free kick in front of the goal. Namura's shot aimed at the upper left was a super fine save by Doi. The ball flew on a perfect course that made Namura hold his head in frustration, but Doi barely touched it, grazing the post and escaping to a corner kick.

　In the 67th minute, Iwata substituted Jivkovic for the speedy Kawaguchi in the left MF. However, after repeated fierce battles for possession, perhaps due to fatigue, neither side was able to create any decisive chances as time passed.

Despite succumbing to the previous champion's strength, they achieved their best-ever performance in the 1st stage.

　In the 75th minute, just before substituting Asari for Miyazawa, Iwata quickly restarted a free kick in front of the goal. Fujita held on at the right side, then passed back momentarily. Midfielder Kawamura connected with Nanba, who made a direct pass into the space on the right side. Kawamura caught up with it and crossed from near the end line. Fujita then made a perfectly timed jump from the right to the center for a header shot. The Tokyo defense had been solid up to this point, but they couldn't catch Fujita's run, and finally allowed a goal.

　While trailing behind, Asari was brought on. In the 77th minute, Amaral on the right side passed to Ishikawa in the area. Ishikawa made a good decision to send a through pass in front of the goal, but Baba, receiving the ball with his back to the goal, turned and took a shot that was caught by the goalkeeper. In the 83rd minute, Miura advanced and was fouled in front of the goal, earning a free kick. Baba aimed directly at the free kick from just outside the penalty arc, but the ball narrowly missed the upper left corner, failing to equalize. Although they did not allow any additional goals from Iwata with their tough defense, Amaral's header from a cross in stoppage time also failed to find the goal. They suffered a regrettable defeat of 0 to 1.

　However, they finished the 1st stage with 7 wins, 4 draws, and 4 losses, ending with the league's lowest goal difference of 11 in 4th place. They surpassed last year's 5th place in the 2nd stage, achieving their best record ever. Although the challenge of scoring remains, they demonstrated resilience without collapsing under any circumstances. The team is showing steady growth, albeit gradually. They want to connect to the 2nd stage and the Nabisco Cup, aiming for their long-awaited first title without any breaks.

【Player Comments】《Miura》"Iwata must have really wanted to secure all three points. We managed to keep a clean sheet and wanted to strike back when they pushed forward. This season, we have been able to fight like that, and for a while, things were going according to plan, but... Iwata's core is Fujita and Nanami. It was tough, but we had to contain them." 《Kanazawa》"I was somewhat prepared for them to circulate the ball, but in the end, fatigue set in. Iwata's balls went to their target areas, and I could definitely feel their strength, but Tokyo is gradually improving as a team. I believe our solid defense is the result of serious movement and quick returns. From now on, I want to aim for more targeted participation in the attack and strive to improve step by step."

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "Yokohama had a chance to win the championship, but we also had a chance to finish in 3rd place, so we wanted to win. In last year's match, we lost with a large goal difference, and with Kelly not here today, I thought it would be a tough match. I wanted to defend well and score from counterattacks. If Abe's shot in the second half had gone in, the result might have been different. We were careful about the speed of our passing and quick restarts from free kicks, but in the end, we allowed a loose ball to be picked up again and conceded a goal. However, I think our defense has been solid. I don't believe we are defending too deeply, and finishing in 4th place is a result of the team's gradual improvement. Moving forward, we need to focus on scoring goals and creating opportunities for that. There are many challenges in how to score, but I want to keep trying."

[Summary of Coach Yanagishita's Press Conference] "In the first half, we had a very good flow and played in a way characteristic of Jubilo. However, not taking our shooting opportunities was a concern. I wanted to score in the first half. In the second half, there were moments of fatigue and stretching. Thanks to the efforts of our defense, including the back line, I think it was good that we were able to capitalize on our chances and win."