A match against Cerezo, who wants to accumulate points and rise to the top

　In Sec. 4, which comes just two days after the last match, we will face Cerezo Osaka in a night game at Ajinomoto Stadium. Including today's Wednesday match, we have a tough schedule with three games in one week, but this can be considered a crucial point in the first half of the 1st stage. It is important to accumulate points in each match and push into the top ranks. Kelly, returning from injury, will make his first start. There are high expectations for the combination with Lucas. On the bench, we have Shiota, Fujiyama, Miura, Abe, and the specially designated player Kurizawa listed.

　Cerezo, currently at the bottom of the table with 0 wins and 4 losses in the 1st stage, has already changed coaches after the second round. Under the new leadership of Coach Albert Pobor, they will likely strive for results. The two defensive midfielders are MF Hamada and Shimomura, making their first starts. According to the lineup, DF Kokeuchi and MF Tokushige are included, but the formation places Tokushige at left back and Kokeuchi at left midfield. As a chilly rain falls, the match started with Cerezo's kickoff.

Capitalizing on a one chance, falling behind

　Cerezo Osaka has a talented attacking lineup with FW Yu OKUBO, Nishizawa, and MF Morishima, but they started the game by firmly applying pressure and solidifying their defense. In the 5th minute, Tokyo's Ishikawa's cross led to a loose ball that Miyazawa shot. In the 7th minute, a pass from Konno's interception reached Kelly in the area, but was blocked by the defense. In the 11th minute, Cerezo Osaka's OKUBO aimed for a shot from a distance. However, until the 15th minute, both teams struggled to find their footing on the rainy pitch, resulting in an evenly matched contest.

　In the 16th minute, Toda received a pass from the back in the left penalty area, turned towards the goal, and took a shot from a tight angle, but it went just to the right. Immediately after, Cerezo's Nishizawa took a shot from a quick counterattack, but Doih was able to save it. In the 20th minute, Tokyo persistently worked their way towards the Cerezo goal starting from the right side with a series of throw-ins, but Miyazawa's mid-range shot went to the upper left of the goal. In the 26th minute, after cutting off an opponent's free kick, Ishikawa launched a quick counterattack and dribbled solo. While being challenged by a defender, he took a shot from the right side of the area, but it went to the left.

　Neither team was able to create a decisive moment, and in the 28th minute, a through pass was sent from Cerezo's midfield into the penalty area, leading to Kanazawa escaping to a corner kick. In the 30th minute, from this right corner kick, DF Chiba headed the ball into the goal. Kanazawa was competing with Chiba, but they unexpectedly conceded a goal.

　Tokyo, having fallen behind after missing a chance, saw Lucas receive a pass from Kanazawa and break into the area with a one-two with Kelly in the 32nd minute. However, his trap was too heavy, and he couldn't take a shot. In the 37th minute, Lucas attempted a volley from a throw-in, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 42nd minute, Ishikawa circled inside to shoot, but it also failed to reach the goal. The attacks were sporadic, the coordination was disjointed, and mistakes were prominent. Kaji and Kanazawa did not participate in the attack, failing to create opportunities on the side, and the first half ended in a state of incomplete combustion.

Lucas's first league goal boosts the momentum for a comeback

　The instructions from Coach Hara at halftime were, "Don't rush, let's first get one goal back with our own style of football. A good wedge is formed with Kelly to Lucas. Let's use the sides again from there. Let's repeatedly attack from the outside with good tempo." However, the first shot of the second half was from Cerezo. In the 47th minute, Tokyo allowed Koke to dribble through on the right side, and Nishizawa headed the cross. It was a dangerous moment, but the shot went wide of the goal. In the 48th minute, Tokyo's Ishikawa took a left corner kick, which Jean headed, but it was cleared by the Cerezo defense. In the 54th minute, Tokyo earned a free kick from Jean's advance, but a foul in front of the goal prevented a shot. Tokyo controlled the ball and pushed towards the Cerezo goal, but Lucas, Miyazawa, and Kaji made kicking mistakes, failing to create a scoring opportunity.

　In the 55th minute, Abe was brought on for Miyazawa. With Lucas and Abe forming a two-top and Konno as a single defensive midfielder, the rhythm began to develop. In the 58th minute, Abe reacted to a long through pass to the front line from Kanazawa, running in from the right to receive it on the left side of the area, then heel-passing to Todah in the center. Unfortunately, just before it reached Todah, it was cleared by the defender, but it showed good combination play. In the 61st minute, Todah became the pivot for Ishikawa's through pass just before the penalty arc, and Abe forcefully brought the ball into the area for a powerful shot. However, it was blocked by a nice save from the opposing goalkeeper, Ito. In the 63rd minute, Kanazawa boldly challenged on the left side, cutting deep for a cross. Although Kelly's trap was too big to lead to a shot in the center, they gradually began to show 'Tokyo's football.'

