Facing Urawa, aiming for victory this season as we head away

　The league Sec. 2, held on Sunday, will see an away match against the Urawa Reds. In the previous Sec., Hirayama scored a dramatic goal in stoppage time to secure the victory. Coach Shirofuku reflected, "The team's defensive awareness was high, but as a result, we retreated a bit too much." However, he continued, "It was a positive that we fought patiently for 90 minutes and accumulated points," making this match a key battle on how patiently they can fight and snatch points again.On the other hand, Urawa faced Kashima Antlers in the previous Sec. Despite overwhelmingly controlling the ball, they conceded two goals due to defensive lapses and lost. But since this Sec. is also their home opener, they will surely aim to capture all 3 points. In the previous Sec., they lined up with FW Edmilson as the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but this Sec. they switched to a two-forward system with FW Tanaka and Edmilson. In response, Tokyo will focus on correcting issues from the last Sec. and preventing Urawa from easily taking control by pressing from the front and maintaining a compact formation, which will be a key point.In last season's league Sec. 2, Tokyo also faced Urawa and suffered a heavy defeat. Above all, Tokyo has not won this matchup since 2004, so it is understandable to call Urawa a “nemesis.” Coach Shirofuku said, "Urawa is undoubtedly Japan's biggest club, including the stadium and supporter atmosphere. We haven't beaten them for years, but there must be a reason. Soccer is influenced by our strength and mentality, but ideally, we want to build a strong foundation that is not swayed by such an atmosphere.Still, there is no shortcut to victory. We must focus on showing no weaknesses and expressing our own style of soccer. If we cannot do that at a high level, it will probably be difficult to win at Saitama Stadium," he declared with strong determination. Showing the resilience proven in the opening match and a mindset for further growth through their play, they aim to capture points! Although the shade still holds some cold, the well-sunny Saitama Stadium saw the match kick off at 14:02 with Tokyo starting.

Although they pressed Urawa in the early stages, they allowed the first goal from a penalty kick.

　From the start, Tokyo gained the rhythm. At 5 minutes, Nakamura dribbled up through the space opened in the center of the opponent's half and took a mid-range shot, but it missed the target. At 6 minutes, Nakamura advanced again, this time on the right side, and sent a through pass to Suzuki who broke behind the defenders. However, it was slightly too long and caught by the goalkeeper. At 9 minutes, they launched a quick transition attack, with Suzuki breaking through the right area and sending a final pass to Hirayama in the center, but the shot was not completed.At 12 minutes, Suzuki crossed to Mukuhara. The ball was cleared once by the defenders, but Hanyu recovered the loose ball and sent a floating ball to the front line. However, the final play lacked precision and coordination, and the goalkeeper caught it. As time passed without capitalizing on early chances, Urawa started sending quick passes from their defensive line to the front, launching counterattacks. At 18 minutes, Urawa’s left-back Ugajin broke into the area, but Morishige fouled him, conceding a penalty. At 19 minutes, Urawa MF Ponte scored from the penalty, taking the lead.Urawa gained momentum after this opening goal. At 23 minutes, they connected passes in front of the goal and penetrated the area, but Konno intercepted the ball from Urawa FW Edmilson and defended successfully. At 27 minutes, Urawa’s right-back Hirakawa advanced and crossed to FW Edmilson who took a shot. At 34 minutes, a pass was sent behind Tokyo’s defenders to Urawa FW Tanaka who ran onto it and took a shot, but both shots missed the target.At 38 minutes, Urawa MF Kashiwagi directly targeted a free kick from just outside the right area, hitting the left post. The rebound was followed up by FW Tanaka who took a decisive shot, but it was saved by the right post. Despite some mistakes from the opponent, no additional goals were conceded. However, at 39 minutes, Morishige fouled Urawa FW Edmilson’s dribble attempt and received his second yellow card, resulting in a sending off. Tokyo was forced to play with 10 men. As a result, Tokunaga moved to center back, Matsushita shifted to defensive midfield, and at 44 minutes, Ishikawa came on for Nakamura. They prepared to counterattack with Hirayama as the top forward, Suzuki on the left, and Ishikawa on the right.

They were at a numerical disadvantage after a player was sent off, but they launched a counterattack...

