Switching gears, here comes the league match!

　Due to the final qualifiers for the World Cup in Germany, the league match, Sec. 3, since March 12 will be an away game against Vissel Kobe. Currently, Tokyo is at the top with 4 points, but there is a tie with 6 teams, including Kobe, all having 4 points. Coach Hara also stated, "Looking at the fact that there are no teams with a perfect record after two matches, it shows that this season, all teams are not that different in strength," emphasizing the importance of treating each match seriously to maintain a top position and to secure points.

　Kobe has suffered consecutive losses in the Nabisco Cup matches, but the attacking trio of FW Miura, FW Bando, and MF Yabuta is maintaining good form. In particular, Bando is actively creating chances by running around the front line, while Miura often finishes centrally. Additionally, MF Horvi, despite being a defensive midfielder, is a key player in midfield attacks with his short and long passes, and on the left side is Japan national team MF Atsuhiro MIURA, requiring careful attention to the opponent's attacks.

　On the other hand, Tokyo started with the Japan national team players Dohi and Kaji, and there were concerns about Kaji's condition, but he stated, "No particular problems." Additionally, Lucas, who had twisted his ankle in the previous day's practice and was uncertain to play, participated energetically, and the same lineup as in the opening match was set to face the game. Under a dim cloudy sky, the match started at 4:04 PM with Tokyo's kickoff.

Refreshed TOKYO Return To League Play 

Following an extended break for World Cup qualifiers the J.League recommenced with F.C.TOKYO facing Vissel in Kobe. TOKYO entered the game top of the table on goal difference with Vissel one of five other teams with four points from two games. TOKYO manager Hara commented, "No side has a perfect record and that shows how evenly matched the league is this year". The old football cliche of 'taking every game as it comes' was never more applicable. 
Vissel had lost both recent Nabisco Cup games but the forward line of veteran "King Kazu" Miura, Bando and attacking midfielder Yabuta were in good form. In particular, Bando's tireless running had been creating opportunities that Miura finished in expert style. Coupled with the passing ability of Horvy in midfield and Japan winger Atsuhiro Miura's experience on the left, Vissel had enough offensive capability to threaten any defence. 
Doi and Kaji returned from National Team duty and straight into the starting eleven. "No problem", was Kaji's response to concerns over his condition. Lucas had recovered from a twisted ankle sustained in training and TOKYO fielded the same line up that began the opening game of the season. Vissel kicked off shortly after 4:04pm on a cloudy, grey afternoon. 

Miyazawa brilliantly scored directly from a free kick, and Konno added another goal to take the lead.

　From the start of the match, there was a fierce battle for the ball in midfield, with both teams vying for control through pressure on the ball. Instead of connecting passes, the situation continued with long balls being played and both teams scrambling to pick up the loose balls. In the midst of this, Tokyo suddenly seized an opportunity.

　In the 8th minute, Kanazawa intercepted a loose ball near the halfway line and passed it to Miyazawa, who sent a through ball to Toda, who made a run behind the opposing defense. Toda charged towards the goal with a dribble, but was stopped by Kobe midfielder Park, who fouled him from behind, resulting in a free kick awarded just outside the penalty area. Miyazawa took the free kick and scored a fine goal with a fast trajectory into the top left corner of the goal, taking an early lead.

　After that, Ishikawa continued to launch quick attacks from both sides. In the 12th minute, Kurizawa passed to Ishikawa on the right side for a cross, and in the 14th minute, Ishikawa dribbled down the left side to bring the ball in front of the goal and made a through pass to Toda, maintaining the pressure on the attack. Then, they scored another goal from a set piece. In the 15th minute, Kurizawa took a corner kick, and the opposing defender's clearance fell back to Kurizawa's feet. This time, he delivered a low, fast liner ball, and Konno, who was free in front of the goal, scored with a perfect header, extending the lead to two goals.