　Then, in the 64th minute, Lucas received a pass from behind, turned to face forward, and was fouled just before the penalty arc, earning a free kick. In the 65th minute, from about 20 meters in front of the goal, Lucas took the free kick himself, using Jean as a decoy. He struck the ball with his right foot, and the ground ball bounced on the pitch, grazing the goalkeeper's hand and going into the goal! Lucas finally scored his first league goal, bringing the score level!!

But the goal is far away...

　Cerezo's attack lacked fear, and there was a gap between the front line and the defense line. All that was left was to go for "one more goal." In the 68th minute, Lucas received a long ball from Jean and passed it to Kelly on the right, but the shot went wide left. In the 71st minute, Ishikawa evaded a defender on the right side and passed in front of the goal. Toda, who received the ball near the end line, passed it back, and Lucas took a free shot from the right side of the area, but the goalkeeper made a save. Kelly's follow-up shot also went just outside the frame. They missed the chance for an additional goal.

　In the 74th minute, Kurizawa came on for Ishikawa. In the 76th minute, Kurizawa boldly attempted a direct shot from a cleared ball by the opposing DF. Although it didn't connect perfectly and missed the goal, he remained calm and became the starting point for several chances. In the 79th minute, from Konno's persistent interception, the ball was passed from Abe to Konno to Lucas, reaching Kaji who moved into space on the right side, but the final play went well wide of the goal. Then in the 81st minute, after repeated wave attacks in front of the Cerezo goal, Kurizawa picked up a loose ball from the opposing DF, turned around, and quickly sent a through pass to Kelly on the right side of the area. Despite being blocked by the DF, Kelly sent a cross that Todai met in front of the goal, shaking the net! ... However, this beautiful goal was ruled offside, becoming a phantom goal.

　In the 83rd minute, Miura was brought on as right midfielder, replacing Lucas. With Abe and Kelly as the two forwards and Kurisawa positioned centrally, they launched their final attack. However, in the 88th minute, the opposing defender went to cut Kelly's breakthrough on the right side. Then, Yu OKUBO, chasing from behind, delivered a powerful body charge, causing Kelly to lose balance and make contact with his hand. Kelly received a red card for this play and was sent off. The fighting spirit backfired. But even with 10 men, they did not ease up on the attack. Immediately after, Jean headed a shot from Kurisawa's corner kick. Kanazawa aimed for the rebound from the opponent's block. Similar scenes repeated in stoppage time; the goalkeeper saved Jean's header, and Kanazawa picked up the loose ball and shot from close range but was saved again. They launched a fierce attack pinning Cerezo's side in front of the goal, but the ball just wouldn't go in. The match ended in a draw, earning only 1 point. The slow start was regrettable, but they must reset their mindset and prepare for the next match against Iwata.

【Player Comments】《Konno》"Rather than just stealing the ball and getting involved in the attack, I want to assist simply by passing forward. I want to practice to contribute with more certainty and play without mistakes." 《Moniwa》"I think Tokyo's style of play is being studied, and opponents are changing their approach. At that time, we need a unified awareness of how to fight as a team. I believe we need options that surpass those who come at us by changing their own style."

[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "There was fatigue, and with Kelly starting in the lineup for the first time, the ball connections were off, and there were trap mistakes on chances, so we couldn't fully attack. I thought if we scored one goal in the second half, it would be our pace, but I wanted to break through with a slightly faster ball rotation. The final precision was lacking; for example, Kaji also seemed tired and made mistakes at the most important moments. In the final attacks, such as Kanazawa's rebound shots, not being able to finish there is a challenge for the team. Players like Kaji, who returned from the national team, are clearly in poor condition, but every team is playing on this schedule. We want to switch our mindset to the next Jubilo match and somehow get 3 points. (Regarding Lucas's substitution) He has been playing full matches continuously and must be tired. I thought putting Kelly and Abe as the two forwards and bringing Kurisawa to the center would allow Kelly to hold the ball well and create chances... In the first half, there was a scene where Lucas made a trap mistake and self-destructed, but he was receiving wedges and creating good shapes. While making use of that, we want to increase the variety and precision of our attacks."

【Cerezo Osaka Coach Albert Pobor's Press Conference Summary】"Of course, we aimed to win today's match. However, I feel a bit satisfied with the draw. I feel our team is improving step by step every day. We conceded a goal from a set piece last time, and we have been practicing to correct that. The goal we conceded from a free kick today was a different case, and I don't think it was in a bad way... (After taking the lead, did we get anxious and allow the equalizer again today?) We are still not a team that can physically run for 90 minutes, so we want to aim for that. I also want to make it a team that can quickly score a second goal after getting the first one. We are making progress every day, so I believe we will gradually improve from here."