2nd Stage Home Opener, A Must-Win Battle for Both Teams

　Tokyo, who suffered a comeback loss away in the opening game. In order to get off to a good start in the 2nd stage, they definitely want to avoid consecutive losses. They will aim for a victory in their first home game. However, Kaji, who faced Argentina in the Japan national team match on the 18th (Wednesday), suddenly fell ill and will be absent today. In addition to injured players such as Asari, Toda, and Suzuki, the player depth is in a difficult situation with the absence of Olympic representatives and Masushima, who is also absent due to U-19 representative activities. However, there are expectations for the players on the pitch, including Maeda, who will make his first league start as a right-back. The starting lineup is the same as the previous match except for Maeda. The key will be how they can rebuild their defense after conceding 4 goals in the opening game and connect it to their strong attack.

　On the other hand, Shimizu lost their opening match 1-2 to Yokohama FM. Under the guidance of new coach Arisaki, who took over in July, they will surely want to avoid another consecutive loss. In addition, Toda has returned from the Netherlands for this stage. Today, he replaced Tsurumi, who was injured, and started in a formation with Toda on the left of the back three. The game started at Ajinomoto Stadium, with a temperature of 26.3 degrees and humidity of 58%, which was slightly cooler than the daytime heat, but with no wind.

Despite being under pressure from Shimizu, no scoring opportunities were created.

　The game progressed at a fast pace, pushed by the cheers from the stands. Shimizu connected fast passes and Tokyo also chased well, but it was Shimizu who took the offensive. In the 4th minute, FW Kitajima headed the ball from a left corner kick. In the 8th minute, Kitajima received a through pass from FW Kuboyama who had drifted to the right, and shot while carrying a defender in the area. However, both shots lacked power and were caught by goalkeeper Doi. In the 11th minute, Tokyo's Kelly dropped a cross from Kanazawa and Kurizawa's shot from outside the area went over the goal. In the 16th minute, Tokyo's right side was given the ball and Ichikawa was able to cross it. In the 19th minute, Shimizu's Kuboyama took a shot from a quick attack, but Doi caught it.

　Just before that, Tokyo's Lucas and Kelly try to break through the Shimizu DF with a one-two in front of the goal, but are stopped by quick defense. In the 20th minute, Baba drops a header from Maeda's right cross, but it doesn't reach Lucas in the center. While Shimizu takes control with quick defense and aggressive movement, they are unable to gain an advantage on the side and struggle to play at their own pace. In response, they target Lucas in the front line with long balls, but are caught offside three times by the 23rd minute. In the 24th minute, Lucas and Baba break through on a counter, but with little pressure, they are unable to take a shot.

　However, even in the midst of defensive play, they never lost their composure and created a decisive chance in the 35th minute. Kelly ran into the space on the right side and crossed the ball directly to Maeda. Lucas slid in to meet the low and fast ball, but his shot hit the post! Unfortunately, they missed the goal chance. In the 38th minute, they gave Shimizu consecutive corner kicks and threatened their goal, but they did not allow any clear chances. In the 40th minute, Miura pushed forward and received Lucas' pass in the left area, then connected with Baba and Kelly, and Miura once again got into a shooting position, but was slightly offside. They defended Shimizu's dominance throughout the first half and ended the first half with high expectations for the second half.

Conceded a goal just as we were getting into our rhythm...

　In the second half, Tokyo took the offensive. In the 48th minute, Kanazawa skillfully stole the ball from their own defense and launched a quick attack through Baba, Maeda, and Baba. The final pass went to Lucas on the left side, who forcefully shot but was blocked by the opposing defense. In the 50th minute, Kajiyama and Lucas intercepted the opposing ball, and Lucas passed directly to Kurizawa. Kelly received the final pass and took a free shot from just outside the right goal area, but it curved to the left.