　Kobe was able to calmly keep the ball after the 20-minute mark, and the entire team began to push forward and launch a counterattack. In the 22nd minute, Park on the right side of his own half passed to forward Miura, who then sent a through ball to Bando in front of the goal. In the 24th minute, forward Miura broke through behind the defense on a counterattack and took a shot from the right inside the penalty area, but it went straight to Doih's position. Tokyo, facing an aggressive opponent, saw Miyazawa in midfield hold the ball and repeatedly send well-timed middle passes to Toda, who ran behind the opposing defense, but due to some trapping errors, they struggled to get a shot off. In the 33rd minute, Bando's dribbling shot, which was the most decisive moment for Kobe in the first half, was also saved by Doih's fine save, ending the first half with a score of 2-0.

Miyazawa Opens The Scoring; Konno Doubles For TOKYO

The game began as a furious midfield battle for the upper hand with both sides resorting to the long ball when in possession. TOKYO created the first clear chance in the 8th minute as Kanazawa won the ball in midfield and slipped it to Miyazawa who played it behind the Vissel defense for Toda to chase. Toda bore down on the home goal before Park clattered him from behind, giving away a free kick in a dangerous position. Miyazawa took aim and curled a glorious strike past Kakegawa to give TOKYO the lead.
Ishikawa threatened along the flanks for the visitors; in the 12th minute he skated down the right before crossing and two minutes later burst down the left before cutting inside and laying the ball off to Toda. TOKYO extended their lead in the 15th minute, again from a set play. Kurisawa took a corner on the right and saw the ball cleared back to him by the Vissel defense. He looked up and picked out Konno with a low cross that the TOKYO midfielder met perfectly, giving Kakegawa no chance with a powerful header.
It took Vissel until midway through the half to recover their composure and begin to play the ball around. Park combined with Miura to set up Bando in the 22nd minute and in the 24th minute Kazuyoshi Miura evaded the TOKYO defense and shot from just inside the area but Doi held his effort comfortably. As Vissel increased the pressure Miyazawa made several attempts to play in Toda with well-timed balls over the home defense but Toda's touch deserted him and he failed to carry the ball into shooting positions. In the 33rd minute Kobe produced their best chance of the half as Bando slipped through the TOKYO defense and shot; Doi produced a superb save to deny the home side and the first period finished with the visitors ahead 2-0.

Withstood Kobe's fierce counterattack with only one goal conceded

　Following Coach Hara's instruction at halftime, "Don't drop the defensive line. Let's attack from the start of the second half," they launched an attack. In the 47th minute, Miyazawa took a corner kick from the right, sending the ball to the far side, where Konno headed it back, but Toda's shot was a foul. In the 50th minute, Miyazawa delivered a free kick from the right side towards the goal, which Konno headed, but it hit the opposing defender and was narrowly deflected for a corner kick. They seized a chance from that corner kick. The cleared ball was passed to Ishikawa on the left side, who dribbled it to the edge of the goal line and centered it. Lucas and Toda were waiting in the center, but they couldn't connect just barely, missing the opportunity to score an additional goal.

　Kobe is on the move. In the 55th minute, they substituted DF Muroi for FW Watada, switching to a 4-back, 3-top formation, and have been thoroughly implementing a pattern of quickly sending long balls and attacking from both sides. Seeing that they couldn't break through Tokyo's defense, they quickly brought in MF Park for DF Niwa and FW Miura for MF Saeki, increasing their numbers in midfield to completely dominate the loose balls and launch a wave of attacks.

　Ishikawa, who showed signs of fatigue, was replaced by Kajiyama and Asari in an attempt to change the unfavorable situation. They also used their last substitution card to bring in Todaka for Fujiyama, moving Kanazawa up to Todaka's position, aiming to hold on to their lead. However, in the 89th minute, Wada headed back an early cross from DF Hoijer on the left side, allowing Bandō, who ran into the box, to score, resulting in their first goal conceded this season. Nevertheless, Shigenobu and Jean, along with the entire team, held strong until the end, and they managed to secure a valuable 3 points away.

