League matches resume, challenging Chiba who wields tremendous height as a weapon

　Due to the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the J-League schedule has also changed. Today marks the resumption, and as the second match of the season, we will face JEF Chiba in Sec. 8. We will be heading away. After the match against Tosu in Sec. 1, there have been various changes in the team's situation during the break. DF Jade NORTH has joined the team. MF Hashimoto, who belongs to the U-18 team, will accompany the top team. As the suspension of Yonemoto ends, Gonda, Kajiyama, and Takamatsu, who have been dealing with injuries, have gradually returned.

　On the other hand, with Pedro JUNIOR, Roberto CESAR, and Ishikawa, Hirayama has now fractured his right foot. It is unfortunate that Hirayama, who was a key player in the front line, is out, but Coach Okuma and the players emphasized the importance of coming together as a team to cover for his absence, stating, "To clear Sota's frustration, it is crucial for everyone to fight utilizing their individual strengths, regardless of who takes the field."

　Chiba will welcome coach DWIGHT from the Netherlands this season, along with new signings such as 204cm tall FW OROUI (Norway), MF MATT RAM (Netherlands), and DF TAKEUCHI. They will employ a 4-2-3-1 formation, launching counterattacks from a compact defense, with attacks centered around FW OROUI as their greatest weapon. While it is important to keep an eye on FW OROUI, controlling the second balls after challenges and preventing runs from Chiba's second and third lines will be key points.

　A match between teams aiming for promotion to J1. Since it has been a while since the last official match, it is expected to be a difficult game, similar to the opening match. However, it is important to not give up and to persistently aim for the goal. The match started at 14:05 with Chiba's kickoff at the peacefully sunny Fukuda Denshi Arena.

Tokyo Take On The Giants Of Chiba As League Restarts

Following the Tohoku Earthquake the J.League schedule had undergone major changes that meant Tokyo restarted their season with a trip to Chiba to take on Jef United in what should have been the 8th game of the year. During the break Tokyo had made changes to the squad: defender Jade North arrived and U-18 midfielder Kento Hashimoto was promoted to the top team. Yonemoto had served his suspension while Gonda, Takamatsu and Kajiyama returned from injury.
On the other hand Pedro Junior, Roberto and Ishikawa were missing while Hirayama was a long-term absentee with a fractured tibia. Hirayama's loss was keenly felt given his role as attacking lynch-pin. "He's obviously very frustrated so to ease his disappointment we have to cover for his absence. Whoever plays in his place will have to make use of their own special ability and that's the most important thing," was the comment from his team-mates.
Opponents Jef United were led by a new manager, Dutchman Dwight Lodeweges, and featured three new signings, giant Norwegian striker Aaroy, Dutch midfielder Matt Lam and defender Takeuchi. Jef lined up in a compact, counter-attacking 4-2-3-1 formation with the 2.04m Aaroy the target man. Obviously Tokyo would need to guard the towering forward but winning the second balls would be vital to prevent the Chiba midfield pushing forward.
It was a fixture matching two teams with hopes of promotion to J1. The first competitive game for several weeks was expected to be difficult but a positive approach and a tenacious spirit was most important. The hosts kicked off shortly after 2pm on a warm and sunny spring day.

Both sides fiercely exchanged attacks, continuing a fast-paced game with quick transitions.

　Tokyo has Mukuhara as the right back, Tokunaga as the defensive midfielder, Kajiyama as the attacking midfielder, and Takamatsu leading the front line. GK Gonda, MF Kajiyama, Yonemoto, and FW Takamatsu will be starting for the first time this season.

　The match started with a fierce battle for the ball, quickly switching between offense and defense, creating a fast-paced development. It progressed at a high pace. Chiba, upon winning the ball, consistently sent long balls towards FW Oroi as expected, but Tokyo responded by pushing up their line. They maintained a compact formation and connected it to their attacks.

