With a fighting spirit at the forefront, aiming for the first victory at home

　In Sec. 3 of the league, we will face Montedio Yamagata at home. After suffering two consecutive losses since the opening, the players have no hesitation in overcoming the difficult situation, saying, "Let's stay positive." This match is crucial as we aim for results, wanting to secure 3 points with the soccer we aspire to play and regain our confidence. This week, Sahara and Ishikawa, who have fully recovered from injuries and prepared their condition, will start. Hirayama will also be in the starting lineup, and rookie Yonemoto will be on the bench. We hope that these fresh players will invigorate the team and help us find our rhythm.

　Yamagata, which has been promoted to J1 this season, plays freely with a solid defense and sharp counterattacks, which have been well-regarded since their time in J2. They have started the season strong with 1 win and 1 draw. The counterattacks initiated by forwards Furuhashi and Hayato HASEGAWA are sharp, and in addition to MF Kim Byung-seok, who adds an attacking accent, the accuracy of kicks and crosses from MF Miyazawa and DF Ishikawa is also high. The double pivot of Akiba and Ken Sato has abundant stamina, making it a team where everyone can give their best.

　This will be the first matchup since 1999 (J2), but we cannot afford to be on the defensive against Yamagata, who will come at us aggressively. We want to showcase our fighting spirit by returning to our roots and aim for our first victory of the season. A calm and sunny Ajinomoto. The match started at 14:04 with Yamagata's kickoff.

Establish rhythm from defense and create chances from counterattacks

　At the start, Yamagata tried to take control with intense pressing and initiated attacks from the sides. However, Tokyo calmly entered the match and aimed to create rhythm from defense. In the 7th minute, Nagatomo intercepted Yamagata's switch of play. He connected with Hirayama on the left side, and Hirayama sent a low, fast cross in front of the goal. From the resulting right corner kick, Ishikawa's kick was perfectly met by Sahara, who headed the ball, but it was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper's save.

　As time passed, both teams launched quick attacks against each other, creating decisive moments from counterattacks. In the 23rd minute, Yamagata forward Furuhashi became the starting point with a post, passing to midfielder Kim Byung-seok, who ran in from the right for the last pass. He took a decisive shot while free, but it was saved well by Gonda, resulting in a corner kick. Tokyo also launched a counterattack from the opponent's corner kick in the 24th minute, with Kajiwara passing to Ishikawa, allowing Cabore to break free. He faced the goalkeeper one-on-one and took a decisive shot from inside the left area, but it just veered slightly to the right.

　After that, they continued to create chances with powerful attacks. In the 27th minute, Tokunaga dribbled into the right area and made a short pass to Hirayama, who was close to the goal at the near post. Hirayama aimed for the goal but couldn't shoot due to pressure from the DF. In the 28th minute, Hirayama connected a right throw-in, and Konno, who ran in from behind, took a shot but it was blocked by the DF. In the 32nd minute, Kajiyama received a floating pass just in front of the goal area, central position. He aimed for a shot that would catch the opposing GK off guard with his skillful control, but it was saved just barely, resulting in a corner kick. They couldn't break through the solid defense of Yamagata and ended the first half scoreless.

Hanyu's goal becomes the Final Round point! Securing a clean sheet and grabbing 3 points.

　In the second half, at the start, Nagatomo aggressively aimed for the goal from the left side, showing a spirited performance, but was thwarted by a great save from the opposing goalkeeper. In the fast-paced exchange of offense and defense, in the 55th minute, Ishikawa, who had drifted to the left side, applied intense pressure on Yamagata's fullback. After winning the ball, he connected with Nagatomo, who overlapped and surged up the side, moving towards the center. Cabore, with the defender behind him, made a one-touch pass to Hanyu, who was coming up from the right. Hanyu trapped it with one touch and confidently scored with his left foot, securing the long-awaited opening goal!

　In the 62nd minute, Suzuki was brought on for Ishikawa, and in the 69th minute, Kondo was brought on for Cabore. Tokyo wanted to carry the momentum of the opening goal into a second, but mistakes during their attack led to a frantic development. While they did not allow Yamagata to create any clear chances, in the 80th minute, after a interception by Nagatomo, they connected passes in front of the goal, but Suzuki's shot from just outside the area missed the target.

