League Match Restart! Want to Take Victory and Gain Momentum

　J1 League Sec. 13 will face Avispa Fukuoka away. After a break of about two months, including the 12th Sec. on May 6th and the World Cup in Germany, it will resume. During the break, we focused on improving our physical strength at J Village, and at Gotemba where Japan national team players Doi and Shigetaka joined, we repeated training in game format. While our goal remains the same, to dominate the ball and break down the opponent, our defense against counterattacks has become a challenge and how we can fix it will likely determine the outcome of the game.

　Fukuoka, on the other hand, couldn't get on a roll in the first half of the season, finishing in 16th place with 8 points. However, during the break, they welcomed new manager Ryoichi KAWAKATSU and the team's motivation is very high. In place of the departing FW Graucio, new addition FW Baron will start. The 4-4-2 system will continue to focus on solid defense and build up from the sides, just like before. In particular, the attacking contributions from right MF Kudo, left MF Koga, and fullbacks Nakamura and Alex are powerful. Additionally, center backs Chiyohanda and Kaneko have height and strength going forward, making it difficult for opponents to create clear chances.

　Tokyo will use a 3-5-2 system, with Mashi, Jean, and Shigemura in the back, and Suzuki and Tokunaga on both sides. It is important to take control of the game on the sides and push the opponent back. In addition, Ishikawa will make his first start in about 10 months. He has no concerns about his speed and agility, and coach Garo wants to utilize his speed as a forward. If he can combine with Baba's ball control and make runs into the space behind the defense, it will be a threat to the opponent's defense.

　The Fukuoka match will be a very important battle in determining the future. This match will be included in a 4-game series with 2 games per week, so we definitely want to secure a victory and gain momentum. The match started at 7:04pm with Fukuoka's kickoff, amidst a light rain.

Despite pushing the game forward, they were unable to create any decisive chances.

　Tokyo takes control of the pace from the start of the game. In the 4th minute, Bamba keeps the ball in the center and uses Tokunaga on the right side to cross. The ball hits the opponent's DF in front of the goal and Lucas takes a shot, but the opponent's GK catches it. In the 6th minute, Suzuki on the left side passes to Lucas, then Bamba, and finally Ishikawa, creating a flowing passing play, but they are unable to finish. In the 9th minute, from Mochida's left FK, the ball goes to Tokunaga on the right. Bamba follows up and takes a shot from inside the right area, but the opponent's GK catches it.

　Fukuoka is compact between FW and DF, and thoroughly implements a fighting style that aims for a counterattack from a tough press. In the 13th minute, the ball was taken in the midfield and passed to MF Furukawa, who was free on the left side, from right MF Kudo. He entered a shooting position, but Jean cut it off with a full sliding tackle and escaped to a corner kick. It was a decisive moment. In the 15th minute, Tokyo also passed from Shigeno to Suzuki on a counterattack, and ran up the left side with Baba, playing a one-two, and tried to send a cross, but the opponent DF cut it off. However, Lucas took the rebound from the left area and took a shot, but it was deflected by the opponent GK.

　After 20 minutes, Fukuoka takes control of the game. Starting with two CKs from MF Jean, they seize the opportunity and in the 24th minute, MF Kudo sends a long ball to the goal from a right FK, which FW Baron competes for with Jean and drops it. MF Jean runs in and heads it, but it doesn't hit and Doi catches it. In the 30th minute, MF Jean runs down the right side on a counterattack. The final pass to the center is cut off by Shigetane and results in a CK. On the other hand, in the 32nd minute, Tokyo also breaks through the right side with Baba on a quick attack, but the floating pass to Ishikawa in front of the goal is called offside.

　The rain has been getting stronger since around 35 minutes. Tokyo has been connecting passes and the performance is not bad, but they cannot grasp the rhythm of the attack. In the 37th minute, Kajiyama takes a shot from outside the box, but it goes straight to the opponent's goalkeeper. Suzuki and Tokunaga run up the sides and try to make a final pass, but Fukoka blocks them and they cannot break through completely. As a result, most of the shooting opportunities are from outside the box. Towards the end of the first half, Fukoka attacks, but the defense holds strong and the score remains 0-0.

The battle in bad conditions ends in a draw.

　As the second half began, puddles formed here and there, making for the worst pitch conditions. Dribbling and passing were not going as planned, and neither team could create attacking opportunities. Tokyo made adjustments at halftime, as they had been allowing Fukuoka's right side attacks to go unmarked in the first half. This led to Tokyo finding their attacking rhythm. In the 49th minute, Baba and Kajiyama exchanged passes before sending a final pass to Ishikawa, who unfortunately was offside. In the 53rd minute, Kajiyama and Suzuki attempted a powerful shot from a right free kick, but it hit the opposing defender and resulted in a left corner kick.

