Aiming for victory after 7 league matches

　The 2nd Stage Sec. 13 will be an away match against Niigata. This will be the first time the match is held at Niigata Stadium since the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake. Last week, the Emperor's Cup was held, and Tokyo achieved a long-awaited victory with a score of 1-0 against Sendai after 90 minutes, but there have been no wins in the league since the match against Urawa in Sec. 6 on 9/23. With three matches remaining, we hope to aim for victory in all of them and improve our ranking.

　Niigata currently has 5 wins, 2 draws, and 5 losses in the 2nd stage, totaling 17 points. They have suffered 3 consecutive losses in league matches since the earthquake, and with all matches being held outside of Niigata, they have been unfortunate. However, considering that they finished 14th in the 1st stage, the situation is clearly different from the team they faced in the opening match of the 1st stage. In particular, the attacking trio of Edmilson, Ozeas, and Fabinho poses a significant threat. As evidence, their total goals in the 2nd stage is 24, ranking 3rd after Urawa. In this match, Ueno will replace Ozeas, but they will approach the game with their proud attacking formation.

　Tokyo, facing the match, replaced the injured Moniwa and Jean with center-backs Nagashima and Fujiyama. Although there are some concerns in defense, almost the best lineup is assembled, hoping for a victory after 7 league matches, and the match began with Tokyo's kickoff under clear skies. Additionally, in this match, Toda, who started, achieved his 100th appearance in the J1 league.

Miura's brilliant goal gives the lead, but...

　Coach Hara sent the team onto the pitch with the message, "We will win by scoring more than two goals today" and "Let's just play a good match." Both teams started the match aggressively. In the 2nd minute, Kelly connected with Lucas, who passed to Toda on the left side, and he delivered a direct cross, but it was deflected by the opposing DF for a corner kick. In the 4th minute, a series of quick passes from Kelly to Lucas to Konno and back to Lucas confused the opposing DF, and finally, Lucas took a shot, but it went over the bar.

Conversely, Niigata took the ball from Kenji SUZUKI in the 5th minute and passed it to Shin SUZUKI, who then charged up the left side to earn a corner kick. In the 6th minute, FW Edmilson intercepted a back pass from Konno, dribbled forward, and connected with FW Fabinho for a shot. Both teams are attacking each other from the start.

　In the 11th minute, Kelly broke free with a brilliant direct pass and took a shot. In the 13th minute, Lucas shot the ball after it was dropped by Toda, who had gotten behind the opponent's defense with a long feed from Kaji. Both shots went over the bar. Furthermore, in the 16th minute, Kanazawa created a chance on the left side with a series of passes and delivered a cross, resulting in a corner kick. In the 20th minute, Ishikawa maintained possession on the right side and earned a free kick. Ishikawa delivered the ball to the near side, but Toda's header could not connect at the far post. Tokyo effectively created chances through passing plays from both sides, and in the 21st minute, a first goal was scored, signaling the beginning of a scoring opportunity.

　From their own half, Kelly dribbled forward and passed the ball to Toda on the left side, who then switched it to Ishikawa on the right side. Ishikawa trapped the long ball, evaded the opposing defender, went to the end line, cut back, and passed it to Miura, who had made a run. Miura took a direct shot from outside the penalty area, and the ball pierced the left side of the net for a goal! It was a fine goal not seen in recent matches, giving them an early lead.

Easy goals conceded from mistakes

　However, just as they were celebrating, they conceded a goal one minute after taking the lead. In the 22nd minute, Edmilson made a strong dribble breakthrough in the center, shaking off Fujiyama who was marking him, and entered the penalty area. Just at the edge of the end line, he made a low cross to the center, and FW Ueno, who was making a run, perfectly connected with it, bringing Niigata back to square one.

