A match aiming for 3 points away while breaking through the opponent's solid defense.

　In Sec. 16 of the league, we will face Roasso Kumamoto away. In the previous match, after taking the lead, we lost our rhythm due to the opponent stealing our midfield plays and passes, resulting in a draw. However, the players are positively addressing the challenges, unifying their mindset with the intention of "not falling back after taking the lead, but pushing up again with confidence (Takahashi)." They are working hard to correct each of the issues and apply them in the next match.

　Kumamoto currently sits in 6th place with 4 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss. Their total goals scored so far is 8, which is fewer than Tokyo's 9, but they have the second fewest goals conceded in the league with 5. They can be said to be steadily accumulating points by winning closely contested matches based on a solid defense. Their formation is a 4-4-2 with a diamond shape in the midfield, but in defensive situations, they pull back and leave the two forwards to regain possession, launching counterattacks starting from tall forward Nagasawa.

　Tokyo sees Konno returning from the Japan national team activities and starting again after missing the last match. Also, Tanizawa will replace Ohtake in the lineup. As before, they want to create chances while circulating the ball, win second balls, and extend their time in possession to control the game. If they score first, they want to build momentum to aim for an immediate second goal. It will be necessary to utilize Hayu's movements up front and actively launch attacks targeting behind the defense and from the sides.

　Ishikawa stated, "The way to switch on and how I am utilized is different from last season, but within that, I want to find my strengths and launch powerful attacks." While calmly assessing the game situation and the opponent's condition, he aims to surpass Kumamoto with momentum and focus at crucial moments, leading to victory. The match started at 19:04 with a kickoff from Tokyo at Kumamoto Prefectural General Sports Park Athletics Stadium (KKWING).

Tokyo Aim To Breach Tight Kumamoto Defence

FC Tokyo made the long journey south to Kyushu to take on Roasso Kumamoto in the 16th game of the season. In their previous outing Tokyo had taken a first half lead but then struggled to control the midfield, misplaced passes, lost their rhythm and were forced to settle for a draw. The players were determined not to repeat the mistakes, vowing in the words of Takahashi not to, "play too deeply after taking the lead and to push up forcefully once again."
Opponents Kumamoto lay in 6th place at kick off with a W4 D4 L1 record. The side wasn't particularly prolific, having scored only 8 goals in nine games, but had conceded only 5, the second best defensive record in the league. The team tended to grind out narrow wins with that solid defence as a base and was steadily accumulating points. Kumamoto lined up with a diamond midfield in a 4-4-2 formation, usually leaving lanky forward Nagasawa and partner Nakama in advanced positions then striking on the counter attack when they regained possession.
Konno returned to Tokyo from duty with the Japan National Team while Yazawa was preferred to Otake in the starting eleven. In addition to their customary tactics of moving the ball around to probe for openings, winning the second balls and seeking to dominate play Tokyo would quickly press for a second goal if they were to take the lead. Hanyu's movement in attack, getting in behind the Kumamoto defence and making positive use of the wings would all be vital.
Ishikawa commented, "The way we switch the play and my role are different from last year but I want to find my weapons and attack with power and intensity." Tokyo would need to coolly appraise the state of the game and their opponents before choosing their moments to spring forward.
The visitors kicked off shortly after 7pm on a wet evening in the Kumamoto Athletics Stadium, the KKWING.

Roberto CESAR strikes with a volley to take the lead! Heading into halftime with the advantage

　In the early stages, Kumamoto launched a vigorous attack. However, they defended calmly and connected passes even on the rainy pitch to go on the offensive. At the same time, Roberto CESAR aimed for the opponent's back line, and in the 6th minute, Tanabe sent a through pass. In the 12th minute, they faced a counterattack from a corner kick, but from Hanyu's interception, Morishige, who had remained in the attack, delivered a last pass in front of the goal. Although the timing was slightly off in both cases, they gradually tried to find their rhythm through their proactive stance.

