The fighting spirit is the foundation of Tokyo. Let's return to our roots and achieve victory!

　Sec. 23 will be a match against Shimizu S-Pulse at Japan National Stadium. Reflecting on the previous match against Kashiwa, Coach Hara stated, "We were losing in terms of quick movements and one-on-one battles. If we can't fight for every play, it won't be soccer. If that's not the foundation, even if we say we want to win, we won't get results." From this reflection, this week we will return to the basics of soccer in Tokyo and conduct intense focused training, resulting in "intense clashes within the team, and a fighting spirit has emerged among the players." The focus will be on how we can bring this into the match.

　However, due to the Japan national team's match held on the 7th (Wednesday), there are concerns about the fatigue of Dohi, Moniwa, and Kaji. Additionally, Ishikawa injured his left foot the day before yesterday and did not join the squad today as a precaution. On the other hand, Toda has returned to practice, and various formations were tested, including scenarios where Toda and Noriyuki SUZUKI play in midfield, as well as placing the well-performing Fujiyama in center and both full-back positions. This week, due to Sasa's injury, the formation will be a 4-5-1 with Lucas as the lone striker, Noriyuki SUZUKI on the right midfield, Toda on the left midfield, and Fujiyama as the left full-back. In response, Coach Hara declared an aggressive approach, stating, "I consider it more of a three-striker formation than a lone striker."

　Shimizu currently sits 13th with 25 points. They are 2 points behind Tokyo, but in the previous match against Kawasaki, where they missed DF Morioka due to suspension, they were constantly trailing but took the lead in the 88th minute. Showing resilience, they secured their first win in 7 matches with a 3-2 comeback. This match, in addition to Morioka, FW Cho Je-jin will also be suspended, but they will maintain a solid defense, with right MF Sato and left MF Hyodo acting as the starting points on the flanks, connecting to FW Marquinhos and others, keeping the same style of play. Although they have conceded 2 or more goals in the last 3 matches, including the midfield duo Ito and Sugiyama, their fluid midfield movement always results in scoring goals. For Tokyo, the challenge is to firmly suppress the opponent's passing outlets and prevent them from establishing rhythm. They want to win the battle on the sides and break down the solid defense by stealing the ball through intense pressing. Both teams are positioned in the lower ranks, making this a crucial match for their resurgence, and consecutive losses are not allowed. Tokyo aims to return to the basics of their football and strive for victory.

Back To Basics

The 23rd contest of the season saw F.C.TOKYO take on Shimizu S-Pulse at the Tokyo National Stadium in central Tokyo. Manager Hara's verdict on the loss to Reysol was harsh, "We weren't fast enough or determined enough in the challenge. If we don't fight for every ball we can never play football. Simply saying 'We want to win' is meaningless without that base." The squad went back to basics in rigorous training sessions during the week. Whether the team could bring the heightened intensity into the game was the question.
Doi, Moniwa and Kaji had all been away with the Japanese national team during the week and worries over their condition remained. Ishikawa was injured in training and missed the match, another setback for the team. Toda had returned from injury though, and TOKYO tried a variety of formations in training involving he and Suzuki in midfield, and the in-form Fujiyama in defence. Sasa had a slight knock and started on the bench as TOKYO lined up in a 4-5-1 formation; Lucas as lone striker, Suzuki on the right, Toda on the left and Fujiyama at left back. "It's more of a three-striker formation than a one-striker formation," manager Hara commented on his attacking intentions.
Opponents S-Pulse lay in 13th place with 25 points at kick off. They had ended a 7 game winless run with a battling 3-2 victory over Frontale in the previous outing but were without the suspended Morioka and Cho Jae Jin. Saito on the left and Sato on the right would bear the weight of attacking duties, with Marquinhos the target man in the centre. The defence had leaked goals recently and midfield uncertainty persisted; it was imperative that TOKYO break up passing movements and prevent the visitors from finding their rhythm. This was an important game for F.C.TOKYO; the team needed a solid performance and three points to pull away from the impending relegation dogfight.

