Desired victory at home. The key is the battle between the sides.

　In the 5th round of the league, we will face Albirex Niigata at home. It will be an important match to continue our winning streak after the Nabisco Cup match on April 4 (Wed) and to secure a victory at home. Despite only having two days of rest since the Oita match, Fukunishi, who was absent on the 4th due to a foot injury, will return. Manager Hara said, "We saw signs of our style of soccer in the Oita match. Since there is not much time between matches, we didn't want to change our base. In particular, the combination of Konno and Kajiyama in the defensive midfield was good." On the other hand, we can expect unexpected plays and strength in front of goal from Fukunishi, who will be used as an attacking midfielder. We will maintain the momentum we have gained and aim for victory by combining Fukunishi with the members from the Oita match and playing more aggressively.

　Niigata, on the other hand, had a slow start to the season but had a convincing victory against Kawasaki Frontale in the 4th round of the league. In the Nabisco Cup match against Nagoya on the 4th, they showed their resilience by coming back from a 2-point deficit in the late stages. The combination of FW Edmilson and Yano has both speed and height, and they also have a lot of energy. In addition, the fullbacks Uchida and Sakamoto aggressively push forward from high positions, giving the attacking line a lot of power.

　On the other hand, Tokyo will want to launch a counterattack by taking advantage of their strong defense. If they can exploit Niigata's high side, they should be able to create many chances. The battle on the sides will be one of the highlights of this match. The players are all saying, "We want to play our style of football and win at home!" and are united in their goal for victory. The match started at 14:04 with Niigata's kickoff at the warm but cloudy Ajinomoto Stadium.

Conceded a goal from a mistake. Lacking decisiveness, unable to attack effectively.

　Both teams pressed each other from the start, leading to a fierce exchange of attacks and defenses. In the 2nd minute, Fukunishi → Kajiyama → Konno made a fluid movement to advance, but Kawaguchi couldn't shoot after receiving Konno's pass. Niigata counterattacked. Niigata's FW Edmilson made a move on the left side and took a shot. As the struggle continued, Inonami took a shot from the right → left → right side change, but the opponent's DF blocked it in the 17th minute. In the 18th minute, they earned a free kick from a position about 26-7m on the right side. Kajiyama took a shot after Suzuki Nori's kick, but it didn't hit as it was blocked by the opponent's DF.

　Niigata had not allowed a shot until this point, but in the 21st minute, they allowed Niigata to advance and sent a vertical pass to the left front space to DF Nagata. Kawaguchi, who had returned to defense, cut it off, but the trap was too big and it was taken away by Niigata's left fullback Sakamoto. DF Sakamoto rushed into the area. Tokunaga was fooled by a feint and Fujiyama, who had come to help, was not able to make it in time. They conceded a goal from Niigata's first shot.

　Tokyo, trailing by one point, tries to attack by connecting passes, but their attack is disjointed and they cannot break through. They lose the ball and allow a counterattack by Niigata. In the 38th minute, Ishikawa is substituted for Kawaguchi. Shortly after, they earn a free kick from the right area and Lucas drops Norio Suzuki's kick. Kajiyama connects and shoots towards the goal, but misses the target. The first half ends with a score of 0-1.

The team of 10 launched a counterattack, but could only manage to score one point...

　However, the only goal lost was 1 point. Expectations were placed on a comeback from here. In the second half, Norio Suzuki was pushed further forward, and Noriyuki Suzuki and Lucas formed a two-top formation, with Fukunishi also providing support on the left. In the 46th minute after the start, Ishikawa broke through the right side. The cross was cleared by the opponent's DF, but Fukunishi, who had rushed in at high speed, entered the area. He took a shot, but it missed above the bar, missing a golden opportunity.

　50 minutes, when giving a FK to Niigata in the Tokyo team, Niigata quickly restarts. From here, DF Sakamoto is once again trying to break into the area, and Inonami is fouled. With this play, a PK is given and at the same time, Inonami receives his second warning and is sent off. In the 52nd minute, this PK is perfectly scored by MF Marcio Richardes, and the second goal is lost.

