Home final match, win by utilizing individual strengths!

　The 33rd round of the league was held, and it was the final home game. In the previous round against Kobe, we managed to draw, but we were unable to get 3 points. Due to the results of the other matches played the day before (the first day of the 33rd round), we can no longer reach the championship, but we are barely holding on in the top battle. If we win this round, we will be tied with 4th place Oita in points, so we cannot afford to lose in this crucial battle.

　This week, Kajiyama and Tokunaga will be suspended due to accumulated warnings. Taking into consideration the reflection on the Kobe match, coach Jofuku aims to "maintain our style of play regardless of who is on the field, but also bring out individual strengths to create something new. We want to balance these two things. We want to utilize each player's strengths and add variation to our movements," For this reason, Nagatomo will play as right back and Kanazawa will start as left back for the first time since the 22nd round against Tokyo V. Emerson will also start for the first time since the 29th round against Oita. In midfield, Inamoto and Hanyu will play, with Cabore and Hirayama forming the 4-4-2 formation as the top two.

　Niigata, who are currently in 14th place, will come to challenge with all their might in order to accumulate as many points as possible, as their relegation to J2 has been avoided but their survival is not yet secured. They surely have a strong desire to avenge their loss in the Emperor's Cup. DF Nagata and MF Alessandro will be suspended, but this round they will use DF Kaimoto as a center back. They have been playing with MF Matsushita and Marcio Richardes on the sides. In the Emperor's Cup match, they were troubled by the attacks that targeted the back of DF Tanaka and MF Kawahara, with MF Marcio Richardes as the starting point. In order to not repeat the same mistakes, it is important to maintain balance and not let Niigata find their rhythm. In terms of attack, it will be crucial to see how they can create their own time. However, even if they are controlled by the pace, it is important to stay calm and not rush.

　Ajinomoto Stadium was blessed with clear weather despite the cold wind blowing. The last home game of the season gathered 35,172 spectators and started at 4:04 PM with a kickoff from Niigata.

Overwhelmed by Niigata's passion, unable to create chances...

　Both teams struggled to settle the ball in the beginning, and the game continued with a back-and-forth attack. In the 10th minute, Ishikawa stole the ball on the right side of his own half, dribbled a long distance, and passed it to Cabore on the right side just outside the area. Cabore cut inside and took the first shot of the day against the opposing DF, but it was saved by the GK. Niigata also tried to attack the back of Tokyo's DF, just like in the Emperor's Cup, but they made mistakes and couldn't find their rhythm, resulting in a back-and-forth game. However, in the 24th minute, Niigata's MF Matsushita crossed the ball and FW Yano slid in at the far post, almost scoring from a close distance. But Shioda made a save and the ball went out for a corner kick.

　At 27 minutes, Ishikawa → midfielder Hirayama followed up and aimed for a middle shot. It flew into the frame, but the GK saved it and earned a right corner kick, but they couldn't take advantage of the chance. At 33 minutes, they gave a free kick to Niigata in the midfield, and MF Matsushita's kick was headed away by DF Chiyohantada, and DF Matsuo followed up with a shot. The timing was right, and it was a close call, but it went outside the frame. At 39 minutes, Cabore cut past the opponent's DF on the left side and sent a fast cross to the goal. Hirayama was also waiting on the far side, but the Niigata GK punched it away with one hand. Emerson and Konno followed up, but the DF defended well.

　At 41 minutes, Niigata created a big chance. MF Chiba -> Right back Uchida makes a floating pass behind Tokyo DF. There, MF Matsushita slides in and extends his leg. Shioda also came out, but the ball bounced off the bar and Shioda caught it. Niigata's passionate play put pressure on Tokyo, but they did not panic and tried to create their own rhythm from focused defense. However, their attacks lacked accuracy and power, and they couldn't create any clear chances. The first half ended scoreless.

Akamine scores the winning goal from a set piece! Victory in the final home game.

　Substituted Otake for Emerson in the second half. He connected passes well and took control of the ball to attack. Shortly after the start of the second half, Hanyu made a shot attempt from a breakthrough by Cabore, but the opponent's DF blocked it. In the 47th minute, Hirayama dribbled through the center and made a shot attempt. Cabore from the left area tried to score, but the angle was not good and the GK caught it. In the 60th minute, Hirayama received a cross from Hanyu and made a last pass in front of the goal, creating a decisive chance for Cabore, but the shot went off target... They couldn't take advantage of the chances against Niigata's tough defense.

