The team is united in aiming for consecutive victories

　In Sec. 4 of the league, we will face Júbilo Iwata away. In the Nabisco match against Kobe, we approached the game with fresh members, focusing strongly on defense, managing to keep the opponent's attacks scoreless, and despite the struggle, we won 1-0. Coach Jofuku stated, "Building on this fight as a foundation, I believe that further accumulation will bring us closer to earning 3 points. First, we need to balance our league record before taking on new challenges," and vowed to fight for 3 points today, even away from home.

　Yokohama is currently in 18th place. They conceded 6 goals in the opening match against Yamagata and 4 goals in Sec. 2 against G Osaka, but they have thoroughly worked on their defense and managed to keep a clean sheet in both matches of the Nabisco Cup. For Tokyo, the key point will be whether they can patiently and persistently attack from the sides against the opponent's solid central defense. Although they have scored few goals, it is important to be cautious of the two forwards, Jiu Shinho and Maeda, who form a two-top. Concentrated marking to prevent these two from having freedom will be crucial.

　Tokyo sees Yuto Nagatomo returning to the starting lineup after getting back in shape with the Japan national team. The rest of the lineup will be the same as in the match against Kobe. Ohtake stated, "If the game becomes tight, set plays will be key on both offense and defense. I want to kick good balls and score soon. Of course, I will also aim for plays that lead to goals during the flow of the game, and I believe I must meet expectations on the defensive side to continue starting. There is a big difference between finishing this round with 1 win and 3 losses versus 2 wins and 2 losses. For that reason, this is a very important match. I want to do my best to express the determination to give my all in every single match." Additionally, Bruno QUADROS has made the squad for the first time since the opening match.

　Asari said, "It's important to add a plus alpha to the match against Kobe and see how much we can move the ball and players to score. Personally, while being conscious of defense, I want to find ways to increase our possession as a team. If we lose against Kobe, there will be no tomorrow for me, and if we lose today, there will be no next time. I want to express that strong feeling on the pitch and compete. With both teams wanting to use this match as a turning point, a tough battle is expected. The match started at 19:04 with Iwata's kickoff at Yamaha Stadium, where it was pouring rain.

Thanks to Gonda's great saves, the first half ended in a 0-0 draw.

　Right after the start, there was an immediate crisis. Jiu Shinho from Iwata broke through the Tokyo defense and shot from inside the area, but Gonda made a save with his body! It was a decisive moment, but no goal was allowed. Tokyo regrouped and created a chance. In the 3rd minute, Ohtake took a left corner kick, and Akamine headed it at the far post. From there, the play continued with Ohtake to Hanyu, who delivered a left cross into the box, but it was punched away by the goalkeeper. In the 9th minute, with Kajiyama as the starting point in the center, Hanyu and Ohtake advanced, and Tokunaga delivered a right cross. Cabore jumped in at the near post, but the ball went over.

　Both teams have a high defensive awareness and engage in fierce battles for the ball. Particularly, Tokyo controls the ball well and passes effectively up to the midfield, but they struggle to create scoring opportunities against Iwata's solid defense. Conversely, they are countered by Iwata and pressured. In the 19th minute, Konno heads a corner kick from Otake, showing good momentum but it goes wide to the left. They manage to approach the opponent's goal from set pieces but fail to reach a decisive chance.

　In the 34th minute, Iwata's right MF Ota sent a floating pass to the front line. Sahara cleared it, but the ball went to MF Kosuke YAMAMOTO, who was advancing in the area... He took a free shot from directly in front of the goal, but Gonda made a great save, preventing the goal. Just before the end of the first half, FW Maeda also had a perfect diving header, but it went wide of the target. Thanks to Gonda's excellent saves and the opponent's mistakes, the score remained 0-0 as the match moved into the second half.

Securing 3 points with Akamine's goal showcasing his strong competitive spirit

　The battle for the ball continues in the second half. Tokyo, without rushing, circulates the ball and looks for opportunities, but cannot get to a shot. In the midst of the stalemate, Tokyo was the first to make a move. In the 65th minute, Ishikawa was brought on for Ohtake, and in the 71st minute, Suzuki was brought on for Cabore. They aimed to score with wide positioning. In the 70th minute, Iwata brought on FW Bandai for FW Jiu Shinho, who had been the source of their chances until then. Taking this opportunity, Tokyo seized the rhythm with a speedy attack, but could not finish. They could not break through the development of receiving a counter from Iwata.

