Focus on the current match and accumulate points only.

　In the 28th round, Shimizu S-Pulse will face off against their opponent at home. In the previous round, they showed their strength by securing their chances and achieving a 5-game winning streak. This round will be a crucial match for their first 6-game winning streak in J1. In particular, this season they have not been able to secure a victory against Shimizu, including in the Nabisco Cup, with 1 draw and 2 losses, so it is also a game where they want to seek revenge.

　Shimizu, on the other hand, is currently in 8th place with 37 points. They lost to Kashima in the previous round, but since Sec. 18 they have not suffered consecutive losses and have also advanced to the Final Round of the Nabisco Cup, showing good form. Their defense is solid and their midfield has a high possession rate, showing a high level of maturity. In the attack, FW Nishizawa is absent, but FW Okazaki is in good form. This round, they will play with a 2-top of FW Hara and left MF Hyodo, and right MF Yamamoto.

　Tokyo will face this round with the return of players Inomata and Hirayama, who have finished their suspension, after Bruno QUADROS and Hayashi have left the team due to injury. Inomata, Asari, and Kajiyama will form the midfield, with Cabore and Ishikawa on the sides, and Akamine leading the front line. They aim to create chances by taking control of the game from the sides, based on their stable defense. They are currently 4 points behind the top team, and they will focus on defeating Shimizu in front of them and steadily accumulating points.

　The weather was clear and the temperature rose, and Ajinomoto Stadium gathered 30,410 spectators in the stands. The match started at 3:04 PM with a kickoff by Shimizu.

Lose rhythm and concede 3 goals in the first half...

　In the early stages, Shimizu had a slight dominance in possession, but the attack and defense continued to go back and forth. In the 6th minute, Kajiyama sent a long pass to the front line, and Akamine broke through on the left side and took a shot in the area, but it went outside the side net. In the 12th minute, Shimizu FW Hara aimed for the goal from the right side. In the 14th minute, Nagatomo advanced and Ishikawa followed, circling inside and taking a shot. In the 17th minute, from a pass aimed at the back of Shimizu DF Asari, Ishikawa sprinted into the right area. They earned a corner kick, but were unable to capitalize on any of the chances.

　At 20 minutes, Tokyo's clear was connected to Shizuoka FW Hara -> MF Edamura with a header, and the ball was passed to MF Yamamoto on the right side. When MF Yamamoto saw that there was no Tokyo press, he boldly took a middle shot. The high-precision shot was sucked into the goal, and they conceded the first goal in a vulnerable position. Shizuoka then gained momentum, collecting long balls to FW Okazaki and launching second attacks. However, Tokyo continued to look for chances, and at 28 minutes, Cabore connected a free kick and Akamine charged into the area. He was brought down by the opposing DF, but there was no foul from Shizuoka.

　As time passed, Shimizu was pushed back and lost their rhythm, and in the 38th minute, Shimizu FW Okazaki was sent flying into the area. Although they managed to escape from the corner kick, in the 39th minute, Shimizu MF Hyodo's sharp right corner kick was out of reach for the jumping Shioda. Shimizu DF Iwashita, who was tangled up with Tokunaga, was pushed back and they conceded their second goal.

　At 44 minutes, Kajiyama cuts back the opponent's DF and shoots a middle, but it goes to the left. Immediately after, they couldn't stop the quick attack from Shimizu's goal kick. FW Okazaki dribbles up the right side and passes to FW Hara in the center. Receiving the goal with his back, FW Hara skillfully turns around, quickly passing between Tokunaga and Shigeta and rushing towards the goal. Saltada also bravely jumped out, but the save rebounded into the net. In a difficult turn of events, they conceded a third goal in stoppage time and ended the first half.

Emerson, starting from Otake, counterattacks! Although they scored one goal, they suffered a big defeat with 5 goals against...

　In the second half, Iwakawa and Asari were replaced by Emerson and Otake. Immediately after the start, Cabore received a pass from Emerson and broke through the left side, but was blocked just before the goal. In the 49th minute, Otake created a rhythm with his dribbling and passed to Cabore on the left. Cabore crossed the ball, but the Shizuoka GK caught it. In the 51st minute, Nagatomo ran up the right side and cut inside for a shot. It missed above the frame, but Emerson and Otake created a flow with their dribbling and fluid movements, and Konno and the fullbacks also pushed up to gain momentum. In the 59th minute, Kajiyama on the right side passed to Emerson, who then passed to Konno in front of the goal for a one-two, and entered the right area. Calmly, he dribbled past the opposing DF and took a shot! The ball hit the net perfectly, and they pulled one back.

　As the mood for a counterattack rises, in the 64th minute, Sasaki jumps into Otake's left corner kick, but the opposing GK saves it at the last moment. In the 67th minute, Akamine crosses to the right. In response, Imakano jumps out in front of the goal and takes a header shot! They created a decisive chance, but it was right in front of the GK... In the 71st minute, Emerson → Imakano sends a last pass into the area, and Cabore gets into a shooting position, but is blocked by the Shimizu DF.

