I want to conclude the series of matches with a victory at home.

　In Sec. 11 of the league, we will face Kyoto Sanga F.C. at Ajinomoto. In the previous match, we fought evenly against Hiroshima but ended up scoreless for the first time this season, dropping back to 15th place. In this match, we want to take control at home and score at all costs. This will be a crucial match to conclude the Golden Week's five consecutive games with a victory.

　However, the team's fatigue level is also reaching its peak. With only three days of practice since the last match, Coach Jofuku explained the aim was to focus on the minimum essentials that needed to be confirmed within the limited time. They were conducting concentrated training, taking into account Kyoto's set plays, power play strategies, and adapting their approach according to the flow of the match.

　Kyoto is currently in 12th place with 12 points. Like Tokyo, they have 4 wins and 6 losses, with no draws, making it a matchup between two teams with similar records. However, Kyoto is a team that can adapt its style of play according to the opponent. At the same time, the attacking power of forwards Diego and PAULINHO is a threat; when they receive the ball, the players around them quickly move and create the rhythm of the attack. Additionally, their defense consists of tall players, so simply launching the ball into the box will be met with resistance. They want to turn it into a battle of speed and exploit the spaces.

　Tokyo will start with Hirayama, who has been named in the starting lineup since the Nabisco Kashiwa match on March 25, forming a two-top formation with Akamine. Under clear weather where the heat can be felt in the sunlight, the match started at 14:04 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Hirayama became the focal point in the front line! He seized the rhythm and overwhelmed Kyoto, but...

　In the 5th minute, Kyoto FW PAULINHO's left cross was connected by FW Diego, and MF Sato, who entered the area, dropped it. From there, FW Hayashi took a volley shot. However, this shot went wide, and after that, Tokyo seized the rhythm and overwhelmed Kyoto. Hirayama became a good starting point in the front line, and boldly attacked from movements that exploited the spaces of Ishikawa and Hanyu. In the 12th minute, Ishikawa broke through the right side with sharp movement and sent a grounded cross to the center. However, it was cut by a Kyoto defender just before reaching Hirayama, resulting in a corner kick. Ishikawa took this corner kick, and Hirayama timed his header shot well, but it went just wide of the target.

　In the 15th minute, Nagatomo, who advanced on the left side, outpaced Kyoto defender Masushima and charged into the left area. However, his shot just missed the goal. In the 30th minute, Ishikawa received a vertical pass from Yonemoto in the center and attempted a looping shot, but it also went over the left corner. In the 31st minute, Kajiyama passed to Ishikawa, who cut back past the defender and sent a cross with his left foot, which Hirayama connected with. From the resulting corner kick, Hirayama had a free header. In the following 33rd minute, Hirayama initiated a play in the center and passed to Akamine on the right. Akamine took a touch and aimed for the goal, but...

　In the 35th minute, Hiyama became the starting point on the left side, and Hanyu, who ran inside, entered the area. He shot with speed, but the ball grazed the opposing goalkeeper and hit the right post... In the 38th minute, Ishikawa, in coordination with Tokunaga, ran in from the side to cross into the right area and struck with his left foot... creating many scoring opportunities, they took 12 shots in the first half but could not score. On defense, they remained focused, not allowing Kyoto to create any real chances, and went into halftime at 0-0.

End with the first draw of the season after two consecutive matches without scoring.

　The pace of Tokyo did not change in the second half. Kyoto also tried to launch a counterattack centered around FW Diego, but Konno and Bruno QUADROS consistently snuffed out the threats and transitioned to their own attacks. Still, the time continued where they could not convert their chances. In the 59th minute, Otake was brought in for Hanyu. In the 63rd minute, Otake, just before the area, maneuvered through the attacking line with quick passes, but in the end, he was cut off, leading to a counterattack from Kyoto. However, Kyoto's FW Diego's final pass was intercepted by Konno.

　Kyoto made a substitution in the 62nd minute, bringing in DF Nakaya for MF Hayashi to strengthen their defense. In contrast, Tokyo made a substitution in the 67th minute, with Suzuki coming on for Akamine. Immediately after, Suzuki made a breakthrough, maneuvering into the right area and delivering a cross from a deep position! Hirayama made a perfect header, but... it also failed to hit the target. In the 70th minute, Ishikawa, who had surged up the left side, outmuscled the opposing DF and connected with Hirayama, who had moved into the center. Hirayama feigned a shot inside the area and sent a pass, but it was cut off by the opposing DF...

