Fight with focus towards victory!

　In Sec. 20 of the league, we will face Júbilo Iwata away. In the previous match against Oita, which was the first game after a break of about one month, we took the lead but lost 2 goals from the opponent's restart, resulting in a comeback defeat. It was a frustrating loss as we had vowed to make a comeback, but since this week involves consecutive matches, we want to switch our mindset and focus on each battle ahead of us.

　Yokohama currently sits in 8th place with 9 wins, 1 draw, and 9 losses. In the previous match, they lost 0-4 to Vissel Kobe, but Coach Hara tightens his focus, stating, "The goals conceded were due to trying to score after going down to 10 men and getting caught on the counter. We originally have strength, and our team transitions well." This week, holding midfielder Fabricio will be suspended, but instead, MF Inuzuka will be used, and Tanaka and Suzuki will be in center back positions. In terms of offense, the performance of FW Maeda is likely to influence the outcome. As Coach Hara mentions, "FW Maeda has returned from injury, and his scoring ability has clearly improved," utilizing FW Maeda's hold-up play allows MF Ota and Nishi to break through from the second line, creating decisive moments. Tokyo needs to prevent FW Maeda from being free with tight defense and suppress the breakthroughs from the second line.

　Tokyo has no changes in the lineup from the last match against Oita. In this match, the key will be to gain an advantage in midfield battles and quickly exploit the space behind the opponent's full-backs once the ball is won. Ishikawa stated, "The opponent has many skilled players in passing, but we want to apply pressure and win the ball in a good shape. To launch effective attacks, we must start with defense," while Kajiyama expressed his determination, saying, "We want to control the source of the ball for Iwata. Together with Fuku-san, we will contain the opponent's defensive midfielders." We aim to apply early pressure to win the ball and then launch speedy attacks from there.

　In the match against Oita, we were caught off guard for a moment and conceded a goal after being breached behind the DF line. It will be important in this match to continue to not fear the opponent's attacks and to see if we can maintain a high and compact DF line. Although we have never won at Yamaha Stadium, the players repeatedly mention the word "result." Both Moino and Ishikawa said, "We want to get rid of the unpleasant image of Yamaha Stadium soon," aiming for victory in Tokyo's soccer despite being away. The match started at 19:04 with Iwata's kickoff.

Lost control to Iwata and went into halftime one goal behind

　From the start of the match, Iwata's intense pressing and forward momentum forced us into a defensive position. In the 4th minute, DF Tanaka shot from directly in front of the goal after a corner kick was cleared, but it went wide. In the 9th minute, MF Ota brought the ball in from the right side and shot from outside the area, right at Dohi. In the 10th minute, FW Maeda dribbled in and took a shot. Iwata, with quick passing, focused on the right side, where FW Nishi and MF Ota kept the ball, while DF Kaga boldly overlapped from behind, crossing and bringing the ball in for shots, leaving Tokyo completely unable to stop their momentum.

　Tokyo tried to regain possession and launch an attack, but they were quickly dispossessed by Iwata's swift transition between offense and defense, leading to a vicious cycle of being put under pressure. Konno and Mobu were somehow managing to withstand Iwata's attacks on the back line, but in the 20th minute, they finally conceded a goal. Iwata's left corner kick was cleared once, but the ball was regained, and a cross came in from the right side. This was also cleared, and the ball flowed to MF Ota on the left. There was no pressure on MF Ota, who carefully assessed the position of the goal and took a looping shot. Although there was distance, it was sucked into the right side of the goal.

　However, after taking the lead, Iwata began to retreat and develop their attacks carefully. After the 25th minute, Iwata's press gradually weakened, allowing Tokyo to circulate the ball and launch their attacks. In the 27th minute, Tokunaga, who advanced, was fouled, earning a free kick just outside the right area. Noriyuki Suzuki's shot was blocked by the wall. In the 28th minute, Fukunishi won a challenge, and Kono passed to Inoha, who dribbled in and took a shot, winning a right corner kick. In the 31st minute, Noriyuki Suzuki was fouled, earning a free kick slightly left of the goal. Lucas's shot hit the wall and resulted in a left corner kick. From this corner kick, Tokunaga took a shot from a difficult position, but the opposing DF cut it off.

