The first match of the Golden Week consecutive games, aiming for victory without holding back

　In Sec. 9 of the league, we face Sanfrecce Hiroshima away. In the previous match against G Osaka, we failed to capitalize on chances and suffered a goalless defeat. Also, there have been no wins in the league matches in April, putting the team in a difficult situation. However, the players are looking forward, saying, "There's no point in dwelling on bitter feelings," and Coach Jofuku also stated, "The content is not completely 'dark.' Still, something is missing, so the sun isn't shining. We will consider the current quality, what we can do, and what is lacking, and find solvable light. We will steadily repeat this process," reaffirming his commitment to continue while facing the current situation.On the other hand, Hiroshima currently sits 6th with 12 points. In the last three league matches, they have 1 win and 2 draws. Although they couldn't secure wins against Kashima and Niigata, in the ACL match against Pohang on Tuesday the 27th, they changed the lineup and secured victory with fresh players. Therefore, in terms of team unity and atmosphere, they are on the rise. Above all, they aim for possession football, entering their 5th season under Coach PETROVIC, improving coordination and precision. Last season's encounters ended with 1 draw and 1 loss, making them an opponent Tokyo has yet to defeat.Tokyo will start Kajiyama for the first time this season, as Hiramatsu is out due to injury. Tokunaga and Kajiyama will form the central midfield partnership, with Hanyu on the left MF, and Nagatomo and Mukuhara as fullbacks. Considering the situations of both teams, the key will be how to break down Hiroshima's solid defense. For that, Coach Jofuku says, "How we win the ball will be one of the points." If Hiroshima is allowed to play freely, they can launch diverse attacks utilizing runs from the second line, FW Sato's speed, MF Yamagishi's dribbling, and MF Hattori's crosses. Therefore, Tokyo wants to apply intense pressing from the front to win the ball and launch quick counterattacks.However, if chances cannot be created there, even if the opponent pulls back, Tokyo wants to persistently connect passes and link attacks with the intention of breaking down the opposing defense through Hanyu's dynamic movements and Kajiyama's distribution. Defensively, there have been moments recently where gaps have been exploited leading to goals, so communication will be reinforced once again, and challenges for the ball and cover will be thoroughly implemented. Hiroshima, whose slogan this season is "Run and Attack," will not be outpaced in running; Tokyo aims to demonstrate the power and fighting spirit to fully capitalize on chances and seek victory away. The match kicked off at 19:04 at Hiroshima Big Arch with Tokyo starting the game.

Despite creating several good opportunities, they could not score and went into halftime trailing by one goal.

　From the start of the match, Tokyo's Kajiyama skillfully handled the ball, with Ricardinho and Hanyu exploiting the side spaces of Hiroshima's defense to create chances. At 5 minutes, from a combination on the right front of Mukuhara → Ishikawa → Kajiyama, Ricardinho who moved to the right sent the ball to the opposite side, and Hirayama headed from Hanyu's left cross but missed the target. At 14 minutes, Mukuhara's large side change reached Ricardinho in the left area, who attempted an overhead kick from a difficult position toward the center. Hirayama also closed in here but the goalkeeper saved it. At 17 minutes, on a counterattack, Hirayama → Ishikawa cut inside from the right side and took a shot using his speed, but it hit the bar... They couldn't convert the chance. Conversely, at 24 minutes, Hiroshima's FW Sato created a starting point on the right front, with right MF Yamagishi → FW Yamazaki to the left. Left MF Hattori broke through the left area, and from FW Sato's post in the center, MF Yamagishi who rushed out to the right area scored, resulting in a goal... Hiroshima broke down the defense with smooth wide passing and took the lead. At 28 minutes, Hirayama was substituted for Akamine. Immediately after, at 31 minutes, Ricardinho picked up a clearance mistake by the opponent and advanced into the right area, making a backward pass. Akamine connected with a direct shot but missed the target. At 35 minutes, Kajiyama feinted past an opposing defender just outside the area, and Hanyu who ran up into the right area took a shot but the goalkeeper saved it. Tokyo controlled the ball and apart from the conceded goal, did not allow Hiroshima any real chances, but went into halftime trailing by one goal.

I thought we would gain momentum with Morishige's equalizing goal, but we allowed an additional goal and lost the match.