　In the 6th minute, Mukuara advanced and delivered a long early cross. Takamatsu at the far post tried to connect with a header but couldn't make contact. In the 7th minute, from a short counter, Tanizawa passed to Suzuki, who attempted to return it in front of the goal, but it just missed reaching Tanizawa. In the 14th minute, Chiba also saw midfielder Matt Lam break free on the right flank, trying to create a chance, but Abe quickly returned and, in coordination with Konno, prevented it. A cross was sent from there, but Mukuara firmly contained Chiba's attacking line, preventing any shots.

　In the 28th minute, Suzuki in the center passed to Kajiwara in the left area. Kajiwara took a step forward and sent a pass to the front, and Tanizawa shot at the right moment. In the 37th minute, after receiving the second ball from Yonemoto, Suzuki on the right side passed to Abe who moved wide to the left, and Tanizawa in front of the goal carefully aligned for a shot, but was blocked by the Chiba defense... Suzuki, Kajiwara, and Tanizawa created a 'Tokyo-like shape' through their coordination, but they were unable to score.

　The intense battle in midfield continued, but in the 43rd minute, an incident occurred when Yonemoto injured his knee and was forced to substitute. As a result, Hanyu was brought in as a defensive midfielder. In stoppage time, Chiba's MF Yonekura made a sharp dribble, breaking through the Tokyo defense and taking a shot. However, it went wide, and both teams failed to capitalize on their chances, ending the first half scoreless.

Game Opens At Frantic Pace

Tokyo lined up with Mukuhara at left back, Tokunaga in defensive midfield and Kajiyama playing just behind lone striker Takamatsu. Takamatsu, Yonemoto, Kajiyama and Gonda all made their first appearances of the season.
The game began at a frantic pace with a ferocious battle for possession. As expected, when Chiba won the ball they immediately played long balls towards Aaroy but the Tokyo defence dropped deeper and was able to deal with the threat. Tokyo maintained a compact formation and looked to pass their way forward.
In the 6th minute Mukuhara advanced down the left and hit an early cross that narrowly evaded Takamatsu at the far post. A minute later Yazawa and Suzuki combined on a short counter-attack with Yazawa inches away from reaching Suzuki's return pass in front of goal. Chiba's Matt Lam slipped through the Tokyo defence on the right in the 14th minute and raced down the flank but Abe showed great pace in tracking back and combined with Konno to quash the danger. Lam managed to cross but Mukuhara was able to clear ahead of the home attack.
In the 28th minute Suzuki fed Kajiyama on the left and the Tokyo midfielder picked out Yazawa with a fine pass. Yazawa met the ball with a well-timed shot but was unable to beat Okamoto in the Chiba goal. In the 37th minute Tokyo stretched the play with a sweeping move down the right after Yonemoto had pounced on a loose ball in midfield. Abe crossed and Yazawa connected again only for his effort to be blocked away by the home defence. Suzuki, Kajiyama and Yazawa combined neatly in a typical "Tokyo Style" to create openings but the breakthrough failed to materialise.
Yonemoto sustained a knee injury in the fierce battle for midfield control and was forced to leave the field in the 43rd minute, Hanyu taking his place. In additional time at the end of the first half Chiba midfielder Yonekura embarked on a solo run behind the Tokyo defence before shooting wide. Neither side had been able to conjure a decisive finish and the first period ended 0-0.

Conceding goals in the final stages and failing to capitalize on chances until the end, resulting in defeat...

　In the second half, Tokyo brought in Roberto CESAR to replace Suzuki. There were expectations to utilize his speed and seize the momentum. On the other hand, Chiba also brought in DF Mark Milligan as a center-back.

　In the early stages of the second half, Tokyo took control, and in the 55th minute, Abe's left cross was met by Tanizawa with a diving header. In the 56th minute, Mukuahara's well-placed short cross spilled, and a free-running Tanizawa took a decisive shot, but... he couldn't hit the target. In the 58th minute, Roberto CESAR contested a left cross, and Mukuahara ran onto the ball that spilled into the right area, but his shot was weak, and he couldn't score.