Unable to convert opportunities into goals together

　At 18:33, with the lingering humidity, the match started with a kickoff from Shimizu. However, from the early stages, Shimizu was allowed to create chances, and in the 1st minute, FW Marquinhos headed the ball from a right free kick in front of the goal. It was perfectly timed, but it went over the bar. Pressured in their own half, Tokyo was threatened by set pieces in the 5th and 7th minutes. However, Tokyo also created chances by sending the ball to Lucas and Toda in the front line. In the 8th minute, Norio SUZUKI's right cross was headed by Toda. Lucas picked up the rebound and shot, but it was blocked.

　In the 10th minute, Shimizu made a quick restart with a long kick to forward Marquinhos. Moniwa sprinted back at full speed and managed to escape to a corner kick. In the 12th minute, Shimizu created a chance from the right side, with midfielder Ito advancing deep into the area and delivering a low cross. Tokyo's defense barely cleared it. Tokyo attempted to attack with quick vertical passes, but the ball couldn't settle in the front line, and Shimizu dominated possession in midfield. However, chances came alternately.

　In the 14th minute, the opposing defender cleared a long ball. In the ensuing scramble, Kajiyama connected with a header, and Lucas, who received the ball just outside the area, turned and shot. It was a big chance, but it was thwarted by a nice save from the opposing goalkeeper. The resulting corner kick was taken by Kurizawa, and the opposing goalkeeper punched it away. Jean attempted to push it in with a header, but it was cleared by the opposing defender just before it crossed the line. Then, from a right corner kick, Toda headed the ball, but it went wide left. In the 23rd minute, Toda shot after receiving a pass from Kurizawa on the right, breaking into the goal area. He aimed for a looping shot, but the ball hit the crossbar! Lucas's follow-up shot also missed the mark.

　Toda's foray created several chances, but they were dispossessed while attacking, leading to counterattacks. In the 30th minute, they lost possession in their own half, and a long cross from the right by Shimizu found Marquinhos, who moved into the left area and passed back. The shot from the advancing midfielder Hiyoshi was caught by Doih. In the 36th minute, Marquinhos had a decisive shot from the right area, but it went to the left. In the 41st minute, Marquinhos was poorly marked in the right area, but his shot went over the bar. In the 42nd minute, Marquinhos dove for a fast left cross from Shimizu's Hiyoshi. Although they did not show any defensive cracks, both teams lacked finishing power, ending the first half at 0-0.

Chances Created In Open Encounter

S-Pulse kicked off shortly after 6:30 on a balmy evening and came within a whisker of taking the lead in the very first minute as Marquinhos directed a firm header just over the ball from a well-struck free kick. The visitors displayed a serious threat from further free kicks in the 5th and 7th minutes. TOKYO showed their attacking prowess in the 8th minute as Toda met Suzuki's cross with a header and Lucas seized onto the loose ball but the visitor's defense blocked his effort.
Moniwa and Marquinhos raced shoulder to shoulder after a long punt upfield in the 10th minute; the TOKYO defender won the battle and poked the ball out for a corner. S-Pulse again penetrated deep into the home area in the 12th minute through Ito but his pull back from the byline was cleared by some watchful defending. TOKYO were hitting long balls towards the forward line but failed to keep possession and the visitors began to play the ball around in midfield. Both sides continued to create chances.
In the 14th minute Kajiyama nodded a clearance down to Lucas on the edge of the S-Pulse area; Lucas twisted away from a defender and shot but Nishibe, the S-Pulse keeper, produced a superbly athletic save to deny TOKYO the opening goal. Jean looped a header goalward after Nishibe punched the resulting corner away but a defender on the line stretched to head the ball clear. Toda headed the second corner fractionally wide. Kurisawa played an early cross in to Toda in the 23rd minute; Toda's attempted shot struck a defender, arced over Nishibe and came back off the bar. Lucas failed to connect cleanly with the rebound.
Toda's well-timed runs created chances for TOKYO but loose play gave the ball away and allowed S-Pulse to counterattack. In the 30th minute the visitors won the ball in midfield on the right and played a deep cross to Marquinhos on the left of the TOKYO area. Marquinhos cushioned a pass into the path of Hyodo and Doi produced a good save to hold his low drive. Marquinhos fired wide from an excellent position in the 36th minute and should have hit the target in the 41st but blazed over the bar. He lunged at and missed another cross from Hyodo in the 42nd minute. Poor finishing rather than expert defending kept the halftime score at 0-0.

