Victory by suppressing Verdy's individual skills in the Tokyo battle for the first time in three years!

　In Sec. 6 of the league, we will face Verdy. Although it will be held at Ajinomoto, we will be fighting as the away team. In the previous match, we achieved a victory at Ajinomoto for the first time in about six months, and this time we aim for consecutive wins in this crucial Tokyo showdown that we absolutely cannot afford to lose. The players have expressed, "The match against Verdy is a battle between clubs. We, who stand on the pitch, want to express that the most," showing their determination.

　However, Moniwa will miss the match due to concerns about his right shoulder. As a result, the center backs will be Sahara and Fujiyama, with Hanyu playing as an attacking midfielder, and Cabore and Akamine forming the two forwards in a 4-3-1-2 formation. Otake, who had been away from the team for U-19 Japan national team activities, will also be on the bench.

　After returning to J1 for the first time in three years, Verdy has made a stunning addition with the signing of FW Hulk. Their attacking power has significantly increased. They achieved their first victory in the last match and should have momentum. This week, MF Kono will be absent due to injury, but it is essential to focus on FW Hulk, along with Diego as the attacking midfielder and left MF Leandro, to contain their powerful individual skills. They want to apply pressure from the front, launch quick counterattacks, and break down the solid defense. If they can create a speedy flow with coordinated movements in both offense and defense, they should be able to exploit any gaps. Let's contain Verdy's individual skills as a team and aim for victory!

　On a cloudy day at Ajinomoto, many Tokyo fans gathered in the away stand. They cheered loudly before the match, creating a true home atmosphere as the match started at 17:03 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Although they withstood Verdy's attacks well, they conceded a goal from a free kick...

　In the early stages, both teams pressed each other fiercely, and the battle for the ball continued. Verdy's FW Hulk sprinted down the right side in the 2nd minute. In the 4th minute, FW Hulk was about to shoot, but both Nagatomo and Fujiyama defended well. In the 6th minute, Tokyo earned a right corner kick. Then, an opponent defender's header, attempting to clear Hanyu's kick, shook the net. However, it was ruled no goal due to a foul in front of the goal. In the 13th minute, Tokunaga's free kick slipped through to the front of the goal where Hanyu rushed in, colliding with the opposing goalkeeper while shooting. He created a chance with a movement that exploited the opponent's gap, but the ball went just outside the frame.

　However, gradually allowing Verdy to take control, they were pushed back by quick attacks. At the same time, even when trying to counterattack, they couldn't secure the ball in the front line and couldn't create attacking plays. Nevertheless, the defense fought hard. Centered around Shiota, Fujiyama, and Sahara, they defended tenaciously and avoided any critical danger. In the 37th minute, Tokyo had a right corner kick. Hanyu's kick was punched away by the opposing goalkeeper, but Kajiyama picked up the loose ball after a scramble with the defender and Asari, skillfully turned from the trap, and took a shot, which went over the goal. In the 42nd minute, while attacking, they lost the ball and were hit by a counterattack, but FW Hulk's dribble was intercepted by Fujiyama and Nagatomo, who closed in on him.

　With both teams filled with determination, the intense back-and-forth continued. In the 43rd minute, FW Hulk was stopped by a foul during his breakthrough, resulting in a free kick from the right side outside the area. MF Diego played it short into the middle, and FW Hulk took a shot. The ball beautifully found the top left corner, resulting in a goal against us... Until that point, we had held on well, but we conceded first at a difficult time. In stoppage time, Konno passed to Tokunaga, who dribbled up and sent a grounded ball to the near post from the sideline, where Akamine dove in with his body. The ball headed towards the opponent's goalkeeper's goal, but it was cleared by a covering defender, and we couldn't equalize. We went into the second half trailing by one goal.

Hayabusa scores his first goal. A dramatic comeback victory in the final moments of a fierce battle!

　Although they conceded one goal, Tokyo, betting on the second half, began to find their rhythm with quick transitions in attack. In the 52nd minute, Kajiyama intercepted the ball, advanced into the area, and took a shot. However, it was blocked by the goalkeeper's save. Verdy also created chances with speedy plays, and in the 57th minute, MF Diego passed to FW Huki, who was flowing into the left area and took a direct shot. This hit the right post, avoiding an additional goal. In the 60th minute, from a left throw-in by Verdy, FW Huki sent a ball in front of the goal, where MF Diego broke free. It was a decisive moment, but the shot was saved well by Shiota, resulting in a corner kick.

　In a rapidly changing game with frequent shifts between offense and defense, in the 61st minute, Ohtake was brought in to replace Asari. They aimed to counterattack with a 4-4-2 formation. Then, just after that, in the 62nd minute, Ohtake dribbled up the right side and passed to Cabore on the outside. Cabore sent a cross to Akamine just before the area, who touched it down with one touch. Hayu, who ran in, took a direct shot. The controlled ball, curling outward, was sucked into the top right corner, scoring Hayu's valuable first goal of the season and equalizing the match!

　The stands heated up, and the mood for taking the lead intensified. In the 67th minute, Cabore cut back against the opposing DF in the right area and crossed. Akamine in front of the goal couldn't shoot, but Otake received it and passed to Kajiyama in a shooting motion. Kajiyama feigned a shot and passed it back to Otake. From there, it connected to Konno, who went outside and attempted a shot, but it was blocked by the DF... In the 69th minute, Kanazawa was brought in as a defensive midfielder in place of Hanyu, who was checking his leg, with Otake playing as an attacking midfielder, aiming for 'one more goal.'