　However, it was in the 52nd minute, just as they were starting to find a good rhythm. The ball was being fought over in the midfield, but when it was taken back by Tokyo on the left side, DF Morioka overlapped and crossed. Kuboyama, who received the ball just outside the central area, took a one-touch and shot a looping shot, which went over Doi's head and into the top left corner for a goal. Tokyo was caught off guard and conceded the first goal.

　60 minutes, Shizuoka's quick attack is cut off by Fujiyama and Jean's aggressive defense. In the 61st minute, Shizuoka MF Ota's shot from a fast counter was slightly deflected to the left and they escaped unscathed. However, Tokyo, who did not lose their focus, launched a counterattack with Abe replacing Baba in the 65th minute. In the 66th minute, Kajiyama dribbled into the area and Kelly picked up the loose ball for a shot, but the opponent's DF cut it off. In the 67th minute, Lucas received Kanazawa's through pass from Abe's left side and passed it to Kelly in front of the goal. Miura picked up the loose ball from the chaos and took a shot from outside the area. However, once again, it was blocked by the opponent's DF.

　In the 69th minute, Abe dribbled up the center and took a powerful shot, but the opponent's goalkeeper saved it with his left foot. Next, starting from the right side, Kelly passed to Kurizawa in the center, and then Kanazawa took a shot after advancing, but was blocked by the opponent's defender. Immediately after, Abe broke through on Kelly's through pass, but was caught offside.

Hopes are high for victory with Abe's two consecutive goals, but...

　Tokyo, who quickly launched an attack and made a fierce attack, replaced Miura with Miyazawa in the 70th minute. Shimizu also replaced Kitajima with FW Hiramatsu. In the 72nd minute, Abe took a CK and Miyazawa kicked it, but Miyazawa sent a cross just offside. In the 73rd minute, Doi's kick was contested by the opposing DF, and Kelly, who broke through the front line, took a shot. However, due to the strict marking of the opposing DF, Kelly was unable to get into position and the ball went over the goal.

　At the 75th minute, Tokyo, who had been connecting the throw-in on the right side, attacked the area with Miyazawa from Lucas' post. Miyazawa passed to Maeda, who overlapped and sent a cross after drawing the defender. Abe, who was free on the far side, headed the ball with a high jump and scored a beautiful goal. They tore through the Shizuoka defenders who had been concentrating on defending with a 4-back formation and equalized with Abe's second consecutive goal from the previous match! As the momentum for a comeback grew, in the 77th minute, Abe headed Maeda's early cross, but it went over the goal.

　However, it was just 4 minutes after the scoring scene. In the 79th minute, Kajiyama stopped Shimizu MF Hiramatsu, who ran up the right side, with a foul, giving a FK near the end line on the right side of the area. This FK was kicked by substitute MF Sawato, and DF Saito headed it perfectly into the goal. In a way, Tokyo's counterattack was dampened and they were robbed of an additional point.

　Still, there was time and a chance. In the 80th minute, Maeda -> Lucas -> Kelly connected, and Abe's shot from inside the area was blocked by the committed Shizuoka DF. In the 81st minute, Yusuke Kondo was substituted for Kajiyama. In the 85th minute, Lucas was brought down in front of the goal, earning a free kick. Miyazawa took a powerful direct shot from outside the penalty area, but the goalkeeper saved it, and Jean and Kanazawa followed up on the rebound! However, they collided and were unable to take a shot. In the 89th minute, Kelly broke through the front line on a left throw-in from Abe, but was caught offside by a slight timing. In the end, despite desperately trying to score, they were unable to break through Shizuoka's committed defense, losing 1-2, including 3 minutes of added time.

