Tokyo Final Round after 3 years, suppress Verdy's individual skills and win!

　In the 6th round of the league, we will face Verdy and play as an away game at Ajinomoto Stadium. In the previous round, we achieved our first victory in about half a year at Ajinomoto Stadium, and in this round, we aim for consecutive wins and an absolute victory in the Tokyo showdown. The players are all saying, "The match against Verdy is a battle between clubs. We want to be the ones who express it the most on the pitch," and their determination is strong.

　However, Shigeki will be absent due to his right shoulder condition. As a result, Sato and Fujiyama will form the center back, while Hanyu will play as an attacking midfielder, and Cabore and Akamine will lead the 2-top formation in a 4-3-1-2 lineup. Otake, who was away from the team due to his activities with the U-19 Japan national team, will also be on the bench.

　Verdy, who returned to J1 after 3 years, has FW Hukki, as you know, joined in a flash. The attacking power has improved significantly. They won their first victory in the previous round and should have momentum. In this round, MF Kono will be absent due to injury, but first of all, it is necessary to control the attacking line-up with FW Hukki at the center, top midfielder Diego, and left MF Leandro, who have strong individual skills. We want to press from the front line, launch a quick attack, and break through the solid defense. If we can carry out a speedy development with coordinated movements in both offense and defense, we should be able to exploit any weaknesses. Suppress Verdy's individual skills as a team and win!

　Cloudy Ajinomoto, many Tokyo fans rushed to the away stand. From before the game, they sent loud cheers and the game started at 5:03 pm with Tokyo's kickoff, in the atmosphere of a true home game.

Despite withstanding Verdy's strong attack, they conceded a goal from a free kick...

　In the early stages, both teams fiercely pressed each other and continued to fight for the ball. Verdy's FW Hukki sprinted down the right side in the 2nd minute. In the 4th minute, Hukki was able to get into a shooting position, but both Nagatomo and Fujiyama defended with their bodies. In the 6th minute, Tokyo earned a corner kick on the right side. Then, the opponent's DF tried to clear the ball but ended up scoring an own goal. However, it was ruled out due to a foul in the box. In the 13th minute, Tokunaga's free kick found Hayashi in front of the goal, who then collided with the opponent's GK while taking a shot. It was a clever move to take advantage of the opponent's mistake, but the ball narrowly missed the target.

　However, gradually allowing Verdy's dominance, they will be pushed back by quick attacks. At the same time, they cannot hold the ball in the front line to counterattack and cannot create an attacking shape. Still, the defense fought hard. Shioda, Fujiyama, and Suhara defended tenaciously, and there were no decisive chances. In the 37th minute, Tokyo had a right corner kick. Hayashi's kick was punched by the opponent's goalkeeper, but Kajiyama picked up the loose ball after a scramble between the defender and Asari, and skillfully turned and shot, but it went over the goal. In the 42nd minute, they were caught on the counterattack after losing the ball while attacking, but FW Fukki's dribble was intercepted by Fujiyama and Nagatomo.

　Amidst the intense back-and-forth battle filled with passion, the 43rd minute arrived. This time, FW Fuki's breakthrough was stopped by a foul, giving a free kick from the right side of the field. MF Diego played a short pass inside, and FW Fuki took a shot. The ball beautifully found the top left corner, resulting in a goal... We had been holding on well until this point, but we conceded the first goal at an unfavorable time. In stoppage time, Konno → Tokunaga dribbled up and sent a ground ball near the sideline, which Akamine jumped into with his whole body. The ball headed towards the opponent's goal, but was cleared by a DF who had come to cover, and we were unable to score an equalizer. We headed into the second half trailing by one goal.

Hanyu scores his first goal. He leads his team to a dramatic victory in the final moments of the game!

　Although they lost one point, Tokyo took a gamble in the second half and started to gain momentum from their quick attacks. In the 52nd minute, Kajiyama intercepted and took a shot from the area, but it was saved by the GK. Verdy also created chances from their speedy plays, and in the 57th minute, MF Diego passed to FW Hukki who had moved to the left area and took a direct shot. However, it hit the right post and they were unable to add another point. In the 60th minute, from Verdy's left throw-in, FW Hukki sent a ball to the goal area and MF Diego broke free. It was a decisive moment, but his shot was saved by Shioda and resulted in a corner kick.

　In the midst of a fierce exchange of offense and defense, in the 61st minute, Otake was substituted for Asari and entered the field. He aimed to counterattack with a 4-4-2 formation. Then, in the 62nd minute, Otake dribbled up from the right side and passed to Cabore on the outside. Cabore sent a cross to Akamine just outside the box, who then dropped it with one touch. Hanyu ran in and took a direct shot. The ball was controlled and sucked into the top right corner, equalizing the game with Hanyu's first goal of the season!

　As the stands heat up and the mood for a comeback grows, in the 67th minute, Cabore cuts back the opposing DF in the right area and crosses. Akamine in front of the goal couldn't finish, but Otake on the far side receives it and passes to Kajiyama in the center from a shooting motion. Kajiyama also fakes a shot and passes back to Otake. From there, it's passed to Imakano who shoots, but is blocked by the DF... In the 69th minute, Hanyu is replaced by Kanazawa in the midfield to aim for "another goal" with Otake playing as the attacking midfielder.

