Fight fairly and win against the difficult opponent, Jubilo Iwata!

　The match on Sunday will be Sec. 4. The upcoming three consecutive matches, with only two days in between, represent a crucial point in the early league stage. To accumulate points steadily amidst a tough schedule, today's match against Iwata is particularly important. Especially considering the past league match record, which stands at 1 win, 1 draw, and 8 losses. Since the 1st stage of 2000, there have been no victories, and it feels like we have always challenged but missed out on winning. It is a significant wall that we must overcome.

　Iwata, under the guidance of Coach Yamamoto, who took charge last year's Emperor's Cup, has new additions this season including GK Kawaguchi, DF Chano, Kim Jin-kyu, MF Murai, and FW Choi Yong-soo. Additionally, players of representative class such as DF Tanaka and MF Fujita are lined up. However, they are currently in 9th place with 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss in the league, struggling to find their rhythm. Moreover, on April 6 (Wednesday), they will face South Korea's Suwon Samsung in the AFC Champions League, adding to a schedule that is even tougher than Tokyo's. However, GK Kawaguchi (formerly of FC Nordsjælland), who has recovered from an injury to his right index finger, returns to the J-League for the first time in four seasons. Today's match, which is his comeback game, is drawing significant attention.

　Coach Hara said before the match, "I don't think I can say that the condition of Iwata is good, but the lineup was unexpected. Only GK Kawaguchi and MF Naraoka replaced MF Fujita since the match against Suwon Samsung. Coach Yamamoto's plan might be to endure in the first half and go for it in the second half. However, no matter how the opponent thinks, we will fight boldly and aim for victory. Let's dispel our poor compatibility today! I want to unleash our true strength," he said. Both the coach and the players uniformly expressed, "We will compete fairly and it's about time to turn around our poor compatibility," showing strong determination for victory. The match started at 2:04 PM under the warm spring weather.

Battling The Bogey Team

The 4th game of the 2005 season saw TOKYO take on Jubilo Iwata at Ajinomoto Stadium on Sunday afternoon. With three games in six days, the match marked the opening of a tough week for the home side. Jubilo have proved difficult opponents in the past as the W1 D1 L8 record showed; in fact, TOKYO hadn't beaten the men from Iwata since the 1st stage of the 2000 season, just over five years previously. It would be the first major hurdle of the season.
Jubilo, with new manager Yamamoto at the helm since the 2004 Emperor's Cup, had added several top-level players during the off-season: goalkeeper Kawaguchi, defenders Chano and Kim, midfielder Murai and forward Choi boosted an already strong squad. However, the results hadn't been forthcoming and Jubilo entered the game in 9th place with a W1 D1 L1 record. Furthermore, Jubilo had played against Korea's Suwon Samsung in the AFC Champion's League on the previous Wednesday evening. Goalkeeper Kawaguchi had recovered from a finger injury and made his first appearance in the J.League for 4 years since his transfer from FC Nordsjaelland of Denmark.
Before kick off Tokyo manager Hara commented, "I don't think Jubilo are in such good form at the moment but their line up is rather unexpected as Kawaguchi, Naruoka and Fujita have come in after the Suwon Samsung game. I imagine their plan will be to fight it out in the first half and then go for the win in the second. We've just got to go out and play our own game; hopefully we can wipe the slate clean. I want the team to play to the peak of their ability." "We want to beat them fair and square," he added forcefully, "It's payback time." The match kicked off shortly after 2pm on a glorious spring afternoon.

Creating chances from the flanks, but unable to break through Iwata's solid defense.

　From the start, they showed a strong attitude of applying pressure from the front without fearing Iwata. Shortly after the beginning, Lucas dropped a feed from the defense, and Kurizawa made a left cross from a dribble. It didn't reach Ishikawa on the right, and in the 2nd minute, Toda made a left cross from Miyazawa's big switch. Ishikawa controlled the ball with one touch in the right area and took a volley shot. Although it was saved by the opposing goalkeeper and resulted in a corner kick, they chased the ball with intense determination, regained possession, and created chances starting from the wide play on the sides.

　Yokohama took the ball in the 12th minute, and MF Fukunishi, who broke free, shot from just outside the area. He showed the fear of being ready to strike at any moment. In the 19th minute, MF Nanami passed to Fukunishi, who then spread the play wide to FW Karen on the right. Karen evaded Jean and got into a shooting position, but Shigeno blocked with a sliding tackle. Yokohama was careful not to force anything and looked for opportunities with a risk-averse attack. However, the defense, which was organized in a three-back formation, was solid. Tokyo created chances starting from the sides and earned several corner kicks, but they fell into the opponent's trap and could not convert them into decisive finishes.

