A crucial match to make a comeback

In Sec. 14 of the league, we will face Shimizu S-Pulse away. Due to a two-week break, Japan national team member Konno was absent, but reflecting on past challenges, everyone has been focused on practicing. We have dedicated a lot of time to improving our movements in the front line, awareness of switching sides, and follow-ups linked to both offense and defense. At the same time, we want to refresh ourselves both physically and mentally, and renew our determination to make a comeback from here.

　Shimizu is currently in 5th place with 21 points. Although FW Cho Je-jin is out due to injury, Coach Hara has heightened his caution, stating, "There are many players who can step up when it matters." In particular, FW FERNANDEZ, who plays just behind the forwards, can be considered a key player. "If the ball reaches FERNANDEZ, he can draw 2 to 3 defenders, allowing other players to make runs in the meantime," said Coach Hara. Additionally, MF Fujimoto and defensive midfielder Ito can also make runs if given space, so it is crucial for Tokyo's midfield and defense to coordinate and prevent them from playing freely in the attacking third.

　Tokyo has been plagued by injuries, with Ishikawa, Akamine, and Rychely sidelined due to injuries, and Kurizawa out due to health issues. The attacking lineup features Lucas as the lone striker, with Fukunishi playing just behind him, and Suzuki Noriyuki and Kawaguchi on the wings, while Inoha and Kajiyama form a double pivot in midfield. Notably, Shimizu boasts a solid defense, having conceded only 13 goals in league play, making it crucial to find a way to break through. The plan is to exploit the space behind the opponent's attacking full-backs, aiming to create chances from the flanks. However, simple crosses may be easily dealt with by the tall center-backs, so it will be important to penetrate behind the defensive line while also looking for opportunities from Fukunishi and Kajiyama's forward runs.

　Fukunishi stated, "If I can hold the ball up front, it will create opportunities for the midfielders to push forward. I want to be aware of that and also contribute to scoring. I feel good about my play as an attacking midfielder based on our training so far, so the key is how to translate that into a victory in this match. This is an important match for us." Despite having many injuries and not being in perfect condition as a team, we want to come together and aim for the soccer we aspire to play in this crucial battle. The sun was strong, and we were blessed with clear skies at Nihondaira Stadium. The match kicked off at 16:04 in Tokyo.

Took the lead in the match, but conceded an equalizer from a momentary lapse before the end of the first half

　From the start of the match, they outperformed Shimizu in terms of physicality, controlling the ball and taking the initiative. In the 5th minute, Fukushi spread the ball to the left. Noriyuki SUZUKI entered the area and took a bold shot, but it was blocked by the opposing defender, resulting in a left corner kick. In the 9th minute, Inoha passed to the left side to Kanazawa, and Kajiyama, receiving a lateral pass from Lucas, took a shot from distance, but it went over the bar. In the 11th minute, Konno intercepted the opponent's ball and passed it to Fukushi. Kawaguchi on the right side passed to Kajiyama, who took a surprising shot from outside the area. However, it was saved by the opposing goalkeeper.

　In the 17th minute, Shimizu launched a counterattack with left-side defender Kodama cutting in and crossing the ball in front of the goal. Inside the area, FW FERNANJINHO passed to the rushing MF Ito, who took a shot, but the ball veered to the left. If the marking weakens even slightly, they will bring it to the finish. However, Tokyo's advantage remains unchanged. In the 19th minute, Tokunaga dribbled up and delivered a cross. As the ball spilled to the far side, Norio SUZUKI tried to connect but couldn't hit it. Lucas then turned and shot from the right area, but missed the target and sent it straight to the goalkeeper. In the 23rd minute, from a throw-in on the left side, the ball went through Lucas to Kawaguchi on the right, who crossed to Tokunaga. Norio SUZUKI closed in and headed the ball into the net, but it was offside...

