A match that tests our strength against Júbilo Iwata

　Three days after the Nabisco Cup Semifinal Round, we face Júbilo Iwata in Sec. 9 of the 2nd Stage. Our record against Iwata so far is 1 win and 8 losses. They have been a challenging opponent. Iwata has lost its former strength and currently sits at the bottom of the standings, but since the 5th match, they have welcomed new coach Suzuki and have slightly improved with 1 win, 1 loss, and 2 draws. We cannot underestimate them as an easy opponent, but they are a wall we desperately want to break through. Can we carry the victory from the Nabisco Cup into today’s match, and how far can we go against Iwata? This is a match that serves as a touchstone.

　Tokyo saw Dohi and Kaji starting after just returning from the Japan national team's World Cup qualifiers against Oman. On the other hand, it has been two weeks since Iwata's last official match, but DF Suzuki is suspended, GK Sato is injured, and Japan national team DF Tanaka is also absent. GK Iwamaru and DF Oi made their first starts of the season, approaching the match with a 3-5-2 formation. The temperature dropped below 20 degrees, but the match began in the clear autumn weather at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo.

Seizing the rhythm from the start, launching an offensive

　Tokyo seized the pace from the start. They won the ball with coordinated pressing and created chances with quick passing. In the 1st minute, they attacked in front of the Iwata goal. In the 4th minute, Jean's long feed was dropped by Lucas, and Kelly quickly returned it to Lucas, who had surged forward. Despite being surrounded by defenders, Lucas's shot, which broke through to the front of the goal, just barely missed the goal, missing the chance to take the lead. In the 6th minute, they transitioned from left to right, and from the combination of Ishikawa and Kaji, Kaji broke through on the right side and delivered a cross. Miura picked up the ball cleared to the far side and took a shot from the center, showcasing a wide attack.

　However, in the 9th minute, Iwata picked up a clearance ball from Tokyo by midfielder Kawamura, and the ball was passed to forward Maeda in front of the goal, who took a shot. In the 11th minute, defensive midfielder Fukunishi spread the play to the right side, and Kawamura took a shot. In the 17th minute, midfielder Hattori's pass was connected directly by Maeda in front of the goal, and midfielder Fujita attacked the goal area. Immediately after that, Lucas picked up a loose ball in midfield and Kelly initiated a quick attack, creating a 2-on-1 situation against the opposing defender. However, Kelly's shot from slightly to the right of the area crossed the goal, and yet again they missed a big chance.

　Tokyo is in control, but without showing any signs of impatience, Iwata endures and suddenly shifts to attack when the opportunity arises. In the 22nd minute, DF Kikuchi's early cross is met by Maeda with a header. Tokyo, having missed their own chance, ends up losing momentum as a result. In the 34th minute, Maeda shoots from a quick restart by Iwata. Although it misses the target, it showcases the 'Iwata style'. However, in the 36th minute, Iwata DF Oi, who advanced with a dribble, passed the ball to Konno in midfield, and Oi, overzealous, slid in. This tackle, with his foot raised, was deemed a significantly foul play, resulting in Oi's expulsion. Following the Nabisco Cup match against Tokyo V, Tokyo now has to face a team with 10 players from this point on.

Overwhelming Iwata, who are one player short...

　Iwata moved Hattori from the defensive midfielder to DF, shifted attacking midfielder Nanami to the defensive midfielder position, and dropped Maeda back a line. In the 44th minute, they attacked the goal with quick passing, and Fujita took a shot. Tokyo struggled to create decisive chances despite having a numerical advantage. In stoppage time, Kelly picked up a cleared ball and passed it to Lucas, who broke free in front of the goal. Lucas made a sharp cut past the DF and took a shot while unmarked, but the ball went to the left of the goal. By the end of the first half, Tokyo had 4 shots compared to Iwata's 7. It wasn't a bad performance, but they couldn't capitalize on their chances, and the match was carried over to the second half.

　In the second half, Yamata substituted Morishita for Fukunishi and changed to a four-back formation. Tokyo brought in Abe for Baba. Throughout the second half, Tokyo maintained control against the ten-man Yamata. In the 45th minute, they picked up a loose ball and attacked, with Kelly heading in a cross from the right. In the 47th minute, Kelly again connected with a header from Ishikawa's cross, but the opposing goalkeeper Iwamaru made a great save, resulting in a corner kick. They earned two corner kicks from there but could not convert them into shots. Tokyo continued to attack, but they were unable to break through Yamata's well-organized defense, and the stalemate continued.

