Victory in the final home game of the season with a fight characteristic of Tokyo!

　After suffering a frustrating comeback loss against Yokohama FM, we welcome Sec. 33 in just two days, facing Urawa Reds at home. It's hard to believe there are only two matches left in this season's J1 League. As you know, Urawa is on the verge of winning the championship, and today’s match is drawing significant attention. Tokyo is currently on a two-game losing streak and hasn't been getting results, but this is the final home match. We will show our determination and take on Urawa.

　In the two days of practice since the last match, we focused on adjusting our condition, and both Inoha and Kajiyama, who missed the match against Yokohama FM, are now in perfect shape and will start together. The center backs will be Jean and Inoha. Additionally, Shiota will make his first start in the league since the Nabisco match against Fukuoka on May 21. Regarding this decision, Coach Kuramata said, "Doi has been playing uncharacteristically lately. It wasn't just because it was the match against Urawa that he was replaced; every player has a chance, and today was that day," emphasizing that the team is united and ready for a total battle.

　Urawa currently leads the league with a 5-point advantage over G Osaka, who is in second place. However, despite a convincing victory against Kofu in the previous match, they have struggled in the last five games, drawing with Kawasaki and losing to Iwata and Nagoya. With the Final Round remaining, they are determined to secure the championship today. The Tokyo players must be fired up by this situation. Nevertheless, it is essential to remain calm and fight without being swayed by the surrounding noise. Coach Kuramata also declared, "Urawa is tough, but we have no intention of sitting back and defending. We will aim to win with fast attacks from the front," promising a Tokyo-style battle to prevail.

　In that sense, how well we can showcase our strength is a significant point. We want to take advantage of the pressure on Urawa's situation, progressing through the game calmly and aggressively. Quick passing will be key to exploiting the spaces on the sides of Urawa's three-back defense, and gaining an advantage there will be the condition for victory. To respond to everyone's support over the past year, we want to fight with the essence of Tokyo and conclude with a victory in this crucial match. The game started at 14:03 with Tokyo's kickoff at Ajinomoto under a cloudy sky, as passionate fans gathered in large numbers, creating an exciting atmosphere.

Pushing Urawa with passionate play, but...

　From the beginning, they took the initiative with intense play. They applied pressure from the front, and when they regained possession, Ishikawa and Tokunaga advanced, attacking from the sides. In the 1st minute, Baba passed to Ishikawa on the right. Ishikawa boldly advanced into the area and took a shot. It went left, but the aim was good. In the 5th minute, Urawa's right midfielder Hirakawa's cross was deflected by Fujiyama for a corner kick. From this rebound, Urawa's midfielder Mitsunobu took a shot, but Tokyo's defense blocked it. In the 6th minute, a pass reached Urawa's forward Washington who entered the area, and forward Ponte also made a run, but Inoha cut it off with a sliding tackle. In the 9th minute, Baba, who matched a pass from the left just outside the area, took a sharp shot directly, but it was blocked by Urawa's defender Tulio with a header.

　In a tense development, Urawa's counterattack, centered around GK Shiota, DF Jean, and Inoha, showed great effort as everyone put their bodies on the line to hold back and transition to attack. In the 22nd minute, Tokunaga advanced to the goal line. With a low right cross, Baba made a direct shot that changed direction, but it just missed the target... In the 26th minute, within Tokyo's territory, the ball was passed from Urawa MF Hasebe on the right to central MF Yamada, then to left MF Santos, who delivered a cross. After Jean's clearance, the ball was picked up and shot, but Shiota made the save! Immediately transitioning to counterattack, in the 27th minute, they won a right corner kick from a quick attack. Baba's kick found Jean free for a header shot. It was a great opportunity, but it went high over the goal.

　In the 30th minute, Konno picked up a loose ball from Ishikawa's right cross and took a shot from just outside the area, but it was blocked by a great save from the opposing goalkeeper. From the resulting right corner kick, Lucas headed the ball from Baba's cross, but once again it was blocked by the opposing defense. In the 35th minute, Konno headed the ball from a right corner kick. In the 41st minute, Toda connected with a header from Tokunaga's cross, who had overlapped Ishikawa. However, none of these attempts resulted in a goal. As it started to rain midway through the first half, we defended against Urawa's attacks as a team and made good offensive efforts, but the first half ended in a 0-0 draw.

Unable to capitalize on the chances, resulting in a scoreless draw.

　In the second half, we found our rhythm and created chances. We transitioned from strong defense to attack, and in the 53rd minute, Ishikawa, Kajiyama, and Baba launched a powerful attack. A pass from Kajiyama on the right was let through by Toda in front of the goal. Baba ran to follow up on the far side and connected with Ishikawa, but they couldn't finish in the end. In the 56th minute, Lucas caught up with a floating pass from Kajiyama to the front line and held it up persistently. He passed it back to the center, where Kajiyama evaded one opponent and took a shot, but it lacked power. In the 58th minute, Tokunaga advanced into the space in the middle and sent a strong pass towards the goal. Lucas connected with it using his left foot, but it just missed the target.

　Unable to convert chances, the team's energy decreased over time, and there were moments of anxiety caused by mistakes. However, other players remained focused and worked together to cover for each other, continuing to aim for the goal. In the 61st minute, Urawa MF Mito passed a through ball into the area. Although Shiota rushed out to intercept it, he was beaten to the ball by Urawa MF Yamada before he could catch it, leading to a shot from a tight angle. Fortunately, it veered slightly to the right, allowing them to escape the danger.

