A crucial match that cannot be lost in order to stay in the top group.

　In the 13th round of the league, we will face Júbilo Iwata away. In the last two matches (against Nagoya and Kashiwa), we ended up with no goals and suffered our first consecutive defeat of the season. Coach Katsutoshi Shirofuku also reflected, "Looking at the result of zero goals in 180 minutes, it is difficult to say that the team is making progress. Even if there were missed shots or unlucky moments, there were even fewer scoring opportunities." However, he vowed to concentrate and give his all to achieve results in this round. "There are various situations throughout the season, but we absolutely cannot afford to lose three consecutive matches."

　Iwata, on the other hand, is currently in 12th place with 4 wins, 2 draws, and 6 losses. They have also suffered two consecutive losses, just like Tokyo, making this match a crucial one for them. Their side attacks, in particular, should be closely watched. Midfielders Komano and Murai possess great technique and are skilled at exploiting their opponents' weaknesses. Tokyo will need to avoid being on the defensive and try to have defenders Nagatomo and Tokunaga make frequent attacking runs. Additionally, Iwata's forward Maeda returned in the previous match. Although not in top form, he is still a key player in their attack and his high finishing ability requires extra caution in front of goal.

　Tokyo, with Yuto Nagatomo returning to the starting lineup from a right arm injury. The formation includes Fujiyama and Suhara as center backs, and Kanazawa in the defensive midfield. With the defense stabilizing recently, the key will be to focus on attacking and creating scoring opportunities. Emerson, who has returned from injury, will also be on the bench this round, providing more attacking options along with players like Otake and Kondo. Tokyo will aim for victory by moving the ball and breaking down the defense, in response to Iwata's passing game.

　Manager Jofuku tightens his grip, saying, "Iwata is evolving without breaking its base, even with minor changes. This is our third match against them this season, but we won't approach it as if we know everything they'll do." The league will take a break after this round until the end of June, but in order to gain momentum for the following Nabisco Cup, we really need to secure all 3 points. The match kicked off at 2pm at the sunny Yamaha Stadium, with Iwata taking the kickoff.

Conceded the first goal from a set piece and went into halftime trailing.

　From the beginning, Iwata attacked with FW Maeda as the starting point. In the 3rd minute, a pass was made to midfielder Ueda from the left after Maeda's keep in the Tokyo defense. He took a shot, but it went straight to Shioda. However, Tokyo's defense held strong and used Cabore's speed to launch a counterattack. In the 6th minute, they connected passes in the opponent's half, and Imakawa → Hayashi took a shot, but the opponent's GK caught it. In the 10th minute, Akamine dropped the ball to the right side, and Tokunaga crossed it directly. Kajiyama ran into the goal area and took a header, but it went over the bar.

　Iwata did not give any chances to Tokyo, but in the 21st minute, they were attacked continuously from both sides and gave a CK. Then, in the 22nd minute, a high-headed shot by DF Oi was scored from Iwata's right CK, and they conceded the first goal from a set piece for the second consecutive week. Still, they did not look down and went on the attack. In the 25th minute, Hayashi → Cabore advanced into the left area. From there, he sent a minus pass to the empty space in the center. Hayashi chased after it and took a shot, but the GK caught it. In the 33rd minute, Akamine → Cabore tried to break through in front of the goal, but Iwata's DF cleared it a step ahead. Kajiyama, who took the loose ball, got into a shooting position, but was blocked by the DF.

　Afterwards, Kajiyama and Kanazawa were actively involved in both offense and defense, completely taking control. In the 44th minute, from Kajiyama's side change, Nagatomo dribbled into the left area. He cut inside and took a powerful shot, but the goalkeeper saved it in front. Then, they connected the rebound and passed it around on the left side, and finally Kajiyama in the center passed it to Hayashi in the right area, who aimed and took a shot, but it went wide to the left. In stoppage time, Cabore turned and took a shot, but it went outside the frame. They were unable to score a decisive goal in the end and ended the first half trailing by one point.

Akamine scores 2 goals! First victory at Yamaha Stadium in the league

　In the second half, Kajiyama led the team with passionate plays towards the goal from the start. Then in the 48th minute, Imakawa steals a corner kick from a left cross. Tokunaga takes the right corner kick and Sato runs in from the center to head it in. It was initially blocked by the GK, but Akamine kicks it in and scores! Tokyo equalizes from a set piece. Regaining their momentum, in the 54th minute, they quickly switch and counterattack from the midfield. From Kajiyama's through pass, Cabore faces the GK one-on-one in the right area, but his shot is saved by the Iwata GK's body.

