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

　In the 8th round of the league, we will play against JEF United Chiba at home. Jean, who has not been in perfect condition due to the 3 consecutive games since last weekend and the Nabisco Cup on the 12th (Wednesday), will start on the bench. The system will be a 4-4-2 formation, with Inoha at the bottom of the midfield, and we will try to counter Chiba's attacking movements by passing the mark fluidly.

　Chiba currently has 2 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses in the league. However, in the last 4 matches, including the Nabisco Cup, they have not lost with 3 wins and 1 draw, and their form is improving. Above all, their perseverance and the performance of substitute players have allowed them to come back from being behind twice in the 6th round against Kawasaki, and to turn the tables in the Nabisco match against Niigata. 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 game without conceding a goal this season, so there should be plenty of opportunities to exploit. It is important to not lose in one-on-one situations against Chiba, who will defend tightly man-to-man. In addition, the key will be to find open spaces and connect with coordinated movements to score goals. We want to aim for 3 points with an energetic performance at home. The match started at 4:04 pm at Ajinomoto Stadium, where the cold wind blows, with Chiba's kickoff.

Overwhelmed by Chiba, helpless

　Chiba took advantage of their abundant physicality from the start and found their rhythm. In the 2nd minute, Tokyo attacked with Suzuki's left cross, and in the 3rd minute, Tokunaga broke through the right side and sent in a cross, but Chiba easily took possession and quickly sent a pass to their FW, Maki, on the front line. They then picked up second balls with a quick press and continued to attack one after another.

　At 9 minutes, Chiba MF Abe snatched the loose ball in the midfield and ran up the right side from a one-two with MF Nakajima. In response, Shigetani couldn't stop him and Abe entered the area, sending a minus last pass from the goal line. In the center, FW Maki was left free and scored a goal. They were already behind. In the following 11 minutes, from Chiba's quick attack, MF Hayashi's right cross was headed by MF Krupnikovic. He shook the goal net, but the additional point was avoided due to offside.

　Tokyo, unable to grasp the dynamic movements from the second row of Chiba and the midfielder, is overwhelmed as time passes. In the 17th minute, Sasa dropped a cross from Imakano and Tokunaga ran in from behind for a daring middle shot. In the 18th minute, Mashima tried to break through the frustrating situation with a long shot. In the 24th minute, Mashima aimed for a header from a right corner kick, but was unable to hit the target.

　28 minutes, Chiba MF Krupnikovic's pass, Julian, who was free in front of the goal, was stopped by Tsuchi's save. However, in the 31st minute, from a FK outside Chiba's area, the ball was easily headed in by FW Maki, and they lost their second goal. In the 36th minute, Chiba MF Nakajima was allowed to dribble and receive a last pass from MF Hanyu, who shot. Although Tsuchi made a great save, their play in both attack and defense, such as marking in the midfield and in front of the goal, and their movement and keeping in the front line, were behind, and they ended the first half without being able to do anything.

Lucas's PK, Akamine's first J-League goal, but the comeback mood rises...

　In the second half, three players were substituted at once. Inaba, Sasa, and Kurisawa were replaced by Akamine, Jean, and Kawaguchi, and Lucas was put in the attacking midfield position with a 3-back formation to take a counterattack stance. Kawaguchi, Akamine, and Lucas moved well up front, aiming for the opponent's defense line, and the momentum began to build. However, it was once again at that moment. In the 55th minute, Chiba's free kick was picked up by MF Abe and he took a powerful shot. Jean tried to block it with his body, but the ball was picked up by MF Hayashi and passed to FW Maki, who ran into the area and MF Krupnikovic scored the third goal that sealed the game...

　Still without looking down, Tokyo shows a fierce counterattack from here. In the 61st minute, Kawaguchi, who broke through to the left area, crosses. The opponent's GK touches it, changing the angle, and hits the hand of the opponent's DF in the area, earning a PK. Lucas takes this PK and scores a goal, quickly shifting the pace in Tokyo's favor. In the 64th minute, Lucas makes a through pass from Akamine's post. Kawaguchi, who forcefully breaks through between the opponent's DF, takes a decisive shot, but is stopped by the opponent's GK's great save. Kajiyama picks up the rebound and takes a shot in front of the GK.

