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 came because Kajiyama used me well. I was sure the pass would come. I knew the DF was closing in, but I was able to kick facing forward. Today, with Baba and Kajiyama, who could be the starting point of the attack, I wanted to receive the ball between the opponent's midfield and DF line to create a gap. We scored early in the second half, but things went bad after that. Although the opponent's pace had dropped, that goal gave them momentum. For everyone who kept coming to Ajinomoto, I wanted to show our spirit in the final home game. I'm frustrated that I couldn't do that." 《Hatta》"Considering balance, especially in the first half, we played a good game, but fatigue showed at the end. I'm very frustrated to have conceded from my own mistake, but I want to build the strength to bounce back from this. I had injuries this year, but I approached this match wanting everyone to see how hard I worked throughout the year. I tried to raise my voice and fight as one team. I think we were able to do that. The cheers were very encouraging. Next, we want to fight as one team toward the Emperor's Cup."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "Omiya seemed to be focused in their fight to avoid relegation. I don't think our performance was bad, but just before entering stoppage time, we were overturned in a way that symbolized this season, losing our chance. There have been various reports about my resignation and the players, and each player had a strong desire to win at Ajinomoto in the last match of the season. Because of that, they may have been a bit too tense. With Moniwa and Konno suspended, we used Hatta and Ikegami. Both did well, and especially Hatta was nearly perfect except for the mistake. However, his legs cramped a bit, so I substituted Inoha. I think Ikegami also did well enough. Baba had just returned from surgery, so to avoid backlash, I substituted him. Also, since there were many situations where Lucas was the only one inside for crosses, I brought in Hirayama so he could approach the area differently from Baba. Considering the upcoming Emperor's Cup and to gain various options, I made an early substitution to prevent Baba's injury from recurring. I wanted to give everyone a victory in the last home game, but... I have no regrets about the challenges we took on this year with FC Tokyo, and many players like Hatta, Ikegami, and Kajiyama have personally improved. It is my responsibility that this did not lead to results. There are players who are starting to show promise, and what we need to do now is prepare well for the Emperor's Cup together with Baba, Kajiyama, Moniwa, Konno, and others. We must not let this past year be wasted for both the team and myself."

　[Summary of Omiya Manager Satoru SAKUMA's Press Conference] "We drew with Kofu in the previous match, and now only the matches against Tokyo and Kawasaki remain. I told the players that today's match against FC Tokyo might be our last chance to secure survival on our own and avoid the relegation playoffs. Ajinomoto Stadium has a somewhat unique pitch, and FC Tokyo has strong individual players; I thought Tokyo would be stronger in battles. Therefore, we prepared to counter man-to-man marking and to never lose in the fight for second balls. We started FW Yoshihara intentionally to exploit the space behind Tokyo's defensive line. I thought a 0-0 score at halftime away would be acceptable, but from the middle of the first half, Tokyo's pressure weakened. The combination of Lucas and Baba was a threat, but when Hirayama came on, I believed the vital area would no longer be broken down. However, since Tokyo was likely to win second balls, we brought in Saito and switched to a 4-1-4-1 formation to contest them. But because we conceded very early in the second half, when I was thinking about how to switch to attack, MF Fujimoto scored the equalizer. It was a goal exactly as planned, with FW Yoshihara exploiting the space left by Kanazawa moving forward. It was a very tough match, and FW Morita, MF Fujimoto, and MF Yoshiyuki KOBAYASHI were in difficult physical condition, but in the end, DF Leandro scored, and substitutes FW Sakurai, MF Hashimoto, and MF Saito understood their roles well and fought hard. We focused on a triangle with Saito and the two CBs to create a free man and increase ball control. I think we controlled the game as we intended. These 3 points have great significance in the club's history. Also, I am neither a philosopher nor a religious person, but I do believe there is a god of football, and if you work hard every day and keep moving forward, you might receive blessings like we did today."