Yoshiro ABE makes his first start of the season, aiming for consecutive wins by utilizing the players' strengths!

　After a two-week interval since the last match, in Sec. 27 we will face Sanfrecce Hiroshima at home. We won against Omiya in the last match, and we have been unbeaten in the last four matches with two wins and two draws. Our points have increased to 31, and we have risen to 11th place. In particular, we have maintained good form with four consecutive matches without conceding a goal. The point difference with 17th place, which is in the relegation zone, is 6. There is only a 3-point gap with 15th and 16th places, so we cannot afford to let our guard down in the upcoming matches, but we aim for 3 points with a tenacious fight.

　This match will see Toda suspended. Additionally, as members of the Japan national team, Doi and Shimonia will participate in the Eastern European expedition and return on the 13th (Thursday). There are concerns about their condition for the match just one day later, but "Both of them were preparing with the intention of playing in today's match as a matter of course (Coach Hara)" showed a reassuring attitude. On the other hand, Kaji felt discomfort in both legs and will miss the match as a precaution. The starting lineup features Lucas and Yoshiro ABE as the two forwards in a 4-4-2 formation. Konno is utilized as the right side back, with Kajiya as the lone defensive midfielder, Kurizawa on the right MF, Baba in the center, and Miyazawa on the left MF in a diamond-shaped formation. Additionally, Kanazawa, returning from injury, will be on the bench for the first time in seven matches.

　Hiroshima currently sits in 8th place with 39 points. However, in the last 4 matches, they have only won 1 and lost 3, which is not a good form. Still, they have conceded the fewest goals in the league with 27, and in attack, forwards Sato and Maeda are stepping up, scoring in every match. "We have speedy players in the front line, and they simply bring the ball in. If we take our time and involve the full-backs in the attack, we can somewhat contain them, so we want to be careful about long balls to the front line and keep the forwards as restricted as possible," warned Coach Hara. They aim for consecutive wins with quick transitions between defense and attack, playing a fast-paced style of football. The match started at Ajinomoto Stadium under a cloudy sky with the autumn sun fading, with Hiroshima kicking off at 15:04.

Abe Starts As TOKYO Aim For Consecutive Wins 

After a two-week break Sanfrecce Hiroshima visited Ajinomoto Stadium for the 27th game of the season. TOKYO were enjoying a revival in their fortunes: two wins, two draws and four clean sheets in their last four matches. Their 31 points were good enough for 11th place in the league but this was still only 3 points off 16th place. The side wasn't out of the woods yet.
Toda was suspended. Moniwa and Doi had only one day's training with the team following their return from the Japan national team tour of Eastern Europe but manager Hara insisted they were both ready to play. Kaji was rested to allow lingering injuries to heal. Abe made his first start of the season and was paired with Lucas in a 4-4-2 formation. Konno appeared at right back, Kajiyama as defensive midfielder, Kurisawa on the right of midfield, Miyazawa on the left and Baba in the centre in a diamond formation. Kanazawa returned to the bench after missing 7 games with injury.
Sanfrecce lay in 8th place with 39 points but were enduring a mini-slump: they had lost three of four and the much-vaunted defence was leaking goals. They still had the fewest goals conceded though, at 27. In-form strikers Sato and Maeda were racking up the goals. "The forwards have great pace," commented TOKYO manager Hara, "We can't allow them any time on the ball". Sanfrecce kicked off shortly after 3pm on a pleasant autumn afternoon.

Both teams maintained solid defense without allowing any goals

　Both teams started cautiously with solid defense. In the 5th minute, Baba took a mid-range shot, marking the first shot of the day. In the 9th minute, Hiroshima's FW Maeda delivered a right cross that MF Oki dropped, leading to a shot from FW Sato outside the area, but it went over the bar. In the 12th minute, Yoshiro ABE, showing active movement, aggressively aimed for a mid-range shot, but this also went over the bar. There were no decisive moments to break through the opponent, and the back-and-forth continued.

　In the 16th minute, after a series of passes on the left side, Miyazawa passed to Lucas, who made a run. Despite competing with the opposing DF, Lucas forcefully entered the area. He took a shot, but the ball was blocked by the right post, and Baba, who followed up, couldn't reach it. The Hiroshima DF managed to escape to a corner kick, missing the chance to take the lead. Tokyo created space on the left side by having Miyazawa move to central defense, allowing Hiroshima's right back Komano to advance. There were noticeable moments where they lost possession and conceded a corner kick, but ultimately, they defended without any major issues.

