Regain confidence and aim for 3 points away!

In Sec. 21 of the league, we face Vissel Kobe away. In the previous match against Hiroshima, we were unable to advance the ball throughout the 90 minutes and suffered a defeat. Recently, we have been unable to secure wins, falling into a vicious cycle of lost confidence and facing further challenges. Coach Shofuku analyzed the current situation, saying, "Our attack shrank. The biggest issue is when we have possession. We want to attack without fear, clearly show our strengths, and finish."Vissel Kobe currently sits in 15th place. This match is against Tokyo, both with 20 points. GK Enomoto is suspended, and MF Edmilson is out due to injury, but their organized defense and sharp counterattacks starting from the front line remain strong. Especially in attack, FW Lee Jae-min, who joined during the break, leads the front line, with FW Botti as the focal point, and speedy players like MF Popo and MF Park aggressively pressing forward. Coach Shofuku said, "First, we must prevent FW Botti, who supplies the ball, from showing his strengths," emphasizing the need to not lose in quick transitions between offense and defense.Tokyo will start Otake in place of the absent Morishige and Hanyu. Tokunaga and Kajiyama form a double pivot, with Nakamura and Mukuhara as fullbacks. Meanwhile, Shiota injured a toe on his left foot, and Abe is on the bench. Maintaining a compact formation and defensive block, the key will be whether we can launch aggressive attacks after winning the ball. "Positioning, ball handling, and thinking ahead before receiving the ball (Coach Shofuku)"—returning to the basics we have built up so far, we want to play Tokyo-style football.Coach Shofuku also said, "While preparing for the match against Kobe, we approached it as a fresh start for the future. We want to organize and refine the issues and draw out the maximum power from the players on the pitch once again. We want to regain confidence and make this a turning point." The team will unite and fight hard, making this match a crucial one to break the bad streak at all costs. The match kicked off at 19:04 at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium with Kobe starting the game.

Ishikawa's shot hits the post... Halftime at 0-0

　Although Kobe held the ball and launched speedy attacks at the start, we firmly defended and gradually found our rhythm, transitioning from good defense to good offense. In the 8th minute, from Young Gwon KIM, Oguro broke through to the front line and, with his back to the goal, attempted a difficult header while turning, but it went off target. In the 12th minute, we stole the ball in the opponent's half, and from Otake's dribble, Ishikawa took a left-footed shot, but it was blocked by a defender. At the 14th minute, Young Gwon KIM intercepted the opponent's ball near the halfway line. Otake quickly connected to the right front, and Ricardinho dribbled centrally near the area, with Ishikawa on the side taking a well-aimed shot, but it hit the post... At the 20th minute, Ricardinho broke through the left side. Otake connected a backward pass, and after receiving a return pass from Kajiyama, Otake took a shot, but it was blocked by a defender. In the 21st minute, Mukuhara dribbled up the right side and crossed near post. Ishikawa cut back and took a left-footed shot, but this was also blocked by a defender. After that, we concentrated on defending Kobe's counters and created chances through Kajiyama's distribution and the movements of Ishikawa, Otake, and Ricardinho. In the 40th minute, Ricardinho received a final pass from Ishikawa to Otake in the left area but could not complete the shot due to Kobe defenders' quick pressure. In the 41st minute, Kajiyama made a large switch from the center to the left side. Nakamura advanced, cut inside the opponent, and took a shot, but it did not hit the target. The first half ended 0-0.

Although they kept a clean sheet, they couldn't secure a win and ended in a scoreless draw.

