We want to break the losing streak and celebrate the final home game with a victory

　Sec. 33 of the league is being held, marking the final home match. In the previous match against Chiba, we were forced to play with 10 men and lost, dropping to 8th place, the lowest since Sec. 27. Nevertheless, Coach Jofuku has set the themes of "pursuing every possibility until the final match" and "showing our heartfelt play in front of many fans at home." With two consecutive losses in the league, this is a match where the entire team must express their strong determination through their play to aim for victory.

　Kobe is currently in 13th place with 38 points. Under the leadership of coach Toshiya MIURA, who took charge in the middle of the season, they have managed to recover from a series of losses, remaining unbeaten in August. Since September, they have not been able to secure wins, with 1 win, 3 draws, and 4 losses, but their counterattacks from a solid defense are sharp, and they have steadily accumulated points up to this point. If they win this match, they will secure a place in the top 15 this season on their own, so they will approach the game with a strong determination, just like Tokyo, aiming to capture 3 points.

　In particular, the individual abilities of the attacking players, including FW Yu OKUBO and Motegi, are high, so we want to be very careful about counterattacks. This round, Kobe will be without DF Kobayashi and side back Matsuoka due to suspension. Therefore, the center backs will be Kitamoto and Kawamoto. The right side back DF Ishibitsu has returned from influenza, and MF Miyamoto and Kan will serve as double defensive midfielders.

　Tokyo's Kajiyama and Hirayama are suspended. On the other hand, Nagatomo, who had an ankle injury, has recovered and will start as the left side back. Additionally, considering the strategy against Kobe, Hiramatsu will be used as a center back. This will be his first start in the league since Sec. 2. Hayabusa and Yonemoto will form a double pivot, with Nakamura on the right midfield, and Tanabe, alongside Akamine and Suzuki as a two-top on the left. Recently, the front line has struggled to connect passes and create chances, but we hope to increase possession in the midfield to create opportunities on the sides, and we look forward to chance creation from Tanabe's fluid movements.

　It was a day of mild spring weather, but as evening approached, it began to get chilly at Ajinomoto. The match, which can be considered the culmination of this season, started at exactly 5 PM with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Both teams engaged in a speedy contest but ended the first half scoreless.

　In the first half, both teams engaged in a speedy back-and-forth. Tokyo repeatedly saw Tanabe switch on, with Suzuki exploiting the gaps behind the opposing defense. Akamine and Nakamura also got involved in the passing play, trying to create chances. In the 6th minute, Tanabe boldly made a central breakthrough, executing a one-two with Suzuki. Surrounded by defenders, Akamine joined in, and in the end, Suzuki received Tanabe's final pass and took a shot. Tanabe's dribbling created a great opportunity, but the ball went over the bar. In the 12th minute, Suzuki broke into the left area from a well-timed pass by Akamine. He carefully gauged the distance with the opposing defenders and took a shot, but it was saved by the goalkeeper.

　In the 19th minute, Nakamura made a move on the right side, and Yonemoto followed up with an early cross. Akamine headed the ball in front of the goal. In the 21st minute, Akamine received a pass from Tanabe on the left side, and Nagatomo sprinted up the left flank, shooting from the left corner of the area with speed, but neither could score. On the other hand, Kobe also started quickly, launching a sharp counterattack. In the 26th minute, FW Yu OKUBO became the starting point, and right back Ishibitsu advanced into the right area. They aimed boldly for the goal, but Tokyo's defense blocked it.

　In the 35th minute, Tokyo earned their first corner kick of the day. Suzuki's kick was cleared, leading to another right corner kick. From here, Nakamura and Tanabe connected in front of the goal and launched a wave attack, but they couldn't finish it off at the last moment. Just before the end of the first half, they lost possession in their own half and faced a speedy counterattack. Kobe forward Yu OKUBO received a pass up front in sync with Mogi's dynamic movement, but Tokyo's defense quickly returned and intercepted the pass. Despite the back-and-forth situation, they maintained their defensive balance and ended the first half scoreless.

Hiramatsu scores his first goal in Tokyo! This final round goal puts distance between us and Kobe.

　In the second half, Kobe substituted MF Miyamoto for MF Yoshida, and the formation shifted with MF Botti moving to a defensive midfield role. However, gradually Tokyo began to dominate possession and pushed the game forward. They connected passes and approached the Kobe goal, with Tanabe and Akamine creating a decisive scene in the left area in the 51st minute. In the 53rd minute, from a vertical pass by Hanyu, Akamine connected with Nakamura through short passes, allowing Suzuki to break into the left area. However, the concentration of the Kobe defense remained intact, and he was blocked by a sliding tackle just before the shot...

　In the 70th minute, Kondo was brought on to replace Tanabe. Immediately after, in the 71st minute, they continued to circulate the ball in the opponent's half, and finally, Hanyu passed to the advancing Konno, who aimed for the goal but missed to the left. Despite holding the initiative, they struggled with precision in finishing, leading to a prolonged period without converting chances. In the 80th minute, Mukuhara was brought on to replace Nakamura, with Tokunaga moving to left back and Nagatomo advancing to midfield in a formation aimed at scoring. Ultimately, this formation proved effective. In the 87th minute, Nagatomo, who had moved from the left to the right area, shot after receiving a through pass from Yonemoto, resulting in a corner kick.