　Then, in the 26th minute, Shimizu lost the ball near the halfway line, and Inoha passed to Norio SUZUKI, who was free on the left. Norio SUZUKI calmly took aim and struck with his left foot, sending a powerful shot that slipped past the goalkeeper's hands and pierced the net for the opening goal. Tokyo's momentum did not stop there. In the 28th minute, after a right corner kick was cleared once, Kajiyama advanced into the right area with a dribble, evading the defender to shoot. It was a decisive moment, but the shot went wide to the left of the goal, and they could not secure an additional point.

　As the match approached its final stages, Shimizu began to send long balls aimed at FW Yajima, regaining possession of the ball. In the 34th minute, Shimizu FW FERNANDEZ shot from just outside the left area. Doihy made a save, but the ball was picked up, and a sharp cross was sent in, which Konno cleared. In the 36th minute, a pass reached FW Yajima inside the area, and he was about to shoot, but Fujiyama closed in and prevented him from taking a proper shot. With concentrated defense, they managed to hold on, but in the 43rd minute, MF Hyodo, who found himself momentarily free, shot from outside the left area. The ball soared over Doihy's outstretched hand and pierced the top right corner of the goal, scoring.

　It seemed that we would finish the first half with a good flow, almost as planned, but we were caught off guard for a moment and ended the first half tied.

Norio SUZUKI's goal gave the lead, and Tadashi BABA added another point for a 3-1 victory

　Immediately after the start of the second half, Shimizu FW FERNANDEZ was brought down, resulting in a free kick in the center. MF Fujimoto aimed directly at the goal, but it went wide to the left. Then, in the 46th minute, from that goal kick, although the opponent initially kept the ball, Fukunishi stole it and passed to Norio SUZUKI on the left. He dribbled forward and, without hesitation, took a shot from a tight angle inside the left area, and the ball went into the right side netting. This goal was enough to erase the unpleasant flow of the first half and brought back momentum to the team.

　Shimizu quickly launches an attack centered around set plays. In the 48th minute, a shot by FW FERNANDEZ from a left free kick is saved by Doih with his left hand. In the 50th minute, from a right corner kick by MF Fujimoto, DF Aoyama is left free in front of the goal and heads the ball, which was crucial but missed the target, avoiding a crisis. In the 52nd minute, MF Fujimoto delivers a floating last pass in front of the goal. This hits a Tokyo DF and spills into the right area, where Shimizu FW Yajima runs in, but Kanazawa makes a desperate sliding tackle to cut it off.

　Although Shimizu's attacking phase continues, everyone responds with focused defense. Conversely, after winning the ball, they create chances with counterattacks. In the 57th minute, Inoha advances up the right side and crosses. It does not reach Fukunishi in the middle. In the 59th minute, Tokunaga on the right → Konno, who advanced outside, crosses. It is caught by the goalkeeper. In the 62nd minute, Kawaguchi, who received a pass flowing to the left side, advances deep into the area. He sends a backward pass in front of the goal, where Lucas runs in but is blocked by Shimizu's defense.

　Shimizu made two substitutions at the same time. Up front, FW Nishizawa (replaced by Yajima) and FERNANDEZ, with FW Okazaki (replaced by Fujimoto) in the attacking midfield and MF Edamura on the left, attempted to counterattack, but the flow still favored Tokyo. In the 68th minute, Baba was brought on to replace the visibly tired Kawaguchi, taking the right MF position. Then in the 72nd minute, Kajiyama chased down the opponent's ball and stole it, leading to Baba being free in the center, who took a shot from outside the area that grazed the crossbar and deflected off the goalkeeper into the goal, reducing the deficit to two goals.

　After that, they threatened the opponent's goal with a solid defense and a counterattack. In the 81st minute, Asari was brought in to replace Fukunishi, moving Kajiyama to the attacking midfielder position. In the 84th minute, after an interception, Asari connected the play, and Inohara advanced up the left side to deliver a cross. Asari jumped in free at the goal front but couldn't connect. Baba at the far post kept the play alive and won a corner from the last pass. In the 87th minute, Tokunaga intercepted the ball and dribbled forward himself. He entered the right area and took a shot, but it went wide.

