League final match, aiming for 3 points away!

　The final match of the league will be played away against Albirex Niigata. In the previous home match, we were able to secure a victory by taking advantage of set piece opportunities after a persistent battle. As a result, we have risen to 5th place in the rankings. Although it is partly due to the efforts of others, if we win this match, there is a possibility of reaching 4th place. Let's show what we have built up so far this season and go for all 3 points with a strong determination, even away from home!

　Niigata, who are in 8th place with 49 points, will face off against them. In this round, MF Honma, who is also a key player in the midfield, will be suspended. In addition, MF Marushiorishardes, who has scored 10 goals so far this season, and FW Oshima will not be playing due to injuries. However, the biggest key will be how to break through Niigata's solid defense, as they have only conceded 30 goals so far, the least in the league. Coach Shirofuku says, "Considering Niigata's strong defense, I think the match will be decided in a close battle. We need to be patient and endure, and we want to come out on top in a close match."

　Tokyo will have Kajiyama and Hirayama returning from their suspension and starting. In addition, just like the previous match, Hiramatsu will be used as a center back to counter Niigata. In terms of attack, Tokyo will first take control of the midfield and use the width of the pitch to repeatedly launch attacks, utilizing Suzuki's speed to break through. They also want to be able to defend against Niigata's central defense, and be prepared for sharp counters and crosses from the sides, as they did in the previous match against Kobe, with the fullbacks prioritizing balance and putting up a strong fight to prevent conceding goals.

　Manager Jofuku reiterated, "Just because it's the final match doesn't mean it gives us any advantage. It's a joy to be able to fight with the possibility of still qualifying for the ACL, but regardless of our position, we will focus on proving our strength this season and getting the win." The match kicked off at 3:33 PM in Niigata at the Tohoku Electric Power Big Swan Stadium.

First goal by Hokuto! Lead and turn over the first half.

　Niigata's press was tough in the beginning and they couldn't connect passes to attack. There were also moments where they were caught on the counter, but they calmly blocked and defended. In the 12th minute, Niigata's long feed from the defensive line was headed down by Hirayama while competing with the opponent, and Nakamura, who was running in the center, aimed for goal with a direct shot. The shot hit the left post and bounced inside for a goal. They took the lead by converting their chances.

　Tokyo, who has gained momentum, mainly attacks from the left side. In the 16th minute, Nagatomo dribbles up and passes to Hayabusa, who then crosses the ball. In the 22nd minute, Hayabusa exchanges passes with Hirayama and crosses from the left. Although neither of them were able to connect in front of the goal, the flow is not bad. However, gradually, Niigata begins to take control with quick starts. In the 28th minute, a powerful diving header from DF Chiyohantanda is unleashed from a right corner kick. The shot hits the post and the Tokyo DF desperately clears it, not allowing a goal to be scored.

　The ball may be dominated, but no decisive chances are created in the flow. In the 31st minute, Tokyo countered with Hayashi running up the left side and passing through the opponent's defense. Suzuki seemed to have timed it well, but was ruled offside. In the 34th minute, Suzuki kicked the ball near the goal and Hirayama headed it, but it went outside the frame. In stoppage time, Hirayama persistently attacked from the left front and passed the opponent's defense at the goal line to enter the middle. He aimed for a shot from an impossible angle, but missed widely. After the 25th minute, even though Niigata dominated the ball, they calmly responded defensively with Kono at the center. They maintained a one-point lead and ended the first half.

Allowed a heartbreaking equalizer in the final minutes and ended in a draw

　Tokyo showed an aggressive attitude from the start of the second half and pushed the game forward in Niigata's territory. In the 47th minute, Imakano made a fierce overlap and won a corner kick. On the second left corner kick, Suzuki's kick was met by Hiramatsu, but he couldn't finish it. In the 50th minute, Hanyu drew out Nagatomo's overlap and crossed from the left. There, Hirayama jumped in, but couldn't connect with the header. In the 54th minute, from a speedy development, Hirayama ran down the right side after a one-two with Nakamura. He created a decisive chance with a cross, but Yonemoto's left-footed shot was blocked by the GK's save.

