League matches resume, betting on future rise

　After about a month, the league matches resume, and in Sec. 19, we will face Urawa Reds away. Next week, we have consecutive matches against Nagoya on Wednesday and Iwata on Saturday, but currently, we have 21 points and are in 13th place. To rise from here, this opening match will be an important game. It will also test the growth during the break. Among this, the focus is undoubtedly on FW Sasa, who will make his debut in the J-League. Since coming to Japan, he has struggled with the heat, but in the practice match against Kawasaki Frontale on the 13th of this month, he scored 2 goals and has begun to show glimpses of his high ability. Coach Hara is also hopeful, stating, "We aim to score with a new approach that includes Sasa, creating a new Tokyo style."

　Speaking of concerns, Dohi, Moniwa, Konno, and Kaji had limited time to join and practice due to the activities of the Japan national team, and their fatigue can also be mentioned. However, Coach Hara sees this as the "fate of the club." As he said, we want to overcome this toughness and grow into a stronger team. The starting lineup features Lucas and Sasa as the two strikers, with Baba on the left MF and the in-form Noriyuki Suzuki on the right MF. Konno and Kaji are set up as the double defensive midfielders.

　Urawa, currently in 3rd place with 29 points, has lost FW Emerson. As the second half of the season begins, new additions MF Ponte and FW Maric have joined the team. "Ponte is a passer who can create space. Maric may not have the speed of Emerson, but the combination play between Ponte and Maric, with Hasebe adding an accent, has helped us advance in the Nabisco Cup. With Emerson gone, we are chasing the ball from the front and our defense is solid. It's not an easy match," analyzes Coach Hara, indicating that the fit of the new players will be key for both teams.

　Urawa made some changes to the front line compared to the previous Nabisco Cup match. Japan national team midfielder Mitsunobu starts on the bench. Nagai, returning from injury, and Maric form a two-top, with Ponte positioned as an attacking midfielder in a 3-5-2 formation. The crucial match, which neither team can afford to lose, started at 18:04 at Saitama Stadium, as the daytime heat finally eased.

TOKYO Aim High In League Restart

After a month-long break the J.League restarted with F.C.TOKYO making the short trip north to Saitama to take on Urawa Reds in the 19th game of the season. Currently lying in 13th place with 21 points, TOKYO faced three difficult games in a week: home to Grampus on Wednesday and away to Jubilo the following Saturday. All eyes were on new signing Sasa Salcedo, making his first league appearance. The blistering Tokyo midsummer heat had bothered the young Paraguayan but he managed to score twice and impress in a friendly against Kawasaki Frontale the previous week. Manager Hara commented, "We're playing in a new style with Sasa in the team and hoping to score a lot more goals".
On the other hand TOKYO had cause for concern regarding the returning National Team members Kaji, Doi, Moniwa and Konno; how would their exertions and lack of training time with the squad affect their performances? Manager Hara was sanguine, "That's our fate", he commented. TOKYO lined up with Sasa and Lucas up front, Baba on the right, the in-form Suzuki on the left and Kajiyama and Konno as defensive midfielders.
The Reds began the game in 3rd place with 29 points. Ace striker Emerson had departed and newcomers Ponte and Marich had arrived. "Ponte is a passer, a playmaker," said Hara, "and Marich isn't as fast as Emerson but they combined well with Hasebe and won a recent Nabisco Cup game. They chase hard from the front and have a solid defence. It won't be an easy game". How well the new signings would fit into their teams seemed the key to the game.
The Reds had made a few changes from their last outing: Nagai and Marich started in attack with Ponte "in the hole" in a 3-5-2 formation. Japan National Team regular Santos began on the bench. The intense heat of the day had faded slightly as the home team kicked off shortly after 6pm.

Sasa, first goal! They take the lead early, but...

