With an away game, we aim for 3 points and strive for victory!

　In the 28th round of the league, we will face Nagoya Grampus away. In the previous round against Iwata, we achieved a dramatic victory with Akamine's goal in stoppage time. However, coach Jofuku looks back and says, "It was a way to win with momentum, but it was not the best way we wanted." He continues, "However, we want to think positively that we were able to take 3 points by focusing on winning," and vowed to continue the momentum we gained while reflecting on the game.

　Nagoya, on the other hand, won a big victory in the previous league match against Kashima and has won two consecutive games. In the ACL held on 9/30, they defeated Kawasaki 3-1. Despite this tough schedule, they have been in excellent form, rotating players and showing off their depth, such as placing MF Mitsudomoe in the defensive midfield. The most concerning player is undoubtedly the 194cm tall FW Kennedy. With him as the focal point, the attacking power of FW Tamada and the sharp runs from the second line of Maginun are also dangerous. How well they can contain this attack will be one of the highlights of today's match.

　Tokyo will face this round without Bruno QUADROS, who is suspended. Taira SHIGE will take his place as center back. The key point will be how to break through Nagoya's solid defense. Kajiyama says, "Nagoya will defend with a block, but if we can break through their organized midfield, we can create chances. We want to connect passes and patiently break through their block." They also want to break through Nagoya's central defense from the sides. They want to use players like Hirayama and Akamine to create space for players like Suzuki and Ishikawa, and create chances.

　A tough battle is expected against Nagoya, who are on a roll, but we must not be intimidated. We must carefully assess the situation and take advantage of opportunities, maintain balance in defense, and maintain focus for the full 90 minutes. We must continue to show a determined attitude and strive for victory until the end, and claim all 3 points! The match kicked off at 4:04pm at Mizuho Athletic Stadium with Nagoya taking the lead.

Despite being scored on first, Ishikawa and Suzuki's goals turn the game around and lead to a comeback.

　From the start of the match, Nagoya has been targeting FW Robert with long balls, but Konno and Shigetani have not given the opponent any freedom and have shown stable defense. And they turn that ball over and attack. In the 6th minute, from Nagoya's persistent defense near the center line, Yonehara → Ishikawa dribbles up from the center outside the area and aims for the goal, but it goes over the bar. In the 10th minute, Kajiyama picks up the loose ball from a corner kick and slips past the opponent to enter the goal area. He takes a shot as he enters the area, but it goes to the right.

　Suzuki's movement to the back of the DF and Kajiyama, Yonemoto's attacking play created a chance and it seemed like they were about to grasp the rhythm, but in the 18th minute, Nagoya conceded the first goal from a far cross by Kennedy from the left CK. However, Tokyo did not panic and launched a counterattack with their own style of football. Then in the 24th minute, Shigeno dropped a long feed to Ishikawa who passed it to Hirayama. He dribbled up with it and passed it to Ishikawa who was running up the right side, and without hesitation, he dribbled past the opposing DF and took a left-footed shot! The ball drew a beautiful arc and was sucked into the left corner of the goal, equalizing the score.

　Tokyo, which gained momentum, continued to expand in the 29th minute when Kajiyama picked up a loose ball near the center line and made a big move to the right side. Suzuki scored on a difficult bounce from the cross raised by Tokunaga, passing over the opponent's goalkeeper's head in a looping manner! The comeback was successful. Nagoya also had a chance in the 31st minute when midfielder Maginun from the left side took a powerful shot from outside the area. Gonda made a great save to prevent it, and Kennedy aimed for the rebound, but the ball missed to the right of the goal. However, this seemed to be the only real danger, as Nagoya's energy dropped and they were unable to create attacking opportunities. The first half ended with a 1-point lead.

Moriya injured and forced to leave the game due to an accident, but the team managed to hold onto their lead and secure victory.

　From the start of the second half, Nagoya made substitutions, with MF Nakamura and MF Bulzanovic coming on for MF Santoju and MF Maginun. With these two players leading the way, Nagoya aggressively pressed in the midfield and tried to dominate possession. Despite facing Nagoya's intense attacks, Tokyo managed to hold on, but an accident occurred. MF Shigeki collided with FW Kennedy and fell to the pitch. He was then replaced by Suhara. After this, Tokyo became more defensive and allowed Nagoya to launch a counterattack.