　After that, Niigata completely took control of the pace. In particular, Edmilson ran freely up and down the right side, delivering balls that the Tokyo DF found difficult to handle in front of the goal. Then, just four minutes after equalizing, Niigata would score another goal. In the 26th minute, Suzuki Shin took a left-footed corner kick, which was initially cleared by the Tokyo DF. However, the loose ball was sent back into the goal area by DF Maruyama on the right side with a direct pass. Although Dohi came out to punch it away, the clearance was weak, and the ball ended up with Suzuki Shin, who shot with his right foot after one trap. The shot was mishit, but Matsuo, who had moved up centrally, headed it in, allowing Tokyo to fall behind.

　Tokyo is struggling to find an attacking rhythm. In the 31st minute, Lucas made a strong dribbling breakthrough and took a shot, but the opposing DF cleared the ball. Miura then attempted a shot from outside the penalty arc, but it went wide to the right of the goal. In the 33rd minute, after a pass exchange between Kelly and Kaji in the center, Kelly, who broke free with Lucas involved, took a shot, but the opposing DF blocked it. In the 38th minute, a free kick was awarded just outside the penalty area in the center. Lucas aimed directly at the goal, but it hit the wall and was cleared. Tokyo created several shooting opportunities, but the first half ended with a score of 1-2.

Allowing the opponent's counterattack until the end

　The instructions from Coach Hara at halftime were, "Don't lose the battle for the mark between Masushima and Ueno" and "Let's attack by first sending a low pass to Lucas and Kelly before spreading it to the sides." Tokyo launched a counterattack from the start of the second half. Just one minute into the second half, they earned a free kick, and Ishikawa took a shot that went over the bar. In the 53rd minute, Kajiyama was brought in to replace Miura, further increasing the ball possession rate, and the attack continued in the opponent's territory.

　In the 55th minute, a big switch from Kajiyama to Toda on the left side. He runs up and attempts a cross, but it is cleared by the opposing defender. In the 59th minute, Kanazawa cuts back from the left side to the center, where Lucas heads the ball, but it is deflected by a fine save from the opposing GK. The loose ball is then exchanged between Konno and Kajiyama, and finally, Lucas shoots again, but it goes straight to the opposing GK. They just can't score.

　Tokyo substituted Abe for Kelly in the 63rd minute. Just when they were thinking of becoming more aggressive, they allowed a goal from a counterattack due to a mistake. In the 65th minute, Ishikawa kept the ball on the right side, cut a misplaced pass that came in, and Suzuki Shin dribbled up the left side. With a quick cross between the goalkeeper and defender, Edmilson, who had made a run to the far side, threw himself to redirect the ball into the goal, and Tokyo conceded an unnecessary additional goal.

　Tokyo substituted Baba for Ishikawa in the 66th minute, but could not stop Niigata's counterattack, allowing another goal. In the 71st minute, they allowed Edmilson to break through with a dribble, and managed to escape to a corner kick with three defenders, but from that left corner kick, Edmilson headed in a precise ball from Shin Suzuki, resulting in a goal due to a lack of concentration that had not been seen in recent matches, making it a three-goal deficit.

Even though we attacked without giving up until the end...

　Tokyo launched a full-scale attack while taking a certain level of risk. On the left side, Kanazawa and Abe, and on the right side, Kaji and Toda, rapidly initiated side attacks, while Kajiyama and Baba created the rhythm of the attack in the center. The additional goal came in the 79th minute. Abe's dribbling breakthrough in the penalty area was met with a foul from the opposing defender. A penalty kick was awarded, and Lucas converted it neatly to make it a two-goal lead. In the 85th minute, a corner kick from the left was headed back to the center by Masushima at the far side, and Lucas headed it, but the opposing defender cleared it off the goal line. Furthermore, Kajiyama took a shot at the loose ball, but it went over the bar, and they could not score.

　Although they threatened the Niigata goal until the end, the match ended with a score of 2-4. The team scored 2 goals for the first time in a while, but they allowed easy goals due to minor mistakes, and they were unable to maintain a good rhythm in both offense and defense until the end, resulting in another missed opportunity for a league victory.　