　Tokyo, who now has 10 players, puts Konno on the right side and Kajiyama as the 1st defensive midfielder. However, in the 55th minute, they were caught off guard by the disorganized defense and Niigata's FW Yano broke through the right area. From there, a negative pass was sent to the front of the goal, and MF Marcio Richardes took a shot through FW Edmilson. It hit the bar, but the rebound was scored by FW Edmilson.

　However, Tokyo, who had no choice but to attack to chase the three-point deficit, gradually started to attack with sharp movements. In the 59th minute, Wanchope was substituted for Fukunishi. Together with Lucas, Wanchope created opportunities in the front line with his unique rhythm and aimed for a goal. In the 61st minute, Imakano intercepted the ball with fighting spirit in the opponent's territory, dribbled forward, and spread it to the left. Suzuki Nori, who received the ball, aimed for a direct shot, but the ball missed the goal by a large margin. However, this led to an own goal by the opponent, and one point was returned! From here, there was a back-and-forth of counterattacks, and there were moments where Niigata, who had a numerical advantage, created decisive chances. However, thanks to Shioda's leadership, no additional points were allowed.

　In the 81st minute, Hirayama was substituted for Kanazawa. Norio Suzuki was moved back, with Kajiyama and Lucas in the center. They launched a fierce counterattack with Wanchope, Hirayama, and Ishikawa in the front line. However, in the 82nd minute, Wanchope's header from a right cross was saved by the GK. In the 89th minute, Kajiyama received a pass from Wanchope, dribbled past the opponent's DF and entered the right area. He persistently made a minus pass, but Lucas' shot was blocked by the GK's great save... In the end, the counterattack was unsuccessful and they lost 1-3. Niigata executed Tokyo's strategy of "quick attack after stealing the ball" and prevented them from winning at home.

　【Player Comments】《Pim》"I am truly sorry that we couldn't win at home. We tried to take the lead from the beginning, but it didn't work out. We wanted to control the pace of the game a little more... We had less energy compared to the Oita game and we lost in physical battles. As individuals and as a team, there are things that we absolutely have to do. Our team's condition is not good, but we need to reflect on this and switch our focus to the next game."《Shioda》"We prepared well, but unfortunately the result didn't follow. We haven't been doing well in the league, so we really wanted to win today. I was able to contribute in the previous Nabisco game, so I was determined to do the same if I got a chance to play. Results are everything. It doesn't matter how many times we stop the opponent's attacks if we can't turn it into a win. All three goals were conceded due to our mistakes. We needed to hold on during crucial moments. We could have communicated better and given more effective instructions... There's no excuse, but we have another game coming up soon. We won't dwell on this and will move on to the next one."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "We haven't been winning at home, so I talked to the players about playing a solid game with the same mindset as the opening game. However, we were too slow in the final moments and made mistakes like passing the ball too much instead of taking shots or crosses, which led to us losing the ball and receiving counterattacks from Niigata FW Edmilson. We lost a goal due to a trap mistake and lost our energy, so at halftime I told everyone to regroup and focus on the ball. We were starting to improve in the beginning of the second half, but then we conceded a penalty and had a player sent off, making it a difficult game. However, I think we played better with 10 players, with more determination in our tackles and attacks. It's disappointing that we couldn't win at home with so many fans supporting us. But we have the Nabisco Cup on Wednesday. It's at National Stadium, but we need to show our own style of soccer."

　[Niigata Suzuki coach's press conference summary] "I am very grateful that many fans came to support us even though it was an away game. The result was 3-1, but it was not a satisfying game in terms of content. We were fatigued from consecutive games and were unable to put pressure on the midfield, resulting in the ball being carried to our final line multiple times. We wanted to press from the front, but our defensive coordination was lacking. Despite this, we were able to take advantage of Tokyo's mistakes and score one goal, which led to the second and third goals. However, our game management after going up 3-0 was not good and we were unable to take advantage of having one more player. There were moments where we hesitated on the counterattack. If we don't go into the game with the mentality of wanting to score the fourth and fifth goals, this is the kind of game that will happen. I think reflecting on this will lead to better games in the future, so we will prepare well for the next game."