Winning the ball and victory at Ajinomoto

　The 28th round of the league will welcome Yokohama F. Marinos at home. In the previous round, they were defeated by Chiba and their winning streak was stopped. The players are determined to not lose again and to repay their debt in the Nabisco Cup. This season, they have faced Yokohama FM three times, winning twice away. In the Nabisco Cup, they were eliminated from the semifinals due to a loss at home, so the players have a strong desire for revenge. They will continue to show the momentum they displayed in the second half of the Chiba game and aim for victory at Ajinomoto Stadium.

　In this round, Inaba started as a right back due to Tokunaga's suspension. In the midfield, Norio Suzuki was placed on the left and Rychely on the right. Both are expected to use their speed and create attacks from the sides. Evaldo also made it to the bench for the first time in three games. Konda also made his first appearance in the team.

　Yokohama FM, currently in 6th place with 42 points, will face Ajinomoto. In the last two matches, they suffered consecutive losses against Urawa and Omiya, despite dominating the game, they were unable to score and ended up losing. They quickly send the ball to the front line after stealing it, with FW Oshima as the starting point and FW Sakata attacking the space. If they can hold their ground in the front line, the speedy attack with MF Koji YAMASE and both side backs aggressively pushing forward is still effective. It will be a battle between two teams known for their solid defense and quick attacks. The key will be to maintain a compact formation and not lose in the battle for loose balls. Let's start strong and take control of the game for a victory! The game started at 2:04 PM at the PEACE STADIUM on a beautiful autumn day.

Lacking accuracy and decisiveness in finishing, unable to make the most of opportunities.

　From the start, both teams fought for possession and launched quick attacks. Tokyo created chances from the wings. In the 1st minute, Lucas made a pass to the left and Kanazawa sent a ground through pass behind the opponent's DF. Akamine broke free and took a shot, but it was saved by the GK. In the 3rd minute, Akamine dribbled in from the left and crossed to the goal. Norio Suzuki made a strong run into the center, but couldn't get a good shot off. In the 5th minute, Rychely stole the ball from the opponent's DF and passed to Fukunishi, who then passed to Inonami. Akamine headed the cross from the right, but it was blocked by the opponent's DF.

　Yokohama FM did not create any real chances, and in the 12th minute, Kanazawa, who had advanced from a side change by Inonami, aimed for the goal after receiving a return from Akamine. In the 17th minute, Rychely made a move in the right area and passed to Fukunishi in the center. Fukunishi slipped through the opponent's defense, but his shot lacked power and was saved by the goalkeeper. Although they attacked in the desired manner, they lacked accuracy and decisiveness in their finishes, and were unable to take advantage of their chances.

　After 20 minutes, Yokohama FM gradually started sending quick passes to the front line and found their rhythm. However, Tokyo remained calm and did not allow any decisive chances. In the 29th minute, Yokohama FM quickly restarted the game and MF Koji YAMASE entered the area. He took a shot with momentum, but Shigetaka SHIGETA blocked it and Yuta SHIOTA easily caught it. In the 31st minute, Yokohama FM's MF Erik broke through into the area from a restart and took a shot, but Shigetaka SHIGETA bravely came out and made the save.

　At 35 minutes, MF Koji YAMASE kept the ball from a right throw-in by Yokohama FM and passed it to DF Nasu who overlapped on the outside and cut into the right area. FW Sakata made a run into the near post, but Inonami blocked the shot with a sliding tackle and it went out for a corner kick. Tokyo created chances from quick counterattacks, and at 39 minutes, they won the ball in their own half and Norio SUZUKI dribbled into the opponent's half. Akamine made a run and Norio SUZUKI received the return pass in the area. However, he did not take a shot and the final pass to Lucas did not connect. In the end, Yokohama FM's attacks were easily defended, but they were unable to convert the chances created by Rychely. The first half ended scoreless.

Allowed the first goal, but turned the game around brilliantly with goals from Hirayama and Ishikawa.

　In the second half, Yokohama FM substituted DF Tanaka Hayato for left back Komiyama and brought on MF Yamase Koji as right back. They approached the game with DF Nasu moving to the left. They dominated the ball in the opening minutes and progressed the game in Tokyo's half. In the 47th minute, MF Yamase Koji stole the ball in the midfield and dribbled forward, passing to the left. Receiving the ball, MF Yamase Koji sped into the left corner of the area and took a daring shot. Inaba was able to respond, but the ball was struck with such speed that even the outstretched hand of Shioda couldn't reach it, piercing the ceiling of the net. Caught off guard for a moment, they conceded the first goal with a fine goal from MF Yamase Koji.

　However, Tokyo never gives up and changes the positions of Norio Suzuki and Rychely on the left and right, planning a counterattack. In the 51st minute, Norio Suzuki, Kanazawa, and Akamine enter the area one after another from Rychely's left cross. They create a chance, but there is a foul on the GK and the ball goes to Yokohama FM. In the 58th minute, Yokohama FM's DF Nakazawa takes a shot from a free kick. Shioda makes a save, but the game continues with a back and forth exchange.

　In the situation where they were behind, in the 61st minute, Hirayama was substituted for Akamine. Hirayama collected the ball and tried to break through the situation. This strategy was successful. In the 66th minute, from Inonami's clearance in their own half, Lucas, who had taken the ball from the opponent's DF, made a big side change from the right to the left front line. Rychely, who had chased after this ball with great speed, turned and cut back past one, then two defenders in the left area and crossed the ball. Hirayama then jumped in and scored with a powerful header! This goal, utilizing Rychely's speed and Hirayama's height, brought them level! Furthermore, this goal was the 200th home goal in J1 for Hirayama.