　In the 72nd minute, a quick attack was launched, with Suzuki making a fierce dribble. The shot taken after skillfully cutting back past the opposing defender just before the left area was saved in the bottom left corner of the goal. In the 74th minute, Kondo was brought in to replace Ishikawa. They aggressively attacked using substitutions, but as time ran out, perhaps due to anxiety, they were often called for fouls during attacks, which did not lead to decisive chances. In the 85th minute, Kondo was fouled just outside the left area, earning a free kick. Otake passed to Suzuki, who then passed back to Otake, but it did not reach Hirayama and was cleared by the Kyoto defense.

　Kyoto's counterattack was safely shut out, centered around Konno and Bruno QUADROS, but despite Tokyo taking 19 shots (7 in the second half) compared to Kyoto's 9, scoring 'one goal' remained elusive... This marks two consecutive matches without scoring and the first draw of the season, leaving them with just one point at home. During the Golden Week period, their record over five matches was 2 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses.

　【Player Comments】<Hirayama> "I think we created chances with our style of football. We were able to keep possession, and I believe we played the kind of football we wanted. The only thing left was to finish. That is a major point for reflection. There was no optimistic feeling like 'we'll score eventually,' and even in the final moments, I thought we needed one more adjustment. Still, despite having many players in attack, there were moments when we took shots too easily. Including myself, it would have been better if we had observed the situation more carefully and made calmer decisions..." <Konno> "It's disappointing that we didn't score, and frustrating that we couldn't win. Defensively, keeping a clean sheet has boosted our confidence. We had conceded many goals before, so we want to continue having as many clean sheets as possible. To score, we are trying various things like short corners and movements on the sides, and the coach has given us ideas as well. Although we failed to score in two consecutive matches, I believe we will be happy when we break down the opponent in the future. I think it's important to keep trying with this approach."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "Considering the current situation the team is in and the fact that we have not met the fans' expectations, the players approached today's match with strong determination. As a result, I feel like we lost 2 points, which is very frustrating. Everyone worked hard and created more chances, but when you can't score in those moments, the defense often becomes impatient. On that point, the defense showed great patience today. Even in situations where the opponent was kicking the ball, including loose balls, they held firm. However, ending the game without scoring is disappointing and something we must be aware of as a problem. If these tough situations continue, the defense will not hold up. To earn 3 points, finishing is crucial. We cannot wait for someone else to do it; we have to keep pushing ourselves. (How to improve the final touch?) Until now, we got stuck just before the finishing move, but today we took a half step forward. From there, instead of simply dropping the ball, we need to face forward, change decisions at the last moment, and improve the accuracy of the final touch. Of course, mindset is important. Not everything can be solved by willpower alone, but instead of waiting for someone else, each individual must work with strong awareness. Regarding the effort to patiently connect passes and create chances, I don't think there's any reason to feel down."

　[Summary of Kyoto Coach Kato's Press Conference] "From the start, I felt the players' bodies were not moving well and their reactions were slow. Rather than the sharpness of our players, Tokyo outperformed us in their bursts and in decisive battles near the ball with clear intensity, and we were pushed back. Especially in defense, when the ball went to Hirayama and Akamine, our center backs allowed them to easily face forward. This gave them time to move from the second line to the sides. Along with the lack of physical movement, we also ended up playing too defensively. However, we endured well in the first half. Since positional adjustments were necessary, it was good to finish the first half without conceding. In the second half, we moved right side back Masushima slightly inward and instructed midfielder Watanabe to drop back to the side back position to close down space. Also, since Ishikawa was opening wide to the right, I told left side back Kakuda to take a route that would allow him to close down Ishikawa earlier. Today, we aimed to form a solid block and, once we regained possession, quickly utilize FW PAULINHO's speed. Basically, we wanted to launch counters centered on FW Diego and FW PAULINHO. However, Konno responded well to PAULINHO's speed. When Tokyo's fullbacks pushed up, creating a momentary two-back defense, we wanted to exploit that gap, but even when FW PAULINHO faced forward and tried to challenge, Konno skillfully contained him. The match ended 0-0, but considering it was an away game and the players' effort, I think they did well to earn a point from Tokyo."