Always take the initiative and aim for 3 points!

　In Sec. 23 of the J1 League, we will face Kyoto Purple Sanga away. After two consecutive wins, the team has suffered three straight losses and is struggling to find its rhythm. In the three matches lost, we allowed the first goal each time, leading to a difficult chase. We have conceded eight goals, highlighting defensive issues, particularly in set pieces where we have left opponents free or conceded from second balls after clearances. These are issues that can be addressed with slight adjustments in marking and increased focus from everyone. Therefore, in today's match, we aim to take the initiative in both offense and defense, striving for three points.

　Kyoto is currently in 16th place with 3 wins, 6 draws, and 13 losses. After 1 win and 1 draw from Sec. 18, they suffered 3 consecutive losses and, like Tokyo, have not been able to gain momentum. However, despite being in the lower ranks, they lost their last two matches to Shimizu and Kashima by a narrow score of 0 to 1, and they will be aiming for a victory at home, saying, "Today is the day." The two forwards, PAULINHO and Andre, both have finishing ability, and their strategy is to quickly move the ball to the sides after regaining possession and utilize the two with crosses. Additionally, attention is needed for forward Hayashi, who has speed and excels at making runs behind the defense.

　Tokyo has changed its starting lineup from the previous match. Konno has returned to the holding midfield position. Although he mentioned, "There is still some fear left," Coach Kuramata is hopeful, stating, "As long as he regains his game sense, he will be fine. He is the type who can make decisions and move on his own during the match. I want him to play as he always has." Additionally, Lucas is positioned at the forefront, Baba as the attacking midfielder, and Kurizawa as the left midfielder. They aim to utilize the passing work of Konno, Baba, and Kajiyama in the midfield, leveraging Ishikawa's breakthrough ability and Kurizawa's work rate to run into spaces that the opponent dislikes and aim for goals. Furthermore, Washington is on the bench, and in situations where a goal is needed, there are high expectations for his scoring instinct.

　In the last match, the difference in finishing ability greatly influenced the outcome, but if we can play calmly in our own rhythm, we are not inherently weaker in attacking power compared to other teams. If we fight as one team and regain our momentum, we should have a good chance of winning. The match started at 2:04 PM with a kickoff from Kyoto at Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium, where a pleasant breeze was blowing.

Took control but allowed a penalty, conceding the first goal

　Since the start of the first half, Tokyo's attacks have continued. In the 2nd minute, Tokunaga picked up a clearance from Baba's left free kick and shot over the bar. In the 5th minute, Lucas cut into the area and won a corner kick. Konno tried to connect with Baba's right corner kick but missed. In the 8th minute, after a buildup on the right side from Ishikawa to Baba to Tokunaga, they won another right corner kick, and from the rebound of this corner, Kajiwara shot but it hit the defender and resulted in another corner kick. Lucas jumped in with his head for the left corner kick but it went over the bar. In the 10th minute, after regaining possession from the opponent's counter, Lucas unleashed a powerful mid-range shot from the left side, but the opposing GK made a save. Up to this point, Kyoto had not created any real chances, but it was Kyoto that took the lead.

　From a left corner kick in the 15th minute, a loose ball was contested, and the pass reached FW PAULINHO, who was still in the area. In an attempt to tackle PAULINHO, Inoha fouled him, resulting in a penalty kick. This was converted cleanly, allowing the opponent to take the lead. However, Tokyo calmly began their counterattack. In the 18th minute, Tokunaga dribbled in and was fouled, resulting in a right free kick. Baba aimed directly at the goal, earning a right corner kick. From a short corner, Konno attempted a header, but it went wide to the left. In the 21st minute, from a right free kick, Ishikawa attempted to break through with a cross. Jean's header in the center was caught by the GK.

　In the 28th minute, Kyoto FW PAULINHO's dribble was cut by Fujiyama. He connected with Tokunaga, who attempted to break into the area, resulting in a left corner kick. Baba's kick was met with a header from Jean, but it did not go on target. In the 31st minute, Ishikawa made a move from the right side and earned a free kick just outside the area. This was returned from Baba to Kurizawa. This mid-range shot unfortunately went over the bar. In the 39th minute, Kurizawa broke free in front of the goal from a through pass picked up by Fujiyama, but was blocked by the opposing defender and could not take a shot. In the 41st minute, after winning the ball in their own half, they launched a counterattack. Ishikawa on the right side dribbled in and took a shot, but it went over the bar. Tokyo continued to attack, but their shots did not hit the target, and the first half ended with a one-goal deficit.