　Right after the start, there was a back-and-forth struggle for possession, but it was Tokyo that first capitalized on a chance. In the 4th minute, Kaji's early cross was met by Sasa, showcasing an attacking shape. Then in the 5th minute, Lucas held the ball tenaciously on the left flank. Kanazawa, who joined the attack, dribbled inside and delivered a cross from just in front of the left side of the area with his right foot. Sasa, who was waiting at the far side, executed a diving header! He scored a skillful shot just as the ball was dropping, marking Sasa's delightful first goal and giving Tokyo an early lead!

　Urawa also persisted on the left side in the 9th minute, where Nagai, who ran into the area on the left, took a shot. The powerful ball was deflected for a corner kick by Doih's nice save. In the 11th minute, Noriyuki SUZUKI, who drifted to the left side, faced Urawa's midfielder Yamada in a one-on-one situation. He made a move, broke through, and delivered a cross. Sasa ran in for it and headed the ball backward, but it went to the right of the goal. In the 15th minute, Urawa connected some short passes and allowed an attack towards the goal, but Konno, Jean, and others covered well to prevent a shot.

　However, gradually Urawa began to find their rhythm with quick movements and passing work centered around Ponte. In the 22nd minute, Ponte passed to Urawa forward Nagai, who broke into the right area and took a shot, but Moniwa closely marked him, cutting off the angle, and the ball went straight to Doih's position. In the 26th minute, Ponte made a run deep on the right side, and forward Nagai connected with a negative cross to shoot from inside the area. It was a decisive moment, but Doih made a great save! Tokyo was being pushed back by Urawa's tight marking. They were unable to maintain possession of the ball in the front line and midfield, and could not mount an attack.

　In the 39th minute, Ponte from Urawa received a pass from the left side and made a run towards the goal while pretending to go inside, delivering a through pass. Nagai reacted to this, breaking into the penalty area and shooting from just in front of the right side of the goal area. This shot found the bottom left corner, equalizing the score. In the 42nd minute, Urawa's midfielder Suzuki cut into the right area and delivered a low cross. Ponte made a run but couldn't make solid contact, and Dohi caught the ball. Although they didn't allow an additional goal, Tokyo couldn't capitalize on their early lead and found themselves on the defensive, ending the first half.

Sasa Gives TOKYO An Early Lead

The match began as a frenzied scramble but it was TOKYO who carved out the first opening, Kaji curling an early cross in towards the diving Sasa. A minute later Lucas battled tenaciously on the left to retain the ball before slipping it to the overlapping Kanazawa. Kanazawa crossed to the far post where Sasa burst behind two defenders to bury a powerful diving header past Tsuzuki for his first league goal.
The Reds fought back. In the 9th minute Nagai cracked a drive from the left side of the area that Doi turned around the post at full stretch. In the 11th minute Suzuki took on and beat Yamada down the left then crossed to Sasa who backheaded the ball wide of the right post. The Reds threatened the TOKYO goal with some neat short passing in the 15th minute but Jean and Konno blocked the danger.
However, the Reds slowly began to find their rhythm through pace and movement with Ponte's passwork providing the basis. In the 22nd minute Ponte played in Nagai on the right of the area but Moniwa's block took the power off the shot and Doi collected comfortably. In the 26th minute Ponte took the ball to the byline and pulled it back for Nagai to shoot from inside the area. Doi pulled off another superb save to deny Reds the equaliser but TOKYO were being forced back by some fierce pressure. The midfield and forward line were unable to retain possession and the attack dwindled to nothing.
In the 39th minute Ponte received the ball from the right and turned infield before releasing a disguised pass towards the TOKYO goal. Nagai raced onto the ball and clipped a low shot past the advancing Doi that nestled inside the far post. Ponte came within a whisker of giving his team the lead in the 42nd minute but failed to make full contact with Suzuki's cross and Doi caught the ball cleanly. The visitors had failed to take their lead into the break and were firmly on the defensive as the half time whistle blew.

