Final match of the league! The team unites to aim for 3 points

　The final league match will be an away game against Ventforet Kofu. In the previous match against Omiya, we suffered a comeback loss due to the opponent's determination to avoid relegation. Each player expressed, "We absolutely cannot end like this," promising to fight with a strong desire to win. As a united team, we aim for victory with dynamic soccer.

　Kofu, on the other hand, confirmed their 17th place in the previous match, resulting in their relegation to J2. It is a difficult situation for them to maintain motivation, but they will likely not give up until the end and aim for victory at home. Coach Hara also warned, "With Kofu's ranking decided, they will likely showcase their style of play and Kofu-ness more than ever before." It is expected that they will press with numbers to regain possession and connect passes quickly in tight spaces. In response, if Tokyo tries to counter in narrow situations, it will play into the opponent's hands. The key will be to use the pitch wide, settle the ball with Baba and Kajiyama, and then develop attacks towards the front line and the sides.

　Tokyo's Kurizawa has injured his right foot and will not participate. Instead, Noriyuki SUZUKI will start. Additionally, Kajiyama has been adjusting with a different menu due to a bruise on his right thigh, but he will also start. Coach Hara reflected, "In the Omiya match, we were able to circulate the ball, but there were few opportunities to finish. We ended up losing the ball and were countered." It is crucial to address this issue and connect it to goals. By not losing in midfield battles and thoroughly implementing Tokyo's style, we want to seize the momentum. Aiming for a battle that leads to future success, we want to fight fiercely and passionately to secure victory.

　The match started at 14:34 with a kickoff from Kofu at the Kose Sports Park Athletics Stadium.

Although they were on the defensive against Kofu's momentum, they ended the first half without conceding a goal.

　From the start of the match, Kofu completely took control of the rhythm with their quick start. In the 7th minute, Kofu's left FK taken by MF Onishi was cleared by Shigeno. It went out for a corner kick. In the 11th minute, a ball from a right FK was free for FW Shigehara at the far post, but this volley shot went well wide of the goal. In the 12th minute, while trying to connect in the Tokyo half, the ball was stolen, and Kofu FW Haji immediately passed into the area. FW Shigehara broke free and faced the GK one-on-one, but Shiota quickly rushed out to cut the ball, making a fine play to escape the danger.

　Even when Tokyo applies pressure and takes the ball, they are quickly dispossessed the moment they try to connect passes, failing to maintain possession. They are then attacked by Kofu, repeatedly stopping play with fouls and giving away set-piece opportunities. Nevertheless, they remained focused in defense, and thanks to Shiota's fine play, they did not concede a goal. In the 27th minute, Kofu FW Haneji received a pass during a counterattack and sent it to FW Shigehara, who drifted to the right. A shot was taken from inside the right area, but once again, Shiota made a great save.

　Although the time of patience continued, after 30 minutes, the shape of the attack gradually began to form. In the 31st minute, a loose ball was seized in the Kofu area, and Konno sent a floating pass to the front line. Noriyuki Suzuki broke free in the left area but could not shoot in front of the quickly returning Kofu defender. In the 33rd minute, Lucas caught up with a ball sent by Kajiyama into the space on the left front line, passing it to Noriyuki Suzuki who was coming up from the outside. The cross hit the defender and earned a corner kick. Ishikawa's left corner kick was aimed at Konno, but the header did not connect. In the 41st minute, Kawaguchi was brought in to replace Tadashi Baba, who injured his right ankle. They formed a two-top with Lucas and decided not to force the ball but to launch a quick attack using the space. After that, a back-and-forth battle continued, but the first half ended 0-0.

Despite the struggles, we celebrate victory in the final league match!

　In the second half, although Tokyo struggled against Kofu's strong ball contests and quick transitions, they positioned Lucas as an attacking midfielder and Kawaguchi as the lone striker. Kawaguchi made runs into the spaces on both sides, gradually creating chances. In the 53rd minute, Kawaguchi burst forward on the right flank and was brought down while cutting inside, earning a free kick at the left corner of the penalty area. Ishikawa's free kick was blocked by the wall, but the loose ball was connected and sent to the center, where Norio SUZUKI shot from the scramble in front of the goal. However, it went over the crossbar. In the 56th minute, Kawaguchi, while entangled with a Kofu defender on the right side, persistently won a right corner kick. Ishikawa's corner was cleared once, but the loose ball was connected, and Kajiyama dribbled inside, with Kanazawa following up from the left and taking a shot, but it went wide.

