Surpassing Chiba's momentum, aiming for a 5-game winning streak!

　In Sec. 27 of the league, we will face JEF United Chiba away. In the previous match against Shimizu, the start was a game of patience, but we managed to endure it and scored two goals to win. Although the performance was not particularly good, the ability to secure three points shows the current momentum of the team. Additionally, Konno mentioned, "Until now, we have been casually overlooking small points for reflection, but we are communicating and correcting them together. Being able to do this during the match is a factor in our victory," highlighting our remarkable turnaround after four consecutive losses in August.

　Chiba, with 34 points, is in 11th place. In the last four matches, they have scored 12 goals and conceded 2 (Tokyo has scored 12 goals and conceded 1), showing a good balance between offense and defense. When they regain possession, their counterattacks, with players breaking out from midfield and defense, are quite threatening. For Tokyo, it is important not only to clarify the marking responsibilities but also to apply pressure from the front and regain possession with aggressive defense. Avoiding half-hearted plays and not allowing "strange turnovers" (Coach Hara) will also be crucial.

　The key to this match will likely be the transition between offense and defense. If Ishikawa and Kurizawa can exploit the space on the sides of Chiba's three-back defense with quicker transitions than ever before, they should be able to create plenty of chances. Akamine, who is quick to move, will serve as the starting point, and with Fukunishi and Konno coordinating their movements to disrupt the opponent's defense, they will want to launch an attack that is both fast and robust.

　Shioda said, "Recently, no one has been slacking off, and our movements in both offense and defense have been coming together. However, we can't just try to fight the same way. Instead, we need to aim higher and achieve results." He calmly analyzed the battles so far and is fully motivated. Taking a step ahead of the opponent. Following the match against Shimizu, we aim for victory with soccer that surpasses Chiba's momentum. The match started at 19:02 with Chiba's kickoff.

Chiba's relentless attack leaves no options. The first half ends with a two-goal deficit.

　Tokyo attacks from the start of the match. In the 1st minute, Ishikawa on the right side boldly cuts in for a cross. It didn't reach Lucas, but Konno, who followed up on the opponent's defender's clearance, took a shot from distance. He showed an aggressive attitude, but the shot did not hit the target and went to the goalkeeper. In the 2nd minute, they approached the Chiba goal and earned two right corner kicks. Ishikawa's kick was dropped by Konno at the far post, and Akamine, who jumped in from the right, aimed for the goal but was blocked by the opponent's defender. Maintaining the momentum so far, they attacked rhythmically and pushed Chiba back.

　However, after that, it was Chiba's pace. In the 4th minute, Chiba FW Niinai broke through on Tokyo's right side and sent a low cross. Chiba's right MF Mizuno ran in free to the spilled ball outside the area and took a powerful shot. Moniwa blocked it with his body. They barely managed to hold on, but in the 9th minute, they allowed Chiba to take the lead from a counterattack. From MF Mizuno's feed to the front line, the ball contested by FW Maki went to FW Niinai, who charged forward with a dribble. The shot taken from the left outside the area found the right side of the goal.

　Contrary to expectations, Chiba kicked the ball forward, causing the DF line to drop back, and the balls that spilled between the MF and DF were picked up one after another. They lost in duels and were unable to win the ball at all. Even when they seized opportunities from FK and CK, they instead created decisive moments from counterattacks, failing to establish a rhythm in their offense. Then, in the 30th minute, the DF's return was delayed step by step against Chiba's counter. On the right side, they were shaken by MF Mizuno's pass, leading to MF Sato in front of the goal. Although they cleared it once, it was short, and MF Kudo, who was there, shot from just outside the area. It was placed in the left corner, allowing the second goal.