　The intense back-and-forth continued, but gradually Verdy's line began to stretch, allowing for a series of passes to launch an offensive. In the 75th minute, from a counterattack, Cabore passed to Akamine, who aimed for a goal with a loop shot, but it went over the bar. In the 77th minute, Hirayama was brought on to replace Akamine, but time passed without converting any chances. In the 87th minute, a corner kick was earned from Konno's advance, but Sahara's header, timed with Otake's kick, went just slightly to the left...

　However, it was in the 89th minute, just after the display of stoppage time. Nagatomo on the left side received a return pass from Kanazawa, who had moved to the center, and ran towards the goal after passing it to Hirayama in the center. The ball was connected from Hirayama to Kanazawa, and Kajiyama, positioned behind on the left side, delivered a cross. Konno at the far post headed it down, and Nagatomo, who broke free in front of the goal, controlled it with his chest. Just as he was about to shoot, he induced an own goal from the opposing defender who stretched out his foot, resulting in a dramatic comeback. With relentless, tenacious, and passionate play, they continued to challenge and succeeded in turning the game around. They triumphed in the heated battle of the Tokyo showdown.

　【Player Comments】<Nagatomo> "It was a difficult match, but the supporters' voices were amazing and their continuous cheering gave us strength. (About the winning goal) I kept challenging vertically, so I tried to pass to Kanazawa once and then move inside. Kanazawa skillfully opened to the outside, creating space inside to work. Then a good ball came from Konno. Even though it was an own goal, I’m glad it counted. Verdy’s attack was not only FW Hulk but everyone had speed and strength. I’m confident in one-on-one situations too, so I didn’t want to lose. I want to keep performing like this consistently, not just in this one match." <Hanyu> "The derby was beyond imagination. The supporters’ cheering and passion were incredible, and the coach told us to understand FC Tokyo’s history and focus on winning. I thought 0-1 at halftime was okay. The goal conceded just before halftime was unpleasant, but considering the full 45 minutes, it went according to plan. Even when attacked, there was a feeling we could create chances, so I tried to seize them. In the second half, I didn’t rush attacks and believed that by watching the situation carefully, chances would come. (About the scoring scene) I thought if it was going to score, it had to be there. The ball flew with a looping touch, and the goalkeeper probably had difficulty timing it. However, today aside from the goal, I think my movements and involvement with the ball were limited. It was a typical derby with chaotic play and many risk-averse actions. That is a personal challenge. I want to increase matches where I feel fulfilled."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "We started the game in a way that prevented Verdy's MF Diego and FW Hulk, who have outstanding individual skills, from showing their strengths as a team. I believe we achieved that in the first half. When MF Diego and FW Hulk are fresh and facing forward, their characteristics are maximized, so to neutralize their strengths, we played compactly. If we could endure the first half, Verdy tends to stretch out in the second half, allowing us to play our style of football. Although we conceded from the final free kick and ended on an unpleasant note, in the second half, we focused on maintaining our own pace and continuing the style of play we had toward the end of the first half. Instead of disrupting our balance to chase goals, we aimed to keep calm and persist. In the second half, Hanyu scored in a good position first, which revived the team. Asari, Hanyu, Akamine, and all the substituted players fulfilled their roles, making it easier for the players who came on later to perform. (Thoughts on the derby?) Every match results in either 0, 1, or 3 points, but the media and supporters really energized the atmosphere. I am very grateful for creating such a culture, and those on the pitch bear greater responsibility to fight. The more matches like this there are, the more players improve, which should be beneficial for Japanese football. Continuing these passionate matches is important both for FC Tokyo and for Japanese football."

　[Verdy - Summary of Coach Hashiratani's Press Conference] "We were fully aware that it was a derby and aggressively went for the win from the first half. However, we were overturned at the very end. It might have been exciting for the spectators and supporters, but it was a very frustrating game. Regarding the first half, there were some rough plays, and FC Tokyo retreated and kicked long balls, which made us feel that they were cautious and had studied us. FC Tokyo played with two forwards, and since Cabore and Akamine have vertical speed, we were careful about counterattacks. About the overlapping runs of the fullbacks on both sides, we instructed not to give them time. Even if they came out, we just needed to defend calmly. If we didn’t lose 1-on-1, they were not such a dangerous opponent. Even if the marking slipped one by one, we instructed to calmly solidify the area in front of the goal. Still, I thought it would be difficult to keep a clean sheet, but on the other hand, it was painful that we couldn’t score the second goal. I think that cost us the goal conceded in stoppage time at the end. We have always valued possession, but when the ball went to FW Hulk, he got too emotionally involved and held onto the ball too much. Ideally, we wanted him to mix in 1-2 touch plays, but because of that, the team’s usual possession was low today. So, we substituted MF Inoue for MF Shibasaki to try to increase possession a bit, but the second half became chaotic without being able to circulate the ball. FC Tokyo started to possess the ball instead, so we relied on MF Fukunishi to control that part, but he also got tired and the distance between the midfielders became wide. (Did the flow change with Otake’s introduction?) I think it definitely changed. I told MF Tomizawa to keep a close eye on the opponent and not let them escape; although he can dribble, if caught, he’s not that scary. However, I wish we had such weapons too... It was unfortunate that MF Kono couldn’t play due to a knee injury."