　In the final stages, many chances were created. In the 36th minute, Kaji switched the ball to Kanazawa, who passed it forward to Toda. Toda's left cross was met by Ishikawa, who jumped in at just the right moment, but unfortunately missed the target. In the 38th minute, on the right side, Kaji advanced deep into the goal line inside Ishikawa and sent a fast ground cross. Lucas jumped in, but just before the goal, a Jubilo Iwata defender cleared the ball. In the 41st minute, Toda dropped Ishikawa's cross off the post, and Miyazawa, who ran in from behind, took a shot but sent it over. In the 43rd minute, Kaji cleared an opponent's cross with a header and connected it to Ishikawa. Ishikawa, who advanced with a dribble, sent a right cross, and Toda attempted a header shot but missed to the left of the goal. They could not break through Jubilo Iwata's goal, and the match went into halftime at 0-0.

TOKYO Dominate The Wings

TOKYO showed their resolve straight from the kick off as they pressed Jubilo hard from the front. Kurisawa latched onto a knock down from Lucas, raced down the left wing and crossed. The centre evaded Ishikawa on the right but he registered the first shot on goal in the 2nd. minute. Miyazawa played a superb crossfield ball to Toda on the left, then Ishikawa controlled Toda's deep cross on his chest before smashing a powerful volley goalward that Kawaguchi tipped over the bar at full stretch. 
Jubilo responded in the 12th. minute, winning a loose ball in midfield and finding Fukunishi just outside the area with room for a shot. His effort drifted wide but the danger was apparent. In the 19th. minute Jubilo moved the ball neatly along the right wing to Cullen; Cullen jinked inside Jean and shot but a sliding block from Moniwa cleared the danger. The visitors were playing conservatively, creating chances without over-committing themselves in attack and the three man defence looked very solid. TOKYO used the flanks to create openings and won several corners but were unable to fashion a clear strike on goal. 
As half time loomed TOKYO increased the tempo and created a flurry of chances. In the 36th. minute Ishikawa headed a pinpoint cross from Toda fractionally wide under pressure from a defender, Kaji raced down the right to the byline and crossed low in the 38th. minute only to see a defender whip the ball away from the onrushing Lucas and in the 41st. minute Toda knocked down a cross from Ishikawa into the path of Miyazawa, who failed to keep his shot down. In the 43rd. minute Kaji headed a Jubilo cross out to Ishikawa on the right. Ishikawa hared down the wing and crossed towards Toda but once gain the Jubilo defence prevented Toda from hitting the target. The first period ended 0-0. 

Kurizawa scores his first goal of the season! Victory since 2000!!

　In the first half, Iwata saw scenes where the forwards were isolated, and they brought in Nakayama to replace forward Choi. They made a decisive move in the second half. In the 48th minute, Nakayama made a sharp run in front of the goal, but Dohi caught it just a step earlier. In the 49th minute, Iwata had a right corner kick. Nanami's header to Kane went wide. In the 50th minute, Kaji was substituted due to a foot injury, and Fujiyama came on. In the 54th minute, Fujiyama's right throw-in connected with Lucas and then back to Fujiyama, leading to a right cross. Konno picked up a loose ball from the opposing defense and aimed for a mid-range shot, but was thwarted by a great save from Iwata's goalkeeper Kawaguchi.

　In a fast-paced game where the offense and defense constantly switched, both sides had their chances. In the 56th minute, Iwata's Fujita, who had moved up with a left cross, headed the ball down for Karen to shoot. In the 59th minute, Tokyo's Lucas, who sprinted up the left side, aimed for the bottom right corner with a precise shot. Although Ishikawa rushed in on the rebound from the GK's save, he just missed. In the 60th minute, Iwata earned a free kick just to the right of the penalty arc. Namai's direct shot was blocked by Tokyo's wall. In the 65th minute, Lucas received a left throw-in, skillfully turned, and delivered a sharp ground cross, with Toda diving in front of the goal. In the 67th minute, it was Iwata's turn again. MF Murai's early cross found Nakayama, who headed the ball towards the goal. The tension was palpable, and the game continued without a moment's respite.

　In the 67th minute, Tokyo substituted Kajiwara for Miyazawa. However, even after that, Namikawa and Murai created several chances for Iwata with their precise balls. In the 70th minute, Nishikawa came on for Karen. Tokyo also brought on Yusuke KONDO for Ishikawa in the 78th minute. Shortly after, Iwata had a left corner kick. A free shot was taken from a scramble in front of the goal, and Doi managed to deflect it with one hand. There were some critical chances, but ultimately, the approach of "playing with two forwards to score and aiming for three points" proved to be effective.