　Immediately after conceding a goal, Ishikawa advanced up the right side, cutting inside while holding off the opposing DF, and took a forceful shot that was saved by the GK. However, Chiba's momentum did not change. A powerful shot from a free kick by Chiba's MF Mizuno was well saved by Shiota, and a shot from close range by DF Nakajima from a corner kick hit the post. It was a situation where conceding one or two more goals would not have been surprising, but they somehow ended the first half with only two goals conceded, hoping for better in the second half.

The determination for victory pushed Chiba until the end, but they fell just short.

　At halftime, the coach said, "We are losing to Chiba in both physicality and effort. We cannot end this way for the fans who came to support us," and I went onto the pitch. Then, completely different from the first half, we took control from the start. Right away, Akamine broke forward with a feed to the front line and fell in a challenge in the area, but there was no foul. In the 46th minute, Ishikawa broke through on the right side and crossed. Kurizawa rushed in from the opposite side, but his trap was too high and caught by the opposing goalkeeper. We responded tenaciously in one-on-one challenges, winning the ball and launching two or three subsequent attacks.

　In the 51st minute, Rychely and Norio SUZUKI were brought on to replace Ishikawa and Kurisawa, further accelerating the momentum. In the 54th minute, Rychely evaded the opposing DF in the area and took a decisive shot, but it went just over the top right. In the 55th minute, Fukunishi in the right area was set to shoot from a restart. However, it was blocked by the DF and resulted in a right corner kick. In the 56th minute, Rychely advanced on the right side and delivered a cross. The opposing DF cleared it, resulting in another right corner kick. The loose ball fell to Norio SUZUKI, who kicked it again. Lucas and Akamine dove in but narrowly missed connecting with the cross. In the 58th minute, Rychely cut in from the right and took a powerful shot, but it was met with a great save by the opposing GK.

　However, in the 60th minute, taking advantage of a momentary lapse, Chiba made a quick pass forward on a counterattack. Receiving the ball, Chiba's forward Niinai charged towards the goal with a dribble, and Tokunaga fouled him in the area, resulting in a penalty kick and allowing the third goal. It was a painful goal to concede, especially after building good momentum in the attack, but it was still not the time to give up, and Tokyo continued to press forward without losing heart. In the 65th minute, Hirayama was brought in to replace Kanazawa, forming a two-top with Akamine. Lucas moved to the left, while Noriyuki Suzuki took care of the side-back position, creating a highly offensive formation.

　Then, in the 68th minute, Noriyuki Suzuki's left free kick was cleared in front of the goal, but Taira Shige picked up the loose ball on the opposite side and sent in another cross. At the far post, Shige returned it, and Konno headed it in for a goal. They pulled one back. After that, Hirayama and Akamine broke through, dribbling into the area but were forced to concede a corner. In the 74th minute, Akamine contested for the ball, and Konno quickly sent a through pass to the front line. Fukunishi broke free in front of the goal and shot with his left foot while sliding, but was blocked by the goalkeeper. However, in the 77th minute, Shige stole the ball and moved forward, sending a well-timed through pass, and once again Fukunishi broke free in front of the goal, getting into shooting position but was brought down from behind, earning a penalty kick. Lucas calmly converted it, bringing the score to a one-goal difference.

　With more than 10 minutes remaining, the fans quickly became excited. In the 82nd minute, a free kick was awarded just before the central area. Noriyuki SUZUKI took a powerful left-footed shot, but it was blocked by the wall. In the 86th minute, Lucas passed to Hirayama on the left. Fukunishi advanced to the sideline and crossed. The clearance by Chiba's defender went out of bounds, resulting in a corner kick. Noriyuki SUZUKI's left corner kick reached Hirayama, but the trap was off. The attack continued even into stoppage time. First, from Akamine's post, Hirayama skillfully broke free in front of the defenders and took a shot from just outside the area, but it veered to the right of the goal. Next, Hirayama controlled a long feed from Konno, and Akamine took a one-touch shot. It was a good opportunity, but the distance was slightly too far and the ball veered left. The last chance came from Tokunaga's long throw, followed by a clearance and another right cross from Tokunaga. Hirayama, positioned in front of the goal, took a difficult right-footed heel shot, but the goalkeeper caught it. They pressed Chiba until the very end but fell just short. It ended in a defeat.

