League Match Resumes! A Battle to Test Overall Strength

　After a two-week interval, the J-League resumes. In Sec. 21, they will face Yokohama F. Marinos at home. During the break, coach Jofuku stated, "Players have been able to relax both mentally and physically, while also pushing themselves and engraving it in their minds." They have used their time effectively to prepare carefully. However, during this period, Nagatomo underwent surgery for appendicitis, while Ishikawa is adjusting with a separate menu due to pain in his left foot. Also, Bruno Quadros temporarily left the team and has just returned to Japan. And in this round, Kajiyama will be absent due to suspension, leaving the team with four players missing.

　However, Coach Shigefuku emphasized the importance of playing as a team, saying, "It's not about someone replacing someone else, but rather utilizing each person's strengths and covering for each other." Center back Shigeta started for the first time since April 29th. Mukuhara played as right back, while Tokunaga played on the left. Kanazawa started as defensive midfielder for the first time since the May 20th Nabisco Chiba game. On the wings were Hanyu and Tanabe. The team lined up with Cabore and Hirayama as the two top players. Additionally, Nakamura returned from injury and made the bench for the first time since the June 3rd Nabisco Yamagata game.

　Yokohama FM is currently in 11th place with 25 points. In the 3 games before the break, they have not lost, and in particular, in the previous match, they scored 3 goals to beat Kyoto and their form can be said to be on the rise. They have many players with high individual abilities, with FW Watanabe receiving the ball at the front and having a powerful side attack and counter. Also, MF Hyodo and other players who can "turn on the switch" when they come on as substitutes, making it difficult for opponents to play against them. On the other hand, during this break period, DF Nakazawa has returned from injury and the defense boasts one of the most stable in the J-League. In the Tokyo game against Hiroshima, they did not score, and in the previous match against Kawasaki, they only scored 1 goal by Ishikawa and were unable to score any additional goals, so the key in this match will be how to break through Yokohama M's strong and solid defense.

　Manager Jofuku said, "Especially in the previous match against Yokohama FM, we were thrown off in the end and showed our instability. In that sense, how we finish the game is also one of our challenges. Even if we throw away the phrase 'Moving football', we want to show our attitude to win three points," showing his enthusiasm for the first match after the restart, which is an important game that will test the overall strength of the team. The heat remains, but the humidity is low and the wind is comfortable at Ajinomoto Stadium, and the match started at 6:33 PM with Yokohama FM's kickoff.

Yokohama FM is able to control the pace, but we need to focus and hold them back.

　In the early stages, both teams moved the ball and attacked each other. Tokyo tried to use Yonemoto's interception and Kanazawa's attacking power to initiate their own soccer. However, in the first minute, Yonemoto received a ball on the right side and dropped it, and Cabore followed up with a direct shot, but it lacked power. In the 12th minute, Yonemoto aggressively pressed around the center line and connected with Cabore on the front line, earning a corner kick. Hayashi took the corner kick, and Kanazawa crossed it to the far post with his right foot from the right corner, but there was no player to finish it, and it went out of bounds.

　20 minutes, Hanyu is fouled near the area on the left side, earning a free kick. Tokunaga takes a direct shot from a position of about 19-20m. However, as this misses, the attack of Yokohama FM gradually becomes more active in the back and forth situation. The front line of FW Watanabe, top FW Hasegawa, left FW Karino, and right FW Yamase move fluidly, and they are able to control the pace with their energetic attacks. In the 22nd minute, from a pass by FW Watanabe, midfielder Ogura enters the left area. In the 28th minute, from FW Karino on the left side, a lofted pass is sent into the area, but Mokuhara and Tanabe sandwich it and it becomes a corner kick.

　At 29 minutes, FW Yamase started the play, and central FW Karino skillfully sent it to the left area, where FW Hasegawa ran freely. A decisive chance was created, but Mokuhara quickly slid in and blocked it. At 37 minutes, they were hit by a counter, and FW Hasegawa → forward Yamase flowed to the right area, avoiding the mark of Tokyo DF, and took a powerful shot, but it went outside the frame. Tokyo was pushed back and became more defensive, but the final line held their concentration and the first half ended with a 0-0 tie.

Unable to create chances and unable to score, resulting in a goalless draw.

　In the second half, Yokohama FM's midfielder Ogura built up the attack and FW Yamase faced off against Tokyo DF in a 1-on-1 situation on the left side. They created a shooting chance, but Tokyo was able to clear the ball by connecting passes and defending persistently. They regrouped and started to create a rhythm in their attack. In the 51st minute, Tokunaga's cross was brought down by Cabore in the box, and Hirayama behind him created a decisive shot, but it was blocked by the opposing DF. Immediately after, Tokunaga dribbled into the left side and took a shot that weaved through the opposing DF, but the GK made a save.