　【Player Comments】《Maeda》"There were both good and bad aspects. I had the feeling of wanting to do well in my first start, but I also put too much pressure on myself. I couldn't find my rhythm and my initial performance was a challenge. I always aim for crosses, but I believe that Abe-san will come in and score, so I sent it to the far post and was able to connect well in the middle. In the scene where we conceded a goal, my feet were stopped. We had to communicate and not show any gaps even for a moment. For the second goal, my mark was shaken off, so I have regrets."《Abe》"I thought that if we could attack using the sides, even if we made some mistakes, we could create more chances, so I went for it. I wanted to use a variety of dribbles with a sense of rhythm and tempo. For the goal, since Kazuya has strong kicking power, I thought he might come to the far post, so I wanted to show that weapon if it were me. It turned out just as I imagined. But more than the game itself, it is necessary to win first and foremost."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "This morning, Kaji had a fever and Maeda was used on the right side. Maeda did well, but in the first half, Shimizu created opportunities from the left side, and Araujo was able to move in and out smoothly with Ichikawa involved. I think we were a bit confused there. We made adjustments to that position and while Shimizu was able to create a rhythm, we were able to hold them off without conceding any goals, thinking that the second half would be the deciding factor. In the second half, we were able to maintain that shape, but Kuboyama made a great shot that would normally be difficult to score. Then we brought in Abe, and he was able to break through on the left side and create opportunities from the right side as planned. However, we needed to score another goal to pull away, or at the very least, not concede any goals. The second goal from the free kick was also due to us being frustrated and losing our marking. I think that's where the game was decided. Even though there were some unlucky moments, we lost. We want to use the strength of the Olympic representatives and have a good week of preparation to break this two-game losing streak. I don't think our performance was terrible, but we need to be more clinical and improve our set piece defending. This is where we can show our determination. We lost two games in a row, but we want to rebuild. (What roles did Baba and Kurisawa play?) With Ishikawa absent and Toda and Suzuki injured, we wanted to use players who could keep possession and spread the field. However, in the first half, we were under pressure from Shimizu and became passive. In that situation, Baba also came inside and we couldn't break through on the sides. He did have a moment where he headed the ball down, but if he had turned forward in the penalty area, he could have made a better play. Today, he was mostly focused on defending and didn't have many chances to show that, but he is a player who can do more. Maeda was a bit nervous at first, but in the second half, he was able to push forward and had a great assist. He also took some shots, although they weren't quite on target. He hasn't started in a league game before, but I think he showed that he has the ability to play well in a match while working hard in practice. However, in a crucial moment, he was marking Shimizu's Saito, and it's a lesson that he was beaten by just a small movement. He is normally a defensive midfielder or center back, but he has been able to play in various positions and has become capable of playing defensively anywhere. He gained confidence during our trip to Spain. He is a player who has been steadily improving."

　[Summary of Shimizu Ishizaki's press conference] "In the first half, we were able to break through by using both sides well, but there were issues with the accuracy of crosses and shooting against balls that were sent up. In the second half, we were pushed back, but after taking the lead, we were often caught off guard by quick attacks from Kitajima, Kuboyama, and Araujo in the midfield, so we brought in Sawato to calm the ball down. However, we lost momentum and conceded a goal to Tokyo. There are still many issues with our performance, but we can evaluate the fact that we were able to score a goal from a free kick and win. (In the second half, did you change the system including player substitutions?) Tokyo brought in Abe, and they had a front three of Abe, Lucas, and Kurisawa. Abe is originally a center forward with speed and shooting ability. We practiced to respond with a back four in that situation. However, we conceded a goal by leaving Abe on the opposite side free. We brought in Takagi because Kajiyama was actively moving up, and we wanted to calm things down there. And we had the intention of breaking through with Takagi's speed. (In the first half, we had a high possession rate, but we didn't see fast attacks?) Sugiyama and Ito were able to steal the ball in good positions a few times, but Kitajima was marked tightly by Jean, and there were no options for the three players up front, so we ended up passing sideways instead of moving forward. We need to improve on that in order to have fast attacks. There are also challenges in how we support and move forward after stealing the ball. However, in the first half, we had a few close calls, but most of them were due to our own corner kicks leading to quick attacks from the opponent. In the second half, we lost the ball in the midfield and allowed them to take shots. We want to be able to use both sides well for the entire 90 minutes."