　【Player Comments】<Miyazawa> "(Regarding the FK) I didn't want to aim too much and miss the target, so I tried to watch the keeper's movement and attack the course. In the first half, we had several good opportunities, and I think we were able to execute the team's concept of fast attacks. Not only was Todai open, but he was also making runs into the goal area from quick starts, so I was thinking of delivering through passes not only with side changes but also there. Our timing was good. (About the moment Todai was fouled) If I had passed the ball a little earlier, he probably would have scored." <Todai> "I really wanted to score all along, but if I hadn't been fouled there (the foul that led to the first goal) and had been free, I might not have been able to score... (laughs). However, I want to keep breaking through in front of the goal like that from now on. That way, Ishikawa's breakthroughs and dribbling will become even more effective." <Konno> "At the scoring moment (after the opponent cleared from the corner kick), I repositioned, so there was no mark on me. The defenders who are strong in defense didn't follow me, so I was lucky. In the second half, Kobe changed their system, and it was tough to respond to that. We got tired from defending. After Miyazawa's FK in the second half, there was a heading chance, but I was too cautious and couldn't score. It would have been better if I had scored the third goal there."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "We lost to Kashiwa in the Nabisco Cup and, despite overwhelming attacks at home against Oita, we couldn't score. Since such matches continued, I told the players to fight with the mindset that the league matches start from today. Kobe also had a good start in the league. The three players up front, FW Harito and Miura, and MF Yabuta, were in good form and created the rhythm. To make the most of our strengths, we wanted to have Toda and Ishikawa run and break through the sides, and from there, add more power in front of the goal. Miyazawa's free kick scored at a good time, but that came from a decisive scene where Miyazawa passed to Toda. I thought the opposing player who committed the foul might be sent off, but since our form gets disrupted when the opponent is reduced, it was good that he wasn't (laughs). After that, Konno scored from a corner kick rebound, making it a very good first half. We knew that Kobe, trailing, would bring in FW Watada in the second half and that both fullbacks would push forward aggressively. In that situation, Ishikawa made moves from the left and right, creating chances to score a third goal. Scoring one more there would have been ideal. However, improving our away performance has always been a challenge. Although the end was hectic, I think it was good that everyone held firm and we secured 3 points. I thought Kaji would be mentally tough if we hadn't won the Bahrain match for the national team, but since we won and his expression when he returned was good, I started him. Rather, Doi seemed more tired, but with last year's experience, he entered the match carefully. The precious 3 points were earned by everyone. I want to connect today's win to the next."

　[Summary of Coach Matsunaga's Press Conference in Kobe] "This was the third match with the Nabisco Cup in between the J-League games. Since we didn't get results in the two Nabisco matches, we changed our game plan for today's match. The start of the first half was not bad, but that free kick scene was unlucky for us. The goal conceded from the corner kick was also due to a lapse in concentration. Falling behind by two goals in the first half was a similar situation to the past, but after scoring one goal back, it might have been a game where we could have equalized at the end. However, once we fall behind, the game tends to unfold like this. Instead of being afraid of conceding goals, we need to play aggressively and attack, which in turn reduces the defensive burden. Otherwise, we inevitably end up chasing the game after conceding. Of course, defensive stability is important, but we may need to increase our attacking power to achieve balance. Scoring that final goal is proof that the players fought without giving up for 90 minutes. Even though it was a loss, I feel it was a match that leads to the next one."

