Covering for the absence of Minobe and Konno, let's win the final home match!

　In Sec. 33 of the league, we will face Omiya Ardija. Time flies, and we are now at the final home match, which will be the last game of the season at Ajinomoto. In the previous match against G Osaka, we finally showed our momentum and resilience, displaying the soccer style characteristic of Tokyo. This match is a culmination of the season. We will give our all to seize victory and meet the expectations of everyone who has continued to support us.

　However, Shigenobu and Konno are suspended. Also, Hirayama and Inoha joined the team only two days before due to Olympic qualifiers, so they will start on the bench. On the other hand, Ishikawa has returned in good form, and Baba and Kajiyama, who just returned to the lineup last match, are also improving their condition to start. Up front is Lucas, with Baba playing just behind him, and Ikegami and Kajiyama forming the holding midfield. Hatta, making his first start, will serve as center-back, and they will work together as a unit to cover for each other as they face the match.

　Omiya is currently in 15th place with 31 points. They will likely come at us with everything they've got to secure their spot in J1. It is essential that we do not lose to their intensity. The key will be how we can break down Omiya's solid defense, which concedes few goals. If Baba, Kajiyama, and others can create rhythm and seize control, we should be able to create chances. To evade Omiya's intense pressing, we want to launch speedy attacks. On defense, we need to be cautious of their precise counters. If we lose the ball while attacking, Omiya can quickly carry it to our goal and gain momentum. We want to switch between offense and defense quickly to prevent any potential crises.

　At Ajinomoto, where a gentle day shines, the match started at exactly 14:00 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Controlled the ball and advanced with an advantage, but...

　Both teams cautiously rose to their feet, and the ball continued to move back and forth within each side's territory. In the 5th minute, a pass from Omiya reached Fujiyama in the Tokyo area, and Fujiyama quickly sent a feed to the right front line. Ishikawa caught up with it, and Lucas attempted to connect with the cross, but it was cleared by the Omiya defense. In the 9th minute, Omiya forward Yoshihara broke through on the left side, but Fujiyama picked up the cross and initiated a counterattack. Baba quickly connected with Ikegami and Ishikawa to win a corner kick, but Baba's right corner was cut off by Omiya. In the 11th minute, a free kick was earned on the left side of the Omiya area, and Baba sent a ball to the center, where Kajiyama took a mid-range shot. However, this was blocked by Omiya's wall.

　Omiya also approached the Tokyo goal mainly through set plays, but as they defended without any issues, Baba, Kajiyama, and Kurizawa gradually connected short passes to dominate the midfield. In the 17th minute, Ishikawa, who entered the right area from Kanazawa's early cross, dropped the ball, and Lucas → Tokunaga, who moved to the center, and Kajiyama connected passes persistently but were ultimately surrounded and lost the ball. In the 18th minute, from Ishikawa's dribble shot, Kajiyama and Ikegami connected the rebound, earning a corner kick from Tokunaga's cross. However, Hatta's header from Baba's right corner kick did not hit the target.

　After that, they maintained possession of the ball and advanced into the opponent's territory, but Omiya's defense was quick to recover. Even when they sent in crosses, they were cleared away, and they couldn't create any decisive chances. In the 25th minute, they lost the ball in the opponent's half, and Omiya's midfielder Kobayashi Daichi passed to forward Yoshihara, who broke free and was in a shooting position close to the goal. They created a chance with a single vertical pass, but Shiota's brave advance allowed them to escape to a corner kick. After defending that, Tokyo regained their rhythm. In the 29th minute, Baba broke out from Kanazawa's through pass. In the 32nd minute, Kajiyama cleared an opponent's pass in their own half, and Ikegami passed to Kajiyama on the left, who then sent it to Kurisawa at the far side. Kurisawa headed it down to Baba in the area and received a return pass to cross. They launched good attacks from direct passes and wide plays, but all were defended well.