Defending Todai's first goal after his return, we snatch 3 points!

　In the latter part of the first half, a position change occurred between Toda on the right and Noriyuki SUZUKI on the left. In the second half, Noriyuki SUZUKI became an accent from the left, heading towards the Shimizu goal. In the 47th minute, following Konno's advance, the ball went to the left side. Noriyuki SUZUKI made a left cross, but Kurizawa, diving in front of the goal, could not make contact. However, they could not seize control, resulting in a back-and-forth development.

　In the 53rd minute, Tokyo substituted Noriyuki SUZUKI for Sasa. They are betting on a two-top strategy. In the 55th minute, Sasa charged into the left area and took a shot from a beautiful form, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper. Immediately after that, Sasa, who had drifted to the left, was fouled and earned a free kick from just outside the left side of the area. Kurizawa's kick went to Konno, who was waiting at the far post. Konno wisely headed it back. The ball was then volleyed in by Toda, who had circled from right to left and appeared back in the center, scoring the opening goal! This was Toda's first goal since his return, having played in the match against Kobe on July 23rd.

　Tokyo, taking advantage of the opening goal, shifted to offense. In the 63rd minute, Sasa took a shot from a free kick. In the 66th minute, Kaji picked up a rebound from the opposing GK after another free kick and took a long-range shot, but it went over the bar. In the 74th minute, Kurizawa's corner kick was cleared by the opposing GK. Fujiyama picked up the clearance and crossed it, but Jean's powerful header unfortunately went straight to the GK. Tokyo wanted to keep attacking, but Shimizu also made substitutions, bringing in MF Che Teuk for right MF Sato in the 60th minute and MF Sawatobi for FW Kuboyama in the 69th minute. They gradually found their rhythm and launched a counterattack starting from the right side with Che. After the 75th minute, Tokyo's clearance became weak, and they faced a wave of attacks, but the DF line fought hard to hold on. In the 78th minute, Kurizawa was replaced by Abe in an attempt to regain control of the sides, but Shimizu's pace remained unchanged.

　In the 82nd minute, from a long feed by the Shimizu DF line, MF Che broke into the right area, maneuvering past two or three Tokyo DFs and advancing centrally to shoot. It was a decisive scene, but it was cut off by Fujiyama's tenacious DF! In the 84th minute, MF Che passed to DF Ichikawa, who moved up the right flank and crossed while free. A chance was created for the substitute MF Sawatobi to dive in the center. In the 86th minute, a fierce attack was launched starting from Che, but it was defended with determination. In the 85th minute, Baba was brought in to replace Toda, maintaining an attacking posture until the end. Meanwhile, the DF line remained focused and defended the goal. With a spirited battle, they successfully protected Toda's goal, achieving a victory for the first time in six matches since the July 13 match against Yokohama FM.