　On the other hand, they were unable to create decisive scenes in attack. In the 24th minute, Fujiyama advanced with a dribble and took a long-range shot, but it went over the bar. In the 35th and 37th minutes, Konno sent early crosses, but they did not lead to any chances. In the 42nd minute, Hiroshima forwards Maeda and Sato exchanged passes in the right area. Both entered shooting positions, but Tokyo's defense marked them tightly and prevented any shots. As a result, the first half ended 0-0. They decided to take a gamble in the second half.

Defence Dominates

Both sides began cautiously. Baba registered the first shot in the 5th minute and Sanfrecce had to wait until the 9th minute, when Sato fired Oki's knockdown over the bar from outside the area, for their first attempt. Abe, industrious as ever, fired over in the 12th minute. The game ebbed and flowed with neither side able to impose themselves.
The first big chance fell to Lucas in the 16th minute. A sublime short passing move involving Miyazawa opened up the Sanfrecce defence allowing Lucas to hold off a defender and clip the ball past the advancing Shimoda. The ball hit the inside of the far post and rebounded across the face of goal, just evading Baba's lunge. A defender hacked the ball away for a corner. Miyazawa was providing defensive cover in midfield, TOKYO were finding space down the right and pinning left back Komano in his own half.
Chances were few and far between. Fujiyama blazed over the bar in the 24th minute while Konno curled a couple of early crosses into the 'zone of uncertainty'. As the first half drew to a close Sanfrecce threatened but the TOKYO defence closed down Sato and Maeda so quickly neither were able to shoot. The period ended 0-0.

Despite allowing two early goals, Yoshiro ABE and Baba equalized with a goal.

　The second half turned into an intense match. Just after the start, in the 46th minute, Baba's through pass to Lucas was cut off by the opposing defender, resulting in a left corner kick. From Baba's kick, Konno attempted a volley but it went straight to the GK. In the 52nd minute, Miyazawa delivered a floating ball pass into the area. Yoshiro ABE trapped it and broke free in front of the goal to shoot, but was blocked by the quick-reacting opposing GK. However, just as they began to find their rhythm, in the 55th minute, a pass from the right by Hiroshima connected with FW Sato, and the advancing MF Morisaki dribbled up to the goal. This drew the Tokyo defense in, and in the end, FW Maeda, who had circled in with a one-touch from the right, scored the goal.

　In the 56th minute, Tokyo substituted Noriyuki Suzuki for Kurisawa on the left side. Yoshiro ABE moved to the right side, setting up a formation to seize the momentum through wing attacks. In the 66th minute, Kanazawa was brought in for Miyazawa, with Fujiyama moving to the right and Konno advancing to the defensive midfield position. In the 71st minute, Kajiyama picked up a loose ball and pretended to take a long shot, passing to the free Yoshiro ABE on the right side. He cut inside and prepared to shoot but was blocked by the defender. Shortly after, Sasaki was substituted in for the visibly fatigued Lucas, returning to a two-striker formation. This substitution helped regain rhythm, leading to repeated aggressive attacks.

　In the 73rd minute, Yoshiro ABE received a right cross from Kajiwara and took a volley shot, resulting in a corner kick. This corner kick was connected, and Konno, who advanced to the area thanks to Sasa's ball retention, took a shot, but it hit the right post. However, in the 76th minute, Sasa competed for a long ball from Fujiyama with a header, and Yoshiro ABE, who ran in as the ball dropped, lifted the ball while trapping it and spun around to take a volley shot with his left foot! A stunning super goal pierced the net, bringing the score level.

　From here, the match becomes even more intense. However, amidst the rapid changes in offense and defense, a corner kick was given to Hiroshima in the 82nd minute. The cleared ball from the left corner kick hit a teammate and spilled in front of MF Morisaki, who was near the end line, and from there, FW Sato scored with a cross... It was a goal conceded in the closing moments, but we did not give up here. Immediately after the kickoff, Noriyuki SUZUKI broke through the left side. A grounded cross was skillfully met by Tadashi BABA in front of the goal, scoring! We equalized once again.

　They gained momentum and continued to launch fierce attacks, but in the 40th minute, Sasa was brought down in front of the goal, and his direct free kick was saved by the GK. In stoppage time, Sasa turned and shot from a through pass from Kanazawa, but this was also caught by the GK. Although they couldn't secure an additional goal, they managed to bring the intense match to a draw and earned 1 point.

