Golden Week consecutive matches, seize victory at home!

During the long holiday, the league's Sec. 9 will be held. We will face Omiya Ardija at Ajinomoto. In the previous match against G Osaka, we showcased our strengths in the final moments, scoring our first two goals of the season, but our comeback was too late, resulting in a 4-goal defeat. Now, with only two days to prepare for this match, we need to switch our mindset both mentally and physically, as we desperately want a victory at home.

　This match will see a change in the lineup. Coach Jofuku stated, "While I do have some concerns, considering the performances of the last few matches and our opponents, I made this choice. Including the two center-backs, this is the best combination at this point. I want to focus on bringing out the strengths of each player and the team. I will trust and send out the players at any time." He spoke with determination, arranging Bruno QUADROS and Konno as center-backs, with Kajiyama and Yonemoto as double defensive midfielders. Ishikawa and Hanyu will play on the sides, and the formation will feature Cabore and Akamine as the two forwards.

　Omiya, currently in 12th place with 9 points, is on a three-game losing streak. In the midst of consecutive matches, Coach Zhang has made seven changes to the lineup since the last match. Kataoka has been moved to center back, with Toki and Murayama as the two full-backs. The double pivot consists of Arai and Kanazawa, and the attacking lineup features fresh players. They have aimed to 'win by running' with these fresh players.

　First and foremost, not losing the race is a condition for earning three points. On top of that, if we calmly assess the game situation and connect our passes steadily, we should be able to create our own opportunities. We want to link chances from Kajiwara's development and Hayu's fluid movements. Coach Jofuku reiterated, "No matter who plays in which position, I don't want it to turn into a kicking match. We will stick to the football we aim for." Under the clear May sky at Ajinomoto, the battle to leverage the home advantage started at 19:04 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Starting with Naoto's goal, they overwhelm Omiya but...

　From the start, they seized the pace and created chances through passing work and the fluid movements of Ishikawa and Hanyu. In the 4th minute, Tokunaga from their own half switched sides with a long pass to Cabore on the left front. Cabore headed the ball down to Akamine at the far post, who connected it to Ishikawa running in between. Ishikawa dribbled forward and boldly took a shot, and the ball went into the bottom right corner! Ishikawa scored for the second consecutive match, taking the lead!

　In the 6th minute, a cross was sent from Cabore on the right flank to Akamine in the center, but the timing was just slightly off. In the 10th minute, Akamine made a breakthrough through the center after a one-two, and the ball was passed back to Hanyu for a shot. They did not allow Omiya to create any real chances and went on the offensive. In the 18th minute, they launched a quick counterattack from their own half, with a last pass from Akamine to Ishikawa on the right, heading towards the center. It was almost cut off by the Omiya defense, but it got through to Cabore at the far post. It was a perfect chance for an additional goal, but the shot was blocked by the goalkeeper's save.

　In the 23rd minute, Bruno QUADROS pushed up the line and passed to Cabore on the left front line. Cabore skillfully trapped the ball and surged into the area in front of the opposing DF. He created another decisive scene while being free, but... the shot went to the right... Although he couldn't convert the chances, in the 25th minute, Tokunaga made a vertical pass to Hanyu just before the right area. Hanyu calmly passed to Ishikawa, who had moved up the center. Breaking down the opposing DF with their passing work, Ishikawa aimed a precise shot into the corner, scoring a goal!! They overwhelmed Omiya by breaking through the Omiya DF with their coordinated play to secure the second goal.

　However, in the 35th minute, a pass from Kajiyama was intercepted in our own half, leading to a counterattack. Omiya FW Ishihara's dribble was stopped by Yonemoto's foul, resulting in a free kick. MF Uchida's direct shot from just outside the left area found the top left corner of the goal... They capitalized on a single chance from the set piece. In the 42nd minute, a passing mistake caused the entire team to panic, allowing Omiya to connect passes. Right SB Tokita's feed was headed down to FW Fujita in the center of the area, which was then passed to the waiting FW Ishihara. A decisive scene was created, but the shot went wide to the left, and we were saved by the mistake. The first half ended 2-1.

Ishikawa scores his first hat-trick! Despite the struggles, they secured 3 points.

　In the second half, Omiya substituted MF Watanabe for DF Park Won-jae, and MF Uchida took the right position. However, it was Tokyo that found their rhythm at the start. In the 48th minute, they regained possession in their own half, with Yonemoto passing to Akamine, who then dribbled forward with Cabore making a strong run. They brought the ball into the area, but it was blocked by the opposing DF, and they couldn't take a shot. However, in the 57th minute, Nagatomo applied pressure on the Omiya DF and earned a left throw-in. From there, Nagatomo's throw was met by Ishikawa, who skillfully broke into the area and scored with a half-volley, completing his hat-trick!