　Substituted Hiraoka for Cabore in the 75th minute. He sent crosses from the side and aimed for an additional goal. In the 76th minute, Nagatomo on the right side made a wide attack to Emerson on the left, but Emerson's final cross did not reach Hiraoka. On the other hand, Shimizu brought in defensive players such as MF Marcos Paulo and DF Ichikawa to strengthen their defense. However, in the 78th minute, just after DF Ichikawa was substituted, Shimizu's FW Hara made a dash towards the goal after losing the ball to DF Ichikawa in the midfield. He attracted the attention of Tokyo's DF and passed to FW Okazaki who came from the left. Although Nagatomo was marking FW Okazaki, he was hit by a powerful shot and they conceded their fourth goal.

　Despite maintaining their attacking stance until the end, they were unable to break through the Shizuoka goal. In the 79th minute, Taira SHIGE's header from Tokunaga's cross hit the bar. In the 86th minute, Tokunaga once again made a high attack and sent a left cross. Far forward Taira SHIGE hit a powerful header, but the goalkeeper managed to save it. In the 3 minutes of added time, they continued to attack fiercely, but were unable to break through Shizuoka's solid defense. In the final moments, a long pass was sent to Shizuoka's forward line, where FW Okazaki broke through into the area. Taira SHIGE tried to hold him back, but was given a negative pass in the midfield. Substitute Shizuoka FW Toda ran onto it, and Tokyo was unable to catch up, allowing an easy goal and sealing their defeat... They were unable to achieve their 6th consecutive win and suffered a tough loss with a large number of goals conceded.

　【Player Comments】《Emerson》"We conceded 3 goals in the first half and it became a tough game. In the second half, we found our rhythm and tried to equalize, but we couldn't. The goal was a result of a pass exchange with player Imakawa, and I was able to calmly enter the area. (Were you not a starter?) Not just me, but even if I'm not a starter, I always try to contribute to the team with my best play. I gave it my all... But today's game doesn't mean the end of the league. It's a disappointing result, but even after the game, I could hear the strong support from the fans. I want to use that energy to achieve a good result next time."《Imakawa》"The team was in a good flow, so I had a strong desire not to lose when I returned. I entered the game with that feeling, but I couldn't play my own game in the beginning. I'm really frustrated with this result. In the second half, I just wanted to move the ball forward and I think I was able to do that without fear... If I had scored my header, I think the flow of the game would have been more in Tokyo's favor. Lately, our starts haven't been good. We want to bring the game to our pace right from the beginning and improve our game management for the full 90 minutes. We had a lot of fans come to support us today, and I'm sorry we lost by a large margin. But I'm really happy that they supported us until the end. We have to keep working hard."

　【Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference】"The players put their hearts into the game, but unfortunately we couldn't meet everyone's expectations. In the first half, Shimizu was simple and aimed for the back, picking up second balls. We needed to possess the ball a little more when it became ours, while patiently enduring their attacks, but it turned into a back-and-forth match. We wanted to keep the score at zero or at least minimize it. However, we conceded three goals, including one just before halftime, and I think that was the biggest reason for our defeat. In the second half, we had no choice but to attack and we had to change the game to our pace from a back-and-forth match. We thought about the positioning and mindset of players who could control the ball and carry it to the opponent's attacking third. The players were positive and went towards the goal, but even though they showed great determination, they couldn't take that final step and we conceded the fourth goal, which was decisive. We want to reflect on our technical and tactical aspects. (We couldn't beat Shimizu this season, do you have a mental block against them?) Even if that's the case, there's nothing we can do about it. I don't think we have a mental block. In my mind, we prepared for this game while reflecting on the previous three games, but maybe our analysis was lacking or our players and our approach were not enough... We want to reflect on this thoroughly and make adjustments for the next game. Even in this situation where we have to play in the tournament, the supporters kept singing after the game and reminded us not to give up. We were reminded to go for all six remaining games and we are determined to do so."

　[Post-match Interview with Shimizu Coach Hasegawa] "It was an incredibly fantastic result. We lost to Kashima in the previous match, but we were able to learn from that game and the players were able to switch gears and show what they couldn't do in the previous match. We were able to score at a good time and although we were pushed back in the second half, we were able to keep it to just one goal. Also, being able to score an additional goal during that time was a huge point in today's game. If Konno's header had gone in, I don't know what would have happened, but in the end, there was a big difference in the score, but it was by no means an easy game. Looking at the content, either team could have won, it was that kind of game. (The reason for changing the lineup a little from the previous match) FC Tokyo also changed their midfield composition. It was a choice based on analyzing each other's strengths and weaknesses. Being able to beat a team that was on a roll before the break and end the busy month of September with a victory, including the Nabisco Cup, was huge. We have more matches against top teams after the break, so we want to prepare well and aim for an even higher position."