Wanchope makes his first league start, aiming for a victory at home!

　In Sec. 7, we will face Yokohama FC at Ajinomoto. The previous match against Oita ended in a draw, but a victory at home is required in this match, as we aim for "next time for sure." Additionally, both teams have one win each in the league. This game is crucial for the ranking battle, and a win is absolutely necessary. There was a 5-day interval since the last match, during which the Olympic team went on an expedition to Syria and returned last night, so they will be absent. Konno participated in the Japan national team training camp until the 18th (Wednesday), but today he started as a center-back, just like in the last match. On the other hand, Moniwa has fully returned in the practice matches and has made it to the bench.

　This week, we have been training with a two-top formation featuring Lucas and Wanchope, as well as a setup where Baba plays not only in midfield but also at the top. Coach Hara is enthusiastic, stating, "Our preparation is stabilizing, and we are building the foundation of the team. We want to win by playing our own style of football rather than focusing on the opponent." He also mentioned the use of Wanchope, saying, "Recently, even when crosses came in, we lacked numbers in the box. By using a two-top formation, we hope to not only maintain possession up front but also increase our numbers in the center to make attacking runs." As a strategy against Yokohama FC, who tend to defend deeply, we will challenge with a 4-4-2 formation.

　This season, Yokohama FC, which has been promoted to J1, is currently on a four-game losing streak and at the bottom of the standings. With many injuries, they are in a difficult situation. They have conceded a total of 15 goals so far, the most in the league, but goalkeeper Sugano has excellent reflexes and can be a scary presence when he makes a save. Additionally, MF Oku may not be in perfect condition, but he has finishing ability. With high accuracy in crosses, including those from MF Takizawa, they require significant caution for a 'one-shot' opportunity. However, if Yokohama FC attacks based on stable defense and they can take the ball away, having two players remaining up front makes counterattacks effective. They will quickly shift to counterattack and aim to secure three points!

Allowing Yokohama to attack, but countering with a counterattack

　The match started at 14:04 in Tokyo at Ajinomoto, with cloudy skies but some clear patches appearing. However, in the early stages, Yokohama FC pressed hard. Right after the kickoff, left MF Takizawa took a long-range shot. In the 2nd minute, Wanchope's big switch was intercepted, leading to a counter that resulted in a corner kick. Four minutes later, they failed to clear the corner kick, allowing Yokohama FC to connect, and DF Ota's through pass found MF Miura, who broke through. It was a decisive shot, but it narrowly went to the right, avoiding a crisis.

　After enduring this period, Yokohama FC regained their composure and launched an offensive, while also attempting counterattacks. Yokohama FC's defense maintained a higher line than expected, allowing Lucas and Wanchope to initiate plays, with Ishikawa and Kurizawa moving well to exploit the spaces behind. However, in the 14th minute, after Asari's cut, the ball went through Fukunishi to Lucas, who delivered a long pass to Wanchope at the front line. Wanchope held the ball in the right area, drawing in the opposing defenders before sending a floated pass into the center. Ishikawa made a run to meet it and got into a shooting position, but the ball went wide as he was closed down by the defender.

　In the 19th minute, Kurizawa received a significant change from Kanazawa just outside the right area and took a shot, but it missed the target. In the 28th minute, they launched a counterattack starting from Fukunishi. Lucas, Kurizawa, and Asari connected, and in the end, Kanazawa delivered a left cross, but it did not reach Lucas or Wanchope inside the box. In the 31st minute, from a post play between Kurizawa and Wanchope, Lucas reacted to the loose ball. He dashed fiercely towards the goal and found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but he could not score. Ultimately, although they took 8 shots compared to Yokohama FC's 5, there was a lack of creativity and intentional play in the final moments, and they ended the first half without scoring.

Konno scores! Achieves the first victory at Ajinomoto with two consecutive matches without conceding a goal.

　In the early stages of the second half, Tokyo seizes an opportunity. In the 46th minute, they earn a free kick on the right side of Yokohama FC's territory, connecting the ball from Kurizawa and passing it around, with Kurizawa again sending it back to Asari. Asari, just beyond the right half-line, sends a cross into the left area without hesitation. Wanchope heads it down, and Konno, who runs in, traps it with his chest and strikes with his left foot. The shot goes through the opponent's goalkeeper's legs and into the goal, scoring the opening goal!

　From there, they controlled the ball and pushed the team forward, developing a wide attack. In the 50th minute, from Wanchope's acrobatic play, Lucas dribbled up, persistently picked up the loose ball, and passed to Fukunishi. From there, he sent a through pass to Ishikawa in the right area, but it was blocked by the defense and resulted in a right corner kick. From this corner kick by Ishikawa, Lucas headed the ball freely but it went outside the goal... In the 56th minute, they gave a free kick to Yokohama FC outside the left corner of their own area. This was the only chance given to Yokohama FC, but midfielder Miura's direct shot went outside the goal.

