Break through Urawa's solid defense and aim for victory at home

　In Sec. 15 of the league, we will face Urawa Reds at home. In the previous match against Shimizu, we outperformed the opponent in terms of physical activity despite the heat, achieving a resounding victory. As Coach Hara mentioned, "This time at home, it is important for the team to unite and build momentum to continue playing well," today’s match will be a test of our strength to eliminate the ups and downs in performance.

　Urawa, on the other hand, has completed 13 matches (Sec. 14 will be held in August) and is in 2nd place with 24 points. Since June, they have participated in the A3 Champions Cup held in China, completing three consecutive matches until the 13th. In this match, fatigue from overseas travel and consecutive matches is a concern, but they remain a formidable opponent. In the attack, not only FW Washington but also the ball control and runs of MF Ponte are noteworthy. Additionally, FW Tanaka, who had been out long-term due to injury, has returned from the A3, and Coach Hara is cautious, stating, "The speed that has been lacking in Urawa until now will be compensated by him." To contain them, it is crucial to prevent easy progression of the ball to the goal area. Tokyo aims to dominate the midfield as much as possible.

　Moreover, Urawa's total goals conceded so far is 13, indicating a solid defense. They primarily use a three-back formation, but midfielders Yamada and Abe can also play as full-backs. Coach Hara expects them to respond flexibly. Tokyo wants to exploit the flanks centered around the in-form Norio SUZUKI, but if they become predictable, they will be easily defended against. They aim to disrupt Urawa's defense with fluid movements up front, create many scoring opportunities, and strive for goals and consecutive victories.

　Tokyo will approach the match with the same starting lineup as the previous game. Although Urawa's lineup shows a 4-4-2 formation, DF registered Soma will play as left MF. MF registered Abe will serve on the left of the DF line in a 3-5-2 formation. The match started at 16:04 with Tokyo's kickoff in the clear skies of Ajinomoto, under strong sunlight and heat.

The early goal conceded resonated, allowing Urawa to take control.

　Right after the kickoff, there was a fierce clash, with the offense and defense rapidly changing. In the first minute, Kawaguchi took advantage of a moment of contention and shot from the right side. However, in the third minute, Urawa's DF Tulio passed the ball from his own half to the midfield FW Washington. FW Washington turned his body, slipped past Kajiyama's mark, and advanced with a dribble. The Tokyo defense couldn't keep up with the marking, allowing him to shoot freely from just outside the penalty area. The powerful ball was initially deflected by Doih, but FW Washington reacted to the rebound. He connected with FW Tatsuya TANAKA, who immediately took a shot. The ball, aimed at the corner, deflected off Doih's hand and rolled into the right corner. This was the first goal of the season for FW Tatsuya TANAKA, giving them the lead.

　With this, Urawa gained momentum and took control of the game's pace. Tokyo was unable to apply pressure from the front line and was pushed back. In the 10th minute, Urawa's midfielder Noriyuki SUZUKI made a cross from a side change, and left midfielder Soma received the ball. The clearance from Tokyo's defense was weak against the ball that dropped at the far post, leading to a wave of attacks. After managing to defend this, in the 12th minute, they launched a counterattack, with Kajiyama sending a long pass to Norio SUZUKI on the left. Norio SUZUKI evaded the opposing defender and shot with his right foot. In the 13th minute, Norio SUZUKI aimed for a ground shot from a free kick just outside the left area.

　In the 15th minute, Urawa's left midfielder Soma bypassed Tokunaga, cut deep into the area, and delivered a cross. Forward Washington had a perfect header, but Kanazawa blocked it with his body, resulting in a corner kick. In the 17th minute, Noriyuki Suzuki, while being marked by the opposing defense, aggressively cut inside and struck with his left foot. He unleashed a powerful shot from distance, but it did not hit the target. In the fast-paced back-and-forth of the match, Tokyo aimed for a goal on the counterattack, but their positioning was low, lacking precision.

　In the 24th minute, Lucas on the left passed to Kajiwara in the middle, and Tokunaga delivered a right cross, but it was intercepted, leading to a counterattack. In the 30th minute, Urawa FW Washington showcased his ball retention skills inside the area. Two Tokyo defenders attempted to take the ball from him, but he turned and got into a shooting position. In the 34th minute, Kawaguchi on the right side overlapped with Tokunaga, delivering a cross. It went over the free Kajiwara in the center, and Kanazawa at the far post tried to connect, but the shot went well wide. In the 40th minute, Lucas aimed directly at a free kick from slightly left in the opponent's half, but it went over the bar.

　Tokyo, having allowed control, tried to create chances from counterattacks, but there were few decisive moments to break through. In that case... they aimed from mid-range, taking 10 shots, but missed the target, ending the first half at 0 to 1.