　At 53 minutes, Hirayama on the front line skillfully blocked the opposing DF from Gonda's goal kick and connected with Cabore on the right area. Cabore took a shot with speed, but it hit the side net without an angle. At 59 minutes, Yonemoto → Kanazawa expanded to the left. Hayashi caught up and sent a cross from the sideline. Hirayama was there at the far post. Tokunaga, Hayashi, and Cabore were involved in the attack and created a chance, but they were unable to break through the tough defense of Yokohama DF.

　Against a declining Yokohama FM, Tokyo tried to push forward by using player substitutions. In the 59th minute, Suzuki was brought in to replace Tanabe. In the 64th minute, Suzuki quickly attacked and won consecutive corner kicks from crosses. In the end, Kanazawa picked up the clearance from the left corner kick and Suzuki sent a cross just past the far post, but no one was able to connect. In the 65th minute, Yokohama FM also brought in MF Hyodo and FW Sakata. Their movement started to pick up and in the 71st minute, Yokohama FW Watanabe received a through pass and sent a last pass to the left area. Right back Tanaka ran in freely and created a decisive chance. However, Tanaka's shot missed above the bar, and they were completely saved by the mistake...

　In the 72nd minute, Ohtake was replaced by Ohtake and Nakamura was substituted for Kanazawa in the 80th minute. However, the end of the game turned into a counterattack battle, with a hectic pace. In the 84th minute, Ohtake sent a pass to the right area and Cabore made a run, but it was offside. In the 88th minute, Yonemoto intercepted and launched a powerful counterattack, and in stoppage time, Suzuki → Cabore made a run down the side and created a chance for Hirayama to finish with a cross, but it was also offside. They showed a strong attacking mentality until the end, but were unable to shake the goal net. The first game after the league resumed ended in a scoreless draw.

　【Player Comments】《Taira SHIGE》"I tried to focus more and play with all my strength. I valued the distance and constantly communicated with my teammates. I think we did well in terms of spacing, contact plays, and challenges & covers. Not only the center backs, but everyone around me supported me well. I also felt that what I was doing in Shiga was not wrong, and I want to use that as further motivation."《Kanazawa》"It was good that we kept the opponent from scoring, but we wanted to win so the draw is disappointing. I can't be satisfied. I also feel like I could have contributed more to the team. In the first half, Yokohama FM took control of the pace. We were pushed back and our defense was absorbed by the DF line. We wanted to regain the momentum, but we knew it would be tough if we conceded a goal here, so we focused on enduring. In that sense, I think we were able to play with concentration. In attack, we tried to connect passes and keep possession for as long as possible, but the opponent's defense was strong, making it a difficult game in both halves."

　[Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference] "We weren't able to win the last 2 games before the break, so today we really wanted to win in order to catch up with the top teams. The players also went onto the pitch with that mindset. The starting lineup has been consistent recently, but we had to make changes for this match. However, I think the players who came in did their best. As a team, we tried to bring out their strengths. Even with changes in the lineup, our approach of creating our own time from the defense line, assessing the opponent's pressure, and supplying the ball from the front line to switch things up remains the same. However, with 4 players being substituted, I didn't expect things to go exactly the same as before. This is not a problem with the 4 players, but it's important for each player to showcase their individual strengths on the pitch. It's also important to cover for each other, including on defense, but in the first half, we couldn't finish our chances. Our time on the ball was too short, and there were scenes where we were chasing the opponent's ball, which led to us being a bit fatigued and not having enough energy for the finish. Perhaps our ideas were also a bit scattered, including in our build-up play from the defense line. We need to raise our level, including in our backup. It's disappointing to only get 1 point, but that's because we kept a clean sheet. In that sense, I want to commend the players for their motivation to get points. However, this point won't mean anything if we don't win the next match. We want to gather all our strength and turn it into a victory. We couldn't give you all 3 points, which is regrettable, but please watch us in the next match. We have no intention of ending our summer comeback. We ask for your passionate support once again."

　[Yokohama FM - Manager Kimura's Press Conference Summary] "There was a two-week break in the league, so we gave the players four days off. We faced this summer's three consecutive games in a refreshed state. In the previous match, we won 3-0 against Kyoto, and we approached the game with that image in mind. In the first half, our defense from the front line was good, and we were quick to switch between offense and defense. However, we were too focused on attacking and didn't take our chances, so we made adjustments at halftime. In the second half, I told them to take long-range shots as well. However, even in the second half, our aggressiveness and imagination were lacking when we entered the attacking zone. We were focused on defense, but what concerned me the most was that we were losing the ball while attacking and leaving players like Hirayama and substitute Suzuki free, which led to counterattacks. We need to fix that. In terms of attacking, it's best to score a goal with a shot or a corner kick, but if we can't do that, we need to focus on finishing and starting from the right position. However, Tokyo's defense was also good, so there were some parts where we couldn't finish. It will be difficult to improve those areas in just two days of training, but we want to improve our awareness."