Defeating the tough opponent Nagoya to achieve a total of 50 wins in J1

　In the 2nd stage, Sec. 2, we will face Nagoya away. Our past record against Nagoya is 1 win, 2 draws, and 4 losses, which is unfavorable, and that 1 win was in extra time, meaning we have yet to achieve a victory in 90 minutes. Therefore, for FC Tokyo, Nagoya is the only team in J1 that we have never beaten in 90 minutes.

　However, there are not a few bright materials in current Tokyo. In the opening match of the 2nd stage of the last round, the long-awaited FW Amaral and Abe scored their first couple goal, defeating C Osaka decisively. This proved that they are maintaining their good form from the 1st stage. Furthermore, DF Jean, who had been sidelined due to injury, is returning from today's match against Nagoya, indicating that the team's situation is improving.

　On the other hand, Nagoya has changed its coach since the 2nd Stage, but they have suffered consecutive losses in the Nabisco Cup Semifinal Round First Match and the league opening match, continuing their poor form from the end of the 1st Stage. However, today is the opening match of the 2nd Stage for Nagoya, and they cannot afford to lose easily in their first home game since the new coach took over. Their desire for the first victory should be very high.

　The overall record in the J1 league in Tokyo so far is 49 wins, 12 draws, and 45 losses. The milestone of "50 total wins" can only be celebrated with a resounding victory. In the harsh environment of the away game at Mizuho, where the temperature is close to 30°C even after sunset, the kickoff whistle blew at 7:03 PM.

Nagoya's Pace in the First Half

　The match started with Nagoya putting pressure on the opponent right from the beginning. Playing at home, Nagoya showcased their strength in ball contests and relentless pressing to regain possession. They created rhythm by utilizing both flanks through midfielders Fujimoto and Takizawa. In the 5th minute, they created a chance from a right corner kick, culminating in a powerful shot from Takizawa near the right corner of the penalty area. The ball went over the bar, but it was a dangerous moment.

　On the other hand, Tokyo often found themselves on the defensive, occasionally creating chances from counterattacks utilizing the speed of Ishikawa and Toda, but they could not maintain it, failing to establish a rhythm in their attack. Amaral positioned himself centrally, and Kelly also made efforts to receive the ball by drifting to the side, but there were many instances where he was isolated without support. In the 10th minute, Miura found himself momentarily free in the center and took a shot from about 30 meters, which became Tokyo's first shot of the day.

　The inability to execute fluid attacks was largely due to the rough pitch conditions causing irregular bounces of the ball. Nagoya faced the same conditions, but there is a significant difference between being accustomed to it and not. Additionally, the oppressive heat and humidity weighed heavily on the players' legs.

　After that, Nagoya's offensive continued. The center-back duo of Moniwa and Jean responded with high concentration, repelling most attacks from the sides, but it became noticeable that Weslley was able to create opportunities with his individual skills in the center, leading to shots on goal. In the 16th minute, he took a strong shot from about 20 meters directly in front of the goal, and the ball seemed destined for the bottom right corner, but Doi made a superb save to deflect it for a corner kick. In the 20th minute, Sakai, the right back, cut in from the right side and took a shot, but Doi caught it firmly. Furthermore, in the 23rd minute, the right side was breached, and Weslley, who was left free, took a shot. The ball was on target, but Doi caught it securely as well.

　Tokyo's counterattack came at 24 minutes, when Tokunaga was fouled and earned a free kick near the right corner of the penalty area. Miyazawa aimed directly but the ball went over the goal. At 25 minutes, Kelly unleashed a powerful long-range shot from about 25 meters straight ahead, but Nagoya's guardian Narazaki made a super save, resulting in a corner kick. At 32 minutes, Miyazawa again aimed directly from a free kick on the left side, but the ball went over the bar once more. At 33 minutes, on the counterattack, Weslley and Marques combined to shake the net, but it was ruled offside. Having survived these critical moments, Tokyo at 35 minutes targeted a free kick from the right side by Ishikawa, but this was also stopped by goalkeeper Narazaki's super save, preventing a goal. Then at 38 minutes, after Toda held the ball up front and passed to Ishikawa who came to support, Ishikawa cut inside and shot, but the ball went over the bar. In stoppage time, Moiniwa sent a long pass that Toda headed down, and Miura ran in, dribbled slightly, then sent a perfect through pass forward. Kelly charged through, squeezed between Nagoya defenders, and fired a sharp direct shot, but it narrowly went to the left of the goal. The match proceeded at Nagoya's pace, but Tokyo rallied late, and the decision was postponed to the second half.

Jean, with Kelly's goal, quickly shifted to Tokyo's pace.