　In the 42nd minute, Omiya's DF Murayama sent a long ball to the goal area, where FW Morita dropped the ball for MF Kataoka, who took a shot from outside the left area. This was blocked by Hatta. They attempted to launch a counterattack, but could not finish due to the quick return of Omiya's DF. In the end, the number of shots in the first half was 4 for Omiya and 2 for Tokyo. Despite having the advantage in midfield, they could not break through Omiya's solid defense, and the half ended without any goals.

Ishikawa opened the scoring, but lost rhythm due to Omiya's equalizer, resulting in a painful comeback defeat.

　In the second half, with expectations for a goal, we scored the opening goal early on as planned. In the 46th minute, Omiya's forward Yoshihara targeted behind Tokyo's defense, but Hatta closely marked him and conceded a corner kick. From the flow of this corner kick, the ball went to Tokyo, allowing them to evade Omiya's press and launch a quick counterattack. In the 47th minute, Baba advanced through the center, and Kajiyama cut back past Omiya's defense to pass to Tokunaga, who was moving up the side. Kajiyama then ran further up to the edge of the area, received a return pass from Tokunaga, and with a heel flick from his right foot, sent the ball into the area. Ishikawa, matching this pass, struck the ball powerfully with his right foot while falling down, scoring a goal! The opening goal came from quick passing, Kajiyama's unexpected play, and Ishikawa's sharp movement in front of the goal.

　However, the joy of the goal did not last long. Two minutes after taking the lead, the opposing defender sent a feed into Tokyo's territory. It was an ordinary ball, but Hatta, who went to retrieve it, got his foot caught in the grass and lost control, allowing Omiya forward Yoshihara to sprint forward. Ikegami's sliding tackle was also too late, and a negative pass sent from near the goal line was easily met by Omiya midfielder Fujimoto in the center, resulting in a goal... In the blink of an eye, they were equalized.

　Still, there was time left. In the 55th minute, Kurisawa picked up a clearance from Omiya's defense after Baba's left corner kick and took a shot from the middle, but it went straight to Omiya's goalkeeper. In the 56th minute, Lucas, who was persistent with a long cross from Kurisawa, dropped the ball in front of the area, and Ishikawa aimed for the goal but missed the target. In the 57th minute, Omiya's Leandro sent a long ball to the front line, which Tokyo's defense failed to clear, and MF Fujimoto headed the ball into the area after it bounced just outside the box. FW Yoshihara slid in, and his looping shot just went over the bar. It was a tense moment. To cut off Omiya's momentum, Tokyo substituted Hirayama for Baba in the 58th minute, aiming for an additional goal with an attack centered around Hirayama.

　In the 62nd minute, Kurizawa received a switch and evaded the opponent on the left side, cutting into the area and sending a pass in front of the goal. However, Kajiyama and Lucas closed in, but they couldn't take a shot. In the 64th minute, Inoha was brought in to replace Hatta, who had cramped up. However, Omiya also substituted midfielder Saito for forward Yoshihara. Both teams played with one striker, quickly sending the ball forward and competing for second balls. In the 76th minute, Suzuki Norio was brought in on the left side to replace Ikegami, with Kurizawa moving to the defensive midfield position in an attempt to aim for a second goal. As the battle for the ball continued, in the 84th minute, Suzuki Norio made a cross from the left side after a setup from Hirayama. Hirayama attempted a header, but it went over the bar...

　In a back-and-forth match, it was in the 89th minute when it seemed like the game would end as is. After cutting off the opponent's ball, Lucas, Ishikawa, and Hirayama attempted to attack but lost the ball. Omiya DF Leandro charged forward with a fierce dribble into Tokyo's territory. None of the Tokyo players could stop him. DF Leandro received a return pass as he collided with Fujiyama and Omiya MF Kobayashi, then surged into the penalty area. Inohara chased after him but couldn't catch up, and the shot pierced the net...

　They did not give up until the end, targeted Hirayama for a power play, and in the stoppage time corner kick, Shiota also moved up to aim for a goal, but it was unsuccessful. It was a painful comeback loss in a match where the mistakes repeated throughout this season appeared once again. They could not finish the final home game with a victory.

