Fight with strong determination!

　In Sec. 23 of the league, we will face Sanfrecce Hiroshima away. In the previous match against Urawa, we took the lead and controlled the game, but we suffered a defeat due to the opponent's high finishing ability and resilience, marking our fourth consecutive loss since the league resumed. However, it is also true that the players showed a fighting spirit in the match against Kashiwa before that, and the team's situation is improving. In this match, it is essential to achieve results and convert them into points.

　Hiroshima is currently in 12th place with 26 points. This round, FW Weslley will be suspended, but they are using a 3-6-1 system, connecting from the defensive line, allowing players on both sides and the front line to break through one after another. The attacking line features FW Sato at the forefront, with MF Kashiwagi and Hiroki Morisaki positioned as two shadows below him. Allowing these three to play freely can be frightening, so the key is to first suppress their speedy attacks. We want to apply early pressure and prevent them from facing forward as much as possible. Additionally, whether we can exploit the space on the sides of Hiroshima's three-back defense will likely be crucial. We want to win the second balls, pick up the loose ones after sending them forward, and launch a robust attack.

　Tokyo has made changes to the lineup from the previous match due to the suspension of Lucas, as well as injuries to Baba and Inoha, and Kanazawa is not in perfect condition. Akamine will be positioned at the front, with Fukunishi playing just behind him, and Konno and Kajiama forming a double pivot. Kurizawa and Ishikawa will play on the wings, while Momiya and Fujiyama will be the center-backs. Coach Hara stated, "Considering the situation with suspensions and injuries, we have prepared accordingly. I want to effectively utilize the new energy from the players who have stepped in."

　"We are on a losing streak, but the most frightening thing is to lose confidence here. The difference with the top teams is very small. To get through this, we need to have confidence. And it's necessary to cover for each other even if someone makes a mistake. I want to challenge without fear and fight with a sense of unity where everyone can help each other." While focusing on defense to escape from the lower ranks, it is also possible that the match will be solid, but we want to connect aggressive defense to attack and seize points. The match started at 19:04 with Hiroshima's kickoff.

Kajiyama scores powerfully to take the lead, turning around at halftime with the advantage

　Tokyo pressed high from the start, winning the ball and transitioning to attack. In the 1st minute, Akamine dropped the ball, and Konno advanced on the left side with a dribble and shot. Then, in the opponent's half, Kajiyama cut off a pass from Hiroshima's GK, getting into a shooting position in the area, but the defender blocked it. He took another shot from the rebound, but it was stopped by the GK. In the 3rd and 8th minutes, the opponent launched counterattacks, but Kanazawa and Fujiyama intervened midway to prevent any chances. In the 13th minute, from a left cross, Hiroshima's FW Sato dropped the ball to MF Takayanagi, who took a shot, but Shiota caught it securely.

　In the 15th minute, from a left throw-in, Fukunishi passed to Konno, who boldly aimed for a shot but it went over the bar. In the 16th minute, from a right corner kick by Ishikawa, Konno headed the ball but it went to the right. Tokyo gradually began to find their rhythm and started to take control. Then, in the 18th minute, Tokunaga's long feed was cleared once, but Kajiyama, who went to retrieve it, was fouled, earning a free kick. Although there was about a 30m distance, Kajiyama aimed directly, and his knuckleball shot powerfully pierced the upper left of the goal, scoring the opening goal.

　Tokyo continued to launch aggressive attacks, particularly creating chances from the right side with Ishikawa and Tokunaga. In the 22nd minute, Tokunaga delivered a right cross, but Ishikawa aimed for the loose clearance and missed. In the 24th minute, from Tokunaga to Akamine's post, Fukunishi brought the ball to the right front line and took a shot, but it went over the bar. In the 28th minute, Tokunaga's through pass to Ishikawa was cut off, resulting in a right corner kick. From Ishikawa's corner kick, Akamine at the far post headed the ball but was out of sync with the timing.

　After 30 minutes, Tokyo's DF line began to drop, allowing Hiroshima to counterattack. In the 36th minute, a through pass reached FW Sato just outside the area, and Shigeno fouled him, resulting in a free kick. MF Morisaki Hiro aimed directly, but the Tokyo DF wall blocked it. In the 38th minute, MF Takayanagi spread the play to the right. MF Komano sprinted to the sideline and crossed the ball. MF Morisaki Hiro, free in front of the goal, attempted a diving header but hit the ball too hard, sending it over the bar. Just before the end of the first half, from a left corner kick, Hiroshima's DF Toda's header hit the post. The loose ball was picked up, and DF Morisaki Kazu shot from the right area, but it went over the bar, avoiding a crisis.

　In the final stages, although they gave Hiroshima a decisive chance, they managed to hold on and went into halftime with a one-point lead.

Maintaining focus until the end, a resounding victory with a total of 5 goals!

　After the start of the second half, Hiroshima aggressively launched attacks, but Tokyo countered with calm and resilient defense, preventing any chances. Then, in the 54th minute, the much-desired additional goal came. Ishikawa on the right side sent a sharp cross, but the opposing defender cleared it. Kanazawa headed the loose ball forward to Kurizawa. He then dribbled in and delivered a left cross. Akamine dove in with his body, colliding with the opposing goalkeeper, and headed the ball. The ball was sucked into the goal.