Vissel Pull One Back

At halftime TOKYO manager Hara told his team, "Don't defend too deeply. Get stuck in straight from the kick off." TOKYO followed his directions and pressured Vissel into conceding a corner barely two minutes into the half. Miyazawa curled the ball to the far post where Konno headed it back into the danger area for Toda to shoot. Unfortunately a foul was given. In the 50th minute Miyazawa pumped a long free kick into the box; Konno outjumped the home defence and made contact but the ball took a deflection off a defender that sent it the wrong side of the post. Ishikawa picked up the clearance from the subsequent corner, drove to the byline and centred. Neither Toda nor Lucas could find the touch that would have put the ball over the line and killed the game off.
Vissel responded by replacing defender Muroi with forward Watada and switching to a 4-3-3 formation, then playing early balls out of defence towards the frontrunners. The tactic failed to worry the solid TOKYO backline and Vissel tried again; this time defender Niwa replaced Park and midfielder Saeki replaced forward Miura in an attempt to flood the midfield. This proved more successful and TOKYO found themselves on the back foot as the home side dominated possession.
Kajiyama and Asari replaced the visibly tiring Ishikawa and Miyazawa as TOKYO sought to turn the tide. Manager Hara played his final card by replacing Toda with defender Fujiyama and pushing Kanazawa forward into Toda's position. The realignment kept Vissel at bay until the 89th minute when Watada headed an early cross from Roger back across goal and Bando crept in to nod the ball past Doi. It was the first league goal conceded this year. With Jean and Moniwa in imperious form the TOKYO defence navigated the final few minutes to earn three points from a valuable away victory.


Players' comments: 
Miyazawa 
"It would have been a waste if I hadn't hit the target so I watched the goalkeeper's movement closely before I hit the ball. We created many good moves in the first half and really lived up to our concept of attacking football. It wasn't just that Toda was free but his sharp runs into the area allowed me to pick him out and instead of just changing sides I tried to play balls through the defence line. Our timing was good today. As for the foul on Toda that led to the first goal, if I'd played the ball slightly further in front of him he would surely have scored." 

Toda 
"I've been desperate to score recently and if I hadn't been fouled I would probably have missed ( laughs ). I just want to create more opportunities like that one. With Ishikawa's dribbling and penetration we can really slice defences open". 

Konno
"I changed my position following the corner and nobody was marking me. I was lucky a tall defender wasn't there. In the second half Vissel changed their system and it was difficult for us to respond. The defensive work exhausted me. I had a chance to score the third with a header from Miyazawa's free kick but I tried too hard and couldn't get it over the line. If I'd scored it would have made a big difference to the rest of the game".


F.C.TOKYO manager Hara 
"Well, in the Nabisco Cup we lost to Reysol and then drew at home to Oita after dominating the game. Following two games like that I told the players to approach the game today as if it were the start of the league season. Vissel's forward line of Miura, Bando and Yabuta are in good form and that's where their rhythm comes from. Our attacking force comes through Toda and Ishikawa down the flanks and we needed a little more presence in front of goal. We had a great start with the free kick and it was Miyazawa's through ball that led to that chance. I thought the foul might even have been a red card but since we usually play badly against ten men I'm glad it wasn't ( laughs ). Konno grabbed the second from a corner and it was a very good first half for us. Watada came on for Vissel in the second half and they pushed their side backs forward more, which we had expected. Ishikawa worked hard on both sides and we had chances for a third goal which would have been perfect. Improving our away record has been a constant theme. We were flapping a little at the end but the entire team worked very hard for the win and I'm very pleased. I thought Kaji might have had some psychological stress following the Bahrain game but he seemed fine and I put him straight back into the team. Doi might actually have been more tired but I used my discretion considering his experience last year and selected him. The entire team earned the points today. We hope to carry this form over into the next game".

Vissel manager Matsunaga
"We failed to get a result in the two Nabisco Cup matches so we altered our game plan for today. We didn't play badly in the first half; that free kick was unlucky. The second goal showed what happens if you lose concentration at a corner. So we were two goals down in the first half like many times before and if we could have pulled one back then we could have taken something from the game. Why so many of our games follow the same pattern I don't know; we don't start playing until we're behind. Defence and balance are important but we have to increase our attacking power. The late goal we scored was proof and the team didn't give up and I'd like to take that never say die spirit into the next game".