Midway through the league matches, seize victory at Ajinomoto!

　This season's league matches have reached the halfway point with Sec. 17, where we will face Nagoya Grampus at Ajinomoto Stadium for the first time since May 24. In the previous match against Kobe away, we achieved a convincing 2-0 victory and are currently on a five-match winning streak in official competitions. We have secured three consecutive wins in the league, marking the first time since the season began that we have taken the lead in wins, rising to our highest position of 5th place this season. Nevertheless, Coach Jofuku stated, "We don't have the luxury to look back at what has happened so far. Above all, we want to keep this momentum going," expressing a strong determination to rise in the rankings as the team prepares for this match with a continuous commitment.

　Nagoya, our opponent, has confirmed the transfer of key FW Davi to the Qatar League. However, he is still eligible to play in the next three matches and has been named in the starting lineup for this round. They also boast a diverse attacking lineup, including Japan national team FW Tamada, last season's J-League Rookie of the Year MF Ogawa, and MF Maginun, with a strong emphasis on wing attacks. Additionally, the team's overall strength should have improved due to their experience on the AFC = Asia stage. Coach Jofuku stated, "FW Davi will come out with high motivation for his last countdown," remaining vigilant, and at the same time noted, "Nagoya will use the field widely and launch side attacks from the outside. Being stretched across the width of the field is not a good situation for us. We must ensure that we do not allow the opponent to showcase their strengths."

　Although they fell behind at the start of the season, they have been climbing the rankings through various twists and turns. However, the 'Summer of Counterattack' has only just begun. To secure the right to enter the top group, they cannot afford to lose the three points at home at Ajinomoto. As dusk begins to fall at Ajinomoto, Tokyo will approach the match with the same starting lineup as the previous game, and the match started at 18:34 with Nagoya's kickoff.

5 consecutive matches with Naoh's goal! Following the previous match, Cabore scores an additional point.

　The match suddenly came to life. In the 3rd minute, Gonda's goal kick was dropped by Hirayama on the left flank to Ishikawa in the center. Ishikawa's trap was a bit too big, but as he turned to face the goal and adjusted his position, he smoothly dribbled forward, weaving between three opposing defenders in the center of the area, and struck with his right foot! The ball flew sharply into the bottom right corner, scoring a goal. With this being his fifth consecutive goal, Nao quickly secured the opening point.

　Tokyo takes the lead and shows a calm game flow. In the 8th minute, Cabore was fouled on the left side, earning a free kick. Ishikawa's kick was met by Konno, who headed the ball but missed the target by a small margin. The attack originating from Nagoya's side was defended without any trouble, and in the 16th minute, Nagoya MF Yamaguchi's right cross found MF Ogawa, who broke through behind Tokyo DF in the left area and took a shot, but Gonda caught it easily. In the 26th minute, a quick transition attack was initiated, with Kajiyama advancing and sending a vertical pass to the right front line. Ishikawa received it, brought it to the center, and aimed for the goal without hesitation, but it went slightly to the right.

　In the 28th minute, Nagoya's FW Davi received a pass from MF Ogawa on the left side, turned at the edge of the area, and took a shot, but it went over the bar. In the 29th minute, Tokyo created an attacking opportunity. Yonemoto held the ball and drew out Nagatomo's overlapping run. Receiving the pass at the left corner of the area, Nagatomo dribbled towards the center. He took a shot towards the left side of the goal, but missed the target.

　The match continued to see back-and-forth action, but in the 34th minute, Konno cut off a right cross from Nagoya. After a sequence involving Yonemoto, Kajiyama, and Hirayama, Ishikawa surged into the right area and delivered a final pass to Hanyu. Hanyu's shot, which was initially saved by the goalkeeper, was followed up by Cabore, who neatly slotted it in with his left foot for a goal! From a sharp and swift counterattack, Cabore scored another goal, just like in the previous match, giving us a 2-goal lead as we headed into halftime.

Suzuki scored a decisive goal from a stable game flow, achieving a comfortable victory at Ajinomoto.

　In the second half, Nagoya substituted MF Yoshimura for FW Maki, with FW Tamada moving to MF and MF Ogawa taking on the role of a defensive midfielder to launch a counterattack. However, Tokyo maintained an advantage with stable gameplay. In the 48th minute, Cabore held the ball on the right side. From there, he passed to Hirayama, who received it just outside the right area, turned, and shot. In the 56th minute, a counterattack was initiated, with Cabore breaking free on the left front from Nagatomo. He passed again to Nagatomo, who ran into the center of the area, but the trap was too heavy, and he couldn't take a shot.

　In the 64th minute, Tanabe, who made his first appearance at Ajinomoto, was brought on to replace Hanyu. Just after that, in the 67th minute, Yonemoto advanced into the opponent's territory and, while competing with an opponent, connected with Tanabe who was coming up from behind. Tanabe dribbled smoothly into the area and made a final pass to Cabore in the right area! However, Cabore's decisive shot was blocked by the goalkeeper's save...