Defeated without breaking the opponent's solid defense until the end

　After the start of the second half, Washington was brought in to replace Ishikawa, forming a two-top with Lucas. Baba and Kurizawa were positioned as left and right midfielders, attempting a counterattack. In the 49th minute, a pass from Konno reached Washington, who earned a left corner kick after breaking through with a dribble. In the 50th minute, Lucas received a right throw-in and maintained possession in the area, where Kurizawa made a bold run and attempted a shot, but was blocked by the opposing defender. In the 57th minute, Jean ran in to meet Baba's left corner kick with a header, but it went over the bar. In the 59th minute, on the left side, Konno passed to Inoha, who advanced and crossed. Lucas, who was in the middle, did not connect with the header.

　In the 60th minute, Washington entered the right area from Kurizawa's pass and took a shot, but the opposing goalkeeper made a save, resulting in a corner kick. In the 63rd minute, Abe was brought in to replace Baba. Then, in the 68th minute, Abe timed his run perfectly behind the defense from Kurizawa's pass, but was just slightly offside. In the 70th minute, the ball went from Abe on the left side to Kurizawa and then to Lucas. His well-aimed shot from outside the area just missed to the right of the goal. In the 76th minute, Lucas kept the ball on the right side. Before he could get past the opposing defender, he crossed the ball, and Washington dove in with his head in front of the goal, but it just went slightly to the left of the goal. In the 78th minute, Miyazawa was brought in to replace Kajiyama. In the 80th minute, Fujiyama sent a long ball to the center. Abe headed it down to Washington, who took a shot, but it did not hit the target.

　In the 83rd minute, Miyazawa passed to Tokunaga on the right side. After a one-two with Kurizawa, he advanced into the area, but the cross was cut off by the opposing DF, resulting in a right corner kick. Washington headed down Miyazawa's kick, but the DF cleared it. In the 89th minute, during a counterattack, Washington's trap caused a collision with the opposing GK. He received a second warning for that play and was sent off. After that, Jean was moved up front, and they attempted a power play to score a goal until the end, but they couldn't break through the opponent's solid defense, and the match ended. They overwhelmed Kyoto with a shot count of 20 to 5, but most shots failed to hit the target, resulting in no goals. This marked their fourth consecutive defeat.

　【Player Comments】《Konno》"It was hotter than I expected, and physically it was tough, but I'm okay. I think my condition will improve from here. I wanted to get more involved in the attack, but it was difficult due to the lack of space. I wanted to win the ball higher up and push forward. It would have been better if we could have targeted and initiated plays from a higher position, but..." 《Miyazawa》"I think we couldn't play our style of football at all. Breaking down a compact defense has been a long-standing issue for us. No matter how many shots we took, there were probably few decisive moments. The plan was for the forwards to make quick movements and aim for long passes, but we couldn't create those situations. It just ended up being a long ball. When we can't break through, we need to figure out how to change our approach... We need to regroup properly."

　【Summary of Coach Kuramata's Press Conference】 "We conceded a goal again from a set piece, and although we had chances in attack, we lacked the finishing ability and couldn't convert until the end. We also had several opportunities from set pieces, but we missed free headers, which affected us until the end. (Was it not disjointed not only in set piece finishing but also in the flow of the game?) To break down Kyoto's defensive block, we wanted to make runs from the second line when the ball reached the top, but we couldn't do that and ended up finishing the game without it. (What was the intention behind Ishikawa's substitution?) It was because he couldn't utilize his original strength of breaking through from the side. At first, Lucas was playing as a lone striker, but we switched to two strikers by bringing in Washington."

　[Summary of Coach Hashiratani's Press Conference in Kyoto] "Given our position in the standings, it was very good to secure 3 points today. For the first time this season, we managed to keep a clean sheet, and our defense was very stable. At halftime, I told the team we absolutely had to keep a zero, and in the end, we succeeded, which I believe boosted our confidence. The reason we were able to keep a clean sheet was that the team faithfully adhered to our concept. If I were to be greedy, it would have been better to score a second goal and then aim for a third as the opponent pushed forward. When we almost created chances on the counterattack, mistakes occurred in the final passes and crosses, which ended up wasting opportunities. This happened frequently in our offense, and a bit of impatience prevented precise play. However, by everyone firmly doing what the team aimed to do in both defense and attack, I think we managed a fairly stable game. We want to prepare thoroughly to secure 3 points in the next match as well."