Advance the game at our own rhythm and aim for consecutive victories!

　In Sec. 27 of the J1 League, we will face Sanfrecce Hiroshima away. In the previous match, we achieved victory for the first time in seven games, managing to escape a difficult situation, and it can be said that the players have regained some confidence. Konno, who participated in the Japan national team's expedition to India, has returned to the team in good spirits, and Fujiyama, who injured his foot, is not in serious condition. As we head into the final stages, we want to secure consecutive wins to improve our form.

　Hiroshima, on the other hand, is in 15th place, three points behind Tokyo. Depending on the outcome of this match, there could be a significant difference in points, so they will likely aim for an aggressive victory. The forward duo of Weslley and Sato Hisashi is maintaining good form. They connect in midfield and target the front line, establishing a combination where Sato Hisashi makes runs to exploit gaps in the opponent's defense with direct plays from Weslley. Coach Kuramata is preparing strategies, stating, "It's important not to let them get into the two-top formation, and if they do get the ball, covering is necessary." Additionally, side midfielders Komano and Hattori maintain a balance between offense and defense, making decisive runs and excelling in counterattacks.

　Tokyo has the same starting lineup as the previous match. Lucas has returned to the bench; although he is not in perfect condition, he may have a chance to play when goals are needed. In this match, a key point will be how well Tokyo's side attacks function against Hiroshima's three-back defense. Ishikawa stated, "If we stay too high up, it becomes easier for the opponent to read us. Since we understand each other's play well, the timing of when to make a run is crucial. I want to be careful with positioning and connect good defense to good offense."

　Tokunaga also said, "In the match against Nagoya, we were able to defend as a team. Today, I want to focus on defense first, exploit the opponent's weaknesses, and create chances." The goal is to maintain solid defense without conceding any goals and to progress the match at our own rhythm. The match started at 3:05 PM with Hiroshima's kickoff at the sunny Hiroshima Big Arch.

Jean takes the lead with Kajiwara's goal, but they concede one point before the end of the first half

　From the start of the first half, Hiroshima has pulled back to solidify their defense, aiming for counterattacks. Conversely, Tokyo has maintained control of the ball freely in midfield, taking the initiative from both flanks. They earned free kicks on the left side in the 1st and 2nd minutes. Although they did not lead to shots, they created chances by utilizing Hirayama's height. Then, in the 9th minute, from another free kick on the left side, Kajiyama delivered the ball into the goal area, and the contested ball could not be cleared, rising into the air. Jean reacted to this and executed a header shot, scoring the opening goal.

　After that, for 10 minutes, they spread to the right side from a quick restart. Tokunaga sent a cross to the opposite side, and Kajiyama, who ran in, headed it down to the center but it was cleared. In the 11th minute, Kajiyama on the left side made a big switch to the other side. Tokunaga advanced with the ball, and after exchanging passes with Ishikawa, they broke through, but it went out of bounds. Even after taking the lead, Tokyo's wave of attacks continued. In the 13th minute, they earned a free kick in the center. Kajiyama passed to Tokunaga, who sent in a cross, but the opposing defender cleared it. Kajiyama picked it up and took a bold shot from the middle, which was sucked into the upper left of the goal, securing the second point.

　Up until now, Hiroshima has been disjointed in both offense and defense, with no real chances to speak of, but they allowed a goal due to a momentary lapse. In the 21st minute, starting from left-side midfielder Hattori, forward Sato Hisashi broke through just past the offside line and scored with a volley, making it a one-goal difference. Regaining momentum, Hiroshima took control of the ball from that point on. Although Tokyo was also being passed around by the opponent, similar to the Nagoya match, they kept the space compact between the midfield and the defensive line, preventing any decisive situations from arising. However, in attack, even when they won the ball and aimed for Hirayama, they were pushed back, causing a delay in support and preventing them from connecting passes.

　In the 39th minute, Hirayama kept the ball in the front line during a counterattack. He passed the ball behind the defensive line to Ishikawa, who ran in and took it towards the goal. However, he couldn't take a shot, and this late opportunity was missed, ending the first half with a one-goal lead.

Unable to withstand Hiroshima's momentum, lost 2-5 in a comeback defeat

　Tokyo brought in Lucas to replace Hirayama in the second half. They want to regain momentum with pressure from the front line. Then, in the 47th minute, Konno made a cross after a pass exchange with Lucas on the left side. Kajiyama took a header shot, but the opposing goalkeeper made a save. In the 52nd minute, Ishikawa cut in from the right side to the center. After a one-two with Lucas, he took a shot, but it went wide to the right of the goal. In the 55th minute, from a quick restart, Tokunaga crossed from the right side to Ishikawa, and Lucas headed the ball, but the goalkeeper caught it.

