A match to bounce back from the difficulties of playing away and change the bad momentum.

　In Sec. 22 of the league, we will face Urawa Reds away. In the previous match against Kashiwa, we played with great spirit and created many chances, but we lost. However, after three consecutive losses since the league resumed, we want to break this bad streak today and somehow seize the opportunity to rise.

　There was a one-week interval since the last match, but Konno, Hirayama, and Kajiyama left the team for activities with the Japan national team, limiting the overall practice to just two days. Nevertheless, Konno and Kajiyama prepared their conditions and started. The starting lineup has not changed significantly from the last match, with Lucas and Akamine as the two forwards, Ishikawa and Rychely on the wings, and Konno serving as the center-back. Additionally, Kurisawa, who has not played since the match against Kashima on June 30, and Evaldo, who has not played since the Nabisco match against Yokohama FC on May 9, are on the bench in place of the suspended Baba and Inoha, who injured his foot during the Olympic training camp.

　Against Urawa, they have accumulated 43 points in the previous match and have risen to the top. Known for their solid defense, they boast the fewest total goals conceded in the league with 16. Coach Hara stated that Urawa's defense, which is tall and strong, cannot be broken down just by throwing in long balls. Therefore, they want to win the ball as high up the pitch as possible and quickly distribute it to the sides to utilize the speed of Ishikawa and Rychely. Although FW Washington is absent, Coach Hara is cautious, stating that the two-top formation of Tatsuya TANAKA and Nagai can play a faster style of soccer. The attacking midfielder Ponte will create time by dribbling, during which FW Tatsuya TANAKA and Nagai will make their runs. Additionally, they need to be careful of counterattacks that come quickly from long balls.

　Tokyo will apply pressure from the front line, not lose in terms of movement, and want to pick up loose balls to connect to attacks. Competing for second balls will also be a factor that influences the match. An away game against the league leaders is expected to be tough, but Coach Hara stated, "We cannot win unless we fight with a stronger spirit than Urawa. Together with the players, we want to overcome all the tough conditions and approach the game aggressively, even as the away team."

　The match started at Saitama Stadium 2002, where the scorching heat of the day had finally eased. Although the humidity remained, the wind began to blow. It kicked off at 19:04 with Urawa's kickoff.

Create a good shape and take the lead, but the opponent capitalizes on two decisive chances...

　From the early stages, they applied tight pressure from the front, not allowing Urawa to play freely, and launched quick counterattacks. In the 11th minute, they intercepted the ball in their own half, and Kajiyama immediately sent it forward to Akamine, winning a throw-in. From there, Rychely, who had drifted to the right, cut into the area and sent a backward pass to Ishikawa in front of the goal. They created a chance, but the shot was too close to the Urawa DF and was cut off. However, Urawa also quickly sent the ball from their defensive line to the front, starting to gain rhythm with a sharp counterattack. In the 15th minute, they quickly connected passes from a throw-in in their own half, and MF Yamada delivered a cross. FW Tatsuya TANAKA, who jumped in free, made a perfect header, but it was saved by Shiota's nice save, resulting in a corner kick.

　After defending this pinch, Tokyo regained their rhythm, spreading the ball to the sides from Kajiyama to create chances. In the 23rd minute, Akamine dropped Kajiyama's left cross, and Lucas cut in from the right side to shoot. In the 24th minute, from a free kick earned on the left side, Kajiyama sent a ball to the far post where Tokunaga jumped in. In the 30th minute, Lucas attempted to receive a left throw-in in front of the goal. With the opponent's defender on his back and the ball being poked from behind, Ishikawa, who was following up, took a looping shot. None of these resulted in a goal, but they created attacking shapes with good aim.

　In the 32nd minute, Kajiyama passed to Rychely, who connected with Lucas on the left side, and Lucas advanced with a dribble. He sent a through pass to Rychely, who broke into the area. In a one-on-one with the GK, Rychely's shot grazed the GK and rolled forward, allowing Akamine to push it into the goal! With a well-coordinated attack, they scored against the solid defense of Urawa. They wanted to build momentum after taking the lead, but as the players reflected after the match, they were unable to apply pressure from the front and ended up retreating as a whole.

