Stop Oita's momentum and break through their solid defense to win at Ajinomoto Stadium!

　In the 9th round of the league, Oita Trinita will face off against their opponent at home. In the previous round against Shimizu, they suffered a defeat with one goal conceded from a set piece. Therefore, this round will be a crucial match where they aim to avoid consecutive losses and secure a victory at Ajinomoto Stadium. In the starting lineup, Shigetaka Mori will make his first start in 5 league matches. Kurihara will be in the midfield, Kanazawa in the defensive midfield, Kajiyama in the central midfield, and Imamura on the right. Manager Jofuku explained, "One of the reasons is the consecutive matches, but I have chosen the lineup to win against Oita."

　Oita, on the other hand, currently has 3 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses. They are in 9th place, but only 3 points behind Tokyo, so depending on the results of this round, they could potentially be overtaken. Despite injuries to key players such as FW Takamatsu, Weslley, and MF Takahashi, they were able to keep Yokohama FM scoreless and secure a victory in the previous round. Manager Kimoto is wary of the absence of key players and the strong mentality that has led to good results, stating "FW Takamatsu and Weslley's absence has created a sense of crisis and a strong mentality." Their 3-back formation is particularly strong in terms of height and strength, and they are quick to switch between offense and defense. Like Shimizu, they will try to break through Oita's defensive block and score goals.

　At the same time, if Oita creates a starting point on the side, there may be sharp runs from MF Suzuki's cross to MF Nemoto and FW Kanazaki. In response, Tokyo will want to take control on the side. In the first half of the Shimizu game, they were pushed back and couldn't attack from the fullbacks, but they want to win the ball with coordinated pressing and launch quick counterattacks. Also, be aware of the quick attacks from Oita's holding midfielders Roberto and Edmilson, who connect with precise passes. FW Matsubashi and the other forwards have both speed and stamina, so Tokyo will aim for victory with an aggressive approach that matches their energy.

　The match started at 4:04 pm in Tokyo, with a calm and sunny Ajinomoto Stadium. Despite the slight heat, the weather was pleasant enough to enjoy the game.

Sahara drops Kurihara's CK and Akamine scores a spectacular goal to take the lead!

　Both teams entered the game with focus and caution. Tokyo's attack was countered by Oita's set plays, and they were able to defend in front of the goal. In the 3rd minute, Kurisawa's right corner kick was headed down by Imano, and a shot was taken from the left area, but it went over the bar. In the 5th minute, they earned a corner kick from a free kick on the left side, but Oita cleared it. Oita also had a chance in the 11th minute when midfielder Suzuki intercepted a pass in Tokyo's territory and launched a counterattack. He dribbled up and took a shot, but it missed the target by a wide margin. In the 13th minute, Tokunaga earned a corner kick from Kajiyama's pass to Cabore on the right side. In the 14th minute, Kurisawa took the corner kick and Sato dropped it in front of the goal with a header. Akamine then took a direct shot with his left foot and scored a spectacular goal to take the lead!

　After that, they tried to take the lead by connecting passes, but Oita also launched sharp counterattacks from their solid defense, resulting in a back-and-forth battle. In the 25th minute, Cabore dropped a feed from Shiota and exchanged passes with Akamine to break into the area. He collided with the goalkeeper and fell, but there was no foul from Oita. In the 28th minute, Oita's DF Uemoto made a perfect side change to MF Suzuki on the left front line. Suzuki cut back the Tokyo DF and took a shot. In the 29th minute, Tokyo did the same thing, with Akamine receiving a long pass from Sato on the left area and taking a shot, but both were off target.

　32 minutes, Cabore was fouled on the left side and earned a FK, but Kurizawa's kick hit the bar... From the rebound, Cabore and Kajiyama took a shot, but it was blocked by the Oita DF. In the 33rd minute, Oita also made a move from the right side and FW Matsubashi turned around and took a decisive shot, but it missed the frame and the danger was avoided. In the latter part of the first half, Tokyo dominated the ball, but in the 44th minute, Akamine's header from Nagatomo's left cross narrowly missed the frame. They were unable to score another goal and went into the second half with a one-point lead.

Fight calmly through the hectic development and achieve victory without conceding a goal.

　In the second half, we attacked the back of Oita DF. In the 49th minute, Kajiyama aimed for the back of Oita DF and sent a long pass to the front line. Cabore ran there, but it was cleared by the opponent's quick jump. In the 53rd minute, Akamine received a wedge, and Imakawa → Nagatomo, who went up on the left, crossed. He sent a low trajectory ball, but the opponent's DF cleared it. In the 55th minute, Akamine, who was in front of Cabore, reacted to the pass sent by Cabore with his head. He turned around and aimed for the goal, but the ball floated. In the 56th minute, Cabore was fouled in the center of the opponent's territory and got a free kick. Kajiyama aimed directly at it, but it curved to the left.

