Winning the one-on-one battle, aiming for victory at home

　In Sec. 8 of the league match, we will face JEF United Chiba at home. This is the third match in a row since last weekend, and with only two days since the Nabisco Cup on Wednesday the 12th, Jean, who is not in perfect condition, will start on the bench. The system will be set up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Inoha positioned at the bottom of the midfield, and we will implement measures to counter Chiba's fluid attacking movements by passing off marks.

　Chiba currently has 2 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses in the league. However, including the Nabisco Cup, they have been on an upward trend with 3 wins and 1 draw in the last 4 matches without a loss. Above all, their resilience and the performance of the substitutes have been notable; in Sec. 6 against Kawasaki, they allowed two early goals but managed to equalize, and in the Nabisco match against Niigata, they achieved a comeback. It will be a battle where they cannot let their guard down until the end.

　On the other hand, Chiba has not had a single match this season without conceding a goal, so there should be plenty of opportunities to exploit. Against Chiba, who defends tightly in a man-to-man style, it is important not to lose in one-on-one situations. The key is to find the open spaces and connect movements to lead to a goal. At home, we want to aim for three points with an energetic style of football. The match started at 16:04 with Chiba's kickoff at Ajinomoto, where the chilly spring weather lingered.

Overwhelmed by Chiba, unable to do anything

　Chiba utilized their abundant energy from the start and found their rhythm. In the 2nd minute, Tokyo attacked, with Suzuki delivering a left cross, and in the 3rd minute, Tokunaga broke through on the right side and sent in a cross, but Chiba easily reclaimed possession and sent a quick pass to forward Maki at the front line. They quickly advanced, picking up the second ball and launching successive attacks.

　In the 9th minute, Chiba MF Abe intercepted a loose ball in midfield and made a one-two with MF Nakajima, sprinting up the right side. Shigeno was unable to stop him, and Abe advanced into the penalty area, delivering a negative last pass from near the goal line. This left FW Maki unmarked in the center, who scored with a shot. They conceded the opening goal early on. In the following 11th minute, from a quick counterattack by Chiba, MF Hanyu's right cross was headed by MF Krupnikovic. It shook the goal net, but the additional goal was avoided due to offside.

　Tokyo struggled to cope with the second line and the dynamic movements in front of the goal from Chiba, becoming overwhelmed as time passed. In the 17th minute, Konno's left cross was dropped by Sasa, and Tokunaga, who ran in from behind, took a bold long-range shot. In the 18th minute, Masushima attempted a long shot to break the frustrating situation. In the 24th minute, Masushima aimed with a header from a right corner kick, but none of these attempts were on target.

　In the 28th minute, a pass from Chiba MF Krupnikovic found left MF Yamagishi free in front of the goal, but his decisive header was saved by Doih. However, in the 31st minute, from a free kick outside the right side of the Chiba area, a ball sent into the box was easily headed in by FW Maki, resulting in the second goal conceded. In the 36th minute, Chiba MF Nakajima was allowed to break through with a dribble, and MF Hanyu, receiving the last pass, took a shot. Although Doih made a good save to prevent the goal, the marking in midfield and in front of the goal, as well as the movement and keeping in the frontline, were all reactive, and they ended the first half unable to do anything.

Lucas's penalty kick and Akamine's first goal in J-League raised the mood for a comeback, but...

　In the second half, three players were substituted at once. Inohara, Sasa, and Kurizawa were replaced by Akamine, Jean, and Kawaguchi, with Lucas positioned just behind the forwards, adopting a three-back formation to launch a counterattack. Kawaguchi, Akamine, and Lucas moved well in the front line, targeting the gaps behind the opponent's defense, and momentum began to build. However, it was again just at that moment. In the 55th minute, from a free kick by Chiba, MF Abe picked up a clearance and took a powerful shot. Jean blocked it with his body, but the loose ball connected with MF Hanyu to FW Maki, and MF Krupnikovic, who ran into the area, scored a goal. They conceded the decisive third goal...

