Gain the upper hand with pressing and achieve consecutive victories!

　In Sec. 12, we faced Yokohama F. Marinos on a Sunday, heading to the away Nissan Stadium. In the previous match against Chiba, we applied pressure from the front line and achieved a convincing victory with dynamic soccer. By maintaining that momentum, we aim for our first consecutive wins of the season.

　There was a one-week interval since the last match, but at the same time, there were activities for the Japan national team and the Olympic team, so the entire team only practiced together for two days. However, Konno stated, "We are able to switch gears properly." The Olympic team players also said, "Both the team and the Olympic team are winning, so there is little sense of fatigue," and they have prepared thoroughly for today. Lucas had a fever on the 18th (Friday) and had to skip practice, but he will be starting with the same lineup as the last match. Meanwhile, Ishikawa, Kanazawa, and Fukunishi have fully recovered and are on the bench. Utilization will be expected according to the situation.

　Yokohama FM is currently in 8th place with 5 wins, 1 draw, and 5 losses. They seemed to struggle at the beginning of the season, but they are working to regroup with a pressing style of football. Once they regain possession, they quickly pass to forwards Oshima and Sakata, and from there, the attacks involving MF Koji YAMASE, Yuki Yamase, Yoshida, and the advancing full-backs are powerful. In the previous match against Nagoya, Yokohama FM struggled against a deep defense and lost due to a counterattack, but in contrast, Tokyo aims for victory by applying pressure on each other and implementing a fast-paced style of play.

　Against opponents like Chiba who connect passes effectively, we were able to apply effective pressing. However, against teams like Yokohama FM that quickly kick the ball forward, how much pressure we can apply will be one of the highlights. At the same time, how many second balls we can win will also be a key to victory. If we can seize the loose balls and gain an advantage, Wanchope's fluid movements and Rychely's speed will come into play. Once we win the ball, we will send it quickly to the front line, just like Yokohama FM, and challenge head-on!

Yokohama FM takes control, but we hold on with focused defense.

　In the early stages, both teams pressed each other, resulting in a back-and-forth development, but gradually Yokohama FM began to dominate possession. With FW Oshima and Sakata as targets, the ball was quickly thrown forward, and Yokohama FM pressed forward, picking up loose balls. In the 9th minute, FW Sakata shot from a pass by FW Oshima, but Dohi made the save. In the 12th minute, from a pass by FW Oshima, right MF Yamase received a cross from left MF Yoshida and took a shot. The Tokyo DF blocked it, leading to a corner kick. Although they couldn't pick up the second ball, Yokohama FM took control, but the DF line remained focused and defended tenaciously.

　In the 13th minute, Rychely moved in from the left and passed to Lucas in the center. Lucas attempted a shot with his toes, but it went just slightly to the left. In the 15th minute, Yokohama FM's left-back Komiyama dribbled up smoothly and cut into the center to shoot. In the 27th minute, a loose ball in midfield was picked up, and FW Oshima took a looping shot from mid-range. However, they were all helped by mistakes.

　In the 25th minute, Tokunaga made an overlapping run, and Kajiyama spread the play to the left. Rychely challenged the opposing DF and delivered a cross. However, it was cut off by the DF and did not reach Wanchope. In the 30th minute, they persisted in the Yokohama FM territory, connecting the loose ball, and from Lucas's left cross, Kawaguchi at the far post attempted a header but missed to the left. In the 33rd minute, Tokunaga advanced to the goal line and crossed. Lucas headed it but did not make contact. They countered from stable defense but could not capitalize on the chances.

　In the 37th minute, Yokohama FM's MF Koji YAMASE made a negative pass that FW Sakata connected with, but the shot was caught by Doih. In the 42nd minute, a pass from FW Oshima was sent to FW Sakata, who was trying to break behind the Tokyo DF, but Konno marked him tightly and won the ball. Doih and the final line defended well together, finishing the first half at 0-0.

Fukunishi's magnificent long shot scored, achieving victory away!

　In the first half, although they were at a disadvantage, they managed to hold on without conceding any goals, aiming for a decisive second half. As planned, in the second half, they aggressively seized loose balls and launched an offensive. In the 52nd minute, Noriyuki Suzuki intercepted the ball and quickly passed it to Wanchope on the right. However, Wanchope's low cross to the right was intercepted by Yokohama FM's DF. In the 54th minute, Rychely skillfully connected a long feed to the front line, and Kawaguchi on the right took a shot, but it was blocked by the DF. In the 56th minute, a pass from Noriyuki Suzuki to Rychely, who was sprinting towards the goal, was made. He got into shooting position, but the DF cut it off. Rychely then turned and shot again, but it went over the bar.

