Victory to avenge the league match on the second day of the Nabisco

　From the league match Sec. 7 on Jul 8 (Sat), there will be a three-day gap before the second day of the Nabisco Cup qualifiers. We will face Yokohama F. Marinos away. This match comes right after the league Sec. 6 match held on Jul 1 (Sat), where we were dominated throughout the game. Although we managed to equalize just before the end, it can be said that we were completely outplayed. Based on the confidence gained from the match against Iwata in Sec. 7, we want to achieve revenge in this match.

　Yokohama FM has not won in their last three matches. Perhaps because of this, they have fielded fresh and highly motivated players for today's match. Today's starting lineup includes six player changes from the last match, including injured FW Marques and MF Magron.

　In response to the composition of the Yokohama FM members, Tokyo aimed to gain an advantage on the sides and chose a similar 3-5-2 system as Yokohama FM. The three-back consists of Moino on the left, Jean on the right, and Masushima in the center, with Suzuki and Tokunaga on the sides of the midfield, Kurizawa in the attacking midfield, and Konno + Kajiyama at the back.

Dominated by the energetic Yokohama FM

　The match started at 19:00 with a kickoff from Yokohama FM at the humid Mitsuzawa.A Park Stadium. Early on, Yokohama FM won a corner kick from a middle shot by left MF Dutra, and from the right corner kick, FW Oshima made a header. With dynamic play, they gained momentum from the beginning. In the 12th minute, right MF Tanaka made a decisive cut past Suzuki and took a shot. However, Doih's excellent save led to a corner kick, and after the corner, MF Yoshida broke through on Tokyo's left side. He delivered a sharp cross from a deep position, which Doih caught securely. In the 15th minute, FW Oshima dove into a sharp cross from right MF Tanaka, but Mashima did well to contain it, resulting in another corner kick.

　Tokyo repeatedly made mistakes in front of the opponent's intense press. They lost the ball and spent a lot of time being dominated by Yokohama FM. Yokohama FM ran well both offensively and defensively, connecting passes and taking control of the flanks. Starting from MF Yoshida, they launched successive attacks from the right MF Tanaka, who made runs into the box, and FW Sakata was also making runs towards the goal. In the 21st minute, FW Oshima headed in a free kick from the left area for Yokohama FM, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul in the preceding contest. In the 23rd minute, FW Sakata dove in with a header from a quick cross by right MF Tanaka. In the 32nd minute, right MF Tanaka entered the area and took a shot, but Tokyo's DF intervened and made a clearance.

　In the 34th minute, Kajiyama attempted a long-range shot to break the frustrating situation where they couldn't attack, earning a corner kick. However, Lucas jumped in for Kurizawa's right corner kick but couldn't take a shot. In the end, Tokyo's shots in the first half were only these two: one from Kajiyama and another long-range shot from Lucas in the 39th minute. Still, with Doih and Mashima leading the defense, they managed to hold on and ended the first half scoreless. Expectations were high for a turnaround in the second half.

Despite attacking, we suffered 2 goals and were completely defeated...

　From the end of the first half, Jean and Mashima changed positions. Mashima moved to the right, quickly shutting down the opposing forward and joining the attack. His proactive approach paid off, and right after the start of the second half, Mashima made a daring advance and delivered a through pass to the front line. However, it just missed Kurizawa, who had made a run. In the 52nd minute, during a tussle for the ball, Mashima and Kajiyama passed to Kurizawa in the center from Tokunaga. Kurizawa took a well-aimed shot from distance, but it was saved by the opposing goalkeeper. Finally, they were competing evenly, and the rhythm of the attack was starting to develop.

　However, in the 57th minute, the ball was taken by Yokohama FM in midfield, and FW Sakata dribbled up the left side. A low and sharp cross was sent from a deep position in front of the goal, which Dohi saved at first. However, the loose ball fell in front of substitute MF Kano right after he came on, and it was kicked in from close range, allowing a goal. This became a setback that disrupted the start of the counterattack.

