A crucial match where we want to take the advantage on the side and win a tough game.

　In the 11th round of the league, we will face Nagoya Grampus. In the previous round against Omiya, we were able to convert our chances into goals and achieve a consecutive victory. This round, we will face 3rd place Nagoya in a tough battle, but it will be a match at our undefeated home ground, Ajinomoto. In the past 2 matches, we have kept a clean sheet and have been able to maintain defensive stability. We will aim for a third consecutive victory with a persistent fight, while reading the flow and situation of the match.

　In this section, which we will face in 2 days from the previous section, Kajiyama will be suspended due to accumulated warnings. On the other hand, Ishikawa and Hanyu have returned from injury, and Hanyu will start for the first time since the April 12th 6th section against Tokyo V. Sasaki and Fujiyama will form the center back, Inono and Kanazawa will be the double volante, Hanyu will be on the left side of the midfield, and Kurizawa will be the right MF, and they will face the game with a 4-4-2 formation.

　Nagoya, on the other hand, is currently in 3rd place with 6 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses. They have lost their last 3 games, but all of them were close defeats. Under new coach Stojkovic, their momentum from the beginning of the season has not diminished. In particular, their attacks from the sides, led by FW Yong-sun, are powerful. Although FW Tamada will be absent for this match, FW Sugimoto, who will make his first league start, has speed and must be watched closely. In addition, DF Masukawa has been moved to center back, with Bayalitsa playing as right back. In midfield, Maginun has been playing in the center, with Ogawa and Sugimoto on the left and right respectively.

　On the other hand, Tokyo wants to stand firm and take advantage of the side's offensive and defensive battle. They want to take the lead and aim for goals and victory by utilizing Cabore and Akamine's quick movements. On the final day of Golden Week, the match started at 3:04 pm with a crowd of 30,825 spectators at a sunny Ajinomoto Stadium.

Nagatomo suffers an accident and allows the first goal to be scored.

　In the early stages, both teams tried to make use of their strengths from tough defense. In the 2nd minute, Nagoya's long pass was intercepted by Nagatomo and connected to Cabore who took a shot from outside the box. Shortly after, Nagoya's MF Ogawa also attempted a shot from outside the box. In the 3rd minute, Nagoya's FW Yonson hit the post and MF Maginun entered the box, but the final pass went out of bounds. In the 9th minute, Inakano intercepted the opponent's DF's clearance and passed it to Akamine who then passed it to Cabore. Nagoya's DF tried to clear the ball but Cabore chased after it and took a shot from outside the box, but it went wide.

　In the midst of a back-and-forth battle, in the 13th minute, Nagatomo, who made a move on the left side, injured his right arm in a struggle with the opponent and left the pitch for treatment. In the meantime, in the 17th minute, a pass from Abe, the left back for Nagoya, to MF Ogawa, who ran from left to center. Unable to put pressure on here, a through pass was sent to Sasaki behind. FW Sugimoto, who ran into this space from the right, was unable to catch up to Fujiyama. In a situation where they were one player short, they were caught off guard and allowed the first goal to be scored by FW Sugimoto, who they were wary of.

　Immediately after that, Nagatomo returned to the pitch and launched a counterattack, but was unable to hold the ball on the front line against Nagoya's tough press. In the 23rd minute, Nagatomo was fouled on the left side and earned a free kick, but Nagoya's defense cleared it. In the 24th minute, they earned another free kick on the right side, and Kurisawa → Hanyu quickly crossed it, but it was blocked by the wall. In the 25th minute, Imakano broke through on the left side and crossed it, but Akamine's header shot went over the bar.

　Nagoya also tries to create chances from the side with MF Maginun and DF Abe as the starting point, but Tokyo also concentrates and does not allow additional points. In the 30th minute, the feed aimed at the back of Nagoya DF Sasaki is cleared, but Cabore picks up the ball outside the area and takes it to the right corner of the area to shoot, but it misses widely. In the 35th minute, Nagoya MF Nakamura steals the loose ball and runs alone with the dribble. He receives a through pass from FW Yonsen, but it is offside. In the 36th minute, they attack from the left corner kick, but Cabore's cross does not reach Akamine. Nagoya is hit by a counterattack and ends the first half without being able to create a clear chance.

Unable to take advantage of late opportunities, first home defeat of the season...

