Launch fast attacks from stable defense, aiming for consecutive wins!

　In Sec. 8 of the league, we will face Vissel Kobe away. Including the Nabisco Cup, we have achieved 2 wins and 1 draw in the last 3 matches, and although the games have been tough with narrow one-goal margins, the team's condition is improving. Fukunishi has mentioned, "We want to connect good defense to good offense and gain momentum with a win," indicating the desire to build on this momentum with consecutive victories to navigate the upcoming tough game schedule.

　Kobe, who has returned to J1 this season, currently sits in 12th place with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses. The player to be most wary of is undoubtedly forward Yusuke KONDO. He is in his second year on loan from Tokyo and was recently selected as a candidate for the Japan national team. Utilizing his physical strength, his play of breaking forward fiercely from long balls is impressive. However, the players from Tokyo uniformly say, "We understand his characteristics well. We want to maintain our focus and ensure he doesn't get the chance to face forward and challenge us."

　Tokyo will face Yokohama FC with a two-top formation of Lucas and Wanchope, just like in the previous match. Additionally, three Olympic representatives have returned to the team and are adjusting through the satellite league and practice matches. Although Inoha is out of the lineup due to a right shoulder injury, Taira SHIGE and Kajiwara have recovered their condition and made it to the bench. Coach Hara stated, "(Even in the absence of the Olympic representatives) the current team has a good balance, but their strength will be needed at crucial moments," and with the return of Shimonoya, the depth of the squad is certainly increasing.

　Asari said, "I want to work to maintain the balance of defense and aim to win the ball," and aims for three consecutive matches without conceding a goal. The attack is gradually fitting in with Wanchope, who is in good form, and Lucas, who is also performing well, looking to aggressively create many chances. The match is at NOEVIR Stadium Kobe, with kickoff by Kobe at 4:03 PM.

Despite the intense back-and-forth between offense and defense, the first half ends in a 0-0 draw.

　From the start of the match, Kobe attacked with forwards Yusuke KONDO and Leandro as the focal point, but Tokyo responded calmly. In the 6th minute, Lucas connected quickly from a restart, and Wanchope took a shot from the middle, but it went wide. In the 10th minute, from the left side, Kurizawa's cross found Wanchope's head, but he couldn't make contact. Conversely, in the 11th minute, Kobe's midfielder Park utilized his speed to cut into Tokyo's left side. Midfielder Botti connected with a negative pass in the center, but he also failed to make contact. In the 16th minute, a left cross from Kobe put pressure in front of the goal, and Tokyo's defense couldn't clear it, resulting in a scramble. The loose ball was seized by forward Yusuke KONDO, who took a shot, but it was saved well by Shiota, resulting in a corner kick.

　Tokyo was initially bewildered by the long grass on the pitch, but gradually got used to it and began to take control of the pace. In the 19th minute, Lucas passed to Ishikawa, who advanced deep down the right side and crossed. The opposing GK caught the ball but spilled it, yet Lucas couldn't capitalize. In the 25th minute, Ishikawa's right corner kick saw Konno dive in with his head, but it hit a defender and resulted in another right corner kick. This time, Ishikawa's kicked ball was met by Wanchope, who made a sharp header, but it was saved by the opposing GK. In the 27th minute, Kurizawa sent a long through pass from around the halfway line, and Wanchope broke out at just the right moment, but he missed the trap and squandered the chance.

　Although there were moments when we lost the ball to Kobe's intense press and suffered counterattacks, we defended well at the back and did not concede a goal. In the 34th minute, a ball from Lucas to Kurizawa in the forward line saw Ishikawa break free, but he was offside. In the 39th minute, Konno intercepted a pass in our own half and attempted a dribble breakthrough with a one-two with Lucas, but was fouled by the opposing defender just outside the left side of the area, resulting in a free kick. Kurizawa aimed directly at the goal, but it went wide. In the 41st minute, from Kurizawa's right cross, Fukunishi entered the left side of the area. After cutting back past the defender, he sent a floating pass in front of the goal, which Ishikawa met with a direct volley, but unfortunately it went just to the left.

　In the 44th minute, MF Park, who broke free from a long feed by Kobe's left back Uchiyama, won a corner kick. A precise header came from the right corner kick, but Shiota made a great save. Conversely, they launched a counterattack, and although Kanazawa took a shot, it went wide to the right. Both teams prioritized defensive balance, leading to a situation where they attempted to attack, but neither could create a decisive opportunity. Ultimately, the first half ended with a score of 0-0.

