A battle focused on securing 3 points even as the away team

　In Sec. 22 of the league, we will face Montedio Yamagata away. In the previous match against Yokohama FM, despite being forced to make changes to the lineup, we showed resilience as a team and managed to secure 1 point. This match comes with a tight schedule of just two days in between, but Coach Jofuku stated, "The only way to validate our efforts from the last match is for the players in this match to secure 3 points," vowing to turn the result of the draw into a victory.

　Yamagata, currently in 14th place with 24 points, has not achieved victory in the last three matches. However, Coach Jofuku emphasized, "They can compete closely against any team and have the potential to earn three points. In particular, they are well-organized in both offense and defense, and they understand when to fight and where to battle." Yamagata has a unified awareness among all players and a quick transition between offense and defense. In attack, they excel at counterattacks utilizing tall FW Masaru HASEGAWA and the breakthrough ability of FW Kitamura, starting from the sides.

　Tokyo, in addition to Kajiyama, who has returned from suspension, sees Bruno QUADROS and Nagatomo getting back into the starting lineup after conditioning adjustments. Suzuki has been added to the roster in place of Ishikawa. Nagatomo confidently declared his return, stating, "Since I haven't been away for a long time, there are no issues with my condition. I plan to regain my game stamina and sense during the match and give my all for 90 minutes. While being mindful of defense, I want to push forward and switch gears when the ball reaches Hanyu and the others in attack." Yamagata's defense boasts strength in one-on-one situations and is solid. They will apply man-to-man marking, but we want to break through with Tokyo's characteristic passing and combinations.

　Coach Jofuku stated, "When we are forced to defend, it is not easy to break through. Therefore, we must consider bringing the game to one-on-one situations and creating chances." Since the match against Hiroshima on July 25, in Sec. 19, we have not achieved victory in the last four matches. Today, even though it is an away game, we must aim for "3" points, not just 1. We will adopt an aggressive stance in both offense and defense, aiming for goals and victory! The match started at 19:04 Tokyo time at NDsoft Stadium Yamagata, which we are visiting for the first time in the J1 League.

A battle focused on securing 3 points even as the away team

　In Sec. 22 of the league, we will face Montedio Yamagata away. In the previous match against Yokohama FM, despite being forced to make changes to the lineup, we showed resilience as a team and managed to secure 1 point. This match comes with a tight schedule of just two days in between, but Coach Jofuku stated, "The only way to validate our efforts from the last match is for the players in this match to secure 3 points," vowing to turn the result of the draw into a victory.

　Yamagata, currently in 14th place with 24 points, has not achieved victory in the last three matches. However, Coach Jofuku emphasized, "They can compete closely against any team and have the potential to earn three points. In particular, they are well-organized in both offense and defense, and they understand when to fight and where to battle." Yamagata has a unified awareness among all players and a quick transition between offense and defense. In attack, they excel at counterattacks utilizing tall FW Masaru HASEGAWA and the breakthrough ability of FW Kitamura, starting from the sides.

　Tokyo, in addition to Kajiyama, who has returned from suspension, sees Bruno QUADROS and Nagatomo getting back into the starting lineup after conditioning adjustments. Suzuki has been added to the roster in place of Ishikawa. Nagatomo confidently declared his return, stating, "Since I haven't been away for a long time, there are no issues with my condition. I plan to regain my game stamina and sense during the match and give my all for 90 minutes. While being mindful of defense, I want to push forward and switch gears when the ball reaches Hanyu and the others in attack." Yamagata's defense boasts strength in one-on-one situations and is solid. They will apply man-to-man marking, but we want to break through with Tokyo's characteristic passing and combinations.

　Coach Jofuku stated, "When we are forced to defend, it is not easy to break through. Therefore, we must consider bringing the game to one-on-one situations and creating chances." Since the match against Hiroshima on July 25, in Sec. 19, we have not achieved victory in the last four matches. Today, even though it is an away game, we must aim for "3" points, not just 1. We will adopt an aggressive stance in both offense and defense, aiming for goals and victory! The match started at 19:04 Tokyo time at NDsoft Stadium Yamagata, which we are visiting for the first time in the J1 League.