　It seemed they had pulled away from Omiya by scoring the third goal. However, while they did not allow any chances during the flow of the game, they were unable to capitalize on the restart opportunities. In the 67th minute, they were repeatedly attacked during the restarts and managed to escape with a corner kick in the end, but from the sharp right corner kick taken by DF Park, DF Mato jumped in perfectly and scored. They were once again narrowed down to a one-point difference.

　After that, they missed their chances and panicked due to a passing mistake, leading to a frantic counterattack from Omiya. In the 77th minute, they lost the ball on the right side and were hit by a counter. From there, the play switched sides, and Omiya's left forward DF Park broke free and took a shot. Gonda saved it, but the rebound went to Omiya's MF Uchida at the far post... A decisive shot was taken from the right area, but Nagatomo blocked it with his body!

　In the 80th minute, Suzuki was brought on for Ishikawa, and in the 81st minute, Hirayama was substituted for Kabore. In the 86th minute, a counter-attack was initiated, with Suzuki breaking behind the opposing defense. Kajiyama sent a precise pass to him, and Suzuki found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. He created a big chance, but his shot was thwarted by the goalkeeper's save... In the closing stages, Omiya launched a fierce attack with their defense pushed forward for a power play, creating a tense situation. However, in the 87th minute, Asari was brought on for Hanyu. In the end, Hirayama also dropped back to the defensive line, and the team united to withstand Omiya's onslaught, leading to the final whistle. Despite the struggle, they secured 3 points at home.

　【Player Comments】《Ishikawa》"It has been a tough series of matches, and I wanted to score first as we weren't getting results. I was able to score in the last match against G Osaka, but we lost, so I played with the awareness that 'scoring leads to results.' Even after scoring two goals, I thought that the more goals we scored, the better our situation would be, and above all, a two-goal lead is scary. I wanted to score another goal quickly. Today, in the shooting situations, I was able to create all the images I needed. I believe that led to the goals. In the end, it became a tough development, but everyone worked hard. We scored three goals as a result, but there have been matches where we missed chances, and I want to convert more of those. I will never be satisfied here." 《Bruno QUADROS》"Today, getting three points was the most important thing. It was great to have the chance and to play a good match. Konno is a player who plays well, is strong, and has speed, so it was easier for me. What was disappointing was that we couldn't finish the first half at 2-0. In soccer, it's inevitable to concede from a free kick like that..."

　【Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference】 "Today was a match where we absolutely had to win. In the previous match against G Osaka, we conceded four goals. Everyone is doing their best, but it was a game where it can't be helped if we say we woke up after conceding those four goals. If we don't hold our ground here, aiming for the top will end up being a mere fantasy. It was good that we were able to hold our ground in that situation. It's thanks to all the players and the support from the fans. However, we must have a sense of crisis about the fact that it ended 3-2. Mistakes in technique are unavoidable, but we lost goals due to poor judgment in what was otherwise a perfect game, and we became unsettled from there. If we continue to play immaturely like this, the goal of balancing our points and continuing to win to clear our past frustrations will become a distant story. I personally felt a sense of crisis about that. It is very dangerous to celebrate today's result without reservation. I believe the entire team must approach the next match with a sense of crisis. If we keep missing chances, we will have games like this, and the team will struggle. Additionally, regarding the arrangement of the wall and the previous plays that led to fouls or not, there are too many mistakes in judgment that are beyond our technical range. I think we need to sharpen our judgment in both offense and defense and mature further."

　[Omiya Coach Zhang's Press Conference Summary] "The early goal conceded was too quick, leaving us no time to make adjustments, and we couldn't play the game as we wanted at all. However, I think scoring two goals this time, compared to the 0-3 match last time, will lead to better outcomes in the future. (Did you make significant changes to the lineup from the last match?) Given that it was a consecutive match, we aimed to play the style of football we aspire to, and that was part of our strategy. It wasn't so much a significant change... The players used today have experience in matches, and I don't feel like I made drastic changes. There was also the aim to rest the veteran players. The younger players are developing, and I believe today's performance was better than last match's movements. In the next game, I want to use players who fit our style and also bring back the veteran players. We must fight with the strength of all 28 players in our squad."