Dominated by Urawa, the late-game counterattack was also in vain

　40 seconds into the second half, from Sasa's dribble, Konno sends a floating pass to the front line. Noriyuki SUZUKI makes a run but the opposing goalkeeper catches it. Tokyo showed attacking intent at the start, but soon faced a series of crises. In the 46th minute, Ponte received a pass from left MF Hirakawa just outside the area, controlled it with one touch, and shot. The ball went towards the goal through the defenders but hit the right post and bounced back just before crossing the line. In the 47th minute, MF Yamada broke free behind Tokyo's defense and took a shot, but Doi made a super save. In the 50th minute, from a quick counterattack by Urawa, Ponte shot from the right side of the area, but once again Doi made a save! They somehow managed to escape the crisis.

　However, in the 54th minute, the goal was finally broken. Kajiyama picked up a loose ball in his own territory and tried to attack, but it was taken back by Ponte from Urawa. Ponte dribbled up to the goal and his shot from just outside the area drew a beautiful arc and went into the goal. With a skillful shot, they allowed the lead to slip away. Tokyo brought in Miura for Kajiyama in the 55th minute. However, it was difficult to stop Urawa's momentum, and they couldn't apply pressure, resulting in a situation where they were just kicking long balls forward.

　In the 62nd minute, Ishikawa was brought in to replace the visibly tired Sasa. Ishikawa moved to the right, Noriyuki Suzuki to the left, and Tadashi Baba positioned centrally to launch a counterattack. In the 70th minute, a cross from Miura to Ishikawa earned a right corner kick. Although Konno did not make contact with the kick, the team gradually began to show a more typical Tokyo-style attack. In the 72nd minute, Noriyuki Suzuki delivered a cross from deep on the left side to the far post. Baba, who caught up, aimed for the goal, but the ball went well over the bar. In the 78th minute, Konno sent Noriyuki Suzuki running down the left side, resulting in a corner kick from the cross. Immediately after this, Kurizawa was brought in to replace Kanazawa. Baba was pushed forward, Kurizawa took the central position, and Noriyuki Suzuki covered the left side back position.

　In the 80th minute, Kurizawa entered the left area and boldly aimed for a shot from a tight angle, but was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper. Urawa also did not ease their attacking efforts. In the 84th minute, from a free kick, Yamada dropped the ball, and MF Suzuki took a shot, but it went well over the bar. In the 86th minute, from a quick counterattack, MF Suzuki broke to the right and unleashed a powerful shot from the middle, but it veered to the left.

　Despite the ongoing back-and-forth chances, Tokyo, refusing to give up, saw Kaji make a run into the box in the 87th minute, delivering a through ball. Ishikawa broke free, and his shot from close range hit the far post! ... The ball spilled in front of the goal, and Lucas took a shot, but it was blocked by the Urawa defense, missing a big chance to equalize. In the end, Tokyo finally began to show their true colors in the closing stages, but they couldn't break through Urawa's solid defense. It ended with only Sasa's goal, resulting in a 1-2 comeback loss. One could say they suffered a defeat that was more about the difference in strength than the scoreline.

　[Player Comments]《Sasa》"I am happy to have scored on my debut, but it means nothing if we don't win. It's disappointing that we were turned around. It was a goal from my first touch, but I definitely want to win next time. I want to switch my mindset and do my best." 《Kanazawa》"We took the lead early, but then we became too defensive. We were slower to react than the opponent and were dominated by Urawa. We lacked movement from the players and the ball. I wanted to play it to the two forwards, create a hold-up play, and then use the sides. However, the forwards were tightly marked, and we couldn't pick up the loose balls to connect, so we had no choice but to kick it forward. We need to make adjustments during the match, but that's a challenge for the team. I want to make use of Tokyo's preferred attacking style." 《Miura》"My impression is... it's difficult. We had to at least draw the match. I think we conceded the second goal too early. However, after I came on, I said, 'As long as we don't concede a third goal, we definitely have a chance to equalize.' Losing the first match after the break is unpleasant. But there's no point in dwelling on it, so in the next match against Nagoya at Ajinomoto, I want to play a refreshing game!"