　In the 85th minute, from a goal kick by Tokyo, Kurizawa picked up a clearance from the opposing defender on the left side and passed to Kajiyama in the center. He advanced toward the center himself. Kajiyama, as if he could see Konno coming up from behind, passed to the left space. Konno received the ball and charged into the area, sending a low ground pass to the center. Kurizawa calmly struck with his left foot, shooting! The ball was perfectly placed in the top left corner of the goal, securing a valuable point during a difficult period!

　With the remaining time including stoppage time, Iwata launched a fierce counterattack centered on set plays, but Tokyo defended well as a united team. In the second half, despite facing 8 corner kicks, 10 free kicks, and 9 shots from Iwata, they endured well and fought hard to secure 3 points. This victory marks their first since the 1st stage of 2000!

　【Player Comments】<Kurisawa> "We knew Iwata was skillful. But we had no pressure and decided to play our own football. From the middle of the first half, we couldn't get to the ball and maybe the opponent set the rhythm. It was tough, but that's one way to fight. In the second half, we tried to create rhythm from defense. There were moments when we were pushed back, but I think enduring that led to victory. For the goal scene, I believed the ball would come from Ima-chan. I just calmly took the shot. It was a goal scored by everyone. I think I'll treat Ima-chan to something (laughs). <Kajiyama> "I think today we entered the game better than before. The game sense has returned. If we let the opponent free in midfield, we'll lose the ball, so we made sure to defend there. We balanced the whole team to avoid leaving space. I think it was the result of everyone going for the win." <Konno> "At the goal moment, Yohei started moving before he had the ball. There was space ahead, so I was certain the pass would come. I didn't exactly see Kurisawa for the final pass, but I took the chance and scoring there made me extremely happy."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "Iwata has been a tough opponent, and we hadn't won against them for the past four and a half years. In the away game during the season I took over, we conceded six goals and lost, and last season, even though the opponent was down to 10 men and it was mostly our pace, we ended up drawing. So, we approached today's match at home with everyone determined to win. I watched the Iwata vs Suwon Samsung match last Wednesday, and to be honest, I thought Iwata was not in good condition. However, I couldn't predict what kind of lineup they would bring today, including substitutes. Then, when I saw that only the goalkeeper Kawaguchi and MF Naruoka were replaced by MF Fujita in the starting lineup, I thought they would enter the match very cautiously, endure our momentum, and bring in FW Nakayama and MF Nishi at a crucial point in the second half. At that point, we decided not to match Iwata's style but to play our own football. From the middle of the first half, our pressing on the ball became weak, and we gradually dropped back. Then Iwata picked up loose balls, created rhythm, and attacked from set plays with good balls from MF Nanami. At halftime, I told the team to use the sides more simply, pick up loose balls, and firmly control the ball without fear. In the second half, Miyazawa showed some fatigue, so I brought in Kajiyama. Although Kaji got injured, we had Fujiyama, so I wasn't worried at all about the replacement. I wanted Kajiyama to pick up loose balls, and if we could create some hold-up play there, the game would develop better. We brought in Yusuke KONDO because we wanted to go for the goal. I wanted to convey the attitude of going for all three points until the end. When we put him in to form a two-forward attack, Konno skillfully cut inside, and Kurisawa scored. Although we don't have a lineup as strong as Iwata's, I think the whole team showed an attitude of never giving up until the end. I'm happy to have won against Iwata for the first time in a while, but since we have a match against Nagoya soon, we will switch gears and fight each match carefully."

　[Director Yamamoto's Press Conference Summary] "The result is disappointing, but the players showed their strength during this tough schedule. There are moments when I think if we had a bit more luck... However, there's no point in being down, so it's important to use this frustration as a springboard for the next match. We haven't been able to create good shooting opportunities lately, but they were present today. We need to push that aspect further. The heat has been quite challenging, but in the end, we were overwhelmed by Tokyo's determination and momentum. We can only work hard for the next match."