　In the 16th minute, Roberto CESAR was fouled just in front of the right side of the area, earning a free kick. Morishige's attempted kick hit the wall and resulted in a left corner kick. Then, in the 20th minute, Roberto CESAR was fouled on the right side in the opponent's half, earning another free kick. This was quickly restarted by Konno, and Tokunaga, who advanced on the right, delivered a cross. Takahashi competed with the opposing defender at the far post, and the loose ball was volleyed into the net by CESAR with his right foot, scoring the opening goal!

　After taking the lead, they did not pull back too much and tried to pass the ball to aim for a second goal. In the 21st minute, Tanabe took a powerful shot from the left area, but it was saved well by the goalkeeper, resulting in a corner kick. In the 23rd minute, Roberto CESAR attempted to break through with a dribble from the halfway line, but his shot from the right area just missed the target.

　Kumamoto, who was trailing, consistently sent long balls without changing their style of play, effectively controlling the ball up front and creating chances. In the 34th minute, a clearance mistake allowed Kumamoto's FW Nagasawa to take a decisive shot, but the ball hit Tokunaga and was caught by Gonda. Thanks to the opponent's mistake, they maintained a one-goal lead and finished the first half.

Roberto Cesar's Volley Gives Tokyo The Lead

Kumamoto stormed forward in the opening minutes but Tokyo held firm and attempted to pass their way out of defence on the rain-slick pitch. Roberto Cesar constantly looked to dart behind the home defence and a through ball from Tanabe nearly played him in in the 6th minute. In the 12th minute Kumamoto launched a counter attack from a Tokyo corner but Hanyu intercepted the ball in midfield and quickly attempted to find Morishige who had ventured forward for the set play. Although Tokyo were unable to finish the move with a shot on goal it showed positive intentions and signs that the visitors were beginning to find a rhythm.
Cesar drew a foul just outside the Kumamoto penalty area on the right in the 16th minute. Morishige blasted the free kick into the defensive wall and the ball spun out for a corner. Cesar won another free kick near the right touchline in the 20th minute. Konno took it quickly, moving the ball on to Tokunaga who burst forward and crossed to the far post where Takahashi attempted to out-jump a defender. The ball looped back into the danger area and Cesar was on hand to smash a right-footed volley into the net to give Tokyo the lead.
After going ahead Tokyo maintained a proactive approach, passing the ball around and looking for a second goal. Tanabe unleashed a fierce drive from the left in the 21st minute, drawing a fine save from Minami and earning a corner. Roberto Cesar embarked on a slaloming run from the halfway line in the 23rd minute that took him inside the Kumamoto penalty box but his shot flew narrowly wide of the post.
The hosts made no changes to their tactics, continuing to hoist long balls forward to Nagasawa. The striker was able to retain possession and that led to chances, the clearest one falling to Nagasawa himself in the 34th minute following a misplaced clearance by the Tokyo defence. He struck firmly but the ball clipped Tokunaga and fell comfortably for Gonda to collect. That let off allowed Tokyo to take the one goal lead into half time.

Concentrate to overcome the crisis and achieve victory

　In the second half, Tokyo dominated possession of the ball. They evaded the opponent's press and connected passes while looking for opportunities. In the 51st minute, Morishige sent a long ground through pass to the front line. Hanyu reacted and started running, but the ball was slightly too long... Following that, Takahashi moved up the right front line and sent a perfect cross to Roberto CESAR, but he couldn't get a header off... In the 63rd minute, Taneba received a vertical pass in the right area and took a shot after regaining control, but it was blocked by the defender and resulted in a corner kick.

　In the 67th minute, Kajiyama was substituted for Hokuto, who advanced on the left and attempted a long-range shot, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. After that, they were blocked by Kumamoto's solid defense during moments when they needed to switch things up, and they continued to struggle to create effective chances. Conversely, Kumamoto simply gathered the ball to the front line and launched powerful attacks. As a result, in the 75th minute, Ishikawa was brought in, and in the 83rd minute, Uezato was substituted in as a defensive midfielder. They changed their formation, placing Takahashi at the center to counter the opponent's height, trying to make adjustments.