　In the 37th minute, Fukunishi received a pass from Tokunaga with his back to the goal in the center, turned to face forward while competing with a DF, and dribbled into the penalty area. He took a shot from the right side of the area, but it resulted in a right corner kick. Although several chances were created, none led to a decisive moment. Conversely, in the 39th minute, Iwata's MF Nishi crossed from the right side, and FW Maeda jumped in for a perfect header. It narrowly missed to the left, avoiding an additional goal. In the 43rd minute, Kajiwara passed to Tokunaga, who broke through on the right side. Lucas headed the cross, but it was contested by a DF and went wide to the left of the goal. Although the early stages were completely dominated by Iwata, they managed to hold on and ended the first half with just one goal conceded.

Hirayama and Akamine scored goals to show their determination, but they lost with 5 goals conceded.

　At halftime, adjustments were made to the positioning of Ishikawa and Norio SUZUKI on both sides. Then, in the 47th minute, a right cross from Ishikawa to Tokunaga. It flowed to the far side, but Norio SUZUKI followed up and passed it back to Lucas in the middle. He attempted to connect with Kajiwara with a back pass, but they were hit by a counter from Jubilo Iwata. MF Ota surged up the right side and took a shot, but it went over the bar. In the 52nd minute, a cross from Kajiwara to Lucas on the right side. Norio SUZUKI made a run in from the left but couldn't connect. In the 53rd minute, Baba was brought in to replace Norio SUZUKI.

　In the 55th minute, Lucas made a run into the space behind at the perfect timing from Baba, charging up the left side. He cut inside, evaded the DF, and took a shot while free. It struck the bottom left but was saved by the opposing GK. In the 59th minute, Kajiyama passed to Ishikawa, who boldly challenged on the right side and delivered a cross. Although it was cleared by the DF in front of the goal, the side attack was functioning well. In the 63rd minute, Akamine was brought on for Fukunishi, and at the same time, Konno and Inoha switched positions. Just after that, from a throw-in by Iwata, MF Marquinhos Parana, who was positioned to the left, found himself free. He was slow to close in, and his well-aimed long shot went over Doih's outstretched hand and into the goal. They conceded the second goal.

　In the 68th minute, from a counterattack, Iwata's defender Ueda advanced on the left side, and the ball he sent into the goal area hit the upper right post and bounced back into the goal for the third goal conceded. In the 71st minute, Heiyama was brought on to replace Ishikawa, but immediately after the substitution, midfielder Naraoka scored another goal from a counterattack. Nevertheless, Tokyo's two forwards, Heiyama and Akamine, moved around in the front line, picking up loose balls and attempting to counterattack. In the 79th minute, Heiyama connected with Konno's early cross from the right with a powerful header. It was a decisive chance, but unfortunately went just to the right. In the 84th minute, from Iwata's sharp counterattack, forward Maeda skillfully dribbled and scored, but Tokyo boldly shifted to attack in pursuit of a goal.

　In the 89th minute, Konno broke forward, cut in from the left, and after making contact with the opposing defender, the ball became loose. However, he did not give up and retrieved it, shooting from a tight angle. The rebound hit the crossbar, and Taira SHIGE followed up, getting pulled from behind and earning a penalty kick. Taira SHIGE himself converted it cleanly. Shortly after, from a long ball by Moino, Taira SHIGE became the target, and Akamine shot directly from the dropped ball. The ball went over the opposing goalkeeper's head and into the goal. Although they scored two points and made a comeback, the match ended as a loss, resulting in consecutive defeats.