　In the 69th minute, Lucas, who received a left throw-in, lifted the ball with a lob in front of the goal. The opponent's goalkeeper made a catching mistake. Akamine reacted quickly and kicked it into the goal! Although it was a mistake by the opponent, Akamine's persistent effort led to his first J-League goal.

　As the mood for a counterattack rises, the intense exchange of counters continues, and it could have gone either way with a goal being scored. Shigetaka Morinaga shows a bold attack, and in the 71st minute, Kengo Kawaguchi receives Morinaga's left cross and takes a powerful middle shot. However, it slightly curves to the left. In the 86th minute, a ball sent by Kawaguchi in front of the goal bounces off Kajiyama and falls in front of Morinaga who was overlapping, but he couldn't finish it and it went over the goal line. They continued to fight back until the end, but couldn't catch up and the time was up. In the end, Chiba couldn't exert their strength both offensively and defensively, and lost 2-3.

　【Player Comments】《Mori》"We could have prevented the goal if we had just given one more shout or stepped up a little more. We need to always keep our eyes on the ball and make sure we do the basics right. I think we changed our system in the second half to be more aggressive. Norio did a great job pulling the opponent's players and creating space for me to move up. It may take some time, but I believe we are heading in the right direction. We have many talented players and we want to become even stronger."《Akamine》"When I came on, Kawaguchi and I tried to change the flow of the game. I was conscious of chasing from the front and making runs into space to create opportunities. It was an earlier substitution than usual, so I really wanted to make an impact. I was anticipating the goalkeeper to make a mistake, so I was ready to pounce. It was my first professional goal, but I couldn't be too happy since we were losing. It's a shame we couldn't get the win."

　[Summary of Manager Garo's Press Conference] "We were not good in the first half, but I think we made a comeback in the second half. Chiba has been using the same system and players for about 4 years, so their combination was good and they were dominating in the first half. In the second half, we also created chances to go forward, but giving up the third goal was a big blow. We had the motivation and managed to score 2 goals, and it seemed like we could have equalized, but... As for the defeat, it is my responsibility as the manager, but in the second half, the opponent's players kept falling down and each time, time was wasted, but there was only 4 minutes of stoppage time. (The intention of substituting 3 players at the same time was) because we were losing and it was a home game, so I put them in to equalize and turn the game around. Jean was put in as a countermeasure against Chiba's FW Jean's height. Kawaguchi and Akamine were put in as a two-top to move more and use their speed. Sasa was a bit stagnant and Kurisawa had some passing mistakes today, so I substituted them out."

　【Summary of Chiba Osim's Press Conference】"Our players played an amazing game. In the first half, four of our regular players played really well. We were able to contain FC Tokyo, a young, aggressive and dynamic soccer team. However, we could have lost the game due to their attacks. Today, FC Tokyo did not have the momentum. That was the lucky part for us. Some of our players were losing focus, being conceited, and losing the ball with light plays. If that continues, it wouldn't be strange for us to lose. However, we were able to score three goals and win, which means we were able to win with our performance. We were playing well in the first half, and we should have continued to play well in the second half. That's why we were leading 3-0, but then we gave away a penalty and the momentum changed. It's natural for the opponent to try to turn the game around in that situation. They scored their second goal with that kind of play, and Tokyo came back to life. Everything can change in an instant. However, we didn't just defend after that. We regained our rhythm and created chances to score if we were a little calmer in front of the goal. Tokyo took a gamble with their attacks. We only had six substitute players because some of them played poorly in the practice match the day before, so we didn't have anyone to put on the bench. It's a back-to-back game with only two days in between, but they are professional players. They play matches or practice every day. Sometimes, practice can be more intense. So there's no excuse for being tired. The stadium is where they work."