　Both teams began to lose their momentum, but in the 82nd minute, YoneMoto made his professional debut, replacing Hanyu. Yamagata also brought in DF Sonoda to the front line, replacing FW Furuhashi. They went for a power play, but Tokyo's DF responded calmly without panicking. In the 87th minute, KajiYama passed to Suzuki, who broke into the right area and delivered a superb last pass to the center. Hirayama jumped in with his head, but was blocked in the midst of the scramble. In the final stages, there were moments of struggle against Yamagata, who never gave up until the end, but everyone stayed focused on defense and shut down the counterattack. They managed to keep a clean sheet and secured their first victory of the season.

　【Player Comments】<Hanyu> "The goal was the same pattern we practiced. However, at that moment, I was completely focused. It was a chance that came to me as a result of everyone’s hard work connecting the plays. I believe it was a goal we all scored together. This season, from the start, we have tried various things, but perhaps I was too caught up in that and hesitated to show my individuality in the match. Before tactics and technique, I think we lacked the basics like fighting hard and winning loose balls. That’s why today, I wanted to show that spirit. We were able to win today, but the place we aim for is much higher. Still, if everyone doesn’t play earnestly, we can’t get results. Realizing that was today’s takeaway." <Sahara> "The team has been a bit down lately, but we can’t keep sliding like this, so we decided to return to basics and fight with full heart. There were moments when Yamagata attacked us, but I don’t think there were many dangerous chances. At the end, everyone was able to defend with their bodies. If we had scored the second goal, the game might have become a bit easier, but right now, results matter more than content. Winning without conceding a goal is a positive."

　[Summary of Coach Shofuku's Press Conference] "The joy of the first victory is half relief. Despite having lost two consecutive matches, many fans came to support us, and I am happy that we were able to meet their expectations. Regarding the content, while it was necessary to prepare for Yamagata, it would be counterproductive to deviate from what we have been doing since last year and what we aim to do this season just to get 3 points. First, we tried to stick to what we intended to do. Not everything went perfectly, but the players made a solid effort. From the start of this season, we have not changed our approach significantly; rather, we have discussed with the players when to take risks and when not to. The style of football we are challenging this season is not dramatically different from last season, but we aim for positions and roles that better bring out the strengths of our members. Within that, we reviewed once again how to take risks. I do not think it was perfect, and while we only scored one goal, we also left some gaps that we must seriously reflect on. We want to firmly connect these issues to the next steps. Yamagata is a very good team, and I felt they have enough strength to compete in J1. They will likely be a strong opponent even in away matches, but first, it is important to build on this victory and return to an even record. Then, to give our best in each match of the Nabisco Cup, we will start preparing again from tomorrow."

　[Summary of Yamagata Coach Kobayashi's Press Conference] "Both side halves dropped back. If they could have positioned themselves a bit higher, with the fullbacks joining in and effectively using the side spaces, we might have created 2-on-1 situations. But we couldn't do that. One reason was when Tokyo's Konno moved to the left side, it resulted in two midfielders being positioned wide, which disrupted our attack. Especially in the first half, right midfielder Kim Byung-suk was pulled back, passing and moving forward, or being pulled so that forward Furuhashi marked Konno, which broke down the midfield. On the whole, we defended well in the first half. That was because Tokyo did not attack with as many players as before. Unlike the previous two matches, they managed risks and came out cautiously. A defensive midfielder joined the four defenders, leaving three or five players behind, making the defense solid, and we couldn't break through. We conceded when our legs started to tire. The opponent's pressing also eased a bit, so just as I told the team to 'keep possession without forcing it,' we allowed a fast counterattack. That was unfortunate. Changing the side players created chances, and we even went for a power play at the end, but it only happened a few times. It would have been better to simply send the ball forward more often, but it took some time to get that to sink in. Our attacking variations were also limited. From the next match, while maintaining solid defense, we need to think about scoring goals. Today, the midfield pressing was quick overall, causing easy mistakes there. Losing the ball just before entering the attack made it hard to find rhythm, which is also a point to reflect on."