　After that, Tokunaga and Kanazawa also made overlapping runs, creating chances by winning crosses and corner kicks. Additionally, they created many situations where they jumped in with numbers for these crosses. In the 60th minute, Kurizawa sent a left cross, and Wanchope took a header shot, but the goalkeeper caught it. In the 66th minute, Baba was substituted for Wanchope, and in the 71st minute, Norio SUZUKI came on for Ishikawa. They launched a fast attack centered around these two players. Just after that, in the 72nd minute, Baba sent a superb lob pass in front of the goal, and Norio SUZUKI made a run to shoot with his left foot, but just barely missed it.

　In the 77th minute, they approached the goal from a free kick, and after Tokunaga's cross, Konno rushed in for the loose ball. It was a scene similar to the opening goal, but unfortunately, they couldn't take a shot. In the 84th minute, from Lucas's connection, Noriyuki Suzuki sprinted down the left side. He slowed down for a moment, but the shot he aimed was saved by the goalkeeper, resulting in a right corner kick. In the 88th minute, Tadashi Baba cut deep into the right area for the last pass. Noriyuki Suzuki and Fukunishi were also closing in, but they couldn't connect, and they couldn't score an additional goal until the end. However, in defense, they moved in unison and did not give Yokohama FC any chances. They secured their first victory at Ajinomoto with a score of 1 to 0!

　【Player Comments】<Konno> "It was a tough match. We only scored one goal in attack, and defense was difficult, but the forwards moved well and we managed to hold the defense. In the scoring scene, the ball passed over my head and went to Wanchope, but I believed 'he will definitely pass it to me' and ran. He gave me the ball exactly where I wanted it. I thought it would be easier if we scored the second goal, so I went forward to attack. Until the Niigata match, the team was going separately to apply pressure, which didn’t work and was frustrating. Recently, we have been able to focus on a compact shape in practice. Asari and I have been stable in defense, but it’s not just about the two of us. The whole team’s awareness is changing. I am playing as a CB now, but I think a good player is someone who can consistently perform at a high level what the coach asks. So from now on, depending on the team situation, I don’t know where I will play. I want to carry out the necessary plays." <Wanchope> "(About my first league start) It took some time to get here, but I think the quality of my play has improved. Not only in assist situations, but I always have to watch the movements of other players. Today, when the cross came, I looked at the players in front of the goal and tried to create a chance. Konno ran there, so I immediately laid it off. After Sec. 7, I feel that there has been almost no difference with any team so far. From now on, we will face top teams, but I want to give 100% effort and score goals."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "In the league matches, especially at Ajinomoto Stadium, we had a hard time winning. In the opening match against Hiroshima, we were attacking but got caught on a counterattack. In the match against Iwata, despite creating decisive chances, we conceded from one chance against the opponent who was down to 10 men. From that time, our rhythm was disrupted, and in the Niigata match, we attacked with numbers but the rhythm was still poor. After Inoha was suspended, we made Konno the stopper, returned Tokunaga to his original right side, and brought in Asari, which stabilized the defense considerably. While valuing that stability, we wanted to play more dynamic attacks, so we started Wanchope in the lineup. Although his coordination with the team is not perfect yet, he was involved in scoring as in today's goal, and his movement has improved, which gave us a good feeling. The start was not good, and there was a scene where Yokohama FC's MF Miura got the better of us, but we endured that period and managed to score in the second half. We are still not at full strength, but it is important to defend firmly now. We did not use the three Olympic representative players today because we could not know their condition without trying. Winning with the remaining players is a positive sign for the future. Despite the ongoing winless streak, everyone cheered passionately today. I am truly happy to have been able to give them a victory as a gift. From now on, we want to play better soccer and aim higher."

　[Yokohama FC - Coach Takagi's Press Conference Summary] "I think the players worked hard and played a good game. As a game plan, we did very well in the first half. We tried to continue that momentum into the second half, but the timing of the conceded goal was very unfortunate. There were moments when we could have equalized, but given the current team situation, once we fall behind, we can't catch up. However, compared to the previous match, the team's intentions and performance have improved. Whether we were able to build on this game, I can't say for sure, but the players performed with good flow. Still, ending in a loss shows the harsh reality. We brought in MF Oku during the match and shifted to a 4-2-3-1 formation with one forward and one shadow striker. Later, when we put DF Nakajima in as a side back, we pushed FW Yabuta up to return to two forwards and formed a diamond in midfield to increase attacking numbers. DF Nakajima has crosses and a left-footed shot. Since it was difficult to break through with build-up play involving short passes, we wanted to create a focal point at his position. Also, by increasing numbers, we aimed to have more players entering the penalty area. (Regarding Konno conceding a goal, doesn't Yokohama FC need such an accent as well?) It was a broken set piece, so I don't consider it a special attack. If FW Wanchope has a high chance of winning aerial duels, players will come up. However, failing to properly mark that led to that conceded goal."