Heading into the away match to fight for survival!

　In Sec. 29 of the league, we will face Oita Trinita away. After a two-week interval, the league matches will resume. Although we lost in the last match against Shimizu on 10/4, we are currently 5 points behind the leaders, Kashima. This match is crucial for staying competitive in the tightly contested top group. It is an away game, but we want to secure points at all costs and continue our fight for the top positions.

　Oita currently sits in 4th place with 48 points. In Sec. 27 against Yokohama FM and the previous match against Kawasaki, they suffered defeats away, marking consecutive losses, but their strength at home remains intact. This season, they have only lost once at Kyushu Stone Dome, in Sec. 4 against Gamba Osaka, showcasing overwhelming strength. This match will see DF Uemoto and Fujita suspended, but the defense led by DF Fukaya and Morishige is unlikely to be easily breached. Coach Jofuku emphasizes, "Even with the addition of new members like FW Morishima, Oita functions as a team, and their style of play is thoroughly executed." The key point is how aggressively they can attack towards the goal. They aim to launch quick transitions in attack and exploit the spaces on the sides.

　Tokyo sees Fujiyama starting for the first time since the match against Kashiwa in Sec. 23. Bruno QUADROS and Otake are among the injured, creating a tough situation, but Coach Jofuku states, "Injuries can happen to any team in any situation. Despite being in a tight spot, the players have prepared well individually." Nagatomo and Hanyu have also gotten their conditions ready to be on the bench. They will approach this as a total team effort. Additionally, it is key to suppress Oita's side attacks and contain FW Morishima's height. It is necessary to respond tenaciously to the runs and crosses from the MF Takahashi and Suzuki on both sides to gain an advantage on the flanks.

　This season, the match against Oita will be the fourth encounter, including the Nabisco Cup, with a record of 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss so far. However, Coach Jofuku declared, "If we lose this match, we will fall behind Oita in terms of head-to-head record, Nabisco, and league standings. We absolutely want to avoid a situation where we are at a disadvantage in every aspect. First, we need to match their points." The match kicked off at 14:05 in Tokyo at the Kyushu Oil Dome under a refreshing autumn sky.

Allowed an opening goal from a set piece and went into the second half trailing by one goal

　In the early stages, Oita applied pressure with their dynamic attack at home. However, with concentrated defense, Tokyo gradually took control of the pace. In the 4th minute, Konno stole the ball in midfield and passed it to Cabore up front. The ball, brought close to the goal line, was passed to Emerson, but it was again sent to Cabore waiting in the center of the area, which was offside. In the 11th minute, there was a scramble in front of the goal from Kajiwara's right corner kick. Konno attempted a left-footed volley from the loose ball, but it was saved well by the opposing goalkeeper. In the 17th minute, Kajiwara exchanged passes with Cabore on the left side and sent a through ball to Konno, who had made a run behind the defense. The cross hit a defender, and Kajiwara picked up the loose ball and took a direct shot from the middle, but it went just left of the goal.

　After that, they launched wide attacks and found their rhythm, but in the 24th minute, they fouled Oita FW Weslley during a counterattack, giving away a free kick. MF Suzuki scored directly from this free kick taken from outside the right area, allowing them to concede the first goal from a set piece. Nevertheless, Tokyo displayed an aggressive attitude and shifted to counterattacks. In the 31st minute, Konno received a pass from Fujiyama, who advanced with a dribble, and sent a left cross. Unfortunately, it did not connect with Akamine, who was waiting in front of the goal. In the 36th minute, from a central free kick, the ball was passed from Kajiyama to Emerson, who took a shot from the middle, but it was blocked by the Oita defense.

　Oita took the lead, solidifying their defense in the center, with Cabore being closely marked by DF Fukaya. They struggled to utilize Cabore's speed. Attacks from the sides by Emerson and Konno, as well as crosses from Tokunaga, created offensive opportunities, but they could not break through Oita's defense. In the latter stages, they created chances from set pieces, but did not reach a decisive opportunity. Trailing by one goal, they headed into the second half.

Unable to break Oita's solid defense until the end, lost without scoring

　In the second half, Hanyu was brought in to replace Asari. Additionally, the positions of Fujiyama and Tokunaga were switched to start a counterattack. In the 48th minute, Cabore attempted a volley from a floated cross by Emerson, but Oita GK Shimokawa caught it. In the 54th minute, Hanyu stole the ball and surged up the left side, passing to Akamine on the left side of the area. He aimed for Cabore in front of the goal, but was blocked by Oita's defense. In the 56th minute, from a quick restart by Kajiyama, Konno aimed for a powerful shot from distance, but it went over the bar. In the 57th minute, Cabore received a feed from Fujiyama in the center of the area and aimed for the goal, but the opposing GK caught it.