Kurisawa's First Goal Of The Season Gives TOKYO A Famous Victory

After seeing their forwards isolated for most of the first half Jubilo brought on Nakayama for Choi after the break. In the 48th minute TOKYO keeper Doi raced smartly off his line to snatch a long ball away from the veteran striker. In the 49th minute Kim headed Nanami's corner well wide. TOKYO were then forced into a substitution as Fujiyama replaced the injured Kaji. In the 54th minute Fujiyama received the ball back from Lucas from a throw-in on the right and centred; the Jubilo defence cleared the ball only as far as Konno lurking just outside the area. Konno struck a low, bounding drive that Kawaguchi turned around the post at full stretch.
The match began to open up and both sides created chances. In the 56th minute Fujita headed down a right wing cross for Cullen to shoot and three minutes later Lucas drew another save from Kawaguchi with Ishikawa unable to reach the loose ball. In the 60th minute Jubilo won a free kick just outside the TOKYO penalty arc. Nanami struck the ball into the wall and the TOKYO defence cleared the danger. In the 65th minute Lucas produced a deft turn to wrongfoot his marker on the left and fired a low cross into the danger area; once again a Jubilo defender whipped the ball off Toda's boot when the slightest connection would have scored. In the 67th minute Nakayama headed Murai's early cross fractionally wide of Doi's left post.
TOKYO replaced Miyazawa with Kajiyama in the 67th minute. Jubilo then threatened the TOKYO goal with a string of accurate crosses from Murai and Nanami. In the 70th minute the visitors replaced Cullen with midfielder Nishi and TOKYO responded by bringing on Yusuke Kondo for Ishikawa. Jubilo immediately won a corner and the ball ricocheted around the crowded area until a Jubilo player sent a low drive heading for just inside the left post. Doi produced a superb one-handed save to tip the ball around the upright. TOKYO were under pressure but had switched to a twin striker formation and went for the goal that would surely win the game.
Then, in the 85th minute, Kurisawa collected a clearance on the left and slipped the ball inside to Kajiyama. Kurisawa continued his run into the centre while Kajiyama played the ball to Konno, breaking down the left flank. Konno advanced into the area and played a low cross into the heart of the penalty box for the unmarked Kurisawa to curl a glorious shot inside Kawaguchi's right post.
Jubilo went in search of an equaliser in the few remaining minutes, bombarding the TOKYO area with high balls but the defence held firm. In the second half Jubilo managed 8 corners, 10 free kicks and 9 shots but TOKYO's vigour and determination won the day. Three points and the first win over Jubilo since April 2000 was the prize.


Players' comments: 
Kurisawa 
" We knew Jubilo were a good team but we weren't overawed and just tried to play our own game. From midway through the first half we couldn't get the ball and they found their rhythm. It was very difficult but that's the way it goes sometimes. We were looking to the defence to dictate our rhythm in the second half. They pressured us but we kept our shape and that contributed greatly to the win. For the goal, I was sure Konno would get the ball to me; all I had to do was keep calm and hit it. It was a real team goal. I suppose I'll have to treat him to something for that pass ( laughs )". 

Kajiyama
" That's the best I've played so far I think. My game sense has really come back. We couldn't allow them any freedom in midfield or they would score so I concentrated on defence, shutting down space and keeping the balance. That was a win earned by the whole team".

Konno
" For the goal, I got ahead of Yohei ( Kajiyama ) when he had the ball. I saw some space and felt sure the ball would come to me. I didn't actually see Kurisawa when I played the last pass but I'm ecstatic that we scored there as we really went for it today".


F.C.TOKYO manager Hara 
" Jubilo have been a real bogey team for us and we hadn't beaten them for four years. The year I took over here they put six past us away and then last year we could only manage a draw after they had a man sent off and we dominated the game. I watched Jubilo play Suwon Samsung on Wednesday and, to be honest, thought they weren't in very good form. But we couldn't really predict their line up or organisation today. When I saw the team sheet with Kawaguchi and Fujita instead of Naruoka I felt they would play a cagey first half then bring on Nakayama and Nishi in the second. We knew we couldn't allow them to dictate play, that we had to play our own football. Midway through the first half we stopped attacking the ball, became loose and were playing too deeply. They were winning the loose balls and threatening us from set plays, with Nanami hitting some good balls in. At half time I told them to keep it simple along the wings, pick up the loose balls and control the ball in possession. Miyazawa began to tire in the second half so I sent on Kajiyama. Kaji picked up an injury but Fujiyama was on the bench and I had no qualms at all about sending him on. I thought that if Kajiyama could pick up the loose balls we might be able to improve a little. Yusuke Kondo was sent on to score, of course. I wanted to send the message that we were going for the three points. We switched to a twin striker formation, then Konno broke forward well and Kurisawa finished expertly to give us the lead. We don't have the players that Jubilo do but the team's determination to fight to the very end came out well today. We're delighted to beat Jubilo after such a long time but there's another game against Grampus on Wednesday night. We'll try to refresh ourselves and take each game as it comes". 

Jubilo manager Yamamoto
" The result is disappointing but the team played strongly considering the difficult schedule. If only we had a little more penetration. We can't help being a little battered but it's important to use this disappointment as impetus for the next game. We haven't been able to create many chances recently but we did today. This is something we really need to work on. We gave a good account of ourselves in the hot weather but it was TOKYO's tenacity and will to win that forced us onto the back foot. We'll do our best in the next game".