Facing the strong Shimizu

　In Sec. 3, we will face the strong Shimizu S-Pulse at home. We suffered a complete defeat in the match against Niigata, revealing many issues, but the season has just begun. We hope to see growth moving forward. That said, we want to avoid consecutive losses. This match will focus on how well we can address our issues and score goals through passing football, supported by our home crowd.

　Shimizu, on the other hand, is currently the only team in the league with no goals conceded and has achieved two consecutive victories. With a 4-4-2 formation, the side midfielders spread wide and provide solid support to the front line. Long passes are sent to forwards Cho Je-jin and Marquinhos, creating chances from them. Their quick counterattacks from a solid defense have been sharpened, aiming for a third consecutive victory to start the season.

　Garo, the coach, stated that they have taken measures against Shimizu's side developments. The plan is to circulate passes in the midfield where space has opened up and aim for opportunities. In this week's practice, they were training in various patterns, including a 4-4-2 formation with Kajiyama positioned as an attacking midfielder and using Miyazawa. Coach Garo mentioned, "We were trying out different combinations, considering the future," indicating that they are focused not only on immediate matches but also on long-term growth.

　This match sees Jean fully returning from injury. As a result, Rychely has been excluded from the squad, but Abe will make his first start as a forward. The team will adopt a 4-3-3 formation with Sasa and Abe at the front, and Lucas positioned slightly deeper. Under the cloudy sky at Ajinomoto, the match started with a kickoff in Tokyo at 14:04.

The ball is not settling in the front line, lacking attacking options

　In the first minute, Tokunaga's right cross led to a header shot by Sasa. It flew straight to the opposing goalkeeper, but it showed an aggressive attack from the start. In the 6th minute, a long pass from Inoha in our own half to the front line was made. Abe made a run, but the opposing defender cleared it. In the 12th minute, after picking up a rebound from a shot by Shimizu's midfielder Ito, Kajiwara initiated a quick attack to Lucas, but was surrounded and lost the ball. Under Shimizu's intense press, we gradually started to lose the ball more often, and conversely, Shimizu began to find their rhythm.

　In the 20th minute, Shimizu picked up a ball cleared by Moniwa in Tokyo's territory and launched a fast attack. The shot from FW Marquinhos, who circled in from the left, was caught by Doi. Shimizu continued to attack from the sides repeatedly, but Moniwa and Jean defended solidly in the center, preventing any decisive chances. In the 24th minute, Sasa headed a shot from Kajiya's right corner kick, but it was once again caught by the opposing goalkeeper.

　In the 26th minute, Suzuki competed to prevent Shimizu MF Edamura from making a cross, resulting in Edamura being injured and leaving the field. Shimizu brought in MF Sugiyama, forced to substitute early. However, Tokyo struggled to find attacking options against Shimizu, who continued to apply pressure, with only a few chances created. In the 36th minute, from an indirect free kick in the opponent's half, Lucas connected the play, and a pass from Konno on the right reached Sasa in front of the goal, but he was surrounded by defenders and couldn't take a shot. Picking up the loose ball, Lucas on the left sent a lob pass to the right. Abe, who had made a run, got into shooting position but was blocked by a sliding challenge from a Shimizu defender. The number of shots in the first half was even at 4 to 4, but it ended 0 to 0. The match went into halftime scoreless.

Defeated helplessly in the face of Shimizu's momentum...

　The second half started with action from the beginning, leading to a flurry of counterattacks. In the 46th minute, Abe's right cross was headed down by Sasa, sending it to Lucas who ran into the goal area, but he was surrounded by defenders and couldn't shoot. In the 47th minute, Shimizu launched a counterattack. FW Marquinhos sprinted deep down the right side and delivered a cross, but Jaan intercepted it. In the 48th minute, Shimizu's right cross was cleared by Shigeno. Shimizu's MF Hyodo picked up the loose ball on the right side of the area and shot, but it went over the bar. In the 49th minute, Abe controlled a ball from the back with his chest, and Sasa aimed for a long-range shot.

　In the 50th minute, Shimizu picked up a clearance from Tokyo and connected in front of the goal, with FW Cho Je-jin holding the ball. From there, MF Sugiyama advanced and took a clean shot. This was saved nicely by Dohi, resulting in a corner kick. However, from the left corner kick taken by MF Fujimoto, FW Cho Je-jin scored with a high header. They conceded a goal from a single chance off a set piece.