　70 minutes, Kajiyama's vertical pass was dropped by Hirayama, and Suzuki and Nagatomo also ran up to the front line, but were defended by Niigata DF. In the 76th minute, from Kajiyama's cross on the right front line, Hirayama heeled it while carrying the opponent DF on his back, but it was saved by the GK. In the 80th minute, Hirayama took a shot from a pass by substitute Akamine, but it was also blocked by the GK... There were also mistakes in the attack, and there were moments where they were hit by a sharp counterattack, but Niigata's attack was firmly held back and they were unable to convert their chances as time passed.

　In the 82nd minute, Fujiyama was substituted in, followed by Asari, trying to secure the game. However, in the 89th minute, Niigata's left MF Kigami broke through the side. Fujiyama managed to escape with a sliding tackle, resulting in a corner kick. From this left corner kick, DF Matsuo scored a perfect header, resulting in a goal... Despite not giving up and continuously attacking for victory, the added time was not enough. The game ended in a draw, finishing the league with 53 points in 5th place. This game also marked the end of the entire official season for this year.

　【Player Comments】《Nakamura》"Everyone had a strong mindset. For the players who couldn't play in the game... I also had that feeling this season, so I understand their feelings very well. I wanted to run and do my best for them. We approached the game with a strong mindset, but Niigata also showed a never-give-up attitude. We weren't really in trouble until the last corner kick... (About the goal scene) We've been focusing on direct shots in practice this week. That also paid off, but it was also thanks to Sota's good control and the slippery pitch due to the rain that the ball ran well."

　"Hanyu" "I think we couldn't take one more step after Nabisco. I want to use this experience to aim for the title in next year's Nabisco and league matches. For that, what comes next is important. I don't want to start from scratch, but I want to start next season with what we have built up this year. I was told by Mr. Fuji and Mr. Sari, "Take care of Tokyo." From the two players who have undoubtedly made Tokyo's history, I want to work hard to become a team that can achieve both good content and results. I received strength from the fans and supporters, and I am grateful for their support. I also want to work hard together with our players and share the joy as a Tokyo family."

　[Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference] "I think both teams played a very good game with a lot of passion. As someone involved in the game, I could feel the emotions on the pitch from both teams. It's very disappointing that we couldn't win and only got 1 point instead of 3, and it's my fault. It could be due to my poor decisions, the way I managed the game at the end, or not being able to score a second goal. I have to accept that all the results from the games we've played so far have led to today's 1 point and 5th place in the rankings. I want to praise the players for today's game and thank them for the past year."

　(Based on today's results, what is the overall summary of this season?) Each team had accidents and there was luck and misfortune. It is the result of our efforts to finish 5th after playing 34 games, so we have to accept it. However, whether we won or lost, there were definitely more games where we wanted to play again. I think that increasing the number of games where we want to play again and allowing us to play again will strengthen the team. Rather than games we never want to play again, the fact that there are definitely more games we want to play again makes me feel a great sense of potential and possibility in this team, and I want to thank the players who have continued to work hard.

　[Niigata Suzuki coach's press conference summary] "I expected today's game to be very difficult. There were players suspended and injured on our side, and the opponent also had a high motivation to compete for ranking. I thought FC Tokyo would come in with a little more wedge. At first, I simply matched up with Hirayama and couldn't pick up the second ball, resulting in a goal. However, our plan was to build a solid defense, quickly attack and connect the ball when things didn't go well. The players did a good job of that. However, Uchida from DF put pressure on Hayashi and didn't let him play freely. I think they studied and prepared well for the fact that he is the starting point of their attack."

　At the point of FW Ewerton and Yano in the 2 top, if the ball could have been settled a little more, there was also a push up in the midfield, but there were cases where it was crushed there, and there were many missed passes near the opponent's penalty area, so it was difficult to create a good shape. There were a few chances, but I think it was because the opponent couldn't keep up with our momentum. In the second half, in the back and forth attack and defense, we couldn't do anything at 0-1, so overall we became more aggressive, and the opponent also defended well and connected the ball to the shot several times. I think we were able to persist without conceding a second goal there, and it led to one point from a set play in the last scramble situation. We changed the system, used players in different positions, and made various changes because the players we put in didn't function well, but it didn't have much effect. However, with everyone's feelings coming together in a set play, and with the support of the supporters, I think we were able to play a persistent game that was typical of us and scored the last point.