Aiming for 3 points with strong determination, even as the away team!

　In Sec. 7 of the league, we will face Oita Trinita away. In the previous match against Chiba, we suffered a frustrating comeback loss after conceding two goals just before the end. Regarding the plays in each situation, there were several moments where we could have finished, and Coach Jofuku calmly analyzed, "While it can't be said to be good, it wasn't a performance that deserved to lose." Moving forward, we have a tough schedule with five matches in two weeks, and "one goal is to return to a performance of five points or more after the consecutive matches. To achieve that, we need to take each game seriously," he said. Although this match is away, we want to secure three points to build momentum for the consecutive matches.

　Oita is currently in 17th place with 1 win, 1 draw, and 4 losses. With FW Takamatsu, DF Uemoto, and MF Roberto CESAR all injured and unable to play, they are in a difficult situation. However, at the Kyushu Oil Dome, they have only lost once, including the Nabisco Cup (Sec. 5 against Yamagata), and have conceded only 1 goal. Their strength at home remains intact, and the three-back defense led by DF Morishige shows stability. Additionally, the forwards FW Morishima, Weslley, and MF Kanazaki are all strong individual players. We want to ensure they cannot easily advance. At the same time, we need to be cautious of MF Edmilson's quick transitions and set plays centered around MF Suzuki.

　Tokyo has changed its lineup from the previous match. Moniwa returns as a center-back, and Konno has been placed in the defensive midfield. Moniwa expressed, "If we can win against Oita, who have a solid defense, in the first match of this consecutive series, it will boost our confidence. However, if the match becomes tight, set pieces could determine the outcome. Therefore, I want to avoid unnecessary fouls in dangerous areas. Even though it's an away game, I want to stick to our style of football without fear." Additionally, in attack, the key will be whether we can create numerical superiority on the sides against Oita's strong central defense and exploit the open spaces.

　Kondo said, "In the match against Chiba, we were able to create chances to shoot. It all depends on whether I can finish. I want to continue making runs behind the opponent's DF and break down Oita's solid defense. I will do everything I can to capitalize on our chances and win." So far this season, there haven't been any matches with more than 2 goals, but Coach Jofuku mentioned, "I don't think we can easily score more than 2 goals against Oita, especially away." First, we need to minimize the goals conceded, and then increase our focus on attacking to achieve victory! The match started at 19:05 with Oita's kickoff in the chilly Kyushu Oil Dome at night.

The opponent is down to 10 men, creating chances but going into halftime without scoring.

　Both teams entered the match with careful defense, watching each other's moves. Nevertheless, Oita boldly took a shot, exploiting any openings. In response, Tokyo aimed to create chances by connecting passes. In the 13th minute, from a left throw-in, Cabore became a pivot, and Konno brought the ball inside to shoot. However, the opponent closed in on him, causing the ball to go wide to the right. In the 18th minute, from Konno's switch, Tokunaga dribbled up and crossed, but it was deflected by the opposing defense.

　In the 20th minute, Ishikawa made a right cross after breaking through with a pass from Kajiyama, and Cabore ran in from the opposite side to connect. In the 25th minute, after winning the ball in the center during a counterattack, Ishikawa dribbled forward and delivered a superb through pass to Cabore, who had broken through the Oita defense, creating a decisive scene, but Cabore's shot missed the target... In the 29th minute, Ishikawa passed to Kajiyama, who was fouled in the center, earning a free kick just outside the area. Kajiyama aimed directly at the goal, but it went just slightly to the right.

　In the 32nd minute, Oita MF Edmilson received a second warning and was sent off. With Oita reduced to 10 men, they took control on the right side, with Ishikawa and Tokunaga repeatedly creating opportunities to attack. In the 38th minute, Tokunaga delivered a low right cross. Kondo intercepted in front of the advancing Oita GK and changed the course, but it narrowly missed the target. In the 42nd minute, a quick cross from Konno to Tokunaga in the center. The ball spilled to the free Cabore, who immediately took a shot, but it went straight to the GK. They were unable to capitalize on the chance, and the match went into halftime at 0-0.

Kajiyama scored a penalty just before the end, securing a hard-fought victory.