　Substituting Ohata for Hanyu in the second half, and trying to get a rhythm, Ohata passed on the left side and Kurisawa sent a sharp cross to the far side. Cabore jumped in from the head, but couldn't touch it. In the 48th minute, Nagoya gave a FK from the left side of the midfield. MF Nakamura's direct shot barely flew to the frame, but escaped the pinch with a good save from Shioda. In the 14th minute, Nagoya MF Maginun's long cross from the left was skillfully collected by FW Yonsen on the far side. In the end, Tokyo DF surrounded and took it, but Nagoya continued to struggle.

　In the 60th minute, Kondo was substituted for Akamine, Kurisawa took a withdrawn position, thickened the midfield and aimed for a counterattack. However, in the 69th minute, Nagoya also strengthened the center by replacing FW Sugimoto with DF Yoneyama as a defensive midfielder. In the 69th minute, Kondo took a powerful middle shot from the right side, but it was saved by the GK. In the 71st minute, Nagatomo caught up with a pass to the left front line and skillfully stole a CK. However, Otake's left CK was cleared by the DF and could not be finished. In the 72nd minute, Nagatomo entered the area, but could not connect with Cabore in the center.

　Substituting Ishikawa for Kurizawa in the 76th minute. With this, they start to grasp the rhythm and in the 79th minute, they get a free kick for a foul on Kondo in the opponent's territory. Kondo quickly restarts and sends a ground pass to the front line. Cabore reacts to this and breaks through in the area, earning a penalty kick after being brought down by the opponent's goalkeeper. However, Kondo's powerful kick towards the center hits the bar...

　Despite continuing to chase after one point, Nagoya made a defensive strategy by substituting DF Takeuchi for MF Maginun in the 85th minute. In the 87th minute, Ishikawa was fouled in the right area, just in front of the goal, after picking up a clearance from the opposing DF, earning a free kick. However, Ishikawa's kick hit the top of the bar. In the speedy exchange of attacks and defenses, Nagoya created another chance in the 3 minutes of added time from a free kick. Fujiyama sent the ball to the front line, Cabore connected with the loose ball from the opposing DF, and Kondo took two decisive shots from close range on the left side, but the GK made consecutive saves and the game ended. Despite having a chance to tie, Nagoya was stopped by the focused defense and suffered their first home defeat of the season.

　【Player Comments】《Hayu》"I couldn't create a good rhythm and ended up bringing that flow into the second half. I feel responsible for the 0-1 loss. Nagoya also didn't try to add more points and aimed for a solid 3 points. I feel like I owe it to the young team. However, I want to continue improving our play as a team without wavering."《Sahara》"Nagoya's FW Yonsen was targeted and we were put under pressure by creating space. The scene of the goal was also due to being one player short, so we couldn't even press MF Ogawa and were run behind by the DF. We didn't concede any other goals, but we still have to defend for the full 90 minutes."

　[Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference] "Nagoya had lost three games in a row, so we expected them to come into this match with a very strong mentality. We were missing Kajiyama due to suspension, which changed the balance of our formation a bit, but I think each player who played brought out their own strengths. However, during the scene where we conceded a goal, Nagatomo was off the pitch for treatment, and there was a lack of communication which made it difficult to cover the space. We were caught off guard, and in moments like that, we need to be more careful. Conceding a goal while playing with 10 men is a moment that needs to be engraved in our hearts. In the second half, we confirmed that we would be patient and not just kick long balls, but try to create chances by connecting passes. However, we were unable to surprise the opponent with any changes. If we could have played with more unpredictability or speed... Playing from the backline means we are being connected, but it is crucial to be able to make decisive passes to the top from the midfield and to speed up the game. In order to do that, we need to have stable possession. Furthermore, that requires solid technique and decision-making. In that sense, the absence of Kajiyama may have been one factor, but it was not the only one. Other factors such as our condition and Nagoya's pressure also played a role in the result. However, these are not things that can be easily achieved. It takes time, so we will continue to work hard with patience."

　[Nagoya Stojkovic's press conference summary] "I am very satisfied with today's game. We were determined to focus on the result after three consecutive losses, and we were able to secure 3 points. The players played a game worthy of victory with organized play. As for the system, the 4-back remains the same, but we changed the lineup a bit. FC Tokyo has a good striker, and we considered it dangerous to be kicked with long balls, so we placed DF Yoshida and Masukawa in the center of the final line, and DF Bayaritza was in charge of taking care of the sides. Not only the defensive players, but also the other players provided good support."