Unable to capitalize on the scoring opportunities in the second half, ending in a scoreless draw

　In the second half, Tokyo began to connect passes well and took control. In the 56th minute, Kurizawa delivered an early cross from the left side. Although it was cleared once, the ball was connected again, and this time Fukunishi sent a cross from the left. Furthermore, in the 59th minute, Fukunishi stole the ball, received a return from Wanchope, and ran into the right area. With a well-aimed cross, both Lucas and Wanchope were there, but it was cleared by the defense in front of the goal.

　In the 63rd minute, Lucas passed to Ishikawa for a left cross, where Wanchope and the opposing defender contested in front of the goal. The loose ball was picked up by Lucas, who shot freely but missed to the left. Immediately after, Norio SUZUKI was substituted in for Ishikawa. In the 65th minute, Kurizawa's right cross was dropped by Wanchope, and Lucas, nearby, took a shot but also failed to hit the target. In the 67th minute, Tokunaga's right cross was misjudged by the opposing defender, and Wanchope controlled it with his chest and faced forward but did not take a shot...

　In the 71st minute, Kajiyama was brought on for Fukunishi. Kobe also brought on midfielder Miura to launch an attack from a set piece, but it was cleared away with focus. In the 80th minute, from Asari's switch, Noriyuki Suzuki made a clever trap to break free, cutting into the area for a shot. It was a well-hit shot that just missed, going over the bar. At this point, Wanchope, who showed signs of fatigue, was substituted for Tadashi Baba to further strengthen the attack. In the 83rd minute, a left corner kick was earned from the combination of Noriyuki Suzuki and Baba. Baba's kick was headed by Lucas, but it went wide of the target.

　In the 86th minute, Kajiwara passed to Lucas, who then passed to Kurisawa on the right. Suzuki Norio tried to connect with the cross, but was pressured by the DF and the ball floated away. In the 88th minute, from Lucas's post, Kajiwara passed to Suzuki Norio, who was free on the left side and immediately took a shot. The shot did not connect and hit the opposing DF, resulting in a corner kick. From Baba's left corner kick, Konno jumped in with a header but was unable to connect due to pressure from the DF. In the end, the match finished with a time-up. In the closing stages, Tokyo maintained possession of the ball throughout and attacked, but could not break the deadlock, ending in a scoreless draw.

　【Player Comments】《Fukunishi》"(J1, 300 matches played?) I wish we could have won... But the results are not there, so it's frustrating. The performance wasn't good either. In the first half, we were too defensive and couldn't create chances. We weren't completely broken down, but we also couldn't break through, so I thought set pieces would be the key... In the second half, we were attacked, but in terms of depth, we still have a long way to go. I want to create a situation where I can participate in the attack by building up depth." 《Shioda》"I think everyone shares the feeling that we wanted to win... However, everyone worked hard until the end to try to score. In the first half, our passes didn't connect, but our defense was stable. I believe we just need to score. I want to take the positive from earning 1 point away and review what needs to be corrected to carry it forward to the next match."

　【Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference】 "I watched the last match of Kobe, and overall, they are a team with momentum. Even though Okubo is suspended this match, there are other good players like Leandro. The team has been stabilizing their defense recently, but the challenge lies in how to launch speedy attacks from defense. Wanchope's condition is improving, and there are times when he and Lucas can create opportunities in the center. However, the key is how to transition from there to finishing or how to deliver crosses. Today, we took too long on chances, which prevented us from shooting, and even when we did shoot, they didn't go on target, which is a concern. Kobe has been pressing well from the front, and the long grass made it somewhat difficult for us as the ball didn't roll easily. Still, I wish we could have seized the decisive chances earlier. Regarding defense, there were some dangerous moments, but Konno, who is playing as a stopper, was almost perfect. Additionally, Asari, Fujiyama, Tokunaga, and Kanazawa have been doing well in the defensive line. From here, we want to launch good attacks and score goals."

　[Summary of Coach Matsuda's Press Conference] "Since it was a home game, it was a match we really wanted to win, and in the first half, we played a game that allowed us to do that, so it's very disappointing. The positive takeaway is that we managed to have our first match without conceding a goal. Until now, we have struggled to score despite building up well in the first half like today, and the whole team has lost patience, leading to conceding goals at the end. Of course, the challenge remains to score and win in such situations, but we were able to progress the game while being patient. The next challenge is how to resolve our lack of finishing ability."