　Since the start of the second half, Tokyo has been in control of the ball. In the 51st minute, Kondo connects with Ishikawa's ground cross directly, but it goes over the goal. In the 58th minute, Kajiyama passes to Konno, who runs into the left area and takes a ground shot, but the goalkeeper catches it. Oita has left forward Weslley up front while the rest of the team falls back to strengthen their defense. Tokyo struggles to penetrate the area against Oita's concentrated defense. Tokyo substitutes Ishikawa and Kondo for Otake and Akamine in an attempt to break this situation.

　In the 67th minute, Ohtake played a short free kick to the center, and Kajiyama's shot was fiercely attacked by the GK but saved. In the 68th minute, Sahara, who had stayed forward, headed a shot from a left cross, but it went straight to the GK. In the 74th minute, they stole the ball in their own half and launched a quick attack, with Kajiyama passing to Cabore, who cut in from the left into the area to shoot. However, it was blocked by the GK's save, and Nagatomo's follow-up shot was also thwarted by a great save from the Oita GK.

　After that, Suzuki was brought in to replace Hanyu, and although they launched a wave of attacks, they were thwarted by a great save from the Oita goalkeeper, and they just couldn't break through for a goal. By the 89th minute, they had taken a record 27 shots, but were unable to score, and the atmosphere of a scoreless draw began to settle in during stoppage time. Cabore dropped a feed from Sahara to the front line, and shortly after, Akamine was fouled by the opposing defender in the area, earning a penalty kick. Kajiyama took the shot and powerfully kicked it into the top left corner for a goal! Despite a hard-fought victory, they dramatically snatched a valuable 3 points away.

　【Player Comments】<Kajiyama> "I decided from the start that I would take the PK and told everyone. Since I always practiced it, I was able to kick calmly without nervousness. The shot and Oita GK Nishikawa went in the same direction, but since I aimed the course well, I thought it was okay. I felt relieved when the final whistle blew immediately after the goal was scored. (Is this your first goal this season?) I scored the PK, but I haven't scored during the flow of the game yet. I want to be able to score from the flow." <Sahara> "This is what it's like when the opponent has 10 players. I thought it would be difficult. In last year's match against Kawasaki, we were down to 10 players but managed to hold the defense. When they defend by pulling back, it's hard to score. That's just how it is. As a defender, I tried to firmly mark my opponent. We knew Oita would use FW Weslley as a focal point, so we discussed in detail who between Moni and I would go for the wedge ball and how to cover. But since we created this many chances, even though it was an away game, I didn't think a draw was acceptable. I think my strong feelings and everyone's led to the PK. I want to connect this victory to the upcoming consecutive matches. We're still in a state of having more losses than wins."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "While struggling without getting results, many fans came to support us from afar, and I am glad we could share the joy with them. Regarding the match content, our aim was to endure a little at the start so that we could control the ball in midfield later, and I think we achieved that to some extent. The players were also conscious of switching the attack from one side to the opposite side. However, the finishing accuracy was too poor; missing so many clear chances inevitably makes the match difficult, which is usual. Especially when the opponent had a player sent off, they clearly retreated even more, and continuing to miss chances made it a very unpleasant match. At halftime, I reminded the defense that complacency due to the opponent being one player down is the greatest enemy. The defense maintaining their concentration was today's biggest reason for victory. Clearly, today the forwards owe the defense. Although we were not pressed much, winning 3 points in such an unpleasant match where so many chances were missed will lead to the next step."

　[Summary of Oita CHAMUSCA Coach's Press Conference] "Today was definitely a match where we had to win, earn points, and improve our ranking. From the start of the game, the team was well-organized both defensively and offensively. After the match began, I felt we needed to improve the accuracy of our passes, especially in front of the goal. Defensively, we started with a four-back formation, and when we regained possession, the sides pushed up like in a three-back formation. I think we managed that transition well. However, after one player was sent off, we had to switch to a strict four-back formation. In practice, we used a 4-4-1 shape and asked MF Kanasaki to cover two positions. Because of this positioning, there were some difficulties offensively, but I believe the team showed stable performance both in attack and defense. We were able to create chances by effectively using quick counterattacks. Regarding the transition from defense to offense, both MF Kiyotake and Suzuki showed good movement. However, although MF Takahashi was positioned wide, we attacked through the center and couldn't utilize him well, which allowed the opponents to exploit the space behind Takahashi. Nevertheless, the players showed fighting spirit until the very end, but unfortunately, we conceded a penalty kick and lost, resulting in a disappointing outcome."