Aiming for the first victory in 7 league games

　In the 2nd stage, Sec. 13, we will face Niigata away. This will be the first time since the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake that a match will be held at Niigata Stadium. Last week, the Emperor's Cup was held and Tokyo achieved a rare 90-minute victory against Sendai with a score of 1-0. However, in the league, we have not won since the Sec. 6 match against Urawa on 9/23. We hope to win all remaining 3 matches and improve our ranking as much as possible.

　Niigata currently has 5 wins, 2 draws, and 5 losses in the 2nd stage, with 17 points. After the earthquake, they have suffered 3 consecutive losses, and it is unfortunate that all of their games have been played away from Niigata. However, they have been struggling to secure victories recently. Considering their 14th place finish in the 1st stage, it is clear that their current situation is very different from the team that played in the opening game of the 1st stage. In particular, their foreign trio of Edmilson, Ozeas, and Fabinho pose a great threat in the attacking line. As evidence, they have scored a total of 24 goals in the 2nd stage, ranking 3rd behind Urawa. In this match, Ueno will replace Ozeas, but they will still approach the game with their strong attacking formation.

　Tokyo, who are facing them, have increased their two center backs, Muroya and Fujiyama, in place of the injured Morinaga and Jean. Although there are some concerns about their defense, they have almost all of their best players and are hoping for their first win in 7 league matches. The match started with Tokyo's kickoff under clear skies. In addition, Toda, who started in this match, achieved his 100th appearance in the J1 league.

Take the lead with a brilliant goal by Miura...

　Manager Hara sent the team onto the pitch with the words "Let's score more than 2 goals and win" and "Let's play a good game". Both teams were attacking from the start of the game. In the 2nd minute, Kelly passed to Lucas on the left side, who then sent a direct cross to Toda, but the opponent's DF managed to escape with a corner kick. In the 4th minute, Kelly passed to Lucas, who then passed to Konno, and then back to Lucas with precise passing, confusing the opponent's DF. Finally, Lucas took a shot, but it went over the bar.

On the contrary, in the 5th minute, MF Kenji Suzuki took the ball from Tokyo and passed it to MF Shin Suzuki on the left side, then ran up and earned a CK. In the 6th minute, FW Edmilson cut off Inamoto's back pass and dribbled, then connected with FW Fabiño for a shot. Both teams have been attacking each other from the beginning.

　Kelly, who broke through with a brilliant direct pass in the 11th minute, took a shot. In the 13th minute, Toda, who had escaped behind the opponent's defense with a long feed from Kaji, dropped the ball and Lucas took a shot, both of which went over the bar. In addition, in the 16th minute, Kanazawa broke through the left side with passing work and centered the ball, but it resulted in a corner kick. In the 20th minute, Ishikawa kept the ball on the right side and earned a free kick. When Ishikawa put the ball near the near post, Toda headed it but couldn't finish it in the far post. Tokyo effectively created chances from both sides with passing work, and the first goal was scored in the 21st minute, giving a sense of impending goals.

　Kelly dribbled up from their own half 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, leaving the opposing defender behind, and then cut back before passing it to Miura who had run up. Miura took a direct shot from outside the penalty area and the ball pierced through the left side of the goal, scoring a fine goal and giving them an early lead that hasn't been seen in recent games.

Easy goal from a mistake

　However, just as they were celebrating, they conceded a goal just one minute after taking the lead. In the 22nd minute, Edmilson forcefully dribbled through the center and left Fuyama, who was marking him, behind as he entered the penalty area. He then passed the ball back to the center with a ground pass right on the end line, and Ueno, who was making a run, perfectly connected with it to equalize for Niigata.

　After that, Niigata completely took control of the pace. In particular, Edmilson ran around the right side freely and put the ball in front of the goal, which the DF didn't like. Then, Niigata scored another goal just 4 minutes after equalizing. In the 26th minute, Shinn Suzuki put in a left corner kick with his left foot, which was cleared by Tokyo DF. However, Maruyama, who was on the right side, put the ball back in front of the goal with a direct shot, and Tsuchi, who had come out, punched it, but the clearance was small and the ball ended up with Shinn Suzuki, who took a touch and shot with his right foot. The shot was not successful, but Matsuoka, who was in the center, headed it in and Tokyo ended up conceding a goal.

　Tokyo is struggling to find a rhythm in their attack. In the 31st minute, Lucas made a strong dribble and took a shot, but the opposing DF cleared the ball. Then, Miura took a shot from outside the penalty area, but it went wide to the right. In the 33rd minute, Kelly and Kaji exchanged passes in the center, and eventually Kelly took a shot with Lucas also involved, but the opposing DF made a brave clearance. In the 38th minute, Tokyo earned a free kick just outside the penalty area in the center. Lucas aimed directly for 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 counter until the end

　At halftime, Manager Hara's instructions were, "Don't lose to Ueno in the competition for the ball," and "Let's put a low pass to Lucas and Kelly's feet and then spread it out to the side and attack." Tokyo starts their counterattack from the beginning of the second half. In the first minute of the second half, Ishikawa takes a shot but it goes over the bar. In the 53rd minute, Kajiyama is substituted for Miura, increasing the ball possession rate and continuing to attack in the opponent's half.

　At 55 minutes, a big side change from Kajiyama to the left side to Toda. He runs up and makes a centering, but it is cleared by the opponent's DF. At 59 minutes, Kanazawa crosses from the left side to the center, and Lucas heads it near the goal, but it is saved by the opponent's GK. However, the rebound is passed between Imano and Kajiyama, and finally Lucas takes another shot, but it is right in front of the opponent's GK. They just can't seem to score.

