We want to come together and overcome the difficult team composition.

　After a two-week interval since Sec. 16, Sec. 17 will be a match against Urawa Reds. As we reach the halfway point of the season, we aim for victory as a united team, even in an away game. During this break, we participated in a preseason match against FC Seoul in South Korea, and Konno was called up to the Japan national team. Masushima, Inoha, and Kajiyama went on a tour to China as part of the U-21 national team, each seemingly having a fulfilling time despite their busy schedules. However, Konno suffered a left knee injury and Miura a right foot injury, leading them to leave the team. Yesterday, Mobu was adjusting with a different training regimen due to back pain. Additionally, Tokunaga will be suspended for this match, making the team composition challenging.

　On the other hand, forward Washington has joined the team. Although the period of integration has been short, he is approaching this with new expectations. Washington himself stated, "This will be my first battle in Japan, but my enthusiasm is strong. I am also good at heading. I want to enter the area with momentum and show intense football." He seems to have no confusion.

　Urawa is currently in 2nd place and will surely aim for 3 points at home today to reclaim the top spot. Seven players have been selected for the Japan national team and will participate in the match against Trinidad and Tobago on the 9th. There are concerns about poor condition due to consecutive matches, but they are expected to maintain high motivation, making it a tough battle for Tokyo.

　The starting lineup features Washington as the lone striker, with Lucas and Baba in the second row. The left and right midfielders are Inoha and Ishikawa. Asari and Kajiyama, making their first starts of the season, form a double pivot, while the three-man defense consists of Masushima, Shigeno, and Jean. To counter the attacking players from Urawa, Shigeno is placed in the center of the three-man defense, with Masushima and Jean acting as stoppers against the opponents. The aim is to create rhythm from solid defense and increase ball possession. In addition, Inoha and Ishikawa will take control on the flanks, looking to gather the ball to Washington to find a breakthrough in attack.

Conceding an early goal, Urawa gains momentum

　The heavy rain during the day has stopped, and there are glimpses of sunshine at Saitama Stadium 2002. The match started at 19:04 with a kickoff from Tokyo. However, just 5 minutes in, Urawa's right MF Hirakawa delivered a cross, which was contested by central FW Tatsuya TANAKA with a header, while MF Ono surged forward at the far post. Tokyo was unable to fully mark MF Ono, who scored with a left-footed shot, resulting in a goal conceded. Once again, Urawa allowed an early lead, gaining momentum in the match.

　Tokyo struggled against the speedy play of Urawa, with FW Nagai taking a shot in the 10th minute. In the 14th minute, FW Tatsuya TANAKA broke through in front of the goal and took a difficult shot. In response, Tokyo counterattacked, starting with Lucas and Kajiyama. Washington also tried to create rhythm by putting his body on the line in the front line. In the 15th minute, Inoha surged up the left side, and Washington jumped in with his head to meet the cross he sent. He collided with the opposing goalkeeper, and both were hurt, but it was not serious.

　In the 24th minute, from a right-to-left switch by Urawa, MF Ono delivered a cross. FW Nagai and Tatsuya TANAKA jumped in front of the goal, but the Tokyo defense held firm. In the 26th minute, after defending against Urawa's attack, they were caught off guard while trying to counterattack, allowing a pass to MF Hasebe, who was free in the area. A decisive shot was taken, but it went over the bar. After conceding a goal, Tokyo tried to create rhythm from defense and shift to offense, but they struggled to get shots off.

　In the 40th minute, Kajiyama took a powerful long-range shot, which the opposing goalkeeper Yamagishi fumbled but quickly caught. In the 44th minute, Kajiyama again passed to Lucas, who was positioned more centrally, from a long-range shot motion. Lucas's shot from just outside the area went over the bar, but it kept hopes alive for a comeback in the second half, trailing by one goal as they headed into halftime.

Conceded the second goal immediately after Inoha's dismissal, fought back with 10 men but suffered a complete defeat.

　In the early stages of the second half, they launched an offensive, but in the 54th minute, they were hit by a counter from Urawa, and Inoha fouled an opponent off the ball. He received a second warning today and was sent off. However, at the moment the free kick was awarded due to this play, Tokyo lost focus, allowing Urawa's midfielder Mitsunashi to dribble from the left to the center, scoring a goal into the top right corner just outside the area. This conceded goal would ultimately have significant repercussions later on.