　In the 65th minute, Suzuki was brought in to replace Toda. Pressured by the heat of the stands, in the 75th minute, he took a familiar free kick from the right side of the opponent's territory, but the sharp ground ball was caught by the opposing goalkeeper. Urawa also brought in MF Ono to replace MF Yamada in the 70th minute, and in the closing stages, they were pushed back by plays initiated by Ono. In the 79th minute, Urawa FW Washington entered the right area, but Inoha was unable to stop him, and a shot was taken from close range, but Shiota saved it with his right foot, preventing a goal.

　Conversely, in the 85th minute, quick passing play bewildered Urawa. Kajiyama ran onto a floated pass into the area from Baba, competing with the opposing defender and dropping it back. Suzuki, who ran in, took a shot! The momentum was strong, but once again, it was thwarted by a great save from the Urawa goalkeeper... In the end, while Urawa had 14 shots, Tokyo took 20 but couldn't score, leading to a time-up. The intense match ended in a scoreless draw. Although G Osaka's victory meant Urawa's championship was not confirmed, Tokyo wanted to finish their final home game with a win after their good performance. As a result, they only managed to secure 1 point and dropped one position to 15th place.

　After the match, Coach Kuramata expressed gratitude for a year of support. Following that, Miura, who has decided to retire at the end of this season, also gave a speech. Thank you all for your warm support. We look forward to your continued support until the Emperor's Cup, including the away match against Oita.

　[Player Comments] "Shiota": "I didn't want to lose to Urawa, and since it was the last home game of the great player Miura, I absolutely didn't want to end with a loss. I was told yesterday that I would start, and the instruction was 'Just play as you always do,' which motivated me to give it my all. Urawa is a strong team, but since I have been competing in the Nabisco Cup, there were aspects that made it easier to face them. I carefully analyzed recent videos, thoroughly checked covering and defensive positioning when facing counters. In the final stages, Urawa's midfielder Ono created space and allowed their sides to push forward. We faced a thick attack and spent more time defending. But I believe the reason we could play this kind of game was that the whole team united and bonded as one. I wanted to win, but it was good that we kept a clean sheet. Before warming up today, I asked Fumi-san, 'Can I wear your uniform?' Since I have no league match experience, I asked to borrow Fumi-san's uniform, who has nearly 300 appearances. He kindly agreed, and wearing that uniform helped me stay calm. Today’s match made me feel that what I have done so far was not wrong. With one league match left and the Emperor's Cup, I want to keep winning for Fumi-san." "Miura": "Before the match, I told both the players who would play and those who wouldn't, 'Sorry for asking this, but please lend me your strength today,' shaking hands with each player before stepping onto the pitch. Watching from the bench, everyone was very motivated, especially since it was the final home game. Regardless of Urawa’s championship, everyone focused only on winning, and their feelings showed in their play, which made me happy. The fighting spirit was evident. Looking back on my six years in Tokyo, the first thing that comes to mind is that I was 'happy.' The fans were warm, and the club staff treated 'Fumitake MIURA' with great care. Spending six happy years here is the greatest honor as a player."

　[Summary of Coach Kuramata's Press Conference] "I am grateful to have been allowed to play this kind of game in the final home match. Although the result was a draw, I think the players did well. We had many chances, so ideally, I wanted to turn it into a victory, but I am satisfied that we were able to prevent Urawa's celebration right in front of us. However, not being able to score remains an issue. In the first half, we aimed to break through behind the opponent's three-back, especially on the right side with Ishikawa and Tokunaga. We created moments like Baba's shot in the finishing phase, which could have gone in, but we did not reach a decisive shot. In the second half, expecting Urawa to come more aggressively, we tried to break down from both sides on the counterattack, but we couldn't score. Compared to the Kawasaki and G Osaka matches, it was good that everyone was focused and compact defensively. Especially in the center with Konno, Baba, and Kajiyama, we were not broken down. Also, we assigned Jean to mark Urawa FW Washington and left Inoha free, but Inoha did well in covering. Shiota, who had maintained good form but had not had many opportunities to play, was boldly used today, and it was the right decision. His judgment was not wrong, and he handled crosses firmly. (Despite fighting well against top teams, how do you feel about this ranking?) We have conceded too many goals. When we were on a losing streak, most goals were conceded from set plays. We improved that, but conversely, goals conceded during open play increased. That might be the cause of instability."

　[Summary of the press conference by Urawa coach BUCHWALD] "FC Tokyo won against G Osaka and Kawasaki at home, so we expected it to be a very difficult match. However, even so, we challenged ourselves to attack and score. It became a game with quick transitions between offense and defense. During the flow of the match, both in the first and second halves, it seemed that we had the upper hand towards the end. However, there were moments when goalkeeper Yamagishi had to make 2 or 3 saves. Today, I instructed the team to move the ball and evade Tokyo's press, but they did not allow us to do that. Tokyo played well and managed the game skillfully. We were pushed on the left side, but players Ishikawa and Tokunaga are very skillful. Considering the opponent, I am satisfied with today's performance. A draw is probably the right result for both teams. With this, the point difference is 3 and the goal difference is 5, and next week we will face a match like the Final Round. This is a good situation for us. I am looking forward to it. Next is the 21-match unbeaten home game, and Urawa has not lost any match this season by a 3-goal margin. We just need to play as usual. To be honest, I wanted to decide it today."