Home final match, aiming for the first victory in 4 years against Nagoya

　Sec. 14 will face Nagoya Grampus Eight at home. It's hard to believe, but this is the final match of the 1st stage at home. Our past record against Nagoya is 1 win, 2 draws, and 5 losses. Since our victory with a V goal in the 2000 J1 1st stage, we haven't been able to win and it's been tough, but with the support of our home crowd, we want to do whatever it takes to win.

　Today, Asari is suspended due to accumulated warnings, but Miura is starting. Also, Miyazawa made it to the bench for the first time since Sec. 8.

　Nagoya, on the other hand, is currently in 6th place. In June, they have won 3 consecutive games, including the Nabisco Cup, and have been in good form. GK Narazaki, DF Omori, and MF Yoshimura are all out due to injuries and suspensions, leaving some concerns in defense, but Weslley and Marques, their strong FW duo, are still in top form. They are one of the most dangerous attacking pairs in the J-League. Despite the high temperature of 27℃ before the night game, the match started with Nagoya's kickoff.

Allowing Nagoya to demonstrate their decisiveness and take the lead.

　To seal off Tokyo's side, Nagoya changed their formation from 3-back to 4-back in the previous match. They transitioned from tight defense to attack, and in the 5th minute, they threatened Tokyo's goal with side changes and runs from the second line. Tokyo tried to exploit the space behind the defense with quick passes, but Lucas was caught offside in the 3rd minute and Suzuki in the 6th minute. Despite struggling to create chances against Nagoya's solid defense, Babba's mid-range shot in the 14th minute was their first shot of the day. In the 19th minute, Tokunaga received a pass from a side change and dribbled up from the right side, taking a powerful shot from near the penalty arc. However, it narrowly missed to the right.

　After that, both teams continued to fight for possession, but neither could create a decisive scene. In the 34th minute, Inamoto headed a free kick from Baba on the right side, but that was Tokyo's only shot in the first half. Nagoya also had only two shots, one from MF Okayama at the start of the game and one from MF Yamaguchi in the 34th minute. However, in the 42nd minute, something happened. Mogi went to check the ball from the opponent's right throw-in, but Marques quickly passed it to Nakamura on the right side. Nakamura dribbled into the area and sent a fast ground cross in front of the goal. Neither Tokunaga nor Doi, who were covering, could touch the ball. Okayama appeared free in front of the goal and scored, giving up the first goal just before the end of the first half.

　In the second half, after falling behind by one point, Tokyo almost grasped the rhythm. Right after the start, Kanazawa's cross was cleared by the DF. Lucas then chest-trapped the loose ball and took a volley shot, but it was saved by the GK. In the 49th minute, Baba dribbled past two DFs in the right area and sent a cross, but no one was able to connect on the far side. Shortly after, Baba passed through Toda and sent a through pass to the front line. In the 51st minute, Tokunaga cut inside just like in the first half and took a shot while being surrounded by the DFs. This time, he cut to the left.

Lucas's skillful goal! Kajiyama and Miyazawa step up their game

　However, it was during the time when Toda, who had injured his foot, was out of the pitch for treatment. In the 51st minute, Wesley, who had drifted to the right side, passed to Kakuta from the bottom of the midfield. Kakuta made a fierce dash and dribbled up, but Jean cut him off with a sliding tackle. However, when the ball spilled in front of Marques, who had moved up to the front line, he quickly passed it in with one touch, scoring a goal. Just as they were about to gain momentum for a comeback, they were suddenly down by two points due to Marques' strong finishing ability.

　However, it was not possible to end like this. In the previous match, Tokyo allowed a tie in the opposite position. We must firmly apply that lesson. In the 55th minute, Kajiyama was substituted for Toda. Then, Kajiyama, who entered as a left MF, used his ball control skills and started creating chances from Kanazawa's attacks and inducing opponent fouls for set plays. In the 59th minute, Abe replaced Baba. And in the 63rd minute, Lucas, who received a pass from Kanazawa in the midfield, skillfully dribbled past his marker and charged towards the goal. He rhythmically evaded three DFs and entered the area. Even here, he tried to break through forcefully while being surrounded by three DFs and faced the GK in a one-on-one situation. The ball went into the right side of the goal! With a determined fine goal, they closed the gap to one point, saying "we cannot end like this."

　The intense offense and defense that sped up from here became fierce, and in the 65th minute, Nagoya's Marques took a sharp volley shot from a counter, but it just missed to the right. In the 66th minute, Kajiyama was fouled in the left area corner and earned a free kick. Kajiyama's kick reached Suzuki, who was free in front of the goal, but the timing was just off and he couldn't take the shot. However, Tokyo, who was gaining momentum, made a substitution in the 71st minute, replacing Miura with Miyazawa to further boost their comeback efforts. The appearance of "16" for the first time since the 5th round (4/14 vs C Osaka) was met with a resounding "Miyazawa call" throughout the stadium, and the blue and red eleven became even more lively.

Shigehana, Lucas scores with determination! Dramatic come-from-behind victory!!