　【Player Comments】<Konno> "The team was different between the first and second halves. In the second half, we had more energy and determination. The first half's performance is regrettable. Today was not the Chiba we expected. They didn't keep possession but bypassed our press and kicked the ball forward. We couldn't respond, the defense opened up in front, and the line stretched out. I was focusing on space marking, but when they kicked the ball, I thought something was off... and that’s how the first half went. They picked up the loose balls, and when we dropped back to defend, they connected passes, moved well, and broke through, making it tough. The second half was clearly our pace, and we wanted to somehow turn it around... but we lacked the strength." <Norio SUZUKI> "I wanted to break down the side with Rychely and score together. Even though we were two goals down, I thought if I played my usual style, it would be fine. We had chances, but not finishing them is an issue. If I had scored from free kicks or during open play, I could have become a starter. However, I think we are starting to play Tokyo-style football. Many fans came from far away in the rain, and it’s really frustrating not to win. The next match against Yokohama FM is at Ajinomoto in the Nabisco Cup, where we lost, so I want to win and erase that bad memory."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "For about the first five minutes, we were able to press forward as planned and had chances such as shots. However, I felt that JEF kicked the ball to FW Maki earlier than expected. The loose balls were picked up by MF Sato and FW Arai, and the rhythm changed. Since JEF marked us closely, I instructed the team to aim for spaces rather than passing at their feet. However, due to the opponent's quick reactions, when Ishikawa moved inside to hold the ball, it was taken away, leading to many counterattack situations. I think that allowed JEF to take control of the rhythm. In fact, we conceded the second goal from such a situation. JEF's quick breaks made it difficult for us to respond. In the second half, I instructed the team to keep it simpler because trying to connect finely on the same side led to turnovers and counters. Since there was little change, I brought in speedy players Norio SUZUKI and Rychely. Rychely's breakthroughs and Norio SUZUKI's left foot shifted the initiative to us. We were hoping to score one goal, but then conceded a penalty from a counterattack, which made things tough. However, everyone worked hard after that, and there were moments when we almost caught up. I want to commend the team for not giving up until the end despite the situation, but we should have done that from the start. From the middle of the first half, I think we were overwhelmed by JEF's strengths. Still, Hirayama and Rychely, who came on later, did well. With seven matches remaining, we want to bring in fresh players and keep fighting."

　[Summary of Coach Amal's Press Conference in Chiba] "It's unfortunate that there are no matches in September for 280 days. The next game is in October. Let's see what happens. (After 5 consecutive wins and reaching 10th place?) To stay in J1 next year, we need about 5 or 6 more points. We must not forget where we were a month and a half ago. It's the same coach and players after all. (The first half was perfect, but the second half was tough?) I think it was a good match for the spectators. However, it was a tough match for me. What’s disappointing is that we couldn’t control the game in the second half as we did in the first half. In an interview 2-3 days ago, I said, "Matches against Tokyo always have many goals. It will probably be such a match," and it actually turned out that way. Of course, Tokyo, with such momentum, changed their lineup in the second half, so I think it was inevitable. Also, I think today's match exposed that JEF is still not a mature team. A mature team, when leading 3-0, would score additional goals to secure the win. But we can’t do that. That’s the difference between us and Gamba or Kawasaki Frontale. (Why were you able to control the opponent in the first half?) We were playing football for the first 60 minutes, so we could control the opponent. The remaining 30 minutes were like rugby. That’s why the momentum shifted to the opponent. It’s an exaggerated way to say it, but in reality, Tokyo can play matches like rugby. When it becomes that kind of match, we can’t respond. In that sense, Tokyo was better in the last 30 minutes. It wouldn’t have been surprising if we had conceded a third goal."