　However, in the second half, mistakes were noticeable on both sides, leading to a fast-paced exchange between offense and defense. In the 55th minute, the team stole the ball in their own half and launched a sharp counterattack. Okuguro → Ricardinho dribbled up the left side, and Otake, who received the ball in the center, seemed to have been fouled by the opposing DF as he entered the area, but no whistle was blown. In the 65th minute, Tokunaga → Ricardinho broke through the left side at high speed and made a final pass to Ishikawa, who rushed into the goal area. It was a decisive chance, but just slightly off, and the Kobe DF managed to defend it. At the 63rd minute, Suzuki was brought on for Otake. Suzuki ran up to a high position on the left side and crossed. From a DF deflection, Ishikawa at the far post tried to shoot but was blocked by the DF. In the 69th minute, Hirayama was brought on for Ricardinho to push for a goal. At the 70th minute, from a left corner kick rebound, Nakamura took a mid-range shot, but the GK saved it, resulting in a throw-in. At the 79th minute, Suzuki made a speedy dribble from the halfway line and took a mid-range shot from outside the area. The GK saved it, leading to a corner kick. In the 84th minute, Suzuki cut inside and sent a left cross. Tokunaga, who ran up to the far post beyond Hirayama in the center, was free, but his header was cleared... It was a decisive chance, but the Kobe DF physically blocked it at the last moment, and the set-piece opportunity could not be capitalized on. In the final stages, there were many moments of losing the ball, and although Kobe launched sharp counters, Gonda made consecutive excellent saves, preventing any goals. The team kept a clean sheet for the first time since Sec. 11 against Yamagata in the league, but could not shake the net and ended with a scoreless draw, earning just one point. [Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference Summary] "We are in a situation where we desperately need 3 points, but the most important thing is for the entire team to start united, ensuring no goals are conceded and no holes are opened by ourselves. Whether we score or concede, we always try to restart from that point at the beginning of the second half or after facing a crisis. Currently, zero points are absolutely unacceptable, so we started from there. I think the players did that, and I want to take it positively. Of course, there are attacking issues, so the score was zero, but rather than focusing on that now, I think it is most important to firmly grasp what we did well and confidently step onto the next pitch. As always, I am truly grateful to the fans who come to night games far away. I want to keep their feelings inside and prepare for the Nabisco Cup on Wednesday." [Kobe Coach Miura's Press Conference Summary] "First, I want to thank the supporters who waited for the bus after every match recently and those who came to the stadium. When we played at Univa, it somehow looked like there were many people. Today, when we came here, I first thought I absolutely wanted to give the supporters 3 points. I am grateful. I apologize for not being able to get the 3 points, and since I am in a position responsible for that, I was personally frustrated. As for the content, the start of the first half was good, but gradually we were pushed back, and Tokyo had a good 15 to 20 minutes. Especially the possession between the two defenders and Kajiyama was skillful, and we couldn’t narrow down the target. How to endure this period was key. Last time, we conceded easily during a bad period. There was a dangerous moment when the ball hit the post once, but I think we recovered towards the end of the first half. Regarding the second half, I felt the opponent’s strengths did not show much, and including substitutions, we had chances to score. There were big chances. In that sense, I wanted to win." [Player Comments] Gonda: "Today, everyone defended well, and it would have been good if we could have scored in this condition. Everyone’s defensive awareness was high, and it really helped. There were moments when Nao and Rica came back to our defensive line near our own goal. The fullbacks also helped, and the approach to the ball was good. However, I think that made it harder to go forward. Still, we created chances, so I wanted to score at least one goal... (You made several great saves in the final stages?) There was a one-on-one danger when my goal kick went to the opponent, but other than that, most of Kobe’s shots were mid-range, so there was no problem. As a point to improve, if we could commit more players to attack... For that reason, we defenders need to prepare well and hold key points. Also, if we are careful about how we lose the ball and avoid counters, the field players will have fewer times to return to defense. Since the matches continue, I want to make corrections during the battles. It is important to make use of today’s 0-0 draw for the next game. The team may not change dramatically, but from the last match against Hiroshima, there were some changes with a little awareness. Personally, I want to fight with a strong feeling like scoring 3 goals even if we concede 2, or scoring 4 goals even if we concede 3! I think the atmosphere changes with a little awareness, so I want everyone to work together and do our best." Suzuki: "Since I came on at 0-0, my first priority was to defend solidly. Especially in the last match against Kobe, their fullbacks pushed forward in the final stages and troubled us, so I was very conscious of defending in coordination with our fullbacks. As a result, Kobe didn’t break their balance much, and I think our balance was maintained. In offense, I tried to switch between staying wide to receive and entering the vital central area. I focused on making accurate decisions, and I think the attacking balance was not bad. I don’t feel there was no momentum, but honestly, I wanted us substitutes to come in and change the game. Since it was a match between teams with the same points, we really wanted to get 3 points. Still, everyone stayed focused until the end and kept a clean sheet. I want to make this the minimum base. The next is the Nabisco Cup, and last year, the momentum from Nabisco carried over to the league. So I feel fortunate to be able to compete in Nabisco here, and I want to give my all to win. I want the team to gain momentum and carry it into the league."