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "There was a break, and we have been training to integrate the newly joined Sasa. Today, he scored early and showed his quality. However, there are still parts where he hasn't blended into the team. After scoring a goal early on, we started to fall back and couldn't press from the front. We couldn't catch Urawa's FW Nagai and MF Ponte, leading to several dangerous situations in the first half. I instructed the team to compete more for the ball, but they seemed unsure of what to do. As a result, Urawa's MF Hasebe and Suzuki picked up the ball and took control. It was particularly difficult to mark MF Ponte, as he created rhythm for the team. Additionally, Kajiwara couldn't connect the plays effectively. He was also unsure of how to position himself, and just when I was thinking of substituting him for Miura, Ponte scored a fine goal. We need to integrate Sasa well moving forward, but the combination with Lucas is still not working well. Sasa also showed signs of fatigue, so in the second half, we reverted to our previous formation and brought in Ishikawa to move the ball. His inclusion allowed us to utilize the flanks a bit more. There were chances to score in the final moments, including a scene where Ishikawa's shot hit the post, but we couldn't convert. It's very frustrating, but the matches continue, so we need to integrate Sasa effectively and make adjustments to move the ball better for the next match."

　【Urawa - BUCHWALD's press conference summary】 "I expected FC Tokyo to come out aggressively from the start, so we talked about being aggressive from the beginning as well. The players executed that well, but unfortunately, due to a small mistake early in the first half, we conceded a goal and allowed them to take the lead. However, the players did not hang their heads and continued to play our style of football. We created chances and were able to push FC Tokyo back. Unfortunately, we only scored one goal in the first half, but there were more opportunities to score. In the second half, we maintained control and created many chances, but the additional goal came from Ponte's wonderful individual skill. Despite not converting many chances, there were moments where we were pushed back by the opponent, but overall it was good, including the luck on our side. I was excited about my players' performance. Especially with Ponte, he can deliver through balls and take shots, and he met our expectations. The substitution of FW Maric was tactical, due to FC Tokyo bringing in Ishikawa. FC Tokyo creates chances from the right side with the combination of Kaji and Ishikawa. Therefore, we had to respond with Santos and try to prevent their attacks while also looking to exploit the space behind. Today's match is the first of a series of consecutive games starting now. I want to quickly switch focus to the next match and concentrate. "

Reds Dominate As TOKYO Fail To Mount Fightback

In the first minute of the second half, Sasa surged forward and found Konno, whose floated through ball was whipped away from Suzuki by the Reds keeper. TOKYO had begun brightly again but were soon under pressure. Ponte received the ball on the edge of the area, took one touch, and fired a shot between two defenders that beat Doi but struck the inside of the post and rebounded away. In the 47th minute, Yamada raced clear of the TOKYO defense, but Doi again produced a stunning save to keep his side in the game. Doi foiled Ponte once more in the 50th minute but was unable to prevent his team from falling behind in the 54th. Kajiyama pounced on a loose ball and moved to attack, but Ponte robbed him, dribbled forward, and unleashed a sumptuous, curling drive that arced beyond Doi's despairing dive and into the back of the net. Miura replaced Kajiyama, but TOKYO failed to find a foothold in the midfield and resorted to hitting long balls to the forward line.
Sasa began to flag, and Ishikawa replaced him in the 62nd minute. Ishikawa moved to the right, Suzuki remained on the left, and Baba moved into a central position. In the 70th minute, Ishikawa's cross earned a corner, and while Konno failed to make substantial contact, the flurry of attacking activity raised TOKYO's hopes. In the 72nd minute, Suzuki played a deep cross from the left towards Baba, who made contact but hoisted the chance over the bar. In the 78th minute, Konno set Suzuki away down the left flank, and TOKYO won another corner. Kurisawa then replaced Kanazawa and moved into a central position while Baba moved further forward and Suzuki covered the left side.
In the 80th minute, Kurisawa raced into the Reds area and shot from a tight angle, drawing a scrambled save from Tsuzuki. The home side had chances to extend their lead, most notably in the 84th minute when Yamada nodded a free kick down to Suzuki, who blazed over the bar. Suzuki shot wide from a good position in the 86th minute.
The chances came and went until TOKYO nearly claimed an equalizer at the death. Kaji found himself upfield with the ball and rolled a delicate pass through the Reds defense to Ishikawa. Ishikawa shot first time from point-blank range and saw his effort beat Tsuzuki but hit the post and rebound into play. Lucas pounced and shot, but a Reds defender blocked his effort on the line, and the ball was scrambled away. The resurgence proved too little too late as TOKYO failed to breach the solid home defense, and the match finished 2-1 to the Reds. It would be fair to say the difference between the teams was more than a single goal.


