Defeating the battered Iwata, aiming for the top

　In Sec. 7 of the 2nd Stage, we will face Júbilo Iwata at home. There are concerns about our condition due to a tough schedule with only two days between matches, but the same applies to our opponent. Júbilo has a record of 1 win, 3 draws, and 2 losses in the 2nd Stage, indicating that their team condition is not good. In the matchup during the 1st Stage, we lost 0-1 due to a goal from midfielder Fujita, who has since transferred overseas, and it is generally believed that the team has not filled the gap left by him. Additionally, today, top scorer Grau will be suspended. Nakayama, Hattori, and Nanami are also out due to injuries, so we can say that the team is in a state of disarray.

　However, it has been a winless streak against Iwata since the victory in 2000. Regardless of the opponent's lineup, we must challenge as challengers against a team that is always victorious. Today in Tokyo, Amaral makes his first start in the league in five matches. No goalkeeper is included on the bench, as we aim to seize victory with an offensive lineup and attitude.

Overwhelmed Iwata, but allowed the opening goal from a free kick

　The game, which started with a kickoff in Tokyo, saw Toda winning a corner kick in the first 30 seconds and Ishikawa following up with another corner kick in the first minute. Then, Miyazawa aimed directly for the goal from a free kick, and in the third minute, Amaral was fouled after a dribble breakthrough by Ishikawa, earning another free kick, with Miyazawa again heading towards the goal. Tokyo's proactive approach from the start is noticeable. In the tenth minute, Miura took a long-range shot. In the eleventh minute, Miyazawa stole the ball from Iwata in his own half, and Kelly surged forward to take a strong shot. In the fourteenth minute, Kaji's cross led to a push towards the goal, creating chances for Amaral and Toda.

　Iwata excels in calm build-up play from the defensive line, but Tokyo applies pressure at key moments, not allowing any chances to be created. In the 17th minute, Ishikawa received a return pass from Miyazawa, who had moved up in front of the goal, and took a shot. In the 20th minute, Toda broke through after a sharp through pass from Ishikawa, but was just offside. Iwata, who was on the defensive, saw their first shot in the 20th minute when midfielder Nishi dribbled in from the right side and took a shot. In the 22nd minute, Nishi cut back from the right end line and sent a through pass in front of the goal, but it was cut off by Shigeno. Tokyo's defense showed no signs of danger at all.

　However, it was in the 24th minute. Juntai gained a free kick in Tokyo's territory, and MF Fukunishi passed a ground ball to FW Nishino in front of the goal. Then, starting from Nishino's post, FW Maeda appeared from the right side, switched with Nishino, broke through in front of the goal, and scored effortlessly. Just a momentary lapse in marking... but Iwata did not miss the moment when Tokyo lost focus and took the lead.

A beautiful attack typical of Tokyo brings the score level!

　Tokyo fell behind first, but they did not ease their attacking efforts. In the 27th minute, it seemed that Toda had scored from a rebound of Kanazawa's powerful shot, but this was ruled offside. In the 30th minute, from Kelly's persistent hold-up play, Ishikawa delivered a direct cross. Amaral attempted an overhead shot. In the 35th minute, Amaral, receiving a pass from Kelly with his back to the goal, turned and shot. This lacked power and went wide, but just two minutes later.

　Kaji's pass was let through by Ishikawa in the center. Amaral, who was positioned behind, made a good judgment and sent the ball to the right side of the goal. Without hesitation, Ishikawa charged in and delivered a low cross to the center. Toda connected with the ball and scored with his left foot! A fast attack connecting everything directly from Kaji's pass, and in a familiar pattern for Tokyo, they quickly equalized!!

　Tokyo had a big chance in the 41st minute. Kelly sent a long pass into the space on the right side, and Ishikawa used his speed to catch up, passing it to Amaral in the center. Amaral was initially surrounded by the Juntendo DF, but showing persistence, the ball spilled in front of the goal. Kelly ran in between the stationary Juntendo DF and took a shot... However, the shot taken freely from directly in front of the goal grazed the post and missed, leaving even Kelly holding his head in frustration. In the first half, Tokyo had 9 shots compared to Juntendo's 2. Despite being tied, Tokyo dominated and headed into the second half.

Before the match expert, Iwata...

　However, it was Iwata that attacked at the start of the second half. They moved their holding midfielder Kawamura back to right back and changed to a 4-back formation. They picked up second balls and connected them to attacks. In the 48th minute, from a persistent hold in front of the goal, MF Jivkovic took a shot. In the 50th minute, Tokyo's Miyazawa's right free kick was aimed at Kelly in front of the goal, but he couldn't make contact. In the 55th minute, Iwata substituted rookie Kikuchi for the injured DF Tanaka. Just after that, in the 56th minute, Tokyo created another decisive scene. Kelly charged into the left penalty area, and Amaral, who followed on the outside, dribbled into the center again and sent a sharp last pass to Toda in front of the goal. However, the close-range shot taken while being marked by a defender was saved as it was squeezed between him and the goalkeeper.

