2nd Stage Home Opening Match, Both Sides Cannot Afford to Lose

　Tokyo suffered a comeback loss in the opening match away from home. To get a good start in the 2nd stage, they must avoid consecutive losses at all costs. They are aiming for victory in their first home game. However, Kaji, who faced Argentina with the Japan national team on the 18th (Wednesday), suddenly fell ill today and will not play. In addition to injured players like Asari, Toda, and Suzuki, Olympic representatives and Mashima are also absent due to U-19 national team activities, making the player depth quite challenging. Nevertheless, there are high hopes for the players currently on the pitch, including Maeda, who is making his first league start as a right back. The starting lineup is the same as the last match, except for Maeda. It will be interesting to see how much they can rebuild their defense after conceding four goals in the opening match and connect it to their strong attack.

　On the other hand, Shimizu lost their opening match 1-2 to Yokohama FM. Under the new coach Ishizaki, who took charge in July, they definitely do not want to suffer consecutive losses. Additionally, Toda has returned from the Netherlands starting this stage. Today, in place of the injured Tsurumi, they adopted a formation with Toda positioned on the left of the three-back. The game started at Ajinomoto Stadium with a temperature of 26.3 degrees and humidity at 58%, easing the daytime heat, but with no wind.

Although Shimizu was under pressure, they did not allow any clear chances.

　The match progressed at a fast pace, as if pushed by the cheers from the stands. Shimizu connected quick passes, and Tokyo chased well, but it was Shimizu who took the offensive. In the 4th minute, from a left corner kick, FW Kitakami headed the ball back at the near post. In the 8th minute, FW Kuboyama sent a through pass to Kitakami, who received it and shot while being marked by a defender in the area. However, both attempts were caught easily by Doih. In the 11th minute, Tokyo's Kanazawa delivered an early cross that Kelly dropped, and Kurizawa's shot from outside the area went over the goal. In the 16th minute, the ball was played into space on Tokyo's right side, allowing Ichikawa to deliver a cross. In the 19th minute, Shimizu launched a quick attack, and Kuboyama took a shot, but Doih caught it.

　Just before that, Tokyo's Lucas and Kelly tried to break through Shimizu's defense with a one-two in front of the goal, but were thwarted by the quick defense. In the 20th minute, Maeda's right cross was headed down by Baba at the far post, but it did not reach Lucas in the center. While Shimizu took control with their quick defense and aggressive movements, Tokyo struggled to gain an advantage on the sides and could not progress the game at their own pace. In response, they targeted Lucas up front with long balls, but were caught offside three times by the 23rd minute. In the 24th minute, during a counterattack, Lucas and Baba broke free, but with little support, they could not take a shot.

　However, even in defense, they never lost their composure and created a decisive chance in the 35th minute. Kelly sent a ball into the space on the right side, and Maeda ran in to deliver a cross directly. Lucas slid in for a low and fast ball, but the shot hit the post! Unfortunately, they missed a goal opportunity. In the 38th minute, they allowed Shimizu to take consecutive corner kicks, getting close to the goal, but did not allow any clear chances. In the 40th minute, Miura advanced, received a pass from Lucas in the left area, connected with Baba to Kelly, and once again Miura got into shooting position but was just slightly offside. They maintained Shimizu's dominance throughout the first half and ended it with expectations for the second half.

Just as we were starting to find our rhythm, we conceded a goal...

　In the second half, it was Tokyo that took the initiative. In the 48th minute, Kanazawa cleverly stole the ball from the defense in their own half, connecting Baba → Maeda → Baba to launch a quick attack. The final pass went to Lucas on the left side, who took a powerful shot but was blocked by the opposing defense. In the 50th minute, Kajiyama and Lucas intercepted the opponent's ball, and Lucas connected directly with Kurisawa, leading to a final pass received by Kelly, who shot freely from just outside the right goal area, but it veered to the left.

