A battle that determines fate. Moving confidently towards victory!

　The final league match is an away game against Kyoto SANGA F.C. Currently ranked 15th after the previous round, with a 1-point difference from 16th place Kobe. The situation remains tough, and the players all speak of the "important match" and its weight. There is no doubt that this is a decisive match, but the league results are the accumulation of the entire year. As Coach Okuma resolutely states, "Our true strength will be tested, but we cannot produce anything beyond our own ability," it is crucial whether the team can overcome the pressure, run boldly, and take on challenges without fear.Kyoto, on the other hand, has been confirmed to finish 17th or lower and will move to the J2 stage next season. However, their attacking line includes FW Yanagisawa and Diego, MF Dutra, and defensively led by DF Mizumoto, with high individual player abilities, so caution is necessary. Keeping in mind that this is their home final, Coach Okuma aims to "thoroughly focus on winning the ball first to score goals. We want to apply pressure from solid positioning and simultaneously pose a threat to the opponent even off the ball."Tokyo will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Hirayama as the lone striker and Kajiyama behind him. It is unfortunate that Ishikawa has left the team due to a right foot injury, but on the other hand, Suzuki has fully recovered. Takahashi and Hiramatsu have also rejoined practice, truly uniting the team. As Coach Okuma says, "At this point, it’s not about tactics," the strength in duels and challenges, which have been emphasized since his appointment, are the essence of football. You cannot win if you turn away from adapting to changing situations until the final whistle. This will be the key to securing victory.Morishige emphasizes, "We want to firmly return to basics and fight simply. The team has unified its approach to the game. We want to fully execute what needs to be done according to the time and situation." Additionally, Otake adds, "It’s an important match, but I want to express what I have been working on without forgetting my own style. I believe that will lead to the team’s victory." Each player will express their strong desire to win on the pitch and fight through. With the team, players, club, fans, supporters, and everyone involved with Tokyo united in heart, the final match is set. The game kicked off at 15:32 at Kyoto Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium.

A difficult situation allowing the opening goal from a momentary lapse... trailing at halftime.

　In the early stages, there were noticeable mistakes, possibly due to stiffness, and Kyoto's counterattacks stood out. At 5 minutes, the ball was lost while trying to advance, and Kyoto FW Yanagisawa took a middle-range shot, which went off target. At 6 minutes, Tokyo conceded another counterattack from a free kick, with a cross from the right side. They managed to escape with a corner kick. At 9 minutes, Kyoto MF Dutra was free in the area, creating a dangerous moment, but Konno quickly closed in and forced a corner kick... They somehow maintained defensive balance, focused on switching quickly after gaining possession, and tried to connect to the attack. At 16 minutes, Hirayama stole the ball in the opponent's half, dribbled past one defender, and took a left-footed shot from distance, but it went off target. At 23 minutes, starting from Ricardinho on the left side, Kajiyama made a vertical run → Suzuki ran from the far side, trying to connect back to Kajiyama, but Kajiyama was pressured by the opponent's defender and was fouled, though no foul was called. At 29 minutes, Mukuhara sent a sharp cross, but Hirayama at the near post couldn't connect, and Ricardinho in the center couldn't finish the shot. At 31 minutes, Morishige headed from a corner kick, but the shot went to the goalkeeper. Unable to score first during this period, the rhythm shifted to Kyoto. At 34 minutes, Kyoto’s left throw-in was dropped by FW Diego, who then sent a precise cross to left SB Futoshi NAKAMURA. Tokyo’s defenders were pulled left and right, and MF Dutra scored a high-point header at the far post... conceding the first goal. However, there was still time to counterattack. But pushed back by Kyoto’s momentum, who had nothing to lose, Tokyo ended the first half while still under Kyoto’s control.

Despite fighting back recklessly in pursuit of victory, it was in vain... relegated to J2.