　69 minutes, giving a FK from the left side to Yokohama FM. Although there was a distance, MF Koji YAMASE directly aimed for a sharp shot, but Shioda punched it while colliding with the post. With a great play, they escaped from the pinch and the mood for a counterattack increased. In the 71st minute, Asari was substituted for the tired Fukunishi, and in the 77th minute, Ishikawa was substituted for Rychely, who had cramps in his legs. As a result, this decision was spot on.

　Both teams send the ball to the front line aiming for the "next point" and it becomes a quick exchange. In the 82nd minute, Lucas on the left side passes a liner pass to the right front line. Hirayama jumps and crosses it directly into the middle. Here, Ishikawa jumps in freely and creates a decisive chance, but the timing is just slightly off... However, in the next minute, in the 84th minute, Enomoto, the Yokohama FM goalkeeper, jumps out of the area to clear the long goal kick from Shioda. Norio Suzuki steals the ball that falls short and passes it to Ishikawa who has moved up in the center. Ishikawa traps the ball, calmly volleys it into the goal. They took advantage of the opponent's mistake and turned the game around.

　In stoppage time, while persistently keeping the ball in the front line, everyone maintained their attacking attitude until the end and the time was up. With a solid defense and a planned attack from the sides, they achieved a comeback and accumulated 38 points, also marking their 100th victory in the J1 league.

　【Player Comments】《Ishikawa》"I wanted to maintain good concentration even on the bench and get results. In the previous match, we conceded a goal due to my mistake and it was difficult to keep my emotions in check. But once I stepped onto the pitch, my only thought was to win for the team. When Hirayama equalized, I thought the next goal would decide the outcome. I thought it was an important goal, so I actively went for it. The scoring scene was made possible by Norio Suzuki's good pass. I was only thinking about hitting the target. I don't know how many of my 100 J1 wins I contributed to, but I want to keep adding to that number."《Hirayama》"On the bench, Yokohama FM had control of the pace and we were playing the type of football they wanted us to play, so I thought it would come down to a battle of stamina in the end. I wanted to do my job in the time I was given. I've been practicing heading shots with Coach Hara for a long time, and I think I was able to execute what I've been doing. I was able to do what he always told me, which was to take a step back and then go in. I saw support coming from behind, so I went for it boldly. There was a defender in front of me, but I think I was able to hit the spot where the ball was going to come. My legs were feeling good, so I wanted to make a bold play."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "In the previous match, we had a bad start and were played by Chiba as they intended. We managed to recover in the second half, but we have been preparing for this week to play towards the opponent's goal from the beginning. As expected, Yokohama FM kicked early to FW Sakata and FW Oshima. In the first half, FW Oshima kept the ball and MF Yamase and others picked it up. We wanted to develop more from both sides, but Lucas and Fukunishi went too far inside, and Yokohama FM's central MF Kawai and center back were strong, so we couldn't do it. If the fullbacks could go up, we could have taken the back. Towards the end of the first half, there was a moment when we lacked concentration during a restart, so we paid attention to that. In the second half, Yokohama FM substituted DF Tanaka Hayato for DF Komiyama, so we changed the positions of Suzuki Nori and Rychely, and let DF Tanaka Hayato come forward and aim for the back. Rychely is originally good on the left. If Suzuki Nori goes to the right, he can also come inside and take a shot. There was a bit of a sense of stagnation, so I gave instructions to change it. Next, Akamine is also strong in heading, but it was a bit difficult for him against DF Kurihara and Nakazawa. Therefore, we brought in Ikeda who is energetic. If Ikeda can make the opponent struggle and squeeze inside, the sides will open up. I think Rychely and Suzuki Nori were able to go forward. Also, Fukunishi was unable to return to defense due to fatigue, so we brought in Asari and let Imakawa pick up the ball. In the end, Rychely's leg cramps and we brought in Ishikawa. Ishikawa was not in the starting lineup today, but he used the energy he had saved until the end. The second goal was also created because Suzuki Nori chased after it. Goals are always born from such perseverance. It was not an easy game, and it was not our usual tempo, but Inaba also did well. Hirayama, Suzuki Nori, and Rychely have all fully recovered from their injuries. We want to carry this fight over to the next one. Yokohama FM has the Nabisco Cup in three days, and it may be lucky for us, but we lost at home in the Nabisco Cup and couldn't advance to the semifinals. We want to "return the favor" and I think everyone fought well until the end."

　[Yokohama FM・Manager Hayano's Press Conference Summary] "We had a very disappointing game last time, so we need to work hard again and focus on pressing and moving forward. We also prepared for FC Tokyo's counter attacks. In the first half, we may have received too many counter attacks, but there were no major problems. In the second half, we changed the lineup and scored one goal, but we couldn't follow up with 2 or 3 more chances. Also, recently we have been doing things we shouldn't be doing too much. If FW Oshima had finished the first goal with a shot, there wouldn't have been any problems. The second goal was an unbelievable situation, but this is reality. We need to be careful not to make the same mistakes next time and continue to play the same way. I think the players are also shocked, but the next stage is the Nabisco Cup. It's only 3 days away, but we want to regroup and move forward."