　【Player Comments】《Hirayama》"We couldn't neutralize Iwata's strengths. Before the match, I was instructed to firmly contest long balls and become a starting point. I tried to play by making the most of my strong points within the time I was given. (There was a headed shot from Konno's cross) I really wanted to score that. It would have been great to score with a header... For the penalty kick, I wanted to take it myself, so I told Lucas, 'Let me take it.' Since the goalkeeper was Kawaguchi, I thought scoring here would boost my confidence. I kicked it with all my might. I gained confidence in penalty kicks, but I don't feel the relief of having scored a goal." 《Akamine》"We couldn't play in our own rhythm, and I think we lacked the initial push and spirit. Maybe we needed clearer play, like committing to pressing when it's time to press. The goal came from the intended play. I tried to play close to Sota, staying nearby. This is a pattern we practice regularly. Since we train in this formation, I believe that if my playing time increases, so will my chances. Although it didn't lead to victory today, I want to keep scoring chances when I play and contribute to the team's wins."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "It was unfortunate that our concentration seemed to lapse towards the end of today's match. In the early stages of the first half, Jubilo had a better start. They made side changes, and against their right side back Kaga advancing positively, our response was a step slow each time, which led to conceding corners and free kicks that resulted in goals. Since Jubilo's Norio SUZUKI was down, everyone was somewhat watching him, and we got caught out there. This reflects the current state of our team. Because the opponent was down, we expected them to put the ball out, but hesitation allowed them to take shots. That period was really poor. Even when we won the ball, we couldn't connect forward and immediately lost possession again. In the second half, we decided to use the flanks more, and crosses started coming from Ishikawa and Tokunaga. Noriyuki SUZUKI has not been at full strength since returning from injury, so we brought in Tadashi BABA and Akamine to try to change the game. For the second goal, our response was slow from a throw-in, and despite the distance, they managed to shoot. The shot was indeed excellent, but that was a weak point. The third goal was similar, with Ishikawa's delayed response allowing the goal. After that, including the back line, our concentration dropped again, which was regrettable. In the end, we managed to score two goals including a penalty kick. Like Konno's play when winning the penalty, even if we lose the ball once, we need to show more determination to win it back and attack the opponent's goal. Also, like Akamine's goal scene, we must simply carry the ball forward and keep recovering it even if it gets cleared. I think there were many scenes where we lost the ball trying to play too neatly. Despite such strong support, we lost. We must reflect on the disappointing performance and show our spirit in the next match at home Ajinomoto Stadium. Iwata's Maeda has good ball retention, which caused Ota and Nishi to move inside, but our responses and handoffs in that area were gradually delayed. Kajiyama and Inoha were reactive when the game was not going their way, and sometimes tried difficult plays when they should have focused on defense, which I think was ineffective. Also, compared to before his injury, Moniwa is not yet his usual self. Perhaps due to anxiety, his marking tends to be loose. Even in the scene where Maeda scored, he couldn't fully respond, so he is still not at full strength."

　[Summary of press conference by Iwata coach ADILSON] "I think we were able to play a good game overall. In the first half, we controlled the match and created chances, and managed to score one goal. There were several other opportunities to score. In the second half, although there were some risky moments, we effectively used counters to create chances. There were moments where we could have scored more. If our accuracy and finishing had been a bit better, we could have scored more goals. Inuzuka, who started as a defensive midfielder, performed as we expected. The balance with Marquinhos Parana and the triangle with Kaga and Ota on the sides was also good. The big difference from the previous match (which we lost badly) was that Fabrício was sent off in that game. Playing with one less player makes football difficult. Also, each player showed a strong desire to win. Additionally, while Kobe played defensively, Tokyo came forward. The last two goals conceded were unfortunate, but such things often happen in football. Of course, it would have been better to keep a clean sheet. It is common in Japanese football to see a heavy loss followed by a big win. What I value is consistent performance. I want to continue to demand that from the players, and if they cannot deliver, I will coach them accordingly."