　Switching mindset and restarting, the second half saw us control the ball, connecting passes and going on the attack. In the 51st minute, Ricardinho's left cross was parried by the goalkeeper, and the rebound fell to the free Hirayama. He took a decisive shot, but it was blocked by the diving goalkeeper... In the 59th minute, we brought on Oba up front, moved Konno to the right side, and Tokunaga took the center-back position, pushing forward. However, in the 65th minute, Konno's header from a corner kick was cleared off the line by Kyoto's DF. At 66 minutes, Otake was brought on. Afterwards, the front line consisted of Hirayama, Oba, and Konno; midfielders Ricardinho, Otake, and Morishige pushed up, with Kajiyama supporting the defensive line in a 4-3-3 scramble formation, applying pressure up front. But at 79 minutes, Konno's shot breaking through the front line was blocked by Kyoto's DF. At 80 minutes, Oba headed a quick cross from Morishige but missed the target. At 84 minutes, Kim Young-gun and at 86 minutes, Hirayama both tried to score consecutively but were stopped by Kyoto's solid defense with numbers, and time passed without a goal. At 87 minutes, Kyoto FW Nishino was sent off, giving Tokyo a numerical advantage, but at 89 minutes, Tokyo's corner kick led to a counterattack, and we couldn't stop MF Dutra's dribble. Gonda was judged to have committed a foul in the area, resulting in a penalty kick. At 90+1 minutes, Kyoto FW Diego scored the penalty, conceding the second goal. Still, including stoppage time, we pushed forward, but the game showed signs of desperation, and we couldn't break through the defense until the end. We lost without scoring, leaving our points at 36. Meanwhile, Kobe won, causing the rankings to change, and Tokyo dropped to 16th place. We were unable to remain in the J1 stage that had continued since 2000. 【Player Comments】 《Konno》"I knew a draw wouldn't be enough today. But being behind 0-1 for a long time, honestly, I felt rushed. The players were telling each other to 'stay calm,' but I think the whole team got anxious... When I moved forward and it became a scramble, I thought no matter what kind of goal, even if it was scrappy, we had to score... (What do you think was lacking this season?) It wasn't just one thing; we lacked in every aspect, which led to this result. The J1 level is high, and it was a year where I felt the harshness and difficulty. Right now, I can't think of anything, and I don't know what to do..." 《Gonda》"...I don't feel it. I don't feel that the league year has ended or that we won't be able to compete in J1 next season. Regarding the match, after conceding first, I think there was a rush to score. We kicked long balls, but Kyoto's DF player Kaku repelled all of them... Still, something might have happened with that style of play, so it was okay... I definitely didn't touch the opponent in the play that led to the penalty. The opponent was shouting loudly even before I came out. But maybe that's that player's skill, and regarding the judgment, I don't know about Kyoto's player's dismissal either. The referee's decision can't be helped. (When you heard the final whistle) I didn't know Kobe's progress, so I wondered if something had happened in the Urawa match... I immediately knew from the bench that it was over... I can't stay down forever, so I accept today's loss. Personally, throughout this year, I couldn't save important moments or matches when it counted, and I lost points. I think I was too soft. Nagoya DF Tulio said, 'I brought 10 points to the team to win,' but I think I took points away. I want to seriously accept and reflect on that. (About next season) Each player has their own circumstances, so I can't say much, but I grew up in this team since elementary school, and whether in J1 or J2, fighting for FC Tokyo is my joy. I want to do my best next year too." 【Coach Okuma's Press Conference Summary】 "I feel very sorry. Regarding the match, we had the spirit, but we were a step behind when Kyoto pushed forward, which was expected, and we thought we had to endure that and bring it into the second half. Also, the weight of one goal caused some impatience in the current team, and there were moments we could have connected better, which is a bit disappointing. However, Kyoto also committed many players to defense, so it was difficult to break through, but we thought if we scored one goal, a comeback was possible. In the end, it didn't reach that point. (What kind of preparation did you do this week?) We prepared well. There were some changes due to fatigue and injuries in this consecutive match period, but the players prepared well for each game. Individually, I think they prepared well. But in many ways, we couldn't carry the results forward, and we must humbly accept that our strength was insufficient. (Specifically, what was lacking?) I think it was the team's resilience and power. It's not about 11 players but the team strength being questioned. Not about who, but the substitutes and various parts lacked power. Also, I think it was the result of not overcoming fear. (Supporters and fans cheered loudly until the end) I'm truly sorry for the usual results and wanted to repay that. In that sense, I have feelings that words can't express. Right now, I feel so disappointed, sad, and sorry that words can't explain. I only have gratitude. (Was there pressure from the relegation battle?) There's no doubt that individual decisions became rushed as time passed. But including substitutions, we tried to do things that would annoy the opponent and change the flow. Otake's entry changed the flow a bit, but the impatience went beyond that. (Did you inform the players about Kobe's progress?) I judged that telling the players about Kobe's goal difference and match flow wouldn't be positive, so I didn't inform the substitutes. (Regarding strengthening and goals for next season) It's a difficult question for me to answer at this stage, but I think we must properly share the harshness and fear of soccer again and do various things while carefully examining the weight of one goal before the weight of one point. I can't say anything specific, but I think that's the most important." 【Kyoto Coach Akita's Press Conference Summary】 "I thought FC Tokyo would come aggressively from the start, but their movement wasn't good due to relegation pressure, so we were able to take the ball well and had many short counters. The game went as we imagined. Usually, we can't score in those situations, but this time MF Dutra scored, so I think the flow improved. (Looking back on this season) I was almost able to play the soccer I wanted at the end, but we couldn't score. I feel that decided the outcome. Also, we couldn't bring out the players' true strength or relieve the pressure of relegation. But I think it was a good experience because I was able to play the soccer I envisioned during these four months."