　In the final stages, Shimizu brought DF Aoyama forward and kicked a long feed into the center, immediately substituting Moniwa for Kajiyama. They marked tightly to prevent free play. Just before the end, FW Nishizawa had a free header from a right corner kick but missed the target, sealing their fate. They consistently dominated the game with their style of football, overwhelming Shimizu. They celebrated a victory in this important match marking the league's restart.

　【Player Comments】<Norio SUZUKI> "For me, it was a match I enjoyed playing. I'm happy to have scored, but I think it would be even better if this match helps the team get on a roll. Today, it just happened to go in, but I was always conscious of shooting. I actively took shots with my right foot and think I found my rhythm. The first goal was at my favorite angle. The second goal came from a good pass. In the first half, there was a similar situation, and at that time I chose to cross. Lucas and Fuku closed in, but the ball slipped between the goalkeeper and defenders. Then I heard shouting from the bench (laughs). At halftime, I was told, 'Shoot there,' so I switched my mindset. Although the angle wasn't great, I just went for it. But the happiest moment was when a headed shot that was offside went in (laughs). I had never scored one like that, even in official or practice matches, since I was little. This season, I have mostly played as a side back, but I was able to prepare well in two weeks. It was hot, but I pushed hard from the first half and was able to play the kind of soccer I couldn't in the Nagoya match—pressing to win the ball from the front. Nihondaira is the stadium where we broke our losing streak two years ago. I want to build on that and continue winning from here." <Baba> "It was my first appearance in a while, so I tried to play boldly. The shot was off, so I thought it might have gone in directly... I wasn't consciously trying for a knuckleball; I just kicked it with all my might."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "Although there was a break period, I think it was somewhat lucky that Kajiyama and Inoha were not called up for the Olympic team’s match against Malaysia. From the start of this season, including full national team member Konno, the Olympic representatives have been going back and forth between the national team and our club, but during these two weeks, we were able to train together and make various adjustments. Everyone moved and ran together, confirming many things. On the contrary, Shimizu had Edamura, Okazaki, and Sugiyama called up for the Malaysia match and played in the recent game, and even full national team members like Fujimoto and Aoyama were called up, so it must have been difficult for them to train together and adjust their condition. I think that difference showed in today’s match. In the first half, we were able to play almost exactly as planned, and Norio SUZUKI scored the opening goal. However, even though we were hardly threatened, we were equalized by a wonderful goal from Hyodo. It felt a bit unpleasant to be caught after having such a good shape. Looking at the data, Shimizu is a team that scores many goals and concedes few in the first half, whereas we have only scored two goals in the first half so far this season, so we tried to take the initiative from the start. Also, since we score more in the second half, we went for it again from the beginning of the second half, and Norio SUZUKI’s goal at the start was significant. Tadashi BABA, who came on later, also scored, and the team seemed to gain momentum. However, it’s meaningless if we don’t continue this, so we want to train for another week and prepare for the next match."　

　[Summary of the press conference by Shimizu and Coach HASEGAWA] "It's very frustrating and disappointing that despite having many supporters come to the home game after the break, we couldn't secure a proper victory. Overall, there were few chances to win today's game. After conceding the first goal, we managed to equalize within the first half, and just when we were about to gain momentum, we conceded again at the start of the second half. We knew FC Tokyo scores many goals during that period, so we focused in the second half but were caught off guard for a moment. It felt like our momentum was broken. Without regaining our rhythm, we conceded a third goal from a middle-range shot. We need to reflect on conceding from mid-range shots in the past few matches. Today, we couldn't create good opportunities in midfield, and although we knew FC Tokyo would play long balls, we couldn't handle them well. We failed to skillfully distribute the ball between the forward line and midfield to evade the opponent's pressure, which was the cause of today's defeat. Since we have more home games coming up, there's no point in getting discouraged now. We want to switch our mindset, stay positive, and prepare for the next game."