　Conversely, in the 67th minute, from an early cross by Chiba, FW Aoki Takashi, who broke free behind FW Oroi, had a decisive header but missed the target, escaping a crisis. In the 70th minute, Cesar, who initiated a dribble, was fouled, earning a free kick just outside the right area. Morishige attempted a direct shot while circling around, but it narrowly went to the right. After that, both teams continued to attack each other, leading to a tense back-and-forth development.

　In the 76th minute, Ohtake was brought in to replace Takamatsu. ZAGO was positioned at the front line, Hanyu played as an attacking midfielder, and Kajiwara and Tokunaga formed the defensive midfield setup as they aimed for the goal. However, immediately after, Chiba's DF Mark Milligan continuously threw long throws, and in the 77th minute, they finally conceded a goal from a precise left throw-in, with the central forward Oroi scoring with a header...

　Then, perhaps the tension was broken, and in the 83rd minute, MF Yonekura was caught behind the DF, resulting in the second goal conceded. Nevertheless, they did not give up and pushed Konno forward to aim for a counterattack. However, in the 89th minute, Konno dropped a cross, and Kajiyama in the center passed to Ceza who ran into the left area, but was blocked by Chiba's DF. Immediately after that, from a cross by Chiba's FW Aoki Takashi, FW Oloi scored with a header... The DF line was broken without Konno, and it was all over. Although there wasn't as much of a difference in content as the score suggests, they suffered a defeat without being able to break the bad flow.

　【Player Comments】《Taniyama》"The reason for our defeat was that we couldn't score the opening goal. I really wanted to score in the first half. I feel responsible, thinking that if I had scored... (Although it was a match against my former club) I didn't have any special feelings about it. No matter who the opponent is, I only think about playing my game and our soccer, and I want to continue fighting for results in the future." 《Suzuki》"Personally, I aimed to exploit the spaces behind the opponent. I was able to do that from the first half, and I think we fought with a priority as a team. However, I regret that we couldn't finish our chances, and each of us needs to think about what is lacking to win in the future. We want to show more vertical momentum as a team. The important thing is to switch to the next match. We can't dwell on today's defeat."

　[Summary of Coach Okuma's Press Conference] "After Yonemoto got injured, the pressure in the midfield eased a bit, and while the term 'decisiveness' cannot fully explain it, we allowed Chiba to create momentum without being able to score. We maintained a high line, and the first goal was difficult to prevent, but I feel we could have cleared it better by committing our bodies a bit more. We responded well to the flow of the game and corner kicks, but the accuracy, speed, and quality of the throws were high. Conversely, more than that first goal, I want to think about how we could have scored during the flow of the game and how to utilize Roberto CESAR and distribute roles effectively. There were good aspects, but we also need to bring out the best in CESAR as a team, and we must adjust the roles in attack and defense, including bringing in players who can take accurate free kicks. As a team, we want to switch gears properly and prepare for the next match."

　[Summary of the press conference with Jeff Chiba and Coach DWIGHT] "I think I was a bit nervous at first. I wanted to prove what we could do in the stadium, but there may have been some stress. I couldn't effectively show what we had prepared, and there was space between the DF line and the midfield. In the second half, we were able to compact the distance between the lines and successfully regained possession of the ball. By bringing in DF Mark Milligan, he was able to push up effectively. Being able to give clear instructions at halftime was also significant, and we were able to regain control of the game. I believe it was a game that deserved a victory."

(Was the first goal the key point?) I believe that when considering offense, it starts with how to defend and where to win the ball back. We struggled with that in the first half, but in the second half, while providing information, the players defended well. Goals come from that. We played well enough to deserve three goals. With many fans coming out, being able to win against FC Tokyo, the strongest team in J2, was likely a good PR for the club.