　【Player Comments】《Miura》"I can't win when I score the opening goal. I felt that the opponent's fighting spirit was stronger. I knew that Niigata would come with the determination to win for those affected by the earthquake, especially since it was their first home stadium match in a while, but we talked about not just accepting that and instead pushing back with our own determination. However, once we were pushed back, it was difficult to regain our spirit. Niigata's movements and their anticipation of the next play were quick. It's the same with the Emperor's Cup; our attacking approach against teams that defend deep has been poor, leading to counterattacks and losing control of the pace, so as a team, we need to think about various strategies. We need to ensure we finish properly. I want our shooting practice to lead to victories in matches. Next is our final home game, so we must win that to finish strong. I apologize to the many fans who came today despite the inconvenient transportation. I want to repay that in the next match." 《Masushima》"I was glad we scored the opening goal in a good way, but we conceded immediately and lost our rhythm. The atmosphere worsened with the subsequent goal against us. The defensive line was made up of members who haven't played together much, so it didn't go well. I think we managed better in the second half, but we allowed them to counter freely. I believe we need to communicate more in practice and correct the finer details. I wanted to build momentum with a win, but..."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "Due to the earthquake, it was a long-awaited home stadium match for the Niigata team, and considering that Niigata has been on a losing streak lately, I anticipated a very tough match. The Niigata team, including their fans, brought high motivation, so I told the players to not be outdone by that and to aim for a good match. As expected, Niigata had a speedy attack, and we struggled to attack effectively. We were cut off during a half-hearted attempt, leading to a counterattack that created an unpleasant rhythm. However, in the 21st minute, after a connection from Toda to Ishikawa, Miura scored, and I thought we finally managed to score in a good way. But shortly after that, we conceded a goal, which was not good for the flow of today's game. In that conceding scene, under pressure, Masushima, being young and inexperienced, lost track of Edmilson, who was in a tight angle. If he had marked him properly in the center, it would have been fine, but he got a bit distracted by the ball and lost his mark. At halftime, I told Masushima to not be afraid and to compete against Ueno. In the first half, since Fujiyama was competing, the balance in the center was poor, and both full-backs became worried and squeezed in, allowing Suzuki and Edmilson to exploit the open space. The second goal was due to Doih's punching going to the opponent, and the third goal was a result of Ishikawa's passing mistake, so I think we were undone by mistakes today... However, I believe the players kept attacking until the end without giving up. I think the substitutes Kajiyama and Baba did well, but honestly, I have to admit that today, Niigata's players, even while cramping, fought with more strength than we did. Since we haven't won in the league, we need to switch our mindset for the next match, which is our final home game, and we want to win at all costs. I think Masushima has great potential, but if he doesn't overcome his moments of weakness, he won't become a stronger player. It's certainly tough without Jean and Shigeno, but Masushima and the team must overcome such challenges. I want to learn from Niigata's fighting spirit today and defeat Ichihara at Ajinomoto next time."

　【Niigata - Coach Hantani's Press Conference Summary】 "First of all, congratulations to Urawa on winning the league and to Omiya on their promotion to J1. Saitama must be in a state of joy right now. I am very pleased that we were able to play a fast-paced style of football that is characteristic of Niigata at home after a long time. Even if we close our eyes to the goals conceded, I think it was great to see the true essence of Niigata come through. For those who came to the stadium today, each had their own thoughts, and I am glad we were able to meet their hopes and expectations. After the Reysol match, I used the expression 'warm water,' but I told the players before the match that the last three matches are a final sprint, and it is most frustrating to be overtaken by the opponent at that point in a marathon, while overtaking the opponent feels good. I wanted them to show a proactive and active attitude today, running faster than the opponent and taking the lead. I believe that was certainly reflected in various parts of the game. The first and second goals came from being a step quicker than the opponent, allowing us to gain possession and score. Considering this, I think today showcased the players' earnest attitude. FC Tokyo is also a team with a sincere attitude, and I expected a speedy and quick transition in the game, which I believe was indeed the case. I am also happy that we were able to win in such a context."