　72 minutes, Kanazawa's aggressive attack resulted in a shot that was deflected by the opponent's GK, but Suzuki, who bravely followed up, was called offside. In the 73rd minute, Kajiyama -> Kanazawa -> Miyazawa's cross led to a wave of attacks. Miyazawa picked up the loose ball again and Kanazawa crossed from the left. They won a corner kick. Jean's header missed the target, but in the next minute, they won another corner kick from Kanazawa's breakthrough and completely pushed Nagoya's DF back. Then in the 75th minute, Kajiyama cut in from the short corner taken by Miyazawa and passed a ground ball like an arrow to the center of the goal. Shigetaka received it and although his trap was a bit too big, he pushed it in with his right foot! Shigetaka's first J-League goal, full of determination, also marked the team's 200th J1 goal and became a valuable equalizer.

　Tokyo, who are attacking more fiercely, and Nagoya, who are countering, are in a heated battle. In the 78th minute, Kajiyama jumps into the goal area on a cross from Tokunaga, but his shot hits the left post! Miyazawa picks up the rebound and takes a shot, but a player who was left on the front line is offside. In the 80th minute, Nagoya launches a quick attack and Nakamura takes a shot from the right side. Doi saves it and it goes out for a corner kick.

　However, in the 81st minute. Lucas receives the ball in the area after stealing the throw-in from Abe's left cross. Lucas breaks through the marker with a sharp turn and a nutmeg, dribbling towards the center while checking the position of the opponent's GK, and shoots a controlled shot with his right side kick. The ball pierces into the net on the right side, GOAL!! The stadium is filled with excitement and frenzy due to this dramatic turn of events. In the end, Nagoya does not allow any counterattacks and continues to attack until the final whistle. In front of the 25,167 people gathered in the stands, Nagoya achieves a dramatic comeback victory, their first victory in 90 minutes in 4 years. They also rise to 4th place in the rankings, while also finishing their final home game in style.

【Player Comments】《Lucas》"The first goal was a situation that happens once or twice in a season. We were behind, so I tried to force a breakthrough and it led to a good result. In the first half, we couldn't find our rhythm, maybe because of fatigue. In the second half, we were trailing by two goals, but the players who came on as substitutes pushed us forward. I think Miyazawa's feelings were conveyed. Of course, as a forward, I always feel responsible for scoring. My goal was a team effort, but I will continue to fight with a sense of responsibility. The victory is thanks to the support of many fans and it is a great source of strength for us."《Miyazawa》"I was instructed to kick long balls when I came on. I could clearly hear the cheers from the stands when I was substituted, and it made me happy. It was my first time playing with Kajiyama, but the atmosphere changed and we were able to score and win. I have been practicing for this day and I wanted to give it my all. There were various struggles, but it's important to show good play in the stadium. I realized that the fighting spirit is crucial, so I will continue to give my all."

[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "In the previous match against Ichihara, we didn't lose, but all the players felt like they had lost. It was difficult to switch gears, so I told the players, 'Ichihara's fighting spirit is amazing. Let's fight with that same spirit even if we're behind.' And today, that's exactly what happened. Even when we were down 0-2, the players didn't give up and kept pushing forward. After the previous match, our bodies were heavy, especially Baba who had a tough time marking and playing 3 matches in a week. At halftime, I told them, 'Even if we concede a goal, let's keep fighting with a strong mentality.' But we ended up conceding a second goal and to be honest, I was a little worried. Then Kajiyama, Abe, and Miyazawa came on and changed the flow of the game. Kajiyama has great ball control and dribbling skills, and he's been getting used to the team since the two-week training camp. Today, he came on and the game settled down and we started moving. And then there's Miyazawa. Since I became manager, his left foot has been a key point and he's been starting every game, even when he's a little tired. But this season, he's been marked tightly and we've been struggling to find a balance with Konno - Konno going forward and Miyazawa staying back. But he's been really focused in training recently, so when I brought him on today, I almost cried when I saw how much effort he put into his play. He was throwing his body around, trying to win the ball even with his head. I think he had just forgotten to do that before. He was trying too hard to do everything perfectly, but he has great natural abilities. I'm happy if this gives him a boost. Even without Kelly, Baba, Kajiyama, and Ishikawa injured, Suzuki came on. Suzuki was asleep in the first half, but in the second half, he fought hard and showed his strengths. Most importantly, in front of these amazing supporters, I'm happy that the players on the bench played with all their hearts and didn't give up until the end. We'll rest for a week and then we want to end the season with a win against Reds."

[Nagoya NELSINHO Coach's Press Conference Summary] "The first half was a great performance. Our defense was stable and we were able to play compact football as a team. We didn't give Tokyo any scoring opportunities and were able to take the lead by gradually moving forward from a solid defense. In the second half, we were able to play with our team's rhythm until the 15-minute mark. However, we gradually lost our pressing and were dominated by the opponent in the midfield, resulting in their goal. It was a shot from the opponent's FW from the midfield to the area, but no matter what the team situation is, we cannot allow goals in that way. After that, as you can see, the game progressed at Tokyo's pace and they were able to win. (Tokyo made some changes in the midfield, but) I don't think the opponent's substitutions had any impact. However, that was until we conceded the first goal. After conceding, we were shaken. The opponent took advantage of that. (The substitutions were made after the game was tied) I wanted to make some changes, but today we couldn't bring in veteran players due to warnings and injuries, so the bench was mainly composed of young players. We didn't put in any young players as we were being chased 2-1 and the opponent had momentum, as I didn't think it would be a plus for the team."