Grasping the rhythm, but the goal is far away, defeated without scoring

　In the second half, Tokyo made adjustments and showed aggressive movements, winning battles in midfield and launching attacks. In the 47th minute, Lucas advanced into the left side. He evaded the opposing DF and sent a cross from the sideline to the goal area, but Urawa's DF cut it off. In the 48th minute, Kajiyama skillfully evaded an opponent and took a shot just outside the area. Then in the 49th minute, Kajiyama in the center passed to Kawaguchi on the right, and then pretended to shoot before crossing back to Kajiyama. Fukunishi jumped and attempted a volley, but all went over the bar.

　In the 55th minute, Kanazawa held strong on the left sideline and connected the play, with Kawaguchi flowing left to deliver a cross. Norio SUZUKI created a decisive opportunity with a shot in the center, but it was blocked by the Urawa defense. In the 56th minute, Rychely was brought on as a left midfielder in place of Kawaguchi, shifting Norio SUZUKI to the right. They aimed to utilize speed to attack from both flanks. Just after, in the 57th minute, they launched a counterattack, with Inoha advancing on the left to cross. However, the cross was repeatedly deflected by the Urawa defense, leading to a counterattack from Urawa.

　After 60 minutes, Urawa DF Tulio advanced and earned a left corner kick. Lucas, who tried to clear the sharp kick taken by MF Ponte at the near post, lost control and scored an own goal. Before they could capitalize during their attacking phase, they conceded a second goal. After that, in the 67th minute, Baba was brought in for Fukunishi, and in the 75th minute, Hirayama was substituted for Kanazawa. Konno moved forward, Inoha went to the defensive line, and Noriyuki Suzuki covered the left side in a counterattack formation.

　The ball was gathered to Hirayama, who aimed for the goal by picking up the second ball. In the 79th minute, a right cross from Hirayama led to a right corner kick, where Rychely jumped in to meet Baba's kick at the near post, but it went wide. In the 83rd minute, Konno's feed was dropped by Hirayama, and from the loose ball, Kajiyama delivered a right cross. The loose ball was connected again, and Noriyuki Suzuki persistently attacked with a left cross, but they could not take a shot from there. In stoppage time, Baba, Hirayama, Tokunaga, and Konno took shots one after another, but their fierce attack did not bear fruit. They were unable to break through Urawa's solid defense and suffered a scoreless defeat.

　【Player Comments】《Konno》"I tried to watch Urawa's movements, but was caught off guard by FW Washington and conceded a goal. It was my mistake in a situation where I should have acted. This gave the opponent momentum, and we dropped off sharply. After that, the opponent became defensive, making it difficult to break through. Conceding first had an impact, and I have regrets. In the final stages, I was told to play as a defensive midfielder, but since I wanted to score, I pushed forward myself. Both individually and as a team, we have no choice but to improve through practice. We will reset and all work hard to earn 3 points next time." 《Kanazawa》"We conceded early and it became a tough situation. We wanted to press from the front, but lost the ball in midfield, allowing Urawa to keep possession and prevent us from pressing, which led to us sliding back. If we had been able to withstand the early goal, the game might have unfolded differently... In the second half, the opponent's stamina dropped, allowing us to win loose balls. We managed to gain control in midfield, but not being able to do that from the start remains an issue."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "Urawa just returned from a fierce battle in A3, so we talked about being proactive from the start. However, we had a poor start to the match. In the 3rd minute, Urawa's forward Washington and Kajiyama competed, but they were pushed away, and while it was unclear who would go next, they managed to dribble and take a shot. When the goalkeeper deflected it, they shot again. We wanted to create such situations ourselves, but that allowed Urawa to relax. Around the middle of the first half, we discussed 'let's change sides more simply,' and including the start of the second half, we were able to create good shapes. However, we couldn't score during that time. After that, we conceded a corner kick from a counterattack, which led to an own goal, and we lost our energy. We brought in clear-type players like Baba and Hirayama, but we couldn't score. I believe the reasons for today's defeat boil down to our poor start to the match and the difference in finishing ability."

　[Summary of Coach Ojeck's Press Conference] "First of all, I want to praise everyone on the team. They showed a wonderful performance. I also think that our opponent, FC Tokyo, played really well. We played with self-control and discipline today, and we were focused on building our attacks. What was even more wonderful was that we played with great spirit for 90 minutes. In particular, the performance of forward Tatsuya TANAKA, who returned from a long absence, was outstanding. He had great movement and energy, and by making runs behind the opponent's defensive line, we were able to deliver good balls to him. He was also receiving the ball in good positions. One more thing that cannot be forgotten is that he scored a goal. As a striker, scoring is very significant. I hope he can smoothly regain his form and play like he used to in the future."