　However, it was in the 52nd minute, just as they were starting to find a good rhythm. The battle for the ball continued in midfield, but after it was regained on Tokyo's left side, DF Morioka, who had made an overlapping run, delivered a cross. Kuboyama, who received the ball just in front of the central area, took a touch and unleashed a looping shot, which sailed over Doih's head and into the top left corner of the goal. Tokyo was caught off guard and conceded the opening goal.

　In the 60th minute, Shimizu's quick attack was cut off by Fujiyama and Jean's aggressive defense. In the 61st minute, a shot taken by Shimizu's midfielder Ota from a fast counterattack narrowly went to the left, avoiding danger. Nevertheless, Tokyo, maintaining their concentration, launched a counterattack with Abe coming on for Baba in the 65th minute. In the 66th minute, Kajiyama dribbled into the area, and Kelly got into shooting position after picking up the loose ball, but the opposing DF cut it off. Starting from Abe on the left side, in the 67th minute, Lucas received a through pass from Kanazawa and passed it to Kelly in front of the goal. Miura picked up the loose ball from the scramble outside the area and took a shot. However, once again, he was blocked by the opposing DF.

　In the 69th minute, Abe dribbled up the center and took a powerful shot, but the opposing goalkeeper saved it with his left foot. Next, starting from the right side, Kelly passed to Kurizawa in the center, and finally, Kanazawa, who had pushed forward, took a shot but was blocked by the opposing defender. Immediately after that, Abe broke free from Kelly's through pass, but was offside.

With Abe's two consecutive goals, expectations for victory are high...

　Tokyo, launching a sudden offensive, brought in Miyazawa for Miura in the 70th minute. Shimizu also substituted forward Hiramatsu for Kitajima. In the 72nd minute, Abe won a corner kick, and after connecting with a kick from Miyazawa, Miyazawa sent in another cross, but Kelly was just offside. In the 73rd minute, a kick from Doi was contested by the opposing DF, and the loose ball was seized by Kelly, who broke through to shoot. However, due to the tight marking from the opposing DF, he couldn't get into position, and the ball went over the goal.

　In the 75th minute, Tokyo connected a throw-in from the right side, with Miyazawa advancing to just outside the area from Lucas's post, passing to Maeda who made an overlapping run. Maeda attracted the defenders and sent in a cross, which was met by Abe, who was free on the far side, with a header! The ball, struck from a high jump, beautifully found the back of the net. Cutting through the Shimizu defense, which had been focused on defending since switching to a four-back formation, Abe scored his second consecutive goal following the last match, leveling the score! As the mood for a counterattack intensified, in the 77th minute, Abe attempted another header from Maeda's early cross, but this one went over the goal.

　However, it was four minutes after the scoring scene. In the 79th minute, Kajiyama fouled Shimizu MF Hiramatsu, who was charging up the right side, resulting in a free kick near the right end line of the area. The substitute MF Sawatobi took the free kick, and DF Saito headed it in perfectly to score. This additional goal dampened Tokyo's counterattack.

　Still, there was time and chances left. In the 80th minute, Maeda passed to Lucas, who connected with Kelly, and Abe took a shot from inside the area, but it was blocked by the determined Shimizu defender. In the 81st minute, Yusuke KONDO was brought on to replace Kajiwara. In the 85th minute, Lucas was fouled in front of the goal, earning a free kick. Miyazawa took a powerful shot directly from outside the penalty arc, which the goalkeeper saved, but Jean from Kanazawa rushed in for the rebound! However, they collided and were unable to take a shot. In the 89th minute, from a left throw-in, Kelly broke free from Abe's cross, but was caught offside by a narrow margin. In the end, despite desperately aiming for a goal, including 3 minutes of stoppage time, they could not break through Shimizu's resolute defense and lost 1 to 2.

　【Player Comments】《Maeda》"There were both good and bad extremes. I had the determination to perform in my first start, but I was also a bit too eager. Finding the rhythm was an issue, and the way I started was a challenge. I always aim for crosses, and in the scoring situation, I trusted that Abe would come in and sent the ball to the far post, where he skillfully connected inside. In the conceding situation, my legs stopped. We need to encourage each other and not show any gaps even for a moment. For the second conceded goal, my mark got away from me, so I have regrets."《Abe》"I thought that if we could attack using the sides, even with some mistakes, chances would open up, so I took on challenges. I wanted to keep challenging with dribbles that have sharpness and changes in pace. In the scoring situation, Kazuya has strong kicking power, so if it were me, I would want to show that weapon and thought the ball would come to the far post. It was just as I imagined. But more than the game content, what’s necessary first is to get one win."