　However, in the 82nd minute, Tokunaga on the right side sends an early cross. Akamine competes with the opposing DF in the center of the opponent's territory. Suzuki connects the loose ball forward briefly, and Akamine, who skillfully outmaneuvers the opposing DF, advances with a dribble. A well-aimed shot, observing the GK's movement, pierces the goal net! He capitalizes on the one chance and scores against Iwata for the third consecutive season. Gaining momentum, in the following 83rd minute, Ishikawa leaves two opponents behind on the right side during a counterattack and charges forward with a dribble towards the center. He unleashes a powerful shot with his left foot from outside the area, but it results in a corner kick due to a great save by the opposing GK.

　Against the opponent's counterattack, apply pressure from a high position and safely deflect any balls thrown in front of the goal to prevent chances. Ultimately, this precious goal becomes the winning point, and in defense, we kept Iwata's attack scoreless until the time was up. Despite being away, we secured a very valuable 3 points.

　【Player Comments】<Akamine> "I don't think the match content was good. It's good that we got a result though. If there had been a few more crosses from the sides or challenging through passes, I think we could have created more chances... However, even if the ball didn't come to the front line, I didn't get impatient or frustrated. This is a time when patience is necessary. I think we are trying that kind of approach. The goal came because Tatsuya SUZUKI timed his pass well. I skillfully got past the defenders and had the composure to look at the goalkeeper. Nohkatsu aimed for the opposite side of where the goalkeeper shifted his weight. There is nothing special about the match against Iwata or Yamaha Stadium(Iwata). I am not consciously aware of it myself... ("If Akamine scores, we don't lose" is also said.) I want to work hard to meet those expectations. The next game is at home, so we cannot afford to lose. I will do my best to score again." <Gonda> "(There was a danger at the start, but did you stop it with your face?) I didn't expect it to come so suddenly. I couldn't even get my face in time, so I stopped it with my throat (laughs). (Did that play get you motivated?) I don't know if it got me motivated, but I was mentally in it. Especially, I absolutely didn't want MF (Yasuhiro Yamamoto) to score. Later, Yasuhiro said to me, 'Why did you stop it? If you hadn't, it would have been my first goal' (laughs). There were several dangerous moments today, but I think the defenders stopped more of them. We had the ball, but couldn't finish the attack, got stuck, and it turned into a counterattack, so the sides were lacking. The balance while attacking was poor and risky, but everyone was focused at the crucial moments. (The coach said, "Thanks to Gon-chan") It's not good for the goalkeeper to stand out all the time, but if it's occasional... If my saves helped tighten the team atmosphere and contributed to the victory, I would be happy. (How is your injured left shoulder?) It hurts, but I think the pain will subside in two days. It was unnecessary to get injured from a foul, but I believe that was a situation where I absolutely had to come out."

　[Summary of Coach Shofuku's Press Conference] "Since we had been on a losing streak since the opening, we approached today with a strong desire to win and even the score before returning to Ajinomoto Stadium. The players also showed strong determination to meet the expectations of the fans who came from afar in the rain. However, in the first half, although we knew the opponent would set up a solid block, our finishing kept going inside. There were moments when we patiently circulated the ball in midfield and used the outside, which allowed us to break down their defense to some extent, but often the ball went inside, was lost, and then they used the wide areas against us. Thanks to Gonda saving several decisive chances, we were fortunate to end the first half 0-0. In the second half, we consciously aimed to break down their defense through the wide areas again, but Cabore struggled to find space to move. So, we made some changes including substitutions and positioning. The players who came on later fulfilled their tasks very well, which helped us regain control of the pace. Above all, I am relieved that we were able to meet the expectations of our fans."

　[Summary of Coach Yanagishita's Press Conference at Iwata] "Despite the bad weather, many supporters came to cheer us on, and I felt that this was a game where we absolutely had to secure 3 points. I am frustrated that we couldn't achieve that and feel deeply sorry to the supporters. Regarding the game, our defense has stabilized over the last two or three matches, and our attack has been creating chances, which has boosted the players' confidence. I thought we could continue in that way for this game as well. In fact, we created several decisive chances in the first half and did not allow many dangerous situations, so I believe the team was not in a bad condition. However, it is concerning that we have gone three games without scoring or earning 3 points, which may be affecting the players' confidence. From our side, the structure is solid, so if we continue like this, we will definitely be able to score. We want to keep training with that in mind. We aim to recover both mentally and physically as soon as possible and approach the next game in good condition."