　【Player Comments】《Ishikawa》"The goal was set up well by Kajiwara. I was sure the pass would come. I understood that the DF was closing in, but I was able to kick while facing forward. Today, with Baba and Kajiwara as the starting point of our attack, I wanted to receive the ball and create gaps between the opponent's midfield and DF line. We scored early in the second half, but then things went poorly. Even though the opponent's pace had dropped, that goal gave them momentum. I wanted to show our determination for everyone who continued to come to Ajinomoto for our final home match. I regret that I couldn't do that." 《Hatta》"Considering the balance, we played well, especially in the first half, but fatigue showed at the end. I am very frustrated to have conceded a goal from my mistake, but I want to develop the strength to bounce back from this. There were injuries this year, but I approached this match wanting everyone to see how hard I have worked throughout the year. We tried to fight as one team with vocal support. I think we managed to do that. The cheers were very encouraging. Next, I want us to fight together as a team towards the Emperor's Cup."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "Omiya was focused on the match, perhaps due to the tension of the relegation battle. I don't think we played poorly, but we were turned around just before entering stoppage time in a way that symbolizes our season, losing our chance. There have been various reports about my resignation and the players, and each player had a strong desire to win in the last match at Ajinomoto this season. That may have caused us to put in a bit too much effort. With Minobe and Konno suspended, I used Hatta and Ikegami. Both did well, and especially Hatta was nearly perfect except for the mistake. However, he was cramping a bit, so I substituted him for Inoha. I think Ikegami also performed well. Baba had just returned from surgery, so I substituted him to avoid any backlash. There were many situations where Lucas was the only one in the box for crosses, so I brought in Hirayama to attack in a different way than Baba. To consider various options for the upcoming Emperor's Cup and to ensure Baba's injury doesn't recur, I substituted him early. I wanted to present a victory to everyone in the last home game, but... I have no regrets about the challenges I've faced with FC Tokyo this past year, and many players like Hatta, Ikegami, and Kajiyama have personally developed. The fact that this hasn't translated into results is my responsibility. There are players who are starting to bloom, and what we need to do now is to prepare well for the Emperor's Cup with Baba, Kajiyama, Minobe, Konno, and others. We must ensure that this past year is not wasted for both the team and myself."

　【Omiya Coach Sakuma's Press Conference Summary】 "In the last match, we drew with Kofu, and now we have the Tokyo and Kawasaki matches left. I told the players that today's match against FC Tokyo might be our last chance to secure our survival on our own and avoid the relegation playoff. Ajinomoto Stadium has a somewhat unique pitch, and FC Tokyo has strong individual players, so I thought they would be stronger in battles. Therefore, we prepared to ensure we wouldn't lose in man-to-man situations and in picking up second balls. I used FW Yoshihara as a starter, intentionally to exploit the space behind Tokyo's defensive line. I thought it would be okay to go into halftime at 0-0 away, but from midway through the first half, Tokyo's pressure weakened. The combination of Lucas and Baba was a threat, but when Hirayama came on, I believed we wouldn't be broken down in the vital area. However, since Tokyo was likely to win second balls, I brought in Saito and shifted to a 4-1-4-1 formation to pick them up. Unfortunately, we conceded too early in the second half, and while I was thinking about how to switch to attack, MF Fujimoto scored the equalizer. It was a goal that followed the plan where FW Yoshihara used the space created by Kanazawa. It was a very tough match, and FW Morita, MF Fujimoto, and MF Yoshiyuki Kobayashi had a hard time condition-wise, but in the end, DF Leandro scored, and substitutes FW Sakurai, MF Hashimoto, and MF Saito understood their roles well and fought hard. Saito and the two center-backs focused on creating a triangle to increase ball possession. I believe we were able to control the game as we intended. This three points is of great significance in the club's history. Also, while I am neither a philosopher nor a religious person, I do believe that there is a god of soccer, and if we work hard every day and keep moving forward, there might be some kind of blessing like we experienced today."