Despite being away, let's aim for victory with a focus on earning 3 points!

　In Sec. 28 of the league, we will face Nagoya Grampus away. In the previous match against Jubilo Iwata, we achieved a dramatic victory with a goal from Akamine in stoppage time. However, Coach Jofuku reflected, "It was a win that gave us momentum, but it cannot be considered the best way to win that we desire." He continued, "However, I want to think positively about securing the three points by focusing on victory," and vowed to carry the momentum gained into future matches while reflecting on the content of the game.

　Nagoya, facing off, achieved a big victory against Kashima in the previous league match, marking their second consecutive win. In the ACL held on September 30, they pulled away from Kawasaki with a score of 3 to 1. Even amidst this tough schedule, they have rotated players, such as placing MF Mito in a defensive midfield role, and have shown depth in their squad, indicating they are in excellent form. The player to watch out for is undoubtedly FW Kennedy, who stands at 194 cm. With him as a focal point, the sharp attacking plays from the decisive FW Tamada and the runs from Maginun in the second line make it crucial to see how well they can contain this attack today.

　Tokyo will be without Bruno QUADROS this match due to suspension. Moniwa will step in as a center-back in the lineup. The key point, especially in attack, will be how to break down Nagoya's solid defense. Kajiyama stated, "Nagoya defends in a block, but if we can skillfully bypass their organized midfield, I believe we can create chances. We want to connect our passes and patiently break down their block." Additionally, we want to break through Nagoya's defense, which is solid in the center, from the sides. By utilizing the movements of Hirayama and Akamine to create space for Suzuki and Ishikawa, we aim to turn those into opportunities.

　A tough battle is expected against Nagoya, who are on a roll, but we must not be intimidated. We need to assess the situation, seize opportunities, maintain balance in defense, and stay focused for the full 90 minutes. We will continue to show our determination to win and aim to secure all three points! The match started at 16:04 with Nagoya's kickoff at the Mizuho Athletic Stadium.

Although we fell behind first, we turned the game around with goals from Ishikawa and Suzuki at halftime.

　Since the start of the match, Nagoya has been sending long balls targeting FW Kennedy, but Konno and Shigeno do not give the opponent any freedom and show stable defense. They then regain possession and switch to attack. In the 6th minute, from Hanyu's tenacious defense near the center line, Yonemoto passes to Ishikawa, who dribbles forward and aims for the goal from the center outside the area, but it goes over the bar. In the 10th minute, Kajiwara picks up a loose ball from a corner kick and skillfully evades the opponent while entering the goal area. As he enters the area, he takes a shot, but it goes to the right.

　Suzuki's movement behind the DF and the attacking runs of Kajiwara and Yonemoto created chances, and it seemed they were starting to find their rhythm. However, in the 18th minute, from a left corner kick by Nagoya, FW Kennedy's header was turned back to DF Yoshida, allowing them to take the lead. However, Tokyo did not panic and countered with their own style of football. Then, in the 24th minute, Moniwa's long feed was headed down by Ishikawa to Hirayama. He dribbled forward and passed to Ishikawa, who surged up the right side, skillfully evading the opposing DF and shooting with his left foot! The ball arced beautifully and was sucked into the left corner of the goal, equalizing the score.

　Tokyo, gaining momentum, continued into the 29th minute when Kajiyama picked up a loose ball near the center line and made a big play to the right side. Tokunaga, who caught up, delivered a cross that Suzuki managed to connect with despite a difficult bounce. The ball looped over the opposing goalkeeper's head and into the goal! They succeeded in turning the game around. Nagoya also had a chance in the 31st minute when left-side midfielder Maginun took a powerful shot from outside the area. Gonda made a great save, but the rebound was targeted by forward Kennedy, though the ball went wide of the goal to the right. However, this was the only real threat, and after that, Nagoya's energy dropped, preventing them from creating attacking opportunities. Ultimately, the first half ended with a one-goal lead.

Minobe exits due to an injury from an accident, but they maintain the lead and win.

　After the start of the second half, Nagoya substituted MF Sato and MF Maginun for MF Nakamura and MF Burzanovic. With the two who came on as substitutes at the center, they applied intense pressure in midfield from the outset, trying to dominate the ball. While they were somehow holding off Nagoya's fierce attacks, an incident occurred for Tokyo. Moniwa, who collided with FW Kennedy, fell to the pitch. He was immediately substituted off, and Sawa was brought on in place of Moniwa. This led to Tokyo becoming somewhat more passive, allowing Nagoya to launch a counterattack.