　【Player Comments】《Toda》"(About the scoring scene) I believed that Ima-chan would definitely deliver a precise cross. I feel relieved to have scored. It was the pattern we practiced. I thought that participating in today's match was a way to express my gratitude to the many people who supported me while I was injured. However, throughout the match, it was more tough than enjoyable. My match fitness wasn't fully back, and it was my first official game playing with Sasa. There were times when our timing didn't match, and I also made passing mistakes, reflecting on them each time while playing. I was desperate just to show my own play, so I'm glad it led to a good result. Various points for improvement have come up, but I want to aim higher without being satisfied, so that I can connect this to future matches and fight to earn 3 points." 《Fujiyama》"I was really exhausted in my first official match in a while. For my participation, I focused primarily on covering, and then planned to try to win the ball on the side. Playing as a side back was all I could do, but I wanted the forwards and the side players like Moniwa and Jean to be aware that 'it's okay because there's cover.' Everyone put their bodies on the line. That's different from the Kashiwa match, and I think we defended well. Cheteuk created a 2-on-1 situation, which remains an issue."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "In the previous match against Kashiwa, we conceded 4 goals due to a lack of concentration, but this week we discussed with the players that such things must never happen again, and that we need to play with more focus and passion to win against any team. We were able to have intensive training. However, once the match started, the players became tense and had difficulty controlling the ball well. On the defensive side, though, they were able to concentrate well. Although the previous match was poor, Todai returned from a fracture, so we tried to bring him in to revive the team's stagnant movement. The Japan national team players could only join practice from Thursday, and they were also tired. Kaji's legs were quite tight. Ishikawa had an accident the day before yesterday; he wanted to play until the last moment, but after consulting with the doctor, he ultimately gave up. Considering these factors, including whether to use Norio SUZUKI up front, we finally decided to use Fujiyama as the side back. Fujiyama's condition improved and he was motivated. I think the veteran controlled Moniwa and Jean, calming the defense. We had difficulty winning for a while, but the supporters kept cheering for us. We cannot be satisfied with this win, so based on today's match, we want to play even better football. (After taking the lead, you brought on attacking players?) Among the substitutes, only Miura was a defensive player. If we tried to defend by pulling back, we would be vulnerable, so we thought about attacking. Todai also had leg cramps, so I considered replacing him with Miura, but I thought we should bring in Baba and maintain an attacking stance. That spirit is what our team needs right now."

　[Summary of the press conference by Shimizu and Coach HASEGAWA] "We couldn't secure consecutive wins, and today, although there were several close chances from the start of the first half, we couldn't convert them. We were cautious about set plays and discussed second balls at halftime, but we were a moment too slow to react to the crossed ball and conceded a goal. Overall, I think we defended with good balance, but we couldn't respond to that brief lapse, resulting in the very disappointing outcome of zero points. The players surely put their hearts into playing at the National Stadium and overcoming the fact that we hadn't won against lower-ranked opponents until now, but we couldn't finish well. However, the overall content was very good. We will prepare thoroughly over the next week for the Niigata match and aim to achieve consecutive home wins. (Specifically, what was good?) Although FW Cho Jejin was suspended, there were few long balls; we connected through midfield and expanded to the sides. Good crosses were delivered, and MF Cheteuk also broke through the sides, but the final finishing was lacking. Compared to FC Tokyo, there were fewer long balls, and we played good matches against Kawasaki and Tokyo. Although it was an away game, we were not focused on counterattacks. I think we kept possession more, and Tokyo played more long balls to Lucas. In terms of the flow, the opponent scored first and then retreated, but from the first half, Shimizu played higher-quality soccer. However, losing the match means nothing. At halftime, we talked about continuing the good soccer created through the interaction of both defensive midfielders Ito and Sugiyama in the second half. Since we were breaking through the sides, we decided to focus on the quality of crosses and ensuring the players inside finish properly. Morioka's absence was not the cause of the defeat. Cheteuk trained with determination this week and improved his condition, so I planned to use him at some point. He met expectations by repeatedly breaking through the sides. It was a performance that will lead to future success."