　[Summary of Director Hara's Press Conference] "This morning, Kaji developed a fever, so we used Maeda on the right side. Maeda did well, but in the first half, Shimizu created opportunities on the left side, Araujo moved skillfully in and out, and Ichikawa was involved there. I think there was some confusion around that area. We corrected those positions, and although Shimizu set the rhythm, we managed to hold a clean sheet and thought the second half would be decisive. We entered the second half with the same formation, but Kubo's wonderful shot, which normally wouldn't go in, scored. Then we brought in Abe, who broke through on the left side and disrupted from the right as planned, creating several good chances. However, we needed to score one more goal to pull away or at least avoid conceding. The second goal from the free kick happened because we got frustrated after the foul was called and our marking became lax. I think that was the turning point. Miyazawa's free kick rebound was unlucky as teammates contested the ball and couldn't finish, but a loss is a loss. To break this two-game losing streak, we want to prepare well for a week, adding the strength of Olympic team players. I don't think the content was terrible, but we need to be more clinical in finishing and tougher in defending set pieces. From here on is where we show our pride. Although we lost two in a row, we want to rebuild. (What roles were given to Baba and Kurisawa?) With Ishikawa absent and speedy players Toda and Suzuki injured, we put in players who can keep the ball and wanted to use the field widely. However, in the first half, we were often attacked by Shimizu and became defensive. As a result, Baba came inside and couldn't break through the sides. There was a chance to head the ball down in the first half, but if he faced forward inside the penalty area, he could have played better. Today, he was busy defending and couldn't do that much, but he is a player who can do more. Maeda was a bit nervous at first but pushed forward well in the second half and had a great assist. Although he didn't hit the shot perfectly, he did take a shot. He had never started a league match before, but through steady practice, he showed he has the ability to perform well in games. However, an important issue is the second goal conceded; he was marking Shimizu's Saito but was beaten by a slight movement. Originally a defensive midfielder or stopper, he has become able to play defensively in various positions. He gained confidence during the recent Spain expedition. He is a player who steadily improves."

　[Summary of Shimizu Coach Ishizaki's Press Conference] "In the first half, we were able to break down the defense well by using both sides effectively, but there are issues with the accuracy of crosses and shooting on balls delivered inside. In the second half, we were pushed back, but after taking the lead, the ball was often lost in midfield around Kitajima, Kuboyama, and Araujo, leading to many quick counterattacks. To calm the game down, we brought in Sawanobori. However, Tokyo gained momentum and conceded a goal. There are still many challenges regarding the match content, but I can appreciate that we scored from a free kick afterward and won. (You changed the system including substitutions in the second half?) Tokyo brought in Abe, forming a sort of three-forward attack with Abe, Lucas RIAN, and Kurisawa. Abe is originally a center forward with speed and shooting power. We responded with a four-back formation as practiced. However, we conceded a goal by leaving Abe free on the opposite side. We brought in Takagi because Kajiyama was pushing forward aggressively, and we wanted to stabilize that area. We also intended to use Takagi's speed to break down the defense. (In the first half, possession was high but there was no fast attack?) We managed to win the ball several times in good positions around the defensive midfielders Sugiyama and Ito, but Kitajima was tightly marking Jean, so the three forwards had no options, and the ball was passed sideways without advancing. We need to improve this to enable fast attacks. The challenge is how to quickly pass forward and support when we win the ball. Although there were several dangerous moments in the first half, they mostly came from the opponent's quick counterattacks off our corner kicks. In the second half, we lost the ball in midfield more often, leading to many shots on goal. We want to be able to use both sides effectively throughout the full 90 minutes, like in the first half."