　However, Hirayama and Suzuki press aggressively from the front line. In the 22nd minute, Hirayama chased the ball all the way to the opponent's GK and cleared it, which was picked up by Yonemoto and passed to Suzuki, who took a one-touch shot. Although they couldn't score an additional goal due to the opponent's GK's great save, they didn't let the momentum slip away. In the 23rd minute, Muhara was substituted for Hayu and entered the left MF position to shut down the opponent's side attacks. In the 31st minute, Tokyo's Tokunaga broke through from a right throw-in and sent a ground cross, which Hirayama tried to hit but missed.

　In the 38th minute, Pim was substituted for Ishikawa and Fujiyama made his first appearance in the league this season. The strategy was to defend the MF on both sides and seal Nagoya's side attacks to escape. Including the long 6 minutes of stoppage time, there were also moments where Nagoya seemed to be in a desperate situation with multiple CKs and FKs, but the entire team defended with strong concentration and perseverance, securing a second consecutive come-from-behind victory.

【Player Comments】《Tatsuya》"(What was the scoring scene like?) It was a battle and the ball bounced once, so there was no other option. I thought that what Tokyo should do is to move dynamically, so I was prepared for the overall increase in physical activity and thought that if I could run for everyone, it would be good. I worked hard to increase my physical activity and actively develop from myself. Also, I think Nagoya had a tough schedule, so I think we were able to lower their physical activity by bringing the game to a dynamic pace like that."

　Nagoya's side backs are attacking, so I thought the space behind them would be a point of attack. It's a bit disappointing to concede first, but it was a set piece and we knew they had height. We were prepared for them to score from a set piece, so we were able to quickly switch our mindset. They have a lot of big players, and we knew they would have a powerful finish, so we were expecting that kind of development. It was tough, but I think we were able to defend with concentration. We are still far from the top, so we want to win each game firmly. (Next is the Emperor's Cup?) It's a tournament, so we want to focus and advance to the next round."

　《Ishikawa》"I am aiming for a goal with the thought that if I score, we will get closer to winning. Today, Tatsuya scored the go-ahead goal for us, but I wanted to catch up quickly, so I think it was good that I was able to tie the game with my own goal in the early stages. (What should the team aim for in the remaining games?) There are various challenges, but in today's game, if we lose, we will have to win all the remaining games or put ourselves in a situation where we strangle our own necks while aiming for the top, so it is important to accumulate 3 points for the win."

　(With today's victory, will you be able to smoothly join the national team?) I won't know until I go to the national team. Especially this year, I think I can do my job both on the side and in the middle, but I think there are places where I can play like that in the national team and places where I can't. The way the national team plays and the way the team plays are different. I think we need to add some changes to survive. "

[Manager Jofuku's Press Conference Summary] "I think we started off well in the first half. Our defense was as planned and I believed we could move the ball more once the game settled down. However, we conceded a goal from a corner kick by the opponent. It was a great ball and a great finish, but it's always tough when the opponent scores from one chance. We also conceded a goal from a corner kick in the previous match, so we need to reflect on that. After that, we stayed calm and moved the ball around to our advantage, scoring two goals. We should have scored more, but it was a big achievement to come back and win."

　The second half wasn't bad, but due to an accident, we had to replace the SB and the opponent became more aggressive, which made us a little flustered. I think we had a chance to score a third goal if we could have calmed down and created our own time a little more. However, being able to finish the game 2-1 was a testament to the contribution of everyone, including the subs, and I want to return to Tokyo with pride alongside the fans. I think it was a game where we showed that we haven't given up on anything until the final match.

　[Nagoya Stojkovic's press conference summary] "Today's game was a very easy game for the opponent. I think it was a very disappointing game for the home game, even for the customers who came to see us. However, maybe we were tired. It was very unfortunate that we were overturned in the tight schedule of 3-4 days and the game was not able to be played."

　(I think there are many games where we are leading but end up being overturned) Today we had a good start, but the opponent scored from a good combination. Our defense was really bad. We played too kindly to the opponent. We were not strong. We couldn't stop where we should have stopped even if it was a foul, and how many yellow cards were given today. Where did our aggressiveness show? The opponent was fresh today, but we have been playing regardless, so I was disappointed with that.}