　Suzuki took the right corner kick and sent a quick ball to the near post, where Hiramatsu headed it in at the perfect timing for a goal! Hiramatsu scored his first goal in Tokyo, securing a valuable opening goal. After that, they exploited the gaps in Kobe's defense, and just before the end, Kondo found himself free in front of the goal, creating a big chance, but his shot was too tense and went over the bar. Although they couldn't secure an additional goal, they brought on Fujiyama in the 89th minute. They shut down Kobe's counterattack and effectively closed out the match, finishing with a 1-0 victory in their final home game.

　【Player Comments】<Hiramatsu> "I was completely aiming for the goal. Scoring near post is my specialty. I was confident, so I told Suzuki to kick the ball near post, and he delivered a high-quality ball. Defensively, Kobe's two forwards have speed, so I was careful not to let them get behind us. We had a long period without scoring, but I wanted to avoid losing balance and conceding during that time. Keeping a clean sheet was thanks to everyone managing risks. I think we prevented goals due to the team's overall quality. I spent a lot of time practicing with Fujiyama and Asari, who were not in the lineup, and they gave me advice on both play and mentality, supporting me. I believe my growth from now on, not just today's victory, will be my way of repaying them." <Tanabe> "Since it was Fujiyama and Asari's last home game, I absolutely wanted to get results and win. I hadn't been playing well recently, so I focused and put in extra effort. We created good momentum, but I think both the good and bad sides of our abilities showed. Even when we got close, I couldn't take a shot. That's also part of our ability. I want to practice more and contribute to the team."

　"Fujiyama": "I am truly grateful to have been sent onto the pitch in such a wonderful way at the end. This season, I struggled to get into the lineup and had some tough times, but I kept a strong desire to play in matches. I prepared this week to be part of the squad and faced today’s Ajinomoto Stadium with that mindset. I want to thank all the fans and supporters for their long-standing support. I still can’t quite believe I’m taking off the blue and red uniform, and I will prepare well for the final match. Niigata is the place where we secured promotion to J1. I want to do my best to stand on that pitch." "Asari": "I didn’t feel the reality of retiring until just before today’s match, but the moment I stepped onto the pitch and heard the cheers from the stands, emotions welled up inside me. All my teammates were very conscious that this was our last time and tried hard to win, which I really appreciated. To the fans, supporters, and team staff, I have nothing but words of gratitude. Until the final match, I want to pursue every possibility and give my all for the team."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "After the Nabisco Cup, we struggled a lot due to injuries and suspensions. We have no intention of blaming the members, but when players are absent, we have to think about how to fight accordingly. We faced today under those circumstances. Therefore, in preparation for this match, we thought we should start by preventing the opponent from showing their strengths to the fullest. With that in mind, we prepared with a lineup focused on identifying what Kobe's biggest threat is during the game. However, once we regain possession, there is no need to focus on countermeasures against the opponent, so we aimed to play our own style of football while exploiting spaces. In terms of countering the opponent, it was not perfect, but I think we managed to some extent. The precision after gaining possession was still lacking compared to when we have a full squad. But considering both preventing the opponent from showing their strengths and bringing out our own, I think the team did a very good job with today's lineup. We will continue to aim for improved precision going forward. Above all, I believe that adding a victory to the ceremonies for players Fujiyama and Asari was the best possible gift."

　Although they sometimes couldn't even make it to the bench this season due to physical discomfort or injuries, they prepared to the best of their ability and stood on the practice field the next day. While receiving injections and taking care of themselves, they practiced without taking a single day off, maintaining the attitude that they could contribute to the team from the Kodaira field... I believe that this attitude itself is the greatest contribution to the team. The fact that such players cannot play in matches means that those who do play must bear that responsibility, and this attitude shapes the team's mindset. They have made many contributions on the pitch so far. I believe that it is not true that they could not contribute at all this year.

　[Summary of Coach Miura's Press Conference in Kobe] "I want to thank the supporters who came from afar. Regarding the result, it is very disappointing, and given the situation, this was a game we absolutely had to at least draw. At the start, Tokyo sent the ball to their two forwards, who are fast and strong players, and they had a high ability to pick up second balls after clearances, leading to secondary attacks... In this way, we were at a disadvantage and ended the first half behind. What I felt during that time was that we were inferior in terms of physical contact strength and work rate. I thought it would be tough to just keep increasing defensive time, so I took the opposite approach and tried to be a bit more offensive to increase ball possession, placing MF Botti in the center. Regarding the second half, we gradually established a defensive rhythm, and I think there were moments when the opponent struggled to attack. However, from a set piece after the goalkeeper's save, they scored the final big chance. I believe that was a situation we absolutely had to defend successfully. Overall, it felt like a game where we carelessly dropped points."