　In the 68th minute, Ishikawa was brought on for Emerson. In the 69th minute, Konno passed to Cabore on the left side, who used his speed to break through vertically, leaving the opposing DF behind and delivering a low cross. However, this was also cleared by the opposing DF. Although they completely outperformed Oita in ball possession and showed an aggressive attacking stance, they could not get to a shot. In the 74th minute, they launched a counterattack from a clearance of the opponent's free kick, with Akamine passing to Ishikawa, who cut in from the right side and sent a cross aimed at a shot, but it was blocked just before the goal by Oita's DF. In the 80th minute, from a throw-in, Cabore headed the loose ball, but it lacked power and was caught by Oita's GK.

　In the 84th minute, Akamine broke free in the area but was not awarded a foul when he was brought down. In the 85th minute, Nagatomo was brought on to replace Fujiyama. The ball was gathered by Cabore and Akamine in the front line as they aimed for the equalizer. In stoppage time, a cross from Nagatomo on the left side to Cabore was cleared by the Oita defense but resulted in a corner kick. From this right corner kick, Tokunaga picked up the loose ball and boldly took a shot from distance, but it went over the goal. They desperately chased the goal while trailing by one point, but as time passed, signs of impatience became evident, and they could not shake the net until the end. Oita managed to maintain their one-point lead as planned, and the match ended as such. They suffered a regrettable defeat.

　[Player Comments] {Shiota} "The condition of the pitch was poor, and I had no choice but to change direction to adapt to it. I think Oita was able to respond to that better. (Regarding the goal conceded) the opponent's free kick was well taken. I had a thought that they might kick it towards the wall, but I also had in mind that they might put it to the far side... It was more of a straight shot rather than a curve with the left foot, and I couldn't react. We need to switch gears after this defeat. Honestly, winning the championship has become tough, but depending on our ranking, there is still a chance to qualify for the ACL. I want to aim for that and prepare for the next match against Kashima." {Moniwa} "Today's result is really disappointing. (Regarding the scene that led to the free kick that resulted in the goal?) That was a dangerous situation on the counter. I thought it might be okay to go for a foul at worst, but a foul was called before that. However, that's the referee's decision, so I can't make excuses. Regarding that free kick, I can only praise the kicker. The lack of scoring has been a challenge for the team, and I want to reassess and resolve that. We can't win if we don't score. (It seems that Morishima was getting heated?) I think that's his playing style. But since we weren't being shot at that much, I tried not to worry too much about it. It would be a waste of time to get provoked and get caught up in it. The next match against Kashima is at home, and I want to show our pride. We can't end it like this. If we can move up even one place, I believe the situation in Tokyo will change next year. I want to switch gears and do my best."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "First of all, I am very disappointed that we could not meet the expectations of everyone who came from Tokyo to Oita and the fans who supported us in Tokyo. We were careful about counterattacks and set plays, but we gave away a free kick in a place where we shouldn't have, which led to conceding a goal. We approached the game aggressively because we couldn't afford to draw, but it was unfortunate that we conceded a goal in a situation where we started well, and while trying to attack without conceding another goal, we couldn't score even when the opponent had to defend. (In the second half, how did you add an accent with Hanyu?) From the middle of the game, Kajiyama dropped back to receive the ball in the holding midfield position to fill the space in the second line. We intended to spread the opponent while connecting, so we structured the midfield to connect even more. (Next, you face the top team, Kashima?) I think the key is how well we can connect while entering the opponent's penalty area and how many variations we can have with dribbling and runs behind the defense. We created many chances in today's match, but we need to analyze the fact that we did not score."

　[Summary of Oita Coach CHAMUSCA's Press Conference] "As we entered the final stages, it was a direct confrontation between the top teams, and I believe winning here is very significant. As expected before the match, it was a tough game. I think we returned to the state where we created a record of 17 matches unbeaten in terms of speed, strength in duels, and intense marking. The two-week break this time was very valuable in getting back to this state. Tactically, the opponent came at us with a three-forward setup initially, and we adopted a method where Takahashi and Suzuki, in some cases, absorbed into the back line to create a 4 against 3 situation. For that, it was important to communicate well and ensure we didn't end up in a 3 against 3 situation. The result was that there was always someone covering, and the communication worked effectively. After scoring the first goal, Tokunaga started pushing forward, and Emerson came inside, allowing Tokunaga to enter the space that opened up. Furthermore, towards the end of the first half, both full-backs joined the attack, which required even more communication, but I think the team functioned smoothly in that regard. Regarding MF Kanazaki's position, I asked him to drop back to the holding midfield line for defense and to move into the top line as part of the three forwards during attacks. I thought it was a very tough match for him today, so I substituted him at the end. Since we were unable to hold the ball up front and were receiving waves of attacks from the opponent, I brought in FW Takamatsu to help maintain possession. In the last five minutes, Nagatomo came in, so I brought in Nishiyama to form a three-man holding midfield, and we managed the system in a 3-6-1 shape."