Players' comments 
Sasa: 
"I was very pleased to score my first goal for the club but it has no meaning if we don't win. The way they came from behind was very disappointing. I scored with my first touch; I'm determined to do my best and we'll definitely win the next game". 

Kanazawa
"We scored first but it was downhill from there. They were faster to the ball than us and we allowed them to control possession. We didn't have enough movement and didn't move the ball around enough. We aimed to get the ball up to the front men and then move it out to the flanks; the marking was very tight though, and we weren't winning the loose balls. That left us with no options other than playing the long ball. We have to be able to adapt our tactics to the situation we face during the game; that's been a recurring theme for us. We have to find a way to play our natural attacking game".

Miura
"It's difficult to express my feelings about the game. We should at least have had a draw out of it. When I went on I thought that if we didn't concede a third we could still take something from the game. It feels really bad to lose the first game back after a long break. It's pointless crying over spilt milk though; we have a game against Grampus at home on Wednesday and we'll pick ourselves up for that".


TOKYO manager Hara
"During the break we tried to familiarize Sasa with the team as much as possible. He scored an early goal and showed his strengths but some things he isn't used to yet. After we scored we became a little loose, were pulled around in defence and stopped chasing up front. We struggled to get hold of Nagai and Ponte and a certain amount of indecision crept into our play. The Reds midfielders Suzuki and Hasebe then took charge of the midfield. In particular, Ponte was a handful and he really created the rhythm for the team. We wanted to use Kajiyama to move the ball around but he had trouble finding his correct position and, just as we decided to replace him with Miura, Ponte scored a superb goal. We must find the proper way to use Sasa and his combination with Lucas isn't working smoothly yet. In the second half we reverted to our usual formation when we sent Ishikawa on to move the ball around. He allowed us to use the flanks more and nearly had the equaliser right at the end of the game when his shot hit the post. It was very regrettable but we have another game coming up and will have to find how to integrate Sasa into the team and move the ball around more."

Reds manager Buchwald
"We expected TOKYO to come at us aggressively from the kick off and discussed starting aggressively ourselves. We did, but a moment's loss of concentration led to them taking an early lead. The players kept their heads up and were determined to play our usual style of football. We were able to achieve it, create chances and force TOKYO back. Unfortunately, we could only manage one goal in the first half despite the number of chances we had. We dominated the second half though, created a hatful of chances and Ponte scored the second with a marvelous piece of individual skill. They came back at us though, and we had some luck but overall it was a very good performance. I was very excited by the way the team played. In particular, Ponte fulfilled our expectations of him; he shot well and played some beautiful through balls. We took off Marich for tactical reasons as TOKYO had sent on Ishikawa and his combination with Kaji on the right is very dangerous. We sent on Santos to deal with that threat and to try to find space behind the TOKYO defense. Today was the first in a succession of games; we're looking forward to the next match now and aim to maintain our concentration."