　Tokyo wanted to change the rhythm in the second half, but faced an early crisis. They were connected inside the penalty area, and Jean cleared a low cross from the right. The clearance was weak, and the ball rolled in front of a Nagoya player who took a powerful shot, but it hit the Tokyo defense and did not result in a goal. Having survived the crisis, Tokyo earned a free kick on the left side in the 49th minute. Ishikawa delivered a sharp low pass to the center, and the ball reached Jean waiting in the middle, who shook the Nagoya goal net with a magnificent volley.

　Jean's first goal of the league season changes the rhythm. Tokyo's feet start to move, while Nagoya's feet come to a halt. An anxious Nagoya loses balance on the sides, creating large spaces, and Tokyo exploits that as per the theory. In the 58th minute, Tokunaga's intercepted pass flows to Miyazawa and Ishikawa, slicing deep down the right side with a smooth rhythm to deliver a cross. This ball was cleared by Nagoya's defense, but the momentum was completely with Tokyo. In the following 59th minute, from a deep central position, Miyazawa sends a precise long pass to Toda on the left side. Toda, after keeping the ball, passes it to Kanazawa who moves up, and Kanazawa dribbles centrally, threading a superb through pass to Kelly, who has just stepped out on the edge of the offside line. In a one-on-one situation, Kelly calmly dribbles past the advancing goalkeeper to shoot. The ball rolls in and scores! With the long-awaited second goal, Tokyo pulls ahead of Nagoya.

Collapsed completely from a painful mistake, suffering a dramatic defeat with three goals conceded for the second time this season.

　When Kelly scored his second goal, most people watching the match must have envisioned a victory for FC Tokyo. Given the flow of the game and the players' movements, it was evident. However, in sports, anything can happen until the final whistle blows. This match served as a reminder of that fact.

　After Kelly scored his second goal, Nagoya quickly made a move. They substituted one defensive midfielder for forward Hara, pairing him with Marques in a two-top formation, while Weslley moved into the attacking midfielder position. However, the momentum still belonged to Tokyo, and in the 64th minute, Amaral headed a free kick from the left side back, which Kelly attempted to volley, but the ball went well over the crossbar.

　In the 70th minute, Asari, who came on for Miura, carelessly sent a back pass to Doi, who mis-kicked due to an irregular bounce. The ball fell in front of Marquez, who was waiting in front of the goal, and he easily slotted it into the net, making it 2-1, just a one-goal difference. It was an unbelievable sight, but the players had no choice but to accept this reality.

　The formation quickly turned around. Nagoya, which had been dormant until then, woke up again and began to overwhelm Tokyo with rhythmic attacks. Tokyo was completely on the defensive, losing control on both offense and defense. In the 77th minute, Marquez broke through the left side and sent a last pass into the penalty area, which hit Jean's hand as he slid to respond, resulting in a handball decision. Weslley calmly converted the penalty kick, bringing the score to a tie.

　The excitement in the venue reached its peak. Tokyo made a bold move by bringing in Abe and Fujiyama in the 79th minute, but the momentum was completely leaning towards Nagoya. In the 81st minute, Weslley's powerful free kick was barely punched away by Dohi. In the following 85th minute, Tokyo's defense managed to clear the ball in their own penalty area against Nagoya's relentless attack, but the ball ricocheted off a teammate's back and turned into a shot. A flustered Dohi managed to catch it just in time and prevented the crisis.

　However, in the 89th minute just before the end, from a corner kick, a cross from the right side by Marquez was headed in by Okayama, allowing a last-minute turnaround. The match ended with a score of 2-3. I don't recall ever losing a match after having a two-goal lead in such a manner, but we have no choice but to switch our focus to the upcoming cup and league matches.

[Player Comments]《Jean》"I was able to score a goal myself, but I'm only feeling regret because we lost the match. We have no choice but to reset. In the next Nabisco Cup match against the Reds, everyone must come together and fight again. We are only thinking about winning. We will definitely win." 《Miyazawa》"It's disappointing. Until it was 2-0, we were following the plan, but we couldn't reset when we conceded a goal, and that was the problem. The whole team needs to change at that moment. Since we have the Nabisco Cup match against the Reds coming up soon, I want to reset and prepare for the next one."

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "It's disappointing that we were able to make corrections at halftime and score in a good way, but ended up with a regrettable result. It was a match we needed to hold on to. Today, the flow changed due to that back pass. Even though we knew the pitch was bad, we ended up making a mistake by pulling back when we should have pushed forward. The way we conceded was poor, and it's true that it was a hard blow, but as a team, we need to stand firm in those moments. The Nabisco Cup is coming up soon, so we want to switch our mindset and prepare for it."

[Summary of the press conference by Nagoya coach NELSINHO] "The first half was good and went according to our plan, and Tokyo's chances came only from our mistakes or free kicks. In the second half, we conceded a goal from a free kick we were wary of and allowed another goal, but based on today's performance, we couldn't afford to lose easily. The first goal had some luck involved, but the players who came on utilized their creativity well and changed the rhythm of the game. I believe today's victory for Nagoya is a natural result based on our performance. The team has gained confidence from this."