　With 10 players, Tokyo brought in attacking players Abe and Kawaguchi. They set up in a 4-3-2 formation with Moniwa on the left and Ishikawa as the right side back, aiming to score a goal back. However, in the 71st minute, Urawa MF Yamada's right cross was dropped by FW Tatsuya TANAKA at the far post, and MF Mitsutsubushi headed in the low ball, allowing the third goal.

　In the 74th minute, the ball was taken back by Urawa in their own half and passed to MF Mitsunashi, who broke free in front of the goal. It was a decisive moment, but Ishikawa sprinted back and managed to deflect it with a desperate sliding tackle for a corner kick. In the 83rd minute, Miyazawa was brought on to replace Baba. They did not give up attacking until the end, but conversely, in the 88th minute, Urawa MF Hasebe broke free in front of the goal after receiving a vertical pass. Hasebe drew the Tokyo defenders in and made a last pass to the left. FW Tatsuya TANAKA neatly slotted it into the goal for the fourth point...

　The match turned into a one-sided defense against the momentum of Urawa. The defense line led by Jean, along with the midfielders Asari and Ishikawa, fought with all their might but could not stop Urawa's attacks. They were completely free to pass the ball around, resulting in a complete defeat. Every play was reactive, and they conceded four goals, leading to their loss.

　[Player Comments] Doi: "The fact that we were one player down doesn't matter; we have to catch the opponent right in front of us. Even after becoming 10 men, it's less about positioning and more about concentration and mindset. We need to show a stronger fighting spirit... Each player needs to think a bit more. We want to rebuild starting from tomorrow's practice." Asari: "I was instructed to be aggressive in midfield, but I became loose. We couldn't stay compact, and Urawa was able to circulate the ball that much. The way we started the match was the problem. Whether to press from the front or challenge strongly was half-hearted, and we conceded early. It was the same in the FC Seoul match. However, it would have been better if we had kept it to just one goal conceded, but conceding the second goal was significant. After the free kick play, I should have taken a moment to reset and think about playing with 10 men. (You started for the first time this season and played 90 minutes?) The result is everything. We will start over again."

　[Summary of Coach Gallo's Press Conference] "Following the previous match against Hiroshima, it turned out to be a very bad game again. We tried to rebuild and practiced throughout the week, but unfortunately, we couldn't succeed. I think our performance in the first half was very poor. It improved slightly at the beginning of the second half, but then Inoha was sent off, and we conceded consecutive goals after that. However, even without Inoha's sending off, the content was poor in both halves. Since we were losing, I thought it was not enough to just lose, so we attacked to try to earn points. Trying to score, we placed Moiniwa on the left, switched to a four-back and two defensive midfielders formation, and relied on two speedy forwards to aim for goals. But on the contrary, Urawa took advantage of us. Conceding early in the first half was significant. The damage was great, and everyone looked down. With many young players, we couldn't recover mentally. I have known Washington well, including his characteristics, since I saw him at Portuguesa and Palmeiras during his time in Brazil. After joining, he has only played one scrimmage match, so I knew the combination was not good. But I used him taking all that into consideration."

　[Summary of Urawa Coach BUCHWALD's Press Conference] "The schedule for this match was very difficult. Right after the World Cup break, we had four consecutive matches, and there was no league game for 14 days. While it is pleasing and an honor that many players were selected for the national team, it made training difficult because nearly half of the players were absent. I was worried about the condition in which the national team players would return, but during Thursday and Friday's training, they worked with high motivation toward this FC Tokyo match. The start of today's game was also good. We created many chances, and scoring the first goal early was the key factor. Our combination play was good, but we struggled to score the second goal. After about 15 to 20 minutes, FC Tokyo gradually started to press forward. The reason was that we did not use the wings and relied too much on wedge passes and through balls, which were intercepted and led to counterattacks. I am satisfied with our defense in the first half, but I think we needed to be a bit more creative in attack. In the second half, especially after the opponent had a player sent off, we played really good football. We avoided the common mistakes that often happen when having a numerical advantage, maintained good ball possession, and executed attacks with varied tempo. In that situation, Mitoshi scored. We did not give the opponent any real chances. The players proved that 'we are part of the top group of teams.' I want to praise all the players who played today."