　【Player Comments】《Yoshiro ABE》"I was glad we didn't lose since it was a home game, but I wanted to win. (For the goal) we were trailing by one point, but I kept believing that Sasa would drop the ball for me, so I made runs behind the defense. It was the shape we practiced, and the ball came just as I aimed for it, so I just had to react. I focused on making my trap go towards the goal. I still think there are chances to move up. I want to give my all in every match and fight to score in all the remaining games." 《Baba》"I thought if we could endure the first half, Hiroshima's legs would definitely slow down in the second half. I also managed not to get frustrated, and I believe that being able to go into halftime at 0-0 led to good play in the second half. I thought the game would stretch out in the second half, and that would create space for us. So I went to create chances myself."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "We decided to use Doi and Moniwa after seeing their condition in yesterday's practice. Kaji not only had discomfort in his right ankle but also in his left foot, so today we used Konno as the right side back. I think Konno himself had some concerns, but we wanted to utilize his strength. Considering that Doi and Moniwa were not at 100% condition, we wanted to use Fujiyama in the familiar left position on the defensive line. In midfield, we put in players like Baba, Miyazawa, Kajiyama, and Kurisawa who connect the ball, and tried to make good use of Yoshiro ABE. Hiroshima concedes few goals and has a solid style of play. Their defense is strong, so if we fall behind, it becomes tough. DF Komano had just returned from the national team but ran well. In the first half, the ball was connected but the forward passes were slow. We thought the second half would be decisive, so at halftime I instructed, 'Let's get the ball to Yoshiro ABE and Lucas a little earlier, and send the ball forward.' If that didn’t work, we planned to bring in Norio SUZUKI on the side and have him run behind the opposing DF Komano, but just then we conceded a goal. Thinking that if we fell behind it would become a battle for possession in midfield, we changed Konno to defensive midfield. We moved Fujiyama to the right and tried to break down the left side with Kanazawa and Norio SUZUKI to deliver crosses. We were timing the introduction of Sasa, but in Sasa’s case, rather than connecting the ball finely, it’s better to use him simply like in today’s scoring scene. In that case, I thought Yoshiro ABE could run behind Sasa better than Lucas, so we kept ABE on the field. Although we conceded first, we caught up well and wanted an additional goal, but we conceded an unlucky goal from a corner kick. However, without getting discouraged there, immediately after kickoff Baba scored a wonderful goal. We wanted to win, but we never gave up and kept pushing for goals until the end, and I think that was very good. I also think if Lucas’s shot in the first half or Konno’s shot in the second half had resulted in goals, we might have won... but I want to value the fact that we caught up while trailing and build on that for next time."

　[Summary of Hiroshima Coach Ono's Press Conference] "In the first half, both teams were canceling each other out, it felt like a test of endurance. After the deadlock was broken, both sides attacked each other. We took the lead twice, but were caught twice and ultimately drew. Of course, there is frustration at not securing 3 points, but more than that, I think the players fought hard until the very end. Both teams gave their all for 1 point, and I believe we can proudly hold our heads high. There were several difficult moments in the flow of the game, but the supporters who gathered cheered and encouraged us, so the players were able to fight until the very end. Having fought so hard, the desire to win was strong, but we want to keep growing step by step. (You used the flanks more in the first half?) In the first half, FC Tokyo played a diamond shape with Miyazawa on the left, but he was in the defensive midfield position. Kurisawa was on the right side, and when we brought the ball there, we faced intense pressure, so we made them focus on Hiroshima's left side and attacked from the right. We intended to continue attacking that way, but FC Tokyo adjusted, so in the second half we spread wide and created paths for the ball to reach the top. Ultimately, I think creating chances by pulling the opposing defenders wide and connecting to the top was more effective than having outside players cross. In that sense, we played better in the second half than in the first."