　In the 62nd minute, Tokyo aimed for the Jubilo Iwata goal with consecutive 34 corner kicks, and in the 64th and 66th minutes with free kicks, but they could not shake the net. Gradually falling behind due to Iwata's experienced passing, they were pushed back. In the 70th minute, Iwata seized the opportunity for a counterattack, substituting Zivkovic for the speedy forward Kawaguchi. Then, in the 74th minute, as Tokyo was preparing to substitute Abe for the visibly tired Miura, Iwata connected the ball from their own half. Fukunishi passed to the right side, and Kawaguchi evaded Miura, breaking through on the right side. He then passed to Fukunishi, who had advanced into the penalty area unmarked. Fukunishi evaded Shigenobu with a one-touch and charged into the right area to shoot. This struck the net, allowing them to take the lead.

　Still trying to score a goal, Tokyo substituted Abe for Miura in the 75th minute and brought in Yusuke KONDO for Ishikawa, who had collided with an opponent and suffered a bruise on his left thigh, in the 82nd minute. However, they lost their attacking momentum against a well-organized Iwata defense that formed a solid back line and took their time passing the ball. In the 83rd minute, Amaral's header from a free kick and in the 89th minute, Kanazawa's direct shot after connecting with a long cross from the right, both failed to hit the target. In stoppage time, Dohi also moved up to attempt a counterattack, but they could not score. Tokyo suffered a painful defeat at home, marking their first loss of the season in league play against a resilient Iwata team.

【Player Comments】《Miyazawa》"Not being able to score in the chances we had resonated until the end. In the second half, we should have been calmer and attacked more from the sides, but we ended up focusing too much in the center and could only rely on crosses from the full-backs and defensive midfielders. I believe that the fact that Iwata can achieve results with that lineup and style of play is proof that the team has strength. We must aim to be able to fight like that too." 《Kanazawa》"In the second half, the opponent changed to a four-back system, which made it difficult for us to play our style of football. We adjusted too much to the opponent, our spacing was poor, and we were easily outplayed in midfield. Especially in bad situations, everyone needs to unify their intentions and differentiate between quick attacks and maintaining possession. I wanted to gain confidence by winning, but..."

【Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference】 "Yokohama struggled with injuries and suspensions, and we were able to move the ball more than usual and create good opportunities, dominating possession for a long time. In the first half, aside from the moment we conceded, there was nothing dangerous. We created good chances, especially from Ishikawa's side, by exploiting the space between the three backs and wing backs, and we were able to equalize. We repeated such attacks, and there were goal-scoring opportunities for Kelly and Toda, but we couldn't convert them, and we ended up conceding a second goal. However, even with key players missing, Yokohama managed to hold on well with young players stepping up. They used their time wisely and managed to escape while maintaining possession, which is very disappointing. Even when we were behind, we should have calmly broken through from the sides like we did in the first half, but it’s true that we couldn’t do that in that moment and flow. It will take time to be able to do that. Because we had the attitude of not being afraid and going forward from the first half, we may have been too anxious. We need to win games like this, and as part of our style, we want to build a team that can score and win while gaining such experiences. We will not give up and want to prepare to aim for three points in the remaining eight matches."

[Summary of Coach Yanagishita's Press Conference] "I believe that ending the first half at 1-1 led to this result. In the first half, Tokyo had more speed and momentum going forward, and their movements were quick, leaving us unable to do much. Even when we regained possession, our movements were slow, and our work rate was low, preventing our two forwards from maintaining possession and creating attacking opportunities. The game progressed at Tokyo's pace, but we were fortunate to score a goal from a single chance. With Tokyo's wingers wide and four players up front, we adjusted to a four-man backline in the second half. As the opponent's work rate and speed decreased, we were able to move the ball better. Although we didn't have many chances, we managed to take a good shot at the end and ultimately secured a 2-1 victory. Overall, I think it was Tokyo's game for the full 90 minutes, but I believe it was very good that all the players expressed their determination to fight until the end and seize the three points on the field. The switch to a four-back system was made considering both offense and defense. With a three-back system, the midfield would drop back to cover the sides, delaying our push and support. By switching to a four-back system, the outside players could play further up, creating space in the middle, which I thought would reduce the defensive burden and make it easier to transition to attack."