　After missing a big chance to score, Iwata continued to attack, but the defense line blocked Iwata's shots one after another. In the 60th minute, Emerson, who hadn't played since the March 23rd Nabisco Iwata game, was subbed in. And in the 62nd minute, just after the substitution, Emerson passed to Cabore in the area from the right side. Cabore brought the ball to the goal line and crossed it quickly, and Akamine jumped in to push it in for a successful comeback.

　However, in the 68th minute, Iwata also had a chance when MF Funatani's left cross found FW Maeda open for a header, but he missed the target. Still, Iwata did not give up and continued to fight back in a fierce battle. Tokyo responded by substituting Ishikawa for Cabore in the 82nd minute, moving Inoue to defense and placing Fujiyama in the midfield to counter Iwata's power play. They remained focused until the end, defending with their bodies and the final whistle blew. With a come-from-behind victory, they put an end to their losing streak and secured their first league win at Yamaha Stadium.

　【Player Comments】《Akamine》"I was conscious of finishing today. When I drifted to the side, I always thought about whether to cross or shoot. The first goal came from a shot by Hide-san that fell to me. The second goal was created by Cabore and Emerson, and I just had to touch it. (This is the fourth consecutive match against Iwata since last season?) I think it's just a coincidence. In the first half, I was pushed back on the side because Iwata's midfielder Komano was moving up, but in the second half, I was instructed to use that space and keep the ball in a deeper position. I think that's why the players around me were able to move up. Also, if Cabore is nearby, we can both play to our strengths. I can handle his shots or crosses. If we continue to improve our partnership with Emerson and others, I think the team will become even better."《Emerson》"I think the coach trusted me and used me as the first substitute. I wanted to live up to that expectation. When I came on, I was conscious of being the starting point on the side while keeping an eye on Iwata's number 14 player (Murai). (What about the through pass to Cabore?) In those situations, I think it's important to look around. It was a moment of inspiration to pass to Cabore (laughs). I injured myself here at Yamaha Stadium in March and then returned once, but I injured the same spot again soon after, so it was mentally tough. But I endured it and I'm happy to have contributed to the team and won today. The Nabisco Cup has a different atmosphere from the league, but we still want the same results and want to continue this momentum."

　【Post-match Interview with Coach Shirofuku】"We had lost two games in a row, so today's game was a must-win situation. The first 10-15 minutes until we conceded a goal after the restart were really tough, but other than that, the first half went pretty much as we had simulated. We were able to move the ball up to the attacking third and even had some shots on goal. Until we conceded that goal, I felt a bit unstable. In the second half, our main focus was to maintain our base and balance while looking for scoring opportunities. We emphasized not changing our approach and maintaining our balance. Fortunately, during the time we scored, we had a strong attacking mindset and created some powerful scenes. In the end, we allowed a free header, which was unavoidable, but for all other shots, our players were able to close in and show a strong desire for results. (What was the intention and evaluation of Emerson's substitution?) He had a strong desire to play and it had been a while since he last played at Yamaha Stadium, so he had a lot of motivation. However, we knew he was still lacking in physical fitness, so we planned to bring him on after 15 minutes into the second half. The situation on the field had opened up quite a bit, so he was able to play his natural game and I think he did a great job leading up to the goal. He also showed a strong defensive awareness. (Overall assessment of the league so far?) It's only the 13th round, we're not even halfway through yet. We've been aiming to constantly improve and level up, so there are still areas where we are inexperienced, but I think we are slowly learning to be patient. However, in terms of quality, we still have a lot to pursue."

　[Iwata・Uchiyama Coach's Press Conference Summary] "Until the first half of 40 minutes, it was somewhat as we wanted. The way we scored, the left and right side backs went out a few times and we got a corner kick from there. However, the part we were afraid of, in the remaining 5 minutes of the first half and after the start of the second half, we had consecutive mistakes in the strength and development of the midfield, and we ended up conceding under pressure. That has been a continuous issue, but in any case, even though we can move the ball by moving a little, we create a situation where we stop or kick the ball straight and get it taken away by the opponent, and we get pushed back. We have been saying this, but we haven't been able to solve it. Especially when we get tired in the second half, we stop and our judgment becomes delayed. That is a big problem. (The first half was a good flow, but what has improved compared to the Niigata game?) We tried to improve during these 4 days by being more compact. The opponent came with a slightly deformed formation, so we tried not to let Murai get pulled back as much as possible. When it becomes a burden for one game in the central midfield, various problems occur. From around the remaining 5 minutes of the first half, we picked up loose balls and our slides were delayed, and the most worrying part happened in the second half as well."