　Tokyo maintained control in the second half as well. From the 54th minute, they gained consecutive corner kick opportunities. At the 56th minute, Ishikawa connected a short pass from the right corner kick to Ricardinho, who then passed to Hanyu. From there, an early cross was delivered, and Morishige headed it in for a goal!! Morishige’s first goal since his transfer leveled the score. Tokyo continued to control the pace and pushed the game into Hiroshima’s territory. At the 62nd minute, Ricardinho was substituted for Shigematsu. Shigematsu then took a bending free kick from 25 meters out in the center, but it was caught by the GK. At the 67th minute, from a drop pass by Shigematsu to Akamine in the center, Kajiyama made a run and shot, resulting in a corner kick. Although this right corner was cleared once, Nagatomo on the left side entered the area and crossed. Despite launching a wave of attacks, they couldn’t convert into a finish. Hiroshima defended with a formation close to a five-back when defending and launched sharp counterattacks from there. Then at the 68th minute, after quick passing, Hiroshima’s MF Yamagishi penetrated the right side of the area, and FW Yamazaki slid in to connect with a back pass and scored. Tokyo was bewildered by Hiroshima’s passing and conceded their second goal... Tokyo, wanting to counterattack, brought on Kim Young-gun as a center back for Kajiyama at the 70th minute, moving Konno up to defensive midfield. At the 80th minute, Shigematsu picked up a loose ball from a free kick on the left side of the area and aggressively dribbled forward, but couldn’t hit the target. While Hanyu covered defensive midfield, Konno was pushed higher up, and Tokyo pressed Hiroshima relentlessly, but couldn’t shake the net until the end. Combining both halves, Tokyo took 23 shots compared to Hiroshima’s 8, but couldn’t score during the flow of the game. They ended in defeat. 【Player Comments】《Morishige》“I was happy to equalize with my goal, but... If there’s a chance, of course I want to join the attack, but I’ll judge based on the situation. As a defensive player, I don’t want to concede even one goal. Conceding the second goal made things even tougher, and we ended up chasing after conceding the first goal. I want to properly fix the defensive mistakes. Regarding the attack, maybe we’re passing too much at our feet and lack threat. If we can add some accents and create chances in front of goal through fluid movement... We want to come up with ideas on how to play in ways that annoy the opponent and discuss it together.” 《Nagatomo》“It’s hard to put into words... The content wasn’t bad, so the frustration remains strong. But it’s painful to not win even when the content is good. In the end, it can be said that the difference was finishing ability. (Since the content wasn’t bad, fixing it might be difficult?) However, there is definitely a cause for the goals conceded. We must reflect on that and surely fix it. There’s no time to be down; we need to fully accept this result. Still, we must not lose confidence, keep steady, and continue. And we must switch focus to the Sendai match.” 【Coach Jofuku’s Press Conference Summary】“I think the players worked very hard and gave their best. I apologize to the fans who came to support us despite the distance. (Reason for Hirayama’s substitution?) There was no accident. It wasn’t just one reason. We have been dominating the game and creating chances continuously. And while he was on the pitch. I think you understand the reason. It’s not just this time. (About Akamine and Shigematsu) I am with the players, and I deeply feel my shortcomings in not being able to improve our scoring ability. I want to work hard within the given time so that the players’ scoring ability improves together with me. (About Kajiyama) I think he showed his ability and contributed both offensively and defensively for the team. However, neither he nor I are satisfied with today’s performance. We want to demand high standards from each other.” 【Hiroshima Coach PETROVIC’s Press Conference Summary】“I think we showed high-tempo, good football today. FC Tokyo, our opponent, is counted among the best teams in Japan. I think we showed an even fight today, but winning was also due to some luck on our side. In the first half, FC Tokyo had good scoring chances. Considering this was their seventh match in 22 days, the players’ fatigue was probably at its peak. In the second half, we expected FC Tokyo to attack more and take control, but we eliminated dangerous areas and didn’t allow decisive attacks. From the outside, it might have looked like we were being pressed, but we didn’t give clear chances. Even after they equalized, it might have looked like we were under pressure, but we managed to score on counters from good defense. The players gave more than 100%. Their strong spirit brought us luck. Despite missing many key players in the league and ACL matches so far, we have shown a dignified fight and good results. I myself find it unbelievable how much Sanfrecce Hiroshima has grown. What I hope for is that this team, showing strong spirit, will unite and fight together. The supporters see the team’s efforts, and many came to cheer and support us. The supporters and players united and achieved good results. It’s a wonderful moment for Hiroshima.”