　At 60 minutes, Lucas dribbled through the center and took a middle shot. The fast ground ball headed towards the left corner of the goal, but the opponent GK made a great save and it resulted in a left corner kick. From this corner kick, Ishikawa took a shot in the center but was blocked by the opponent DF. At 62 minutes, Baba exchanged passes with Lucas and took a shot in the center. This was also cut off by the opponent DF.

　69 minutes, Tokyo moves. Rychely and Inonami are substituted for Ishikawa and Suzuki, who showed signs of fatigue. In the 70th minute, Inonami makes a long feed to forward Baba from a counter attack. Although the opponent's defense initially stops it, Rychely picks up the loose ball and breaks away, but it is escaped by a corner kick. Fukuoka also gradually creates chances from set plays. In the 72nd, 73rd, and 76th minutes, MF Koga's sharp kick is put into the goal area, but the defense remains focused and does not allow a goal. In the 79th minute, Kurisawa is substituted for Baba in an attempt to regain momentum, and Lucas is moved to FW.

　83 minutes, Lucas' clear ball was controlled by Fukuoka DF and resulted in a control mistake. Rychely then took the ball and charged towards the goal, but was stopped by the opponent DF's sliding tackle, resulting in a right corner kick. Kajiyama's liner ball was headed by Lucas, who jumped near the goal, but was unable to hit the target. In stoppage time, MF Koga's cross from the right side was cleared by Jean. However, the ball hit the crossbar, causing a tense moment, but ultimately both teams ended the game with no goals. The back-and-forth battle until the end resulted in a scoreless draw.　

　【Player Comments】《Ishikawa》"It started raining in the middle of the game, so I had to be careful about the condition of the pitch. We had a good pace for the first 15-20 minutes, but then the midfield got stretched out and I wasn't sure if I should go forward or drop back. We couldn't connect our passes, so I tried to hold onto the ball and make a run for the third goal. But the distance between players was too far. I tried to be patient, but we couldn't find our pace. It's disappointing to end in a draw, but personally, I'm glad I was able to return and play on the pitch. Today, there were supporters who came all the way to the away game and people who supported me during my injury, so I'm grateful for that. I wanted to score and repay their support... Yuta's hold-up play and my runs into space created a few chances. The image is not bad. I'll keep running and do my best to win next time."《Baba》"It was my first appearance in a while, but my legs were fine and my condition was good. However, the game didn't feel like soccer because of the rain. So in the second half, I needed to change my mindset and focus more on passing instead of dribbling. (You were substituted in the middle of the game?) I talked to Nao-san and said, 'We can't help the situation, so let's switch our mindset for the next game.' I think it's good that we didn't lose."

　[Summary of Manager Garo's Press Conference] "Both teams competed fiercely and it was a tough match. Until about 20 minutes into the first half, Tokyo was in control, but after that, we couldn't keep up with the marking on our left side and were broken down and attacked. In the second half, we were able to make adjustments and mark better on the left side, but we couldn't have a good game due to the rain. We need to make adjustments to our defense, positioning, and marking, but I think we were able to have a game with both teams giving it their all until the end. (What is your evaluation of Ishikawa, who came on as a FW?) He's been getting better day by day, but he's been away from the game for a long time, so there were some things that didn't go well, including mentally. It's different from training and games. As a FW, he needs to be able to make runs from the beginning, and we also talked about the need for solid defense. In that sense, I could see he was tired, so I substituted him. However, he's been training well and I believe he will continue to improve in the future."

　[Fukuoka Kawakatsu Coach's Press Conference Summary] "After the restart, I took on the position to score and win at home. We couldn't score, but what I've been telling the team over and over again, such as 'increasing the number of people in front of the goal, creating chances multiple times including FK and CK', was good. In soccer, there are situations where you should be cautious and situations where you should be bold, but today we were a little too cautious. Especially in front of the goal, we were too cautious and there were missed opportunities, which is regrettable. In a rainy day like today, I think it would have been better to be more bold. Overall, we were able to attack forward. There was only one substitution, but they were able to run a long distance and go forward without the need for a substitution. From around the 35th minute of the second half, the opponent's legs started to slow down, so I put in Iio to disrupt the front of the goal. It was a short preparation period, but there is a sense of accomplishment after finishing the official game. However, this is a world where results are demanded, so we want to make the necessary adjustments and move forward."