Lack of finishing ability, regrettable draw

　In the 64th minute, Konno and Lucas created a decisive scene. Konno stole the ball in his own half and quickly passed it to Lucas at the front. He evaded the DF and shot past the advancing GK, but it went just to the right of the goal. Lucas continues to show sharp runs, but he just can't find the back of the net. Shortly after, Miyazawa was brought on to replace Miura. However, when trying to target behind the opposing DF, he was caught offside, and the cross was cleared in the center, unable to break through the solid defense of the Iwata goal.

　In the 76th minute, a free kick was awarded from the left diagonal of the goal. Here, Suzuki came on for Ishikawa. In his first play after the substitution, Suzuki aimed directly for the goal, but his powerful shot was saved by the GK. In the 77th minute, Abe took a bold shot from inside the right area after a left cross from Kanazawa, but this too was saved by the GK. From here, three corner kicks were earned, and Miyazawa aimed directly from a free kick near the right corner, but once again, the GK made a great save, preventing a goal. In the 80th minute, after a quick attack, Suzuki picked up the rebound from Kelly's shot in front of the goal and shot. It seemed like it shook the net, but unfortunately, it was offside.

　In the 3 minutes of stoppage time, Abe's left cross led to Kelly's shot, which was blocked by the opposing defender's body. Following that, Miyazawa's shot from directly in front of the goal went over the bar. From a right throw-in, Abe connected with a header, and Kelly's shot also went over the bar. In the final stages, the match was mostly played in the Juntendo area, getting close but still far from the goal. The match ended scoreless against a resilient Juntendo, resulting in Tokyo dropping a match they could have won and only earning 1 point.

　【Player Comments】《Suzuki》"I was strongly told to go for the shot when I entered the pitch. I wanted to score from the first free kick, but my touch on the ball was good, and I was able to approach the game relaxed. However, while it might have been fine if we were leading 1-0, being at 0-0 means my contribution is almost zero. I wanted to score." 《Konno》"Today, I wanted to press from the front, and when that was working well, I wanted to get a goal. I felt uneasy when the opponent went down to 10 men, but I worked hard to pick up the loose balls. I think we were able to create wave attacks from there. My fear of playing against a team with 10 men has disappeared, but drawing with Iwata doesn't give me confidence. (What do we need to do to capitalize on chances?) I think we just have to practice as the voices from the stands suggest."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "After the Nabisco Cup ended, we first needed to switch our mindset, especially since we haven't won against Jubilo Iwata in recent years, so we approached this match with the intention to break that streak. From the start of the first half, we applied pressure and I think we were doing well. For nearly 20 minutes, we were winning the ball high up the pitch, with Lucas and Kelly creating chances, and Ishikawa and Kaji breaking down the right side with their speed. We wanted to score during that time, and with so many decisive chances, we needed to convert them. After the opponent went down to ten men, we brought in Abe in the second half to exploit the flanks, but they defended well, and we couldn't break through in the final moments. In the second half, good crosses came in from Kaji and Ishikawa on the right, but we struggled to control the headers in the center, which I think is an area we need to improve. Also, when the opponent is down to ten men, we tend to falter. Our movements became awkward, and our attempts to win the ball from the front became less aggressive. However, I think the players did well to focus on the Nabisco Cup match on Wednesday and performed admirably despite the fatigue from such a dramatic game. Kaji, who just returned from the Japan national team expedition, paired up with Ishikawa again after a long time, and we saw them repeatedly working together, with Ishikawa going forward and Kaji making runs. We really wanted to win, but we managed to perform well against Iwata, and I want to continue playing the kind of football we showed at the beginning. From there, we need to score. Once we get one goal, we aim for a second, and with fewer opponents, we want to circulate the ball more and aim for greater strength. The second stage is still competitive. In the next match against F. Marinos, we want to play the same kind of football as we did at the start today and win."

　【Summary of Coach Suzuki's Press Conference】 "The players understood Tokyo's football well, and on that basis, they tried to play Iwata's style. From around the 25th minute, we were able to develop our play and I think we had good rhythm in our attacks and played well, but just then Oi was sent off. I didn't want to disrupt the team's shape, so we maintained a 3-5-1 formation in the first half and switched to a 4-4-1 in the second half considering physical conditions. We changed the system because Tokyo's wingers were stretching wide, but the players fought until the end without giving up and managed to earn one point. However, we weren't aiming for a draw; we were trying to score until the very end. After switching to a back four, Nanba and Fujita became the starting points, and Maeda got involved, allowing us to create time to hold the ball, but we couldn't break forward. Nanba was also tired, so I decided to bring in Ota, who has speed and stamina, to try to break down the right side. However, in the latter stages, we almost couldn't create time in midfield, resulting in a draw."