　Then, in the 36th minute, Urawa's right-to-left side change was received by left MF Hirakawa, who attempted to break into the area. He evaded Tokunaga, sending a grounded cross in front of the goal. Fujiyama tried to clear it, but before that, Urawa FW Tatsuya TANAKA slipped in and kicked it into the goal in an instant. Perhaps feeling anxious after being equalized, in the 39th minute, Urawa MF Hirakawa cut back on Tokunaga again, this time delivering a floating cross. DF Horinouchi jumped in with his head, scoring a goal. Tokyo was progressing well in the match, but they allowed Urawa to turn the game around in just 4 minutes, ending the first half.

Narrowed the gap to one point and launched a full-scale attack, but it was in vain

Narrowed the gap to one point and launched a full-scale attack, but it was in vain

　Although they wanted to maintain their momentum and launch a counterattack in the second half, Urawa initiated a speedy attack at the start, putting them under pressure. In the 47th minute, from Shiota's long kick, Rychely broke through to the front line and advanced into the area but was stopped, leading to a quick counter by Urawa's MF Suzuki. MF Ponte carried the ball into the area. In the 50th minute, Urawa's FW Nagai became a pivot, and MF Ponte passed the ball forward with one touch. FW Tatsuya TANAKA broke free and his shot was saved well by Shiota, resulting in a corner kick.

　In an attempt to change the flow of the game, Hayama was brought on for Rychely in the 56th minute. The aim was to increase the points of attack in the front line and target the goal. In the 59th minute, Hayama was fouled slightly to the right in the opponent's territory, earning a free kick. Hayama headed the ball from a low position in response to Kajiyama's quick kick. They were starting to grasp the rhythm of the counterattack, but immediately after, in the 60th minute, Urawa's goalkeeper's kick was contested by MF Yamada, and the ball was carried forward. Konno marked Urawa FW Tatsuya TANAKA, leading to a collision. Both fell down, but the first to react to the rolling ball was Urawa MF Ponte. He broke free in front of the goal and easily scored the third goal...

　Still, without giving up, in the 63rd minute, Fukunishi was brought in to replace Asari. Then, in the 68th minute, Fukunishi was fouled at the left corner of the area, earning a free kick. Lucas took a short free kick, and Kajiwara sent a shot-like ball in front of the goal. Here, Konno came out and slightly changed the angle with his right foot, pushing it in! As the mood for a counterattack heightened, in the 71st minute, Fukunishi made a through pass to Akamine on the left front line. Akamine returned it with a ground pass in front of the goal, and Hirayama shot! It created a decisive opportunity, but it just missed the target. In the 76th minute, Kurizawa was brought in to replace Ishikawa. Both teams launched quick counterattacks, but Tokyo calmly passed the ball around with Kajiwara, Kurizawa, and Fukunishi, sending balls into the front line from the sides one after another.

　In the 82nd minute, Lucas and Fukunishi connected in front of the Urawa goal, and Kurizawa, who flowed to the left, delivered a cross, but the goalkeeper caught it. In the 87th minute, Hirayama dropped Kanazawa's cross, but no one was there to capitalize on the loose ball. In the 88th minute, Lucas headed the ball from Tokunaga's right cross. Following that, Hirayama received a pass from Kurizawa on the right and turned to take a shot, but it was cut off by the Urawa defense... Despite being blocked by Urawa's solid defense, they could not score the equalizing goal, and the match ended. They fought well with spirited play against the league leaders Urawa without backing down, but the difference in finishing ability was evident, resulting in a fourth consecutive defeat.