　As time passed, both teams fiercely fought for one point. Tokyo made substitutions, replacing Ishikawa with Suzuki in the 64th minute and Hirayama with Akamine in the 75th minute, in an attempt to score a goal. Niigata also sent long balls to the front line, threatening Tokyo's goal. In the 77th minute, a pass mistake by Tokyo's defense line allowed Niigata's FW Yano to charge towards the goal and pass to FW Tanaka, who was in a shooting position inside the area. However, Shioda quickly came out and made a save. Both teams remained focused and did not allow any goals.

　At the 82nd minute, Hayashi made a wedge pass to Akamine on the front line, and Akamine dropped it securely. Then, Otake ran in from behind and took a shot. The ball flew into the frame, but the opponent's GK saved it with a fingertip and they got a corner kick. In the following 83rd minute, Otake's left corner kick landed perfectly at the feet of Akamine in the center, who then headed it in for a goal! They finally took the lead by making use of a set piece opportunity.

　Niigata also made their way towards Tokyo's goal until the end, but their counterattack was shut out. A valuable goal that answered Akamine's expectations became the final round point, and the time was up. They finished their final home game with a victory, rising to 5th place in the rankings. They have a chance to secure a spot in the ACL through the top 3, and will enter the final round.

　【Player Comments】《Akamine》"The scoring scene was when the corner kick came up and I was able to head it well. I'm glad it went in. When I entered the game, it was a 0-0 situation, so I went onto the pitch with the intention of shooting. I was happy to win the final home game with so many people coming to watch. As my playing time increases, I believe my chances will also increase. This season, I think I have been able to make the most of those opportunities. (We haven't lost a game in which I scored this season) On the other hand, when the team loses, I haven't scored. I want to work hard to be able to score even in those situations. In the final match, we will only focus on winning and work together as a team."《Shioda》"It was a tough game from the beginning, but we were able to push through. When we played against Niigata in the Emperor's Cup last time, it was a similar situation and we expected them to come out strong as they are still fighting to avoid relegation. We have been conceding a lot of goals recently, so we have been relying on our attacking players a lot. Before the game, I had the mindset of giving my all no matter what the situation was, so I didn't get frustrated when we couldn't create chances. I think it was good that we fought until the end with the determination to not allow any more draws. (Looking back on this season) By continuously playing in games, I have gained a lot of valuable experience. It's also a great experience to be able to compete at the top of the league like this. I believe it will have a positive impact on my future soccer career."

　【Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference】"In the first half, we knew that the opponent's pressure would be tough. So we had to figure out how to play our own football and our balance between the defensive line and midfield build-up wasn't very good. We were mentally pushed by Niigata's pressure and I think we could have connected a little more. However, there were some dangerous situations from fouls and we were lucky to keep a clean sheet. From around the 25th minute, Niigata's midfield started to loosen up, so we wanted to build up properly...but we were only able to do that in the second half. That's something we need to reflect on. In the second half, Hayashi spread the ball well and we were able to move the ball to our attacking third according to our intentions. However, from there, we couldn't create situations like overlaps or one-twos to speed up the game. So we tried to make changes by substituting players. We scored from a corner kick in the end, but even in the build-up to that corner kick, our attacks were not bad during that period of time. However, Niigata played a very strong game. I think it was a victory for everyone, including the defense that kept a clean sheet. (We dominated the flow of the game, but Niigata had chances. Did you see various weaknesses?) We want to play compact, but on the other hand, there are risks behind that. We are still learning in that aspect. By playing compact, we can control the opponent's feet, but when they break through, it's a split-second decision whether to follow them or drop the line. We still need to improve on that. Also, in terms of how we mark the opponent's holding midfielder, even if we create a block, we need to close in on the ball properly. I think there were some weaknesses in that aspect. The balance between creating a block and going for the ball, and the balance between playing compact and taking care of the line, is something we need to improve on. That's something we need to reflect on, and even if we can dominate when the opponent is not pressing high, we want to prevent them from creating chances even if we can't play our own football. That's a big challenge for this developing team. (Towards the final match) It's out of our control, but the absolute condition for making it to the ACL is to first earn 3 points ourselves. Chiba's situation is certainly tough, and I think they will come with a tremendous motivation, but our focus is on grabbing our own goal and earning 3 points ourselves. It doesn't matter where the opponent is or what situation they are in. That's the most important thing."

　[Summary of Niigata Suzuki's press conference] "The players fought well for 90 minutes. However, we couldn't keep up with FC Tokyo's speed of attack. Throughout the game, we were dominated by the ball and tried to stick to set plays and quick attacks to find opportunities to win, but we couldn't convert them. We have one more game left and we will train to get 3 points and play a good game."