　In the second half, we were unable to capitalize on our good opportunities, but conversely, we did not allow Nagoya to create any real chances. In the 77th minute, Suzuki came on for Ishikawa, and in the 80th minute, Akamine was brought in for Cabore. On the other hand, an incident occurred in the 78th minute when substitute midfielder Hanai injured his right shoulder. Since they had already used all their substitution slots, they were forced to play with ten men, leaving no strength for a counterattack.

　In the 43rd minute, Akamine, who drifted to the left side, advanced with a dribble. He passed to Hirayama, who was free in the center of the area. However, the timing was slightly off, causing Hirayama's trap to be too heavy, and he couldn't finish. In the 44th minute, Kajiyama passed to Hirayama, who reliably dropped it, and Suzuki, just in front of the central area, prepared for a shot but it was blocked. Then, in stoppage time, Suzuki passed from the side to Tokunaga behind him, who then passed to Akamine on the right front line. Akamine held it once, then connected with Suzuki, who had run a long distance to support. Suzuki dribbled centrally and, as he entered the area, took a shot. He scored decisively with his left foot, securing the third goal as a cushion, and the match ended. With a comfortable victory of 3-0, they achieved a win at Ajinomoto Stadium for the first time since the match against Omiya in Sec. 9 on May 2.

　【Player Comments】《Suzuki》"(Regarding the goal) I was playing while considering the situation of having a 2-goal lead. I personally wanted to take a shot, but I wanted to avoid going for it too aggressively and getting caught on the counter. Then, a perfect ball came from Akamine, and Tanabe skillfully drew the opposing defender, so I thought I had no choice but to shoot. I hesitated until the last moment, but I'm glad it went in. I believe that strongly expressing my feelings led to the goal. To aim for the top from now on, I think it's important to score that crucial additional goal. I want to play while keeping in mind the balance of maintaining the lead and scoring additional points, and making sure not to make mistakes in that judgment. The soccer we are currently playing has a solid foundation, and I can be confident about it. However, I want to approach the next match with the mindset of aiming higher without becoming complacent."

　"Hanyu" "The current team is in such a good flow that it feels almost too good to be true. I have a strong sense that if we try to do what we need to do, results will definitely follow. I was talking about whether I and player Sota HIRAYAMA might be falling behind in that flow... (laughs), but Sota is also doing a great job, and each of our roles is fluidly executed. Therefore, it might be difficult for the opponent to narrow down their defensive focus. Also, the center backs and defensive midfielders are controlling well, creating a situation where attacking players can aim when the opportunity arises. However, I think we will be studied more in the future, and there may be times when things don't go well. I want to be able to quickly identify what we were doing well during good times. What we did to win during bad flows or rhythms can be derived from the image we built during this winning streak. Having something to fall back on is, I believe, a sign of a strong team."

　【Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference】 "The difficult period of March and April has ended, and we have finally returned our win-loss record to even, having won the recent match against Kobe. Today, in Sec. 17, it was a key point to see where we stand at the halfway mark of the league. After returning to an even record, we aimed to become a team that can achieve consecutive victories. Whether that becomes a certainty or not was a motivating factor for today. Of course, when looking at the content of the match, there are various issues. In the last few matches, even in those we won since June, we have been working on the next step of 'finishing strong' after not being chaotic at the end. The skills and judgment in that area were a bit poor, but today we were able to score an additional goal in stoppage time, and I believe the players felt they improved on that issue. However, that is not the greatest progress. Of course, today's score, defeating the strong Nagoya 3-0, is not something to complain about, but every player was cooling down with the expression of 'we could have done more.' I believe that feeling of 'we could have done better' is the greatest progress. I absolutely do not want to stop this momentum, and I want us to keep improving with each match, becoming a team on the rise. I want to engrave that feeling in my heart and walk together with our fans."

　【Summary of the press conference by Nagoya's coach STOJKOVIC】 "It was an important match in the league, so I am very disappointed with the result. I always tell the players to concentrate during the first five minutes right after kickoff, but we conceded a goal in the first 2-3 minutes. It felt like we were already losing from the start... In the latter part of the game, both MF Hanai and FW Maki got injured, and we were fighting with the equivalent of two players less for the last 20 minutes. It was a difficult game. Of course, I think there are times when we lose. However, if we are going to lose, I want to lose as a man. I want the players to have the spirit that they need to do something. In today's match, there were selfish plays, and we couldn't see cohesive soccer. Regardless of whether the result was 3-0, 2-0, or 1-0, it doesn't matter. The most frustrating thing was that there were players who were playing selfishly. I believe we need to change something for the next Nabisco Cup."