Toda Puts TOKYO Ahead

Suzuki and Toda switched sides for the second half as TOKYO started with a more aggressive approach. Suzuki powered down the left in the 47th minute and delivered a powerful cross that narrowly evaded the onrushing Kurisawa. The game fluctuated, but TOKYO maintained the initiative.
Sasa replaced Suzuki in the 53rd minute as TOKYO shifted to a twin striker formation. Sasa burst into the area on the left in the 55th minute, cut inside, and prepared to curl the ball inside the far post; Nishibe made another excellent save. Sasa was again involved shortly after, winning a free kick a yard equidistant from the byline and the penalty area on the left. Kurisawa stroked the ball over the crowd in the goalmouth to Konno on the right; Konno skillfully headed it back over the crowd and Toda gleefully volleyed home inside the left post to give TOKYO the lead. On his first appearance since July 23rd, Toda had scored a priceless goal.
Buoyed by taking the lead, TOKYO pressed S-Pulse. Sasa hammered a free kick wide in the 63rd minute and Kaji flashed a shot over the bar in the 66th. Fujiyama curled a tempting cross back into the danger area after Nishibe had cleared a corner in the 74th minute. Jean outjumped the S-Pulse defense but directed his header straight at the keeper. S-Pulse responded by replacing Sato with Choi Tae Uk and striker Kuboyama with midfielder Sawanobori. The changes proved effective with Choi making progress down the right as S-Pulse gradually regained their rhythm. The TOKYO backline struggled with Choi's pace, and the introduction of Abe for Kurisawa failed to stop the pressure; it was backs to the wall as S-Pulse surged forward seeking an equalizer.
In the 82nd minute, Choi beat three TOKYO players and fired a low shot that seemed destined for the net until Fujiyama's outstanding block averted the danger. Choi buzzed around the TOKYO area probing for an opening, but the home defenders threw themselves heroically to close the gaps. Baba replaced Toda in the 85th minute in an attempt to relieve pressure on the defense. TOKYO successfully ran down the clock and held on for a vital win: their first in six games since July 13th.


Players' comments 
Toda 
"It was something we had worked on in training and I had faith that Konno would get the ball back into the centre. I'm very relieved to score. I'd really like to thank everyone who supported me while I was injured. That was a tough game today, though. I haven't got my game sense back completely and it's the first time I played with Sasa. I haven't got my timing right and I played a few poor passes so I've got plenty to work on. I'm going to work as hard as I can to get my game back to its usual level and contribute to the team." 

Fujiyama
"That was my first game for a while and I'm really tired. I was concentrating foremost on covering and then winning the ball down the wing. I wanted the players in front of me and alongside to feel confident that the cover was there all the time. We stuck to our tasks very well today. It was two against one when Choi Tae Uk came on and that's something I have to work on".


TOKYO manager Hara 
"After we lost concentration and conceded four against Reysol last week we worked very hard in training but still looked stiff and didn't move the ball around at all well early on. But the defence concentrated well today. The team has become rather sluggish and we thought Toda's return would liven things up. The national team members came back on Thursday so we didn't have much time together and they had some tiredness of course, but Kaji in particular worked very hard today. Ishikawa was desperate to play but the doctor advised against it. We were unsure where to play Suzuki and eventually selected Fujiyama as left back. He's in good condition at the moment and was really up for the game today. He's very experienced and his prescence allowed Moniwa and Jean to defend more comfortably. We haven't been able to win recently but the fans have supported us through this lean spell. We have to use this win as a springboard to better performances and more victories. Miura was the only defensive player we had on the bench so we had to send on attack minded players as substitutes; we didn't want to become defensive and start playing too deeply. Toda picked up a knock and we thought about replacing him with Miura but that would have given the wrong message so we sent on Baba instead to maintain an attacking stance. That's what we should be doing as a team".

S-Pulse manager Hasegawa
"We just don't seem to be able to string wins together at the moment. We had some good chances in the first half but couldn't put them away. I spoke to the team about set plays at half time but we were a fraction slow reacting to the ball played back from the free kick and were punished for it. Our balance was good and we defended well but one momentary lapse cost us the game today. It's disappointing as we played well overall. We have a week to prepare for the game against Albirex and we'll be aiming for consecutive home wins. Cho Jae Jin was suspended and we didn't play the long ball, instead we built attacks from midfield and used the flanks. We put in some good crosses and Choi Tae Uk performed well on the right wing. We didn't make the most of our opportunities, though. We played fewer long balls than TOKYO who hit a lot up to Lucas. We weren't playing a counter attacking game; we tried to pass our way forward. We definitely played the better football today, but you don't get anything if you lose. Ito and Sugiyama both had good games and that allowed us to play our football. Choi Tae Uk worked hard in training this week and it showed in his performance. We're looking for more from him in the future."