Late Goals Cost Profligate Tokyo

Tokyo replaced Suzuki with Roberto Cesar for the second half in an attempt to use his pace to gain control of the game. Chiba exchanged central defenders, replacing Ryota Aoki with Mark Milligan.
Tokyo seized the initiative as the second period began, creating a series of chances. In the 55th minute Abe crossed from the left and Yazawa flung himself at the ball to make contact with a diving header. Moments later a golden opportunity fell to Yazawa again as Mukuhara's short cross was deflected into his path in front of goal. Yazawa ran onto the ball and smashed it goalward but failed to hit the target. In the 58th minute Roberto Cesar battled hard to win a cross from the left and the ball ran loose to Mukuhara on the right of the Chiba penalty area. Mukuhara struck first time but without power, another opening coming to nothing for the visitors.
Chiba were guilty of a glaring miss in the 67th minute as unmarked forward Kota Aoki directed an inviting early cross wide of the post. Roberto Cesar embarked on a powerful run forward in the 70th minute before he was felled in a promising position just outside the Chiba penalty area on the right. Morishige feinted to pass the resulting free kick but instead stroked the ball over the defensive wall and narrowly wide of the right-hand post. The game continued to ebb and flow as the nervous tension rose.
With just under 15 minutes to play Tokyo replaced Takamatsu with Otake and altered the formation. Roberto Cesar led the attack with Hanyu playing off him, while Kajiyama dropped back into a deeper midfield position. Despite Tokyo's attacking intent, it was Chiba who took the lead. Substitute Mark Milligan launched consecutive long throws into the Tokyo area and from the second one striker Aaroy rose to head past Gonda in the 77th minute.
Tokyo nerves frayed after conceding and in the 83rd minute Yonekura raced behind the Tokyo defence to double the lead. Even so, the visitors refused to accept defeat, pushing Konno forward into the front line in an attempt to reduce the deficit. In the 89th minute Konno knocked down a cross, Kajiyama moved the ball out to Cesar on the left of the area and the substitute lashed an attempt on goal. Once again the Chiba defence blocked the effort away. Chiba launched an attack immediately and Aaroy was able to fill the space left by Konno, converting a cross from forward Aoki for the decisive third goal. While the scoreline didn't match the difference in quality of the teams, Tokyo were unable to stem the sudden change in the flow of the game and suffered their first defeat of the season.


Players' comments
Yazawa
"We lost because we didn't score first. We really wanted to score in the first half. If I had only taken my chances - I feel a strong sense of responsibility for it. I had no special feelings about returning to a former club, I just think about my game and the team regardless of the opponent. We want to pick up the results from now on".

Suzuki
"On a personal level I was aiming to get behind their defence. We managed to achieve that in the first half but the problem was that we didn't finish off the chances we made. Every one of us needs to think about what is lacking and what we need to win games. We need to have more forward momentum. What's important is to get over this defeat and bounce back in the next match".

FC Tokyo manager Okuma
"Yonemoto's injury led to a slight decrease in our midfield pressing and our lack of decisive finishing allowed Chiba to change the flow of the game. We kept a high line and although there wasn't much we could have done about the first goal perhaps if we had handed over marking duties better we could have cleared the ball. We defended well in open play and from set plays but it was a top quality throw, with speed and accuracy. More than that goal though we have to think about our failure to score and how best to use Roberto Cesar. There were some good aspects to our performance although we have to get the best from Cesar, bring in an accurate free kick taker and more clearly fine-tune the different roles in defence and attack. We want to come back strongly in the next match".

Jef United Chiba manager Dwight 
"I think we were a little nervous to start with. We wanted to prove what we are capable of doing on the field so there was some stress. We weren't really able to do what we'd prepared and left space between our midfield and defence. In the second half we kept a more compact shape, reduced the distance between the lines and won the ball well. We sent on Mark Mulligan and he was able to drive us forward. The team followed the instructions we gave at half time and we were able to regain control of the match. This is a very valuable win. 
Was the first goal the key point? When I think about attack I think about how we defend and where we win the ball - it starts from there, I believe. We couldn't manage that in the first half but with more information at half time the players defended well in the second half. That's where the goals came from. I thought our performance merited three goals. A lot of fans turned up today so to beat the strongest team in J2 is great publicity for the club."