　In the 61st minute, Rychely was brought on to replace Kanazawa. Utilizing his speed, he began to develop wide attacks. In the 62nd minute, a left cross from Rychely was dropped by Ishikawa, and Lucas, who ran in from behind, took a shot. The shape was created, but it lacked power, and the GK caught it. In the 67th minute, a counterattack went from Kajiyama to Lucas to Rychely, who dribbled forward and took a shot from just outside the area, but it went over the goal. In the 70th minute, Ishikawa broke out from a pass to the front line by Fujiyama, leading to a cross and a corner kick. From there, they persistently picked up the second ball and attacked into Kofu's territory. However, Ishikawa, who was positioned right in front of the goal, was too close to the GK and couldn't take a shot. They picked up the loose ball again and connected, but in the end, Kajiyama's through pass went out of bounds.

　Both teams launched quick attacks, and in the final stages, there was a back-and-forth of counterattacks. In the 80th minute, Kawaguchi broke through on the right side and delivered a sharp cross. However, it did not connect with Rychely or Lucas. Kofu's MF Yamazaki made a run into the goal area to meet a vertical pass. The one-on-one shot against the goalkeeper was saved by Shiota, and a foul was called on MF Yamazaki's play before that. Shiota was injured but quickly returned. As the back-and-forth battle continued, in the 86th minute, Rychely on the left side passed to Tokunaga on the right, who dribbled in and made a through pass to the front line. Lucas, who broke through in response, was fouled in the area, earning a penalty kick. In the 87th minute, Lucas himself converted it cleanly, finally scoring the opening goal.

　Still not giving up, Kofu goes on the attack. In the 88th minute, a crucial header from DF Akimoto is made from a Kofu free kick, but Shioda makes a wonderful save to keep the goal secure. In the 89th minute, Asari is brought on for Kajiama to strengthen the defense. Kofu sends a cross in front of the goal and attacks with numbers, but they hold on to the one goal scored by Lucas from a penalty kick, winning the final match. They finished the league season in 12th place.

　【Player Comments】《Lucas》"We managed to keep a scoreless game until a tough period, but I’m glad I scored an important goal and we were able to win. Kofu was more motivated than expected, but it was good that we held on in the first half. After Nobu and Rychely came on in the second half, we were able to commit more players to offense and push forward. In the end, Kofu’s stamina dropped, and I think we created chances as well. (You ran to Coach Hara right after the goal?) Like me, all the players on the team are grateful to Coach Hara. I wanted to express that feeling, but even if someone else had scored, I’m sure they would have run to the coach."《Shiota》"This victory was thanks to everyone holding on. The good mentality of persevering and not giving up while pushing toward the goal was the key to winning this tough game. In the first half, we tried to press from the front, but Kofu easily cleared and kept possession up front. Because of that, we became stretched out. In the second half, we kept a more compact shape and I think we were able to create chances. (You made many fine saves, right?) Recently Fuji-san told me ‘You don’t have luck,’ so I’m glad I was able to stop them (laughs). Looking back on this season’s league, many things happened, but I was happy to have the support even in tough times. Our strength was not enough, and this is the result, but I’m proud to have fought with this group. The Emperor's Cup is a knockout tournament, so we want to focus on winning no matter what. For that, we will raise the quality of our play and fight with the determination to absolutely win even in tough situations like today."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "Although Kofu's relegation to J2 has been confirmed, since today was the final match of the J1 League, I thought they would show their true Kofu style, and I told the players that as well. I believe today's match was exactly that. Kofu used their strength of connecting short passes and launching quick attacks. Against that, if we tried to connect passes like Kofu, we would get surrounded and lose the ball, so we decided to quickly spread the ball to the sides once we gained possession. However, despite knowing this, the opponent's pressure made it difficult to execute well. Baba injured his ankle in the first half, and since it seemed difficult for him, we substituted him. I instructed Kawaguchi to make runs into space and to think about sending the ball there once we won possession. From there, the pace changed. Defensively, it seemed like the unpleasant feeling from conceding to Omiya at the end of the previous match lingered, but centered around Shiota, the team held up well. Especially in the first half, the defense was solid. I think Kofu played truly wonderful football. Kajiyama had a slight bruise from practice and was not at full strength. However, at halftime, we made adjustments regarding his partnership and spacing with Konno, and the second half improved. In the end, we scored from a penalty kick and were able to finish the final match with a victory, which I am glad about. (How do you summarize this year?) If I start talking about that, it will get very long (laughs). We are very disappointed not to have achieved the results the fans expected. However, despite injuries and players missing due to national team duties, the remaining players were able to compete fiercely and each grew. This will definitely lead to future success. The league matches have ended, but the Emperor's Cup continues, so we want to keep working hard."

　[Summary of Coach Oki's Press Conference] "I wanted to score somehow in the first half. That was the reason for Tokyo's counterattack in the second half. It ended up being a similar result to the last match. The league season has ended, but we are still in the Emperor's Cup, so I want to do my best. I am very grateful to all the fans. I believe that, including the club staff and sponsors, we have been able to grow as a club. Also, getting to know many people, including the players, is something I consider my treasure."