　Hiroshima, launching a counterattack, brought in DF Stoyanov for DF Makino in the 58th minute. DF Stoyanov actively participated in the attack, creating chances. In the 63rd minute, DF Stoyanov passed to FW Sato, who made a one-touch pass to MF Kashiwagi, breaking forward. A decisive opportunity was created, but a great save by Shiota prevented a goal. Furthermore, Hiroshima brought in FW Hiraishi for MF Takayanagi in the 67th minute, shifting to a two-top formation. Tokyo also made a substitution at the same time, bringing in Asari for Ishikawa, strengthening their midfield defense with Kajiyama on the right side.

　Although there was a period of being pushed back by Hiroshima, in the 69th minute, Kurizawa picked up a loose ball from a left free kick and unleashed a sharp shot that was thwarted by a great save from the opposing goalkeeper. In the 76th minute, Konno advanced with a dribble while competing with the opposing defender and took a bold shot. He led the team with his passionate play. As the stalemate continued, Tokyo made substitutions in the 80th minute, bringing on Noriyuki SUZUKI for Kurizawa and in the 83rd minute, Hirayama for Akamine. This change brought momentum to Tokyo.

　In the 87th minute, from a left corner kick by Norio SUZUKI, Kajiwara took a shot. Konno, who got a touch on the ball, flowed to the right and took a shot, but it was saved by the goalkeeper, resulting in another corner kick. This right corner was also taken by Norio SUZUKI, and Hirayama hit the ball with his chest from Kajiwara's cross, volleying the lifted ball into the net for the third goal. In the 88th minute, Norio SUZUKI's left cross was cleared by the opposing defender. Fukunishi, who followed up on the loose ball, scored a beautiful middle shot for the fourth goal. In the 89th minute, Hirayama stole the ball from defender Stoyanov and made a through pass to Fukunishi in the front line. He evaded the advancing goalkeeper and calmly broke through to the goal, finishing with Hirayama's second goal of the day, making it 5-0, and the match ended that way. With a solid defense as the foundation, they achieved their first victory in five matches with passionate play.

　【Player Comments】<Konno> "I was anxious before the match playing as a defensive midfielder for the first time in a while. I was nervous, but I decided to play aggressively both offensively and defensively. I also got involved in the attack and aimed to score when there was a chance. The difference in score didn’t reflect a big difference in performance, so I want to keep a level head and continue to play well and win. I know I’ve worried the supporters, but I want to meet their expectations with matches like today’s." <Fukunishi> "We scored first, then although there were some dangerous moments, we defended well, scored an additional goal at a good time, and sealed the win with a final goal. I think it was a good performance. If we can maintain this level, the results will naturally come. (About Sota HIRAYAMA’s second goal, did he score it himself?) At that moment, Sota asked me to 'give it to him.' With the Olympics coming up, I wanted to help build momentum. If Sota can perform well both for the team and at the Olympics, that’s all I need (laughs). Next is a home game. We haven’t been able to win where everyone cheers for us, so I want to keep winning at home. My right hand was stepped on and it really hurts. I can’t even make a fist…"

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "I watched Hiroshima's game live the other day at Nissan Stadium. They were in excellent form and it wouldn't have been surprising if they had beaten Marinos. Hiroshima had some losing streaks, but they play very good football. In the previous match, even without FW Weslley, they used a formation with a lone striker Sato Hisato and two shadow forwards, showing a clear strategy. We played very well in the matches against Kashiwa and Urawa in the previous round, but the results didn't go our way. However, we believed in our own strength. Although we were caught on the counterattack by Hiroshima in the opening match, we were careful about that this time and aimed to play a good game and earn points today. The key point was bringing Konno back to midfield. If we didn't return Konno to midfield at some point, the team wouldn't gain momentum, so we took a chance on Moniwa, moved Konno forward, and paired him with Kajiyama. Also, Kurisawa had been out of the lineup for a while due to poor condition, but today he did a great job on the left side, preventing Komano from advancing, holding the ball there, and enabling Fukunishi and Akamine, maintaining excellent balance. Another thing that made me happy was that after the team scored two goals, they didn't just defend but continued to push for more goals. This year, we had been conceding many goals, but today the opposite happened. I don't think Hiroshima played badly; rather, players like Hirayama and Norio, who came on later, pushed forward to score. We are finally seeing some promise from the Japanese strikers Akamine and Hirayama. Lucas was absent today, but players like them, Konno, Kurisawa, and Fukunishi stepped up in his absence. That made me truly happy. But we have another match soon. This season, after good games, we quickly fell off, so it is important to prepare well for the upcoming Kobe match and continue playing like we did today. (What was good today?) In the matches against Oita and Urawa, once we scored a goal, we tried to defend or dropped back too much. But today, even after taking the lead, we faced several dangerous moments but never gave up, stayed physically strong, and kept concentration until the very end. Instead of immediately conceding after scoring, everyone encouraged and cooperated with each other to hold firm. I think that was the part we had been lacking until now. Each player started to work hard. If we had been caught up in the first half, we might have panicked, but Shiota made crucial saves in dangerous moments, and being able to defend successfully was very significant."

　[Summary of the press conference by Hiroshima coach Zoran PETROVIC] "With a result of 0-5, anything I say will sound like an excuse. However, I don't think the game was as one-sided as the score suggests. The first goal was like an accident that happens a few times a year. Until the opponent scored the second goal, I believe we created several good chances. But after conceding the second goal, it became difficult to control the match. The last three goals conceded were partly due to fatigue, but also a result of losing focus. We conceded from our own mistakes, which should not happen. Today, at least, we could have ended in a draw, but it's football, and such things can happen. I tried to bring in Stoyanov and take some risks to attack, but we couldn't do that. Such defeats are certainly painful, but we have another match in two days. We need to switch gears quickly, prepare well, and strive to win."