　In the 58th minute, Kawaguchi was fouled, earning a free kick near the right sideline in the opponent's half. Kajiyama's kick was cleared by Yokohama FM's DF Nakazawa. In the 59th minute, Wanchope held the ball in the area and made a heel pass. Rychely, who ran in from the left, took a shot. It hit the DF, but they gained rhythm with a speedy attack. In the 62nd minute, Ishikawa was brought on for Kawaguchi, and in the 68th minute, Fukunishi replaced the visibly tired Lucas. Kajiyama was moved up a line to aim for the goal.

　And it was right after Fukunishi was brought on. From a right throw-in, Ishikawa's kick was headed by Yokohama FM's defender. Fukunishi picked up the ball, dribbled forward, and took a shot with his left foot from about 30 meters away. The ball looped in and went into the goal! Fukunishi, having assessed the position of the opposing goalkeeper, did not miss the brief opening. With a remarkable play that was truly impressive, he scored the opening goal!

　With this, Tokyo gained even more momentum. In the 71st minute, Tokunaga boldly took a long-range shot. In the 72nd minute, Rychely shot from a counterattack. In the 76th minute, Ishikawa broke through on the right side, moved inside, and took a shot. The ball unfortunately went just wide to the right, but they did not fall back and aimed to score an additional goal. However, Yokohama FM also brought in the tall FW Mike Havenaar in the 81st minute. They pressed towards the Tokyo goal with power play. But against the balls sent forward one after another, Fujiyama, Konno, and Inoha defended fiercely, and the midfield's work rate did not drop. In the 87th minute, Yokohama FM's MF Koji Yamase sent in a long ball, FW Mike Havenaar dropped it, and FW Oshima's shot shook the net, but this was ruled offside. In the 89th minute, Asari was brought in, and they concentrated on defending until the time was up. They earned 3 points away and achieved their first consecutive wins of the season.

　【Player Comments】《Fukunishi》"At halftime, I was practicing shooting with my left foot. The goal might have come from that image lingering in my mind. When I dribbled up and saw the goalkeeper, he was off his line, so I decided to take a bold shot. We were at a disadvantage in the first half and had few shots, so when I entered the game, I aimed to finish with a shot and create moments to push my teammates forward to build momentum. At halftime, the goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, and forwards were all spread out, so I discussed this with player Doi and others. To continue winning, the team needs unity, so we want to work hard together as one." 《Fujiyama》"The first half was a bit hectic, but getting through that was crucial. The defenders were able to cover and protect well. With Fukunishi joining, not only did he score, but he also controlled the game. Right now, the distance between players is close, and everyone is thorough in competing and covering. The forwards are also applying pressure. The opposing tall players target me, but even in aerial duels, I don't lose. So, we defend in a way that doesn't give the opponents freedom. Our balance hasn't been disrupted, and I think everyone is unified in their intentions."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "Yokohama FM had been applying intense pressure from the front since the match against Oita. Their FW also chased from the front line, and I expected them to come out with momentum at home this match as well. In response, we planned to press from the front without dropping back, but they launched long balls more than we anticipated. Especially, long balls were kicked to FW Oshima, and the subsequent loose balls were picked up, allowing MF Koji YAMASE and Yukihiro YAMASE to face forward and control the ball frequently. Because of this, I instructed Kawaguchi and Rychely to drop back slightly to close the spaces. Getting through that tough first half was crucial. If we had been scored on then, we might have conceded two or three goals in quick succession. At halftime, I instructed Kajiyama to firmly cover the midfield. Lucas showed signs of fatigue, so I substituted him with Fukunishi. I told Fukunishi to line up alongside Inoha to maintain balance since the midfield was stretched out. Also, since he is good at distributing the ball, I instructed him to switch the ball to the left and right sides, especially to use Tokunaga, who was open. It was great that he scored with his first touch right after coming on as a substitute. Both Lucas and Ishikawa had suffered injuries at this stadium a year and a half ago, so they don't have good memories here, but it was good that both players finished without injury. In the end, the opponent was able to play powerfully, but we know we don't have big players. I thought it would be dangerous if the sides were exploited, but today F. Marinos launched long balls early, so there was no problem."

　[Yokohama FM Coach Hayano's Press Conference] "We prepared for a week to avoid repeating what happened in the previous match against Nagoya and entered the game. The key point was that although we played the soccer we aimed for in the first half, we failed to convert the clear chances. Also, from the middle of the second half, the midfield players lacked the courage to penetrate the opponent's backline, and when we lost the pace, we conceded a goal despite not being broken down. There was no third player movement for the ball that reached forward Oshima, resulting in sideways passes or retreating passes. At that point, they lacked the courage to make a forward run. We needed to have more desire to score goals. I think the defensive line worked hard with physical commitment, but the second line midfielders or the young players who came on as substitutes need to show more spirit than they did. Unless they feel the physical commitment of the defenders more and express their desire to score from within their bodies when approaching the game, it will not be beneficial. Since they are young, we must train them more from now on to make a positive contribution to the attack."