　However, in the second half, although they were able to circulate passes against the deep-lying Urawa defense, they lacked a decisive edge. On the contrary, the ball was lost while advancing to the front line, leading to Urawa launching counterattacks. In the 52nd minute, Hanyu sent a long ball from his own half to Ishikawa making a run forward, but Ishikawa could not catch up. In the 53rd minute, they circulated passes in the opponent’s territory looking for a chance, but the pass from Mukuhara to Hirayama was intercepted, resulting in Urawa possession. In the 56th minute, they successfully stopped Urawa’s quick attack and went on the offensive, but the vertical pass from Tokunaga to Hirayama could not get through. At the 60th minute, Akamine was brought on for Mukuhara as the attacking midfielder, followed by Kajiyama replacing Hanyu. Matsushita took the right side back position, aiming first for an equalizer. However, in the 69th minute, from Nagatomo’s forward run, Ishikawa, who had moved to the left side, cut inside and passed to Hirayama in the area, but Hirayama was judged to have been fouled and could not finish. In the 73rd minute, from Hirayama’s pass, Akamine broke behind the defenders and shot, shaking the net, but it was ruled offside. In the 77th minute, Nagatomo dribbled up to the line and crossed, with Hirayama diving in, but the goalkeeper caught it. In the 78th minute, Ishikawa ran into the left area to meet Hirayama’s layoff and shot, but the goalkeeper caught it. Then in the 79th minute, Hirayama contested a long feed from Matsushita, creating a decisive chance for Akamine, but he could not score. They solidified their defensive block and did not allow Urawa’s counterattack to add another goal. Even while down a player, they showed an attitude of connecting passes and attacking, but ultimately only managed four shots total—two in the first half and two in the second. They could not capitalize on their chances and the match ended without victory at Saitama Stadium once again.【Player Comments】《Nakamura》“In the early stages, the team played as planned. Personally, I received passes where I wanted and was able to attack. I think we had to score during that time. For Urawa, it was their home opener, so it was natural for them to gain momentum after scoring first. That is what I regret. After going down to 10 men, Urawa took advantage of their numerical superiority, and that’s the impression I got. It’s even more frustrating because it doesn’t feel like we were completely outplayed.”《Hanyu》“At the start of the first half, we had to get results during our time on the ball. The reason we lost was that we failed to score during that good period in the first half. Also, there was some defensive confusion around the time we conceded the penalty. Urawa kicked the ball, and we lost control. Morishige’s sending off was also a hole the team created. This season, I strongly want to avoid dropping any matches and have been focused on grinding out points. So it’s very frustrating to end today with zero points. But I see it as a sign that we need to work harder to become stronger and more mature as a team.”【Coach Shirofuku’s Press Conference Summary】“FC Tokyo had not been able to beat Urawa for a long time, so today the players showed strong determination on the pitch. I think they fought well aiming for three points. It’s unfortunate that we ended with zero points, but I told the players there’s no need to hang their heads. We want to use this reflection for the next match. In terms of content, the start of the first half was good, but then the back line was left behind. The forwards and midfielders tried to win the ball back, but the defenders stayed back too much, overly cautious of Urawa’s free runners, which left space for them. We tried to adjust, and although it was tough with only nine field players, everyone responded well. In the second half, we won the ball higher up and were able to play our style to some extent. Morishige’s sending off disrupted the flow and caused difficulties, which we must reflect on. However, if that play, which almost crossed the goal line, was judged a penalty, I need to study it again and instruct the players accordingly. It’s important to use today’s reflection for the future.”【Urawa Coach Finke’s Press Conference Summary】“Of course, we wanted to secure our first win of the season today, and we achieved that result. However, I think the game was better when it was 11 versus 11. When the opponent had a player sent off, we had a numerical advantage, but as a coach, that created a difficult situation. Because in such situations, players can unconsciously lose concentration. I had to point that out to several players today. It’s common that matches are better when the numbers are even. Overall, we showed excellent play, but we should have scored additional goals. In the second half, the fighting spirit was good, but I was dissatisfied with the breadth of vision, game control, transitions after winning the ball, and plays toward goal. But we must not forget that the first half was very good and the content was solid. Losing the away opener like that and then securing three points at the home game immediately after was important. Since we achieved that, I have no complaints about the result.”