Unable to score until the end, lost without any goals

　In the second half, in the 50th minute, Tanabe was brought on to replace Suzuki. However, while Tokyo was attacking, they lost possession, leading to a period of counterattacks from Yamagata. Still, in the 60th minute, Cabore aimed for a long shot from a loose ball, but it went over the goal. In the 64th minute, Hanyu made a run into the area from a typical Tokyo combination play. After a one-two with Cabore, he broke free and took a decisive shot, but it was thwarted by a great save from the opposing goalkeeper. In the 65th minute, Kanazawa was brought on as a left-back to replace Hanyu, moving Nagatomo up a line to strengthen the attack.

　In the 67th minute, Cabore received a vertical pass from Tanabe to Yonemoto, and from the center, he unleashed a powerful shot with his left foot as he entered the penalty area, but it went wide. In the 76th minute, a shot from Cabore earned a right corner kick. The rebound from the corner kick taken by Tanabe was seized by Kajiyama just outside the area, who turned past the opposing defender and took a shot, but the goalkeeper made a save. Then, in the 77th minute, Akamine came on for Cabore. He attempted to break through Yamagata's compact defense by delivering a cross from the side.

　However, they were caught off guard while attacking, and in the 85th minute, Ishikawa, the left back from Yamagata, broke through on the left side. The cross was cleared by Kanazawa, but it went to the opposing right back Kobayashi. From there, a right cross was sent in, and it was pushed in by forward Hayato HASEGAWA, resulting in a goal conceded... After that, Bruno QUADROS and Konno also pushed forward, launching a fierce attack with more players in the front line. In the final stages, Tanabe and Bruno QUADROS took shots one after another, but none were able to find the back of the net. A single goal was elusive, and they suffered a defeat without scoring.

　【Player Comments】《Nagato》"I had the image of moving up a line and then stretching out wide for a cross... However, since we were trailing, I really wanted to score, so I tried to not only stretch out but also exploit the space behind the opponent. Especially after Shingo came on, I aimed for the loose balls, but... it didn't go well. I played for 90 minutes, and my condition is fine. As for my game sense, it's something you can only regain by actually playing matches, but I think I've managed to get that back." 《Kajiyama》"In the first half, we tried to launch quick attacks before the opponent's defense could regroup, and when they fell back, we aimed to connect passes starting from Sota to break through. We created chances, and I think we did well in terms of game management. However, in the second half, it felt like they were targeting us when we tried to play vertical passes and look forward in the front line. Even so, we managed to create a few good opportunities, but... if we had scored just one goal, I think the game would have unfolded very differently."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "First of all, I would like to apologize to the fans who came to support us despite it being a weekday and far away. Regarding the content, I think we have to accept the result of 0 to 1. We should not capture the game based only on the impression of the last few minutes, and we need to analyze it calmly. Just because we played well until we broke through does not mean it was a game where we could comfort ourselves. We must firmly acknowledge that the absence of players who can shake the goal net reflects the level of our team, and we have to act accordingly. However, I do not want to decide the content of the game based solely on the impression of the last few minutes; I want to remain calm about that. (The response to player Hirayama changed in the second half; how did you respond?) We are not building up only by looking at player Hirayama, but from our position, if we cannot score as a result, we are told that we could not respond, and even if we were breaking through, we are told that we could not break through. I believe that is our position."

　【Summary of Coach Kobayashi's Press Conference】 "In the first half, Player Hirayama dropped back, creating a vertical relationship similar to a lone striker. We were exploited well in that area. It was difficult to manage the passing and marking in the first half. In the second half, I think we did a bit better with the holding midfielder either intercepting or having one of the center-backs mark while the two full-backs narrowed down. It was scary when Player Hirayama was involved in aerial battles, but our defense worked hard to block repeatedly, which made the opponent's shots rushed and not on target. Regarding our attack, compared to the last match, I think we had a bit more time to circulate the ball ourselves, but we often lost the ball when trying to push forward using the holding midfielder or when the holding midfielder could turn, so I think we need to correct that. Once the opponent crossed the frontline and midfield, our final line had a slightly soft approach, so I believe Kitamura and Hasegawa were able to do what they thought. If we could have sensed that a bit earlier, I think we could have acted without panicking. Kim got injured midway, so we had to change the lineup immediately, which made it tough at the end, but I think we did well to hold our ground until the end even when the opponent was playing power play. I believe we expressed well the reflections from losing to FC Tokyo in both the league and the Nabisco Cup, and the discussions and videos we showed about those two games. I'm really glad we were able to secure three points in the end."