　The intense back-and-forth continued, but as Verdy's line gradually stretched, they began to connect passes and launch an offensive. In the 75th minute, Cabore attempted a looping shot from a counter attack, but it hit the top of the bar. In the 77th minute, Hirayama was substituted in for Akamine, but they were unable to convert any chances as time passed. In the 87th minute, Imakano's attack led to a corner kick, but Sato's header from Otake's kick just missed to the left...

　However, it was only in the 89th minute, just after the display of the lost time. Nagatomo on the left side received a return from Kanazawa who had moved up to the center, and ran to the front of the goal again. The ball was connected by Hirayama → Kanazawa, and Kajiyama on the left side behind crossed. Now, the ball was headed down by Imakano from the far side, and Nagatomo, who had escaped freely in front of the goal, chest-trapped it. Just as he was about to enter the shooting position, he invited an own goal from the opposing DF who stretched his leg, and dramatically took the lead. They did not give up, continued to challenge with tenacity and passion, and succeeded in turning the game around. They won the heated Tokyo battle with their determined and passionate play.

　【Player Comments】《Nagatomo》"It was a difficult game, but the supporters' voices were amazing and they supported us the whole time. (On the scene of the final goal) We were constantly playing vertically, so I thought I would pass it to Kanazawa and go inside. Then Kanazawa opened up well on the outside and I found space to work inside. That's where Inokoshi gave me a good ball. It was good that it ended up as an own goal. The Verdy attacking line, not just FW Fukki, but everyone had speed and strength. But I also have confidence in 1-on-1 situations, so I didn't want to lose. I want to continue this kind of performance consistently, not just in this one game."《Hanyu》"The derby was more than I imagined. The support from the fans and the atmosphere were amazing, and the coach talked about understanding the history of FC Tokyo and focusing on winning. I think it was okay to be 0-1 behind in the first half. There was a bad feeling after conceding a goal just before halftime, but overall it was according to plan for the first 45 minutes. Even when we were being attacked, I felt like we could create chances, so I tried not to miss those opportunities. In the second half, we didn't rush to attack and we believed that we could create chances by playing according to the situation. (On the goal) If it was going to go in, I thought it would only be from there. It was a looping shot and I think it was difficult for the GK to time it. However, today I didn't have many effective movements or touches on the ball besides the goal. It was a typical derby game with a lot of chaos, so I played it safe a lot. That's something I need to work on personally. I want to increase the number of fulfilling games."

　[Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference] "We had a great start to the game, not allowing the individual strengths of Verdy's MF Diego and FW Hukki to be shown as a team. We were aware that we were able to do that in the first half. When MF Diego and FW Hukki are fresh, they can move forward and make the most of their strengths, so we fought compactly to neutralize the opponent's strengths. If we could be patient in the first half, we believed that Verdy would stretch out in the second half and we could play our own soccer. We were disappointed to lose in the last free kick, but in the second half, we focused on not losing our pace and continuing to play the soccer we played at the end of the first half. Instead of breaking our balance and going for goals, we tried to continue playing without panicking. In the second half, Hayashi scored a good goal and the team came back to life. Asari, Hayashi, Akamine, and the substituted players all fulfilled their roles, making it easier for the players who came on later to play. (What are your thoughts on the derby?) In every game, there are only 0, 1, or 3 points to be won, but the media and supporters have really hyped it up. I am very grateful for creating such a culture, and as players on the pitch, we have a greater responsibility to fight. The more games like this, the more the players will improve and it will be a plus for Japanese soccer. I think it is important for FC Tokyo and Japanese soccer to continue playing these intense games."

　[Verdy - Manager Hashigaya's Press Conference Summary] "We were fully aware of the derby and went aggressively for the win from the first half. However, we were turned over at the very end. It may have been exciting for the viewers and supporters, but it was a very frustrating game. Regarding the first half, there were rough plays and FC Tokyo was retreating and kicking long balls, so I felt that they were cautious and studying us. FC Tokyo has two top players, Cabore and Akamine, who have vertical speed, so we were careful of their counter attacks. As for the overlap of both fullbacks, we wanted to prevent them from creating time. Even if they come out, we just need to calmly defend. If we don't lose in a one-on-one situation, they are not a team that can do much damage. Even if one person's marking is off, I instructed them to stay calm and defend the goal. However, it was difficult to keep a clean sheet, and on the contrary, it was painful that we couldn't score a second goal. I think that led to the last-minute goal. We have always valued possession, but when the ball went to FW Fukki, we were too eager and ended up holding onto the ball too much. I wanted them to mix in 1-2 touch plays, but I think our possession as a team was low today. So I replaced MF Inoue with MF Shibasaki to increase possession a little more, but we ended up in a chaotic second half where we couldn't pass the ball. FC Tokyo started to possess the ball, so I asked MF Fukunishi to control that area, but he also got tired and the distance between the midfielders became too far. (Did the flow change with the introduction of Otake?) I think it did change. We talked to MF Tomizawa about not letting him get away and that he has good dribbling skills, but if we can catch him, he's not that scary. However, we also have that kind of weapon... that's how I feel. It was unfortunate that MF Kono couldn't play due to a knee injury."