Thrilling Fightback Earns Draw

The rather uneventful first half gave no indication of what was to come. TOKYO began the second period on the attack, earning a corner after Baba's neat through ball bisected the Sanfrecce defence. Miyazawa struck the corner long to Konno but Shimoda cleanly held his first time volley. In the 52nd minute Miyazawa floated a pass over the Sanfrecce backline and into the path of Abe. Abe trapped the ball and shot just as Shimoda bravely flung himself at his feet to make a fine save. TOKYO seemed more focused than in the first period but disaster struck in the 55th minute as Maeda fired past Doi from the edge of the area following a determined dribble by Morisaki. TOKYO replaced Kurisawa with Suzuki on the left wing. Abe roamed on the right side and TOKYO attempted to use their pace to get behind the Sanfrecce defence. Kanazawa replaced Miyazawa in the 66th minute, Fujiyama moved to the right and Konno shifted into a defensive midfield position. In the 71st minute Kajiyama elected to shoot when Abe was completely unmarked on the right. Sasa Salcedo came on for the tiring Lucas as TOKYO reverted to 4-4-2. The changes revitalised the side which began to attack with increased urgency.
In the 73rd minute Abe smacked a volley against a defender and won a corner. Sasa held the ball up after the Sanfrecce defence cleared the corner and played it into the path of Konno whose low shot struck the post. Fujiyama played a long ball up to Sasa in the 77th minute; Sasa outjumped a defender and flicked the ball on towards Abe, on the edge of the area. Abe displayed wondrous control to trap the ball on his chest, turn through 180 degrees as it fell and thunder a volley past the stunned keeper for a truly memorable goal. A piece of breathtaking skill had tied the score.
The game became fast and furious but it was the visitors who retook the lead in the 82nd minute. Sanfrecce won a corner and an attempted clearance struck a TOKYO defender, the ball ballooning back to Morisaki almost on the byline. Morisaki crossed and Sato prodded the ball past Doi from close range. TOKYO refused to admit defeat and were back on level terms a minute later without a single Sanfrecce player touching the ball. Straight from the restart TOKYO moved the ball out to Suzuki on the left. Suzuki skated past a defender and hit a low cross that Baba flicked through a ruck of players to restore parity.
TOKYO had a chance to win the game in the 85th minute when Sasa was upended just outside the area. Sasa took the free kick himself and pierced the wall but Sato, the Sanfrecce keeper, made a fine low save to his right. Sato again denied Sasa in injury time and a very hard-fought game finished 2-2.


Players' comments 
Abe: 
"We were determined to win as it was a home game. ( For his goal ) We were behind but I was sure Sasa would win his header so I ran into the space where I expected the ball to go. That move was something we've practiced in training; I trapped the ball with my chest, swivelled and hit it first time. It went very smoothly. We still have a good chance to move up the table and I'm hoping to score in all our remaining games". 

Baba:
"We felt Sanfrecce would run out of steam in the second half. I tried hard not to get frustrated with my own play and just create some chances".


TOKYO manager Hara: 
"I had a look at Doi and Moniwa in training and felt they were both fit to play. Kaji wasn't though; he has trouble with both feet so we put Konno in at right back. He probably has some doubts himself about playing in that position but we wanted to make use of his ability. Doi and Moniwa obviously weren't 100% so we selected Fujiyama on the left as they are used to playing with him. The midfield of Baba, Miyazawa, Kajiyama and Kurisawa are all skillful passers and we were hoping to use Abe to the best effect. Sanfrecce have a strong defence so we needed to be very accurate today. Komano had just returned from national team duty but he ran very hard all afternoon. We passed the ball around well in the first half but were slow in getting it forward. We tried to fix that in the second half but it wasn't really happening so we sent on Suzuki to run at Komano and try to get behind him. Then they scored, unfortunately. We really needed to regain possession as much as possible so we moved Konno into the midfield and asked our left side of Kanazawa and Suzuki to get forward and supply the crosses. We felt Sasa would combine better with Abe today and so we took Lucas off. We scored an excellent equaliser and were thinking about another goal when an unlucky ricochet at a corner allowed Sanfrecce to score again. The players fought back immediately and Baba finished off a superb move nicely for the second goal. Of course we wanted to win today and were unfortunate to hit the post twice. Still, the players never gave up and battled to the final whistle. We hope to take that spirit into the next game". 

Sanfrecce manager Ono:
"Both teams cancelled each other out in the first half and it was a case of just being patient. The balance changed when both sides began to attack. We were ahead twice and were pulled back twice; of course we wanted to win and feel somewhat disappointed but the players fought to the very end. Both teams gave everything and only got a single point for their effort. We'd like to thank our fans who turned up and gave the team such great support today. We feel we are making steady progress as a team. We didn't get much joy attacking down the right in the first half and concentrated on the left side. The second half was much better though as we were able to use the wide positions and find space to cross the ball."