　In the 56th minute, Miyazawa was brought on for Inoha and Kawaguchi was brought on for Sasa. The aim was clear: to push the team forward and score a goal, collecting long balls for Kawaguchi who was breaking forward. In the 72nd minute, Akamine was brought on for Abe. As the fast-paced play continued, in the 77th minute there was a chance for a free kick on the left side of the opponent's area. From Miyazawa's precise kick, Tokunaga headed the ball down, which was initially blocked by the opponent's defense, but Kajiyama picked up the loose ball outside the right side of the area and took a left-footed shot. However, it went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 81st minute, Miyazawa passed to Suzuki on the left side. Suzuki bravely challenged and delivered a cross, but it went out of play.

　However, the momentum was with Shimizu. In the 85th minute, Shimizu had a right corner kick. MF Hiyama's precise kick was headed by FW Cho Je-jin. It hit Konno and resulted in another right corner kick. Connecting this, MF Hiyama took a shot. Although it was saved by Doih, Tokyo, aiming for a goal, was instead subjected to Shimizu's thorough strategy of 'solid defense and quick counterattacks,' being bombarded with shots from counterattacks. In the dying moments, in the 88th and 89th minutes, Kawaguchi rushed forward to try to score, sending a fast pass, but the opposing defenders closed in quickly, preventing a shot. Despite defending well except for conceding one chance, they were overpowered by Shimizu's momentum and suffered a regrettable defeat.

　【Player Comments】《Jean》"I did my best as usual, but the opponent was superior. It was my first match in a while, and I gave it my all, but of course, there were aspects different from practice. The goal conceded was because the opponent I was marking broke free. I cannot escape responsibility for the defense inside the area. Above all, I couldn't play the style of football I wanted at all. The opponent was better at passing too. However, it's important to switch focus to the next game." 《Kawaguchi》"When coming on as a substitute, I had to catch up, so my role was clear. However, Shimizu was thorough in their strategy of concentrated defense and counterattacks. We ended up just sending the ball into the middle, which might have made it easier for them. It would have been better if we could have exploited the sides more... When the team’s rhythm is good, anyone can play well. More importantly, when things are going badly, you need the mindset of 'I have to do it myself.' But we have good players, and gaining experience like this is beneficial. Within that, it’s necessary to have the awareness to go for the win ourselves, not relying on others, and for each person to speak up and have the motivation to act on their own."

　[Summary of Coach Garo's Press Conference] "Unfortunately, today the opponent was superior in both physicality and technique. Such things happen in matches. We also gave our all, but especially in second balls, Shimizu was winning the battles. Shimizu applies pressure high up the pitch, and we were thinking of bypassing that pressure and moving forward using Kajiyama or Konno. However, I think there were many instances where we made passing mistakes and were pushed back in the front line. Today, Shimizu was superior in every aspect of the match. (Regarding the introduction of Kawaguchi) We were losing 0-1, so I instructed to utilize the speed of Abe and Kawaguchi to exploit the opponent's high offside line."

　[Press Conference of Shimizu and Coach HASEGAWA] "It was a tough game, but I'm glad we got 3 points. We've won the last two matches, but we couldn't play with full passion and intensity. Today, aiming for revenge against FC Tokyo, who defeated us twice last season, the players showed great spirit and fought well. In set pieces, FC Tokyo leaves three players up front, while we have everyone fall back, which is the opposite approach, but we wanted to score somehow there. I want to praise the players for taking their one chance cleanly and winning 1-0. We want to build momentum from here and approach the next match positively. The consecutive clean sheets are because we can organize our defense starting from the front line. Not only organization but also winning duels on the ball, overall we are able to play a well-balanced game. (Regarding MF Edamura who left due to injury) MF Sugiyama was very good. I was worried about his condition due to the sudden substitution, but in the second half he got used to the rhythm and feeling and showed his true strengths. He balanced the team well. MF Ito was a perfect leader in defense. It's impossible to have clean sheets without him. MF Fujimoto was also good. In his matchup with Tokunaga, he showed a strong desire not to lose and fought hard. Although he didn't score, he assisted on a corner kick and has become a significant asset to the team. In the first half today, DF Ichikawa's passing accuracy was too poor. I think it was partly due to his leg condition, but in the second half he showed some good forward runs. We need to eliminate simple mistakes. The balance changed when Sugiyama came in, but near the end of the first half, when we were pressing, there was a period when the defensive midfielders had no options to pass the ball. If we clear that up, the game will become a bit easier to develop. I thought FC Tokyo was not an easy opponent, so I'm happy we could win against such a team."