　Despite showing some movement, they were unable to bring the ball to the goal against Oita's strong defense. In the 59th minute, they substituted Kurisawa for Otake in an attempt to score a second goal. However, both teams gradually became stretched out and the game became intense with frequent changes between offense and defense. In the 62nd minute, Kanazawa dribbled through the center and was fouled just outside the box, earning a free kick. However, Tokunaga's direct shot was blocked by Oita's defense. In the 67th minute, Suzuki's early cross was met by substitute forward Maeda, but he narrowly missed. They continued to launch quick counterattacks, with forward Kanazaki taking a powerful shot that hit the crossbar. Despite some mistakes from Oita, both teams were able to hold off key moments and prevent any clear scoring opportunities.

　71 minutes, Oita's pass in the midfield was taken by Otake, who made a through pass to the front line. Cabore, who broke through with his speed, faced a 1-on-1 situation with the GK, but his shot was saved by Oita's GK with one foot... Both teams launched quick attacks with long balls, and in the midst of a frantic development, in the 72nd minute, Asari was substituted for Kanazawa and placed at the bottom of the midfield, with Kajiyama on the right and Konno on the left. With this, Tokyo regained their composure and responded firmly to Oita's counterattack. In the 83rd minute, Oita also substituted DF Uemoto for FW Ichihara, thickening their front line and aiming for an equalizer. Shortly after the substitution, FW Ichihara received a pass from MF Roberto on the left side, cut into the area, and took a shot, but it was saved by Shioda.

　In the 87th minute, Cabore, who had gained speed from Inano's pass cut, advanced forward but was brought down just outside the area. This play resulted in a second yellow card for Oita DF Morishige, leaving them with 10 players. However, Asari connected with the loose ball and passed it to Maeda on the right. In response to Tokunaga's cross, Inano headed the ball but it hit the post... They were unable to score a second goal, but in stoppage time, Oita FW Maeda received a second yellow card for rough play. Despite being down to 9 players, Oita calmly fought through and shut down any counterattacks. They won 1-0.

　【Player Comments】《Akamine》"I absolutely didn't want to lose again. I was happy that I scored, but the fact that the team won was the most important thing. It was great to get a result at home. The goal came from a perfect cross from Sato. I didn't think about the placement, I just wanted to kick it as hard as I could. If we had scored a second goal today, it would have made things easier for the team. We need to focus more and make our chances count. I know that if I don't produce results when given the opportunity, I won't get another chance. The competition among the FWs in the team is fierce, so I will continue to give my all in training to come out on top."《Mori》"I entered the game with the determination to make the most of the opportunity I was given. Keeping a clean sheet gives me and the team confidence. Oita's attacks are dangerous no matter who is on the field, so we had to defend as a team and not just individually. In the first half, there were some dangerous moments, but Sato and I discussed and made adjustments for the second half. We were able to combine well by understanding each other's strengths. In the past, Tokyo often lost to lower-ranked teams but played well against top teams. In the future, we need to have good games against top teams and not drop points against lower-ranked teams in order to compete at our current level. I was encouraged and motivated by the Mori chants from the supporters. I want to repay their support by producing results on the pitch."

　[Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference] "Oita was strong defensively and it was difficult to score. In the first half, we tried to spread out the opponent by widening our midfield, but maybe we were too conscious of that and the distance between players was too far, so the ball didn't move much. Our defense didn't collapse, but if our players had pressed more when the opponent had the ball, it would have been better. Also, because there was distance between our midfielders, the ball didn't circulate well, so in the second half we made adjustments and brought our distance closer to each other to move the ball. We also tried to support the ball when it reached the top, so we could switch the play. However, we didn't have many chances to switch and shoot or get close to shooting. But keeping a clean sheet is an achievement and we want to continue with focused defense. (On Cabore) I don't think it was an easy goal. He reacted well and hit the ball solidly. However, not just him, but when we switched from defending to attacking, there should have been the most space. But we made control mistakes and also had some passing mistakes to Cabore and Akamine, so there were many times when we couldn't create a rhythm. That is a challenge for him and the team."

　[Oita - CHAMUSCA's press conference summary] "In the previous match, we had a good result and wanted to ride on that wave. We aimed for consecutive wins and went away, but the opponent team was strong and things didn't go well. As a team policy, we naturally aim for victory in every game. However, it was not an effective game. We couldn't keep the ball in the front line and couldn't make effective attacks with ball circulation. It became a game with a content far from the level we have been playing so far. Also, the scene of conceding a goal was from a set piece. Unfortunately, the defense did not function well in that stage of the game, only for today's game. I think that's what made the difference in the result. Also, after falling behind, we were countered by the opponent, which was what we wanted to do. The opponent once pulled back and skillfully penetrated behind our defense. When we are behind, that's the situation we end up in."