　【Player Comments】<Shiota> "I think we didn't allow any decisive chances until we conceded. We pressed from the front, made side changes, and the fullbacks pushed up, allowing us to challenge near the penalty area. The opponent must have disliked that. However, after taking the lead, the whole team dropped back. We wanted to simply target behind the opposing defenders and create opportunities upfront, but during that period, we couldn't unify our intentions and ended up playing defensively. We wanted to somehow recover well there... In the next match against Hiroshima, they also have fast players upfront. We want to discuss as a team, make adjustments, and work hard in the same direction. I apologize for not winning despite many fans coming to support us even away today. Next time, we absolutely have to meet their expectations." <Kurisawa> "I was thinking of receiving many balls in midfield and then developing the play from there. Crosses reached Hirayama, but there was only one starting point. I think it would have been better if we had connected a bit lower, skillfully drawn out the opposing defenders, and then made a move inside. I reflect that we were indecisive whether to keep passing or to immediately send the ball forward. However, it was my first appearance in a while, and my motivation was high. Although the results haven't come yet, I just have to keep my spirit strong and prepare for the next match."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "The match against top-ranked Urawa. Although we are on a losing streak, we all agreed to take on the game aggressively. In the first half, we effectively used both sides through side changes, involving the fullbacks, creating several good opportunities. And we managed to score. After taking the lead, we wanted to play more in our own rhythm. However, Urawa took advantage of one chance; after a side change, MF Hirakawa faced forward and from the cross, FW Tatsuya TANAKA scored. During that period, it wasn’t that Tokyo players were careless, but due to Urawa’s high finishing ability, we conceded two goals and were overtaken. We were superior in midfield battles, but Urawa finishes when it counts. In the second half, we planned to change sides and use fast forwards to create a numerical advantage of 2-on-1. Just then, we conceded the third goal. In the scene where Konno and FW Tatsuya TANAKA tangled, only MF Ponte reacted to the loose ball. That is the difference between us and Urawa now. (Is it a difference in individual ability?) Urawa’s FW Tatsuya TANAKA, Nagai, and MF Ponte have the ability to carry the ball all the way to the finish by themselves. It is true they have speed and strong attacking power. Therefore, Tokyo’s back four inevitably had to narrow inside against those three. Apart from the conceding moments, Konno, Fujiyama, and both fullbacks responded well. When we had the ball, Tokunaga and Kanazawa pushed forward, gaining an advantage, but returning to defense caused intense up-and-down movement. With Ishikawa and Rychely positioned offensively, the fullbacks were burdened. Along with that, Urawa’s finishing ability surpassed ours. (About Rychely’s substitution?) It wasn’t that he played poorly; rather, he and Ishikawa did well. The issue was stamina. So we brought in Hirayama, aiming to create a focal point in the center rather than side attacks. Urawa’s defense is strong against crosses, so Lucas took a position on the left side, and we wanted Hirayama and Akamine as the two forward targets. Although momentum was lacking for a while, in the previous match against Kashiwa and today’s match against Urawa, although results haven’t come, I think Tokyo’s style of football is gradually returning. Including scoring two goals, we want to maintain this momentum. We will correct the accuracy of our final finishing and continue to fight hard as we prepare for the next match."

　[Summary of Coach Ojeck's Press Conference for Urawa] "We were able to earn 3 points, but FC Tokyo played good football, and it was a very tough match. In the first half, we started well and played speedy football. However, that collapsed midway through the first half, and we conceded the opening goal. Fortunately, we regained our composure and managed to turn the game around just before halftime. In the second half, we started with focus and scored the third goal. Tokyo made three substitutions and aimed for a decisive set-piece goal. In response, we created several chances on the counterattack. We couldn't add more goals, and it was truly a very tough match. Midfielder Hirakawa had injuries this season and was unable to participate in training. I think it was difficult for him to find his position within the team. Amidst that, he has been improving since playing in the satellite team. He is a player who seems capable of doing something special. At this point, the gap with second place does not matter. The season is still long, so rather than thinking about other matches, we want to focus on our own games."