　Up to this point, the match was unfolding as Tokyo had hoped, but gradually Hiroshima began to take control. In particular, MF Lee, who came on as a substitute for DF Komano, aggressively launched attacks from the right side. Additionally, the ball started to connect with FW Weslley, who had not been involved much in the first half, allowing him to play freely with opportunities for shots and creating chances. In the 59th and 62nd minutes, FW Weslley created decisive chances, but somehow the DF line held firm. However, in the 63rd minute, they finally allowed the equalizing goal.

　Utilizing the large open space on the right side, left MF Hattori crosses from the side change. FW Weslley scores with an overhead kick. With this, Hiroshima completely regains their rhythm and two minutes later, they take the lead with a turnaround goal. On the left side, FW Weslley delivers a grounded cross, which is converted by MF Lee on the opposite side. Tokyo wants to launch a counterattack, but they cannot break through the balanced Hiroshima defense, resulting in a vicious cycle of counterattacks against them. In the 71st minute, they concede an additional goal to MF Hiroshi Morisaki, falling behind by two goals.

　In the 73rd minute, Miyazawa was brought on to replace Miura. In the 75th minute, Miyazawa's right free kick was cleared by the opposing defender, but Ishikawa picked up the loose ball and crossed from the right side. Konno took a shot from the scramble, which was blocked by goalkeeper Shimoda, but he shot again. However, it was blocked by the goalkeeper once more. In the 77th minute, Kajiyama let a right cross pass through to Toda, who scored with a volley, but it was ruled offside. After that, Kawaguchi was brought on to replace Ishikawa as they tried to score, but they couldn't create any decisive chances. Conversely, in the 89th minute, FW Weslley scored his second goal of the day, sealing the match. In the end, they suffered a comeback loss of 2-5, and ended up tied with Hiroshima on points and goal difference.

　【Player Comments】<<Miura>> "Although we scored 2 goals in the first half, we conceded 1 goal and allowed Hiroshima to build momentum, which I regret. I think the start of the second half was good. We should have scored then, but before we could, the defense lost patience. I wanted to calm the team down, but Hiroshima created the momentum, and while I was thinking 'how should we respond?', we got scored on. The flow was bad. I feel responsible for not being able to calm the team. But there is a next game soon. We just have to do our best next time." <<Kajiyama>> "At the moment of my goal, I thought 'I should just take the shot first.' I kicked boldly and it went in. I just aimed to get the ball on target. After scoring 2 goals, we went into defense and allowed them to keep possession. The distance between our defensive line was wide, and even when pressing from the front, they exploited the space in between. We couldn't defend in a coordinated way. Even when the ball went to Hirayama, since everyone else was focused on defense, support was delayed and I think there was no good option to pass."

　【Summary of Coach Kuramata's Press Conference】 "It was good until we took a 2-goal lead, but when we conceded one goal, the entire team, including the DF line, started to drop back. Even Hirayama started to drop back, so I substituted Lucas for him. I wanted Lucas to defend from the front. In the second half, the opponent's wing-back was used well, and we were increasingly broken down by crosses from that side. It was good until it was 2-2, but after we were turned around, the marking of the DF line was off, and we conceded 5 goals. (Especially on the left side?) The marking was off, and it became ambiguous whether Toda or Fujiyama would go. Regarding Hirayama's substitution, he had less movement than usual, so his condition wasn't very good, and I replaced him. For the next match, I want to first correct the defense and ensure we can defend properly in one-on-one situations on the final line.

　[Summary of Hiroshima Coach PETROVIC's Press Conference] "Since coming to Hiroshima, we have played 15 matches, but today’s game was the first of its kind. With Kyoto and C Osaka drawing in yesterday’s matches, I thought if we could secure 3 points today, we could approach the remaining 7 games without much pressure. The players were a bit tense at the start. There were many mistakes and low activity levels, and in that situation, we conceded goals consecutively, which made the players hesitant to receive the ball. The first half was the worst performance since I arrived. However, Hisato’s goal during that flow was very fortunate for the team. At halftime, I told the players, ‘Let’s play our own football and not be afraid of making mistakes.’ The second half showed more activity and good passing; it was the best performance since I came here. If we can always play like this, we can beat any opponent. Also, although players like Hisato and Komano got injured, the young players who came in did well, giving Hiroshima a bright future. I think we saw two different faces of Hiroshima in the first and second halves, but I want the players to genuinely enjoy today’s victory."