　Tokyo made a substitution in the 63rd minute, bringing in Abe for Kelly. Just as they were looking to be more aggressive, they conceded a goal on the counterattack due to a mistake. In the 65th minute, Ishikawa kept the ball on the right side and cut off a misplaced pass, allowing Suzuki Shin to dribble up the left side. With perfect timing, he sent a low cross between the goalkeeper and defender, and Edmilson, who had made a run to the far side, threw himself at the ball and guided it into the goal. Tokyo conceded a goal they shouldn't have, and now they are behind.

　Tokyo made a substitution, replacing Ishikawa with Baba in the 66th minute, but they couldn't stop Niigata's counterattack and ended up conceding another goal. In the 71st minute, Edmilson dribbled past three defenders and managed to get a corner kick, but from that left corner kick, Shinn Suzuki delivered a precise ball and Edmilson scored with a header. It was a goal that showed a lack of concentration, something that hasn't been seen in recent games, and it widened the gap to three points.

Never give up and keep attacking until the end...

　Tokyo took a total attack while taking some risks. On the left side, Kanazawa and Abe, on the right side, Kaji and Toda, were constantly attacking from the side, while Kajiyama and Baba were creating the rhythm of the attack with accents in the center, but the additional point came in the 79th minute. Abe dribbled through the penalty area, and the opponent DF couldn't help but foul. They earned a PK, and Lucas neatly scored to make it a two-point lead. In the 85th minute, Masujima headed the ball from the left CK to the far side, and Lucas headed it in the center, but the opponent DF cleared it on the goal end line. Furthermore, Kajiyama took a shot from the loose ball, but missed above the bar, and they couldn't score.

　Despite threatening Niigata's goal until the end, the game ended with a score of 2-4. While it was the team's first time scoring two goals in a while, they easily conceded points due to small mistakes. They were unable to maintain a good rhythm on both offense and defense until the end, and once again, they were unable to secure a victory in the league.　

　【Player Comments】《Miura》"I couldn't win when I scored the first goal. I felt like the opponent's passion was stronger. I knew that Niigata would come with the determination to win for those affected by the disaster, as it was their first home game in a while. We talked about not backing down and fighting with our pride, but once we were pushed back, it was difficult to push back with our emotions. Niigata was quick to move and anticipate the next move. We need to think about different ways to attack against teams that defend and counterattack, as this has become a common pattern. We need to finish properly and make our shots count. We want to make sure our shooting practice translates into wins in the next game. It's our last home game, so we have to win. We apologize to the fans who came today despite the inconvenience of transportation. We want to make it up to them in the next game."《Mashima》"It was good to score the first goal in a good way, but we immediately conceded and lost our rhythm. The atmosphere got worse after that. Our defense line was made up of players who haven't played together much, so it didn't go well. We were able to handle the second half better, but we were too easily countered. We need to communicate more and fix the small details in practice. We wanted to win and gain momentum, but..."

　【Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference】"Due to the impact of the earthquake, the game was held at Niigata's home stadium for the first time in a while, and Niigata has been on a losing streak lately, so we expected it to be a tough game. The Niigata team, including the fans, came with high motivation, so I told the players not to lose to that and to have a good game. As expected, Niigata attacked with speed and we couldn't attack well, and we were cut off in the middle and taken on the counter, which was a bad rhythm, but in the 21st minute, Miura scored from Toda and Ishikawa, and I thought we finally scored in a good way. However, it wasn't good for us in terms of carrying the game after that. In that goal scene, in the tension, Masushima was still young and inexperienced, and Fujiyama was following Edmilson and there was no angle, so if he had marked properly in the middle, it wouldn't have been a problem, but he was somehow drawn to the ball and lost his mark. At halftime, I told Masushima not to be afraid and to go for the ball against Ueno, because in the first half, Fujiyama was competing and the balance in the middle was bad, and I was worried about the fullbacks squeezing in, and it was a continuous attack by Suzuki Shin and Edmilson in the open space. The second goal was also due to Doi's punching being passed to the opponent, and the third goal was also due to Ishikawa's pass mistake, so I think we were beaten by mistakes today... However, I think the players kept attacking until the end without giving up. I think Kajiyama and Baba, who came on as substitutes, did well, but today, I have to honestly admit that some of Niigata's players were better than us, as they continued to fight with all their might even with their feet cramping. We haven't won in the league, so in the next match, which is our final home game, we need to switch our mindset and go for the win no matter what. Masushima has great potential, but he needs to overcome his tendency to become timid, and although it's tough without players like Jean and Shigetaka, Masushima and the team need to overcome that. I want to learn from Niigata's passion today and defeat Ichihara at Ajinomoto Stadium in the next match."

　【Niigata · Antomachi coach's press conference summary】 "First of all, congratulations on Urawa's league championship and Omiya's J1 promotion. Saitama must be in the midst of joy. I am very happy that we were able to play a fast-paced soccer game that is typical of Niigata at our home ground after a long time. Even if we ignore the content and results, I think it was great that the Niigata style came out. Today, everyone who came to the stadium had various thoughts, and it was good that we were able to respond to their hopes and expectations. After the Reysol game, I used the expression "warm bath", but I told the players that the last three games are the final sprint, and that it is the most frustrating thing to be overtaken by the opponent in the final sprint of a marathon, and it feels good to overtake the opponent. I talked about that and I wanted to see a game today where they showed a passionate, active and proactive attitude, running faster than the opponent and taking the lead. I think that was evident in various parts of the game. When I think about the fact that we were able to score the first and second goals by being one step ahead of the opponent and turning it into our ball, I am very happy to see the players' sincere attitude. FC Tokyo is also a team with a sincere attitude, and I thought it would be a speedy and quick game between the two teams, and it turned out to be a good game. I am happy that we were able to win in such a situation."