　In Tokyo, in the 63rd minute, Kawaguchi was substituted for Jean, and in the 66th minute, Fujiyama was brought in for Suzuki. They countered with an unconventional 3-4-3 formation with Tokunaga moving up. A scene was created where they advanced from the right side, starting from Kajiama's distribution, leading to a shot. In the 72nd minute, Tokunaga broke through on the right side, and although the cross did not connect with Sasa or Lucas in the center, Kawaguchi followed well and took a shot from the left outside the area. However, it was weak and did not hit the target. In the 76th minute, a through pass from Kajiama reached Kawaguchi, who had broken into the right front line. Kawaguchi sent in a cross, and Kajiama, who picked up the loose ball from the defender, took a shot, but it just went over the bar...

　In the 83rd minute, Abe was brought on to replace Kurizawa, adopting a scramble system close to a four-top formation to try to score a goal, but they were unable to find the net. Conversely, in the 89th minute, Yokohama FM quickly restarted, and forward Kubo easily scored a goal. They were caught off guard and allowed an additional goal due to a lapse in concentration, leading to the end of the match. They lost the game, being outmatched by the aggressive Yokohama in both offensive and defensive situations.

　【Player Comments】<Masushima> "We couldn't find our rhythm in the first half. In the midfield, it was a tight 3-on-3 matchup, but we lost the ball due to mistakes and the opponent ran with it. Yokohama's DF Matsuda also pushed up, gaining a numerical advantage, so I switched to right DF midway, focusing on both defending attacks and pushing forward. Just before the match started, Coach Gallo instructed me to 'adapt flexibly to the situation.' There were moments when I could make passes, but unfortunately, we couldn't change the bad flow." <Kawaguchi> "(My appearance was) when we were losing, so with a three-forward formation, either Lucon or I tried to create chances by moving into the side spaces. The opponent's defenders are tall, so I focused on low and fast crosses. Like when Kajiyama took a shot, if the ball rebounds, it leads to chances. I thought it was necessary to repeat that many times. However, substitute players must produce results even in a short time. It's unfortunate that it didn't lead to goals and victory. (Compared to the Iwata match, does it feel like the team's condition has regressed?) Since the opponent also plays a part, there's no need to be discouraged. It's important to minimize mistakes and switch mindset."

　【Summary of Coach Garo's Press Conference】 "In the first 30 minutes, our midfield marking was weak, and we allowed the opponent to pass the ball freely. Towards the end of the first half, we started to mark more tightly and were able to create some better opportunities. I think the second half was about even, but we conceded a goal due to a mistake. After conceding the first goal, we had to equalize and turn the game around, so we pushed forward. I believe we had several chances, but we couldn't convert them. While we were attacking, we conceded another goal at the end. I think it was a match where Yokohama's finishing ability scored two goals. The intention behind using a three-back formation was to have the side players push forward as much as possible to deliver crosses and get the ball to Lucas and Sasa. However, especially in the first half, there were many mistakes, and we couldn't connect our plays."

　[Yokohama FM - Coach Okada's Press Conference Summary] "Today, I wanted the top team to show the fighting spirit and unity that they had recently forgotten. As intended, they played a wonderful match. Even when their legs started to tire in the second half, they fought well. I am satisfied that the young players worked so hard. MF Amano is a player we can count on to some extent and does the minimum required, and he did a decent job. MF Karino is an attacking player, so I was worried about how much he could do, but I didn't expect him to perform this well. We don't have a good free-kick taker, but his kicks are accurate. It is reassuring that he can be a sufficient asset. Regarding the use of FW Kubo, there was a sudden accident with Sakata's injury, so I hesitated considering tryouts for the next match and other players. However, today I really wanted to win, so I decided to bring him on. Depending on the flow of the match, I also considered using him in the final stages. Until now, when used midway, there were unpredictable factors, but he did well for the team. Using DF Nasu on the left in the three-back was because he was in good condition and has accuracy with his left foot, so we could count on him for ball distribution on the left. MF Kawai has long been considered as a backup for the defensive midfield position, so there was no hesitation in using him."