　However, Hirayama and Suzuki are diligently pressing from the front. In the 22nd minute, Hirayama chased the ball all the way to the opposing goalkeeper, and when Yonemoto picked up the clearance and passed it to Suzuki, he took a touch and shot. Although they couldn't score an additional goal due to a great save by the opposing goalkeeper, they maintained the momentum. In the 23rd minute, Mukuhara was brought on for Hanyu. He took up a position as left midfielder and shut down the opponent's side attacks. In the 31st minute, Tokyo's Tokunaga broke free from a right throw-in and delivered a low cross, but Hirayama couldn't connect with it.

　In the 38th minute, Fujiyama was brought on for Ishikawa, marking his first appearance in this season's league matches. The strategy was to play the midfielders on both sides defensively to contain Nagoya's wing attacks and hold on for the win. Including a long stoppage time of 6 minutes, there were several moments where it seemed like Nagoya would create a critical chance from corner kicks and free kicks, but with everyone's focused and resilient defense, they managed to protect the goal and achieved a comeback victory for the second consecutive match.

[Player Comments]《Tatsuya》"(What about the scoring scene?) It was a contest for the ball, and since it bounced once, it felt like that was the only option. I thought what Tokyo needs to do now is to move dynamically, so I was prepared for the overall movement to increase, and I thought it would be good if I could run for everyone as well. I worked hard to increase my movement and actively develop the play dynamically. Also, I think Nagoya had a tough schedule, so by bringing the game to such a dynamic development, I believe we were able to reduce the opponent's movement."

　Nagoya's full-backs are aggressive, so I thought the space behind the full-backs would be a point of attack. It was a bit disappointing to concede first, but it was from a set piece, and I knew the opponent had height. I was somewhat prepared for that one goal from a set piece, so I was able to switch my mindset quickly. The opponent has many tall players, and when they use power play at the end, it can be intimidating, so I anticipated that kind of development. It was tough, but I think we managed to defend with focus. We are still far from the top, so I want to win each match steadily. (Next is the Emperor's Cup?) Since it's a tournament, I want to concentrate and advance properly.

　Ishikawa: "I aim to score with the thought that if I score, we get closer to winning. Today, Tatsuya scored the go-ahead goal, but I wanted to equalize quickly, so I think it was good that I was able to bring the score level early with my goal. (What should the team aim for with so little time left?) There are various challenges, but in today's match, if we lose, we would have to win all the remaining matches, which could lead to a situation where we tighten our own noose while aiming higher. Therefore, I think it is important to accumulate three points."

　(With today's victory, won't it be smooth to join the national team?) I won't know until I try with the national team. Especially this year, I think I can perform well both on the sides and in the middle, but there are places where I can play like that with the national team and places where I can't. The way of the national team is different from the way of the club. I think I need to make some changes to survive.

【Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference】 "I think we started well from the beginning of the first half. Our defense was as we aimed for, and I thought we could move the ball more once the game settled down a bit. However, we conceded a goal from a corner kick due to the opponent's one chance. Of course, it was a wonderful ball and a great cross. But including the fact that we allowed a corner kick there, conceding from a single chance made the game difficult for us. In the previous match, we also conceded from a corner kick, so I want to reflect on that further. However, after that, we were able to take our time without panicking, move the ball well, and score two goals in the development we aimed for. It is a point of reflection that we should have scored more goals, but it was significant that we were able to turn the game around.

　The second half wasn't bad, but we had to substitute the right back due to an accident, and I think we got a bit flustered when the opponent started pushing forward. If we could have stayed a bit calmer and created our own time, I believe we would have had a chance to score a third goal. However, being able to finish the match at 2-1 is a testament to everyone's contribution, including the substitutes, and I want to return to Tokyo with our heads held high alongside the fans. I think this match showed that we haven't given up on anything until the final match.

　[Summary of the press conference by Nagoya's coach STOJKOVIC] "Today's match was very easy for the opponent. I feel very sorry for the customers who came, as it was a home game. I think we were just tired. It is very disappointing that we were overturned in this tight schedule with matches over the last three or four days."

　(I think there are many matches where we lead but end up being overturned) We started well today, but a goal came from the opponent's good combination. The defense was really not good. We played too kindly against the opponent. We were not strong. We couldn't stop when we should have, even if it resulted in a foul, and I wonder how many yellow cards were issued today. Where did we show aggression? The opponent had freshness today, but we played regardless of that, and I was disappointed in that.