　Still, without looking down, Tokyo shows a furious counterattack from here. In the 61st minute, Kawaguchi breaks into the left area and delivers a cross. The opposing GK touches it, changing the angle, and it hits the hand of an opposing DF in the area, earning a penalty kick. Lucas calmly converts this penalty to pull one back, and Tokyo quickly takes control. In the 64th minute, from Akamine's post, Lucas makes a through pass. Kawaguchi forcefully breaks through between the opposing DFs and takes a decisive shot, but is thwarted by a great save from the opposing GK. Kajiyama's middle shot, picked up from the rebound, goes straight to the GK.

　In the 69th minute, Lucas received a left throw-in and lifted a lobbed ball in front of the goal. The opposing goalkeeper misjudged the catch. Akamine, reacting to the rebound, quickly kicked it in for a goal! Although it was due to the opponent's mistake, Akamine's persistence in not giving up led to his first goal in J-League.

　As the mood for a counterattack intensified, a fierce exchange of counters continued, making it possible for either side to score. Shigeno made a bold advance, and in the 71st minute, Kawaguchi received Shigeno's left cross and took a powerful mid-range shot. However, it just barely went to the left. In the 86th minute, a ball sent by Kawaguchi in front of the goal hit Kajiyama and bounced back, spilling in front of the overlapping Shigeno, but he couldn't take the shot and it crossed the goal line. They fought back until the end, but the comeback did not happen, and time ran out. Ultimately, they were unable to match Chiba in both offense and defense, losing 2 to 3.

　【Player Comments】《Moniwa》"The goals conceded could have been prevented if I had called out a bit more or closed in a bit more. I need to correct myself to always keep my eyes on the ball and do the basics. I think the change in the system in the second half was to show a more attacking stance. Norio pulled the opponent quite a bit, creating space in front of me, so I moved up. It may take time, but I believe we are heading in the right direction. There are many players with high abilities, and I want to become stronger." 《Akamine》"In preparation for the match, I tried to change the flow with Kawaguchi. I was conscious of pressing from the front and breaking into space to become a starting point. Since I came on earlier than before, I absolutely wanted to deliver results. In the goal situation, I thought the GK might spill the ball, so I was ready to pounce. It was my first professional goal, but since we were losing, I wasn't very happy about it. I'm disappointed that we couldn't win."

　[Summary of Coach Gallo's Press Conference] "We were not good in the first half, but I think we bounced back in the second half. Chiba has been using the same system and players for about four years, so their combination was good, and they were clearly superior in the first half. In the second half, we created chances to go forward, but conceding the third goal was significant. We were motivated and managed to score two goals back, and it almost looked like we could draw... Regarding the defeat, as the coach, it is my responsibility. In the second half, the opposing players fell about 6 or 7 times, and time passed each time, but there were only 4 minutes of stoppage time. (The intention behind the simultaneous substitution of three players) was that since we were losing and it was a home game, we made changes to catch up and turn the game around. Jean was brought in as a countermeasure against Chiba FW Maki's aerial threat. Kawaguchi and Akamine were made the two forwards to move more and utilize their speed. Sasa had slowed down a bit, and Kurisawa made passing mistakes today and was not in good condition, so they were substituted."

　[Chiba - Ivica OSIM's Press Conference Summary] "Our players performed surprisingly well. In the first half, four of the regular players played very well. We were able to contain FC Tokyo, a young, aggressive, and dynamic team. However, facing such attacks, it wouldn't have been surprising if we had lost. Today, FC Tokyo had no momentum. That was the lucky part for us. Some players lost concentration, became overconfident, and lost the ball with careless plays. If such things continue, it wouldn't be surprising to lose. But scoring three goals and winning means we won in terms of content as well. We played well in the first half, and actually, the good play should have continued in the second half. That's why we led 3-0, but after conceding a penalty, the momentum changed. It was natural for the opponent to try to turn the game around then. They scored the second goal with such play, and Tokyo revived. Everything can change in an instant. However, we did not just defend after that. We regained rhythm and created chances where we could have scored if we had played a bit more calmly in front of the goal. Tokyo launched all-or-nothing attacks. Only having six substitutes was because of the poor performance in the practice match the day before, leaving no players worthy of the bench. Although it was a tight schedule with two days between matches, they are professional players. They either play matches or train every day. Sometimes training is even more intense. So, they cannot use fatigue as an excuse. The stadium is the place where they do their job."