　In the 88th minute, from Tanizawa's pass, Ishikawa utilized his speed to bring the ball into the right area, close to the goal, and attempted to send a last pass to Tanabe, who was closing in the center, but was thwarted by a narrow block from the opposing defender... Time passed without securing an additional goal, and during stoppage time, Gonda managed to punch away a cross from Kumamoto, showing determination, but the loose ball fell to Kumamoto's forward Nagasawa... who misfired, allowing Gonda to catch it, leading to the end of the match. They concentrated to withstand the crisis, defended the one-goal lead, and secured 3 points away.

　[Player Comment]《Roberto CESAR》"(The goal) came from a cross that spilled out, but I was calm. It was a difficult shot, but I thought that if I kicked it accurately, it would go in. The goalkeeper touched it, but I focused on making solid contact and sending it on target, which allowed me to score. I believe this team has players of a high level. We haven't been able to gain momentum, but I want to create some energy so we can keep winning. I want to build momentum from here."

　"Takahashi: As for defense, the speed to close in on the ball was slow. I was aiming for a change of sides, but we could only manage one each in the first and second halves, leaving me with many personal challenges from the match. However, I think the way the team fought was improved from the previous match. Even after taking the lead, we didn't lower our pressing position and tried to push forward. As a result, we may have had few opportunities to win the ball there, but our awareness was unified. In attacking situations, we used width and made diagonal runs... for example, with Hokuto-kun as the starting point, and Kusatani cutting into the area... I believe we were able to create those kinds of shapes. I think it would be great if we could achieve results (like scoring) in that way."

　[Coach Okuma's Press Conference Summary] "We were able to score first, but the opponent played very aggressively at home with their own style of football. However, including the substitutes, we also aimed for another goal while maintaining a strong defense. I believe we need to increase the frequency of that in the future. Everyone had the concentration to defend the one goal in a tough situation and bring home the victory. We must continue to build on this resilience and play the remaining matches. On top of that, we need to work on variations to score a second goal, the quality and combinations of the substitutes, and also raise the energy levels of the starting players, which are currently running low. Lastly, I truly appreciate the fans and supporters who came all the way to Kumamoto in the rain to cheer for us. I am really glad we were able to secure three points and bring joy to everyone."

　(What was the intention behind starting Tanizawa?) The fact that it was raining played a part. What we are trying to do as a team is not about skill, but rather to remember the basics of hard work together as a team. In addition, we created gaps in various ways in the last match when it came to winning the ball back. This choice and decision is not about being skilled or unskilled, but rather about wanting to minimize gaps as a team. Also, even if we change positions with substitutions, Tanizawa has the utility to play anywhere. We decided to start him, considering the advantage of being able to move him when the balance is off.

　[Summary of the press conference by Kumamoto's coach Takuya TAKAGI] "Despite the heavy rain since last night, I would like to thank all the supporters for their encouragement. Honestly, there are times when I think this is what competition is about, and I feel very disappointed that we couldn't present a victory to our supporters. However, this is a subjective matter, so it may be different from FC Tokyo's perspective, but please listen to it as a subjective opinion. Regarding the content, I believe we were able to show what we are currently working on in many scenes and time periods today. In fact, for the preparation for today's game, I think there are various aspects, including defense, but in terms of offense, we wanted to play our own style of football. We wanted to try that against FC Tokyo. Ultimately, I want to make various adjustments based on how that went and apply it to the next game, and today I made that kind of attempt in that sense.

　I think we did well in terms of content. I am very disappointed about today's outcome. I believe we must accept the loss firmly, and as I mentioned earlier, regarding the content, I think we can build more confidence in our future battles and against our upcoming opponents, which will allow us to create matches where we can win and score goals. I believe we played a good game. I acknowledge that losing reflects some areas where we were lacking in strength, and I want to prepare for the next game.

Sterling Defensive Work Earns Tokyo Vital Win

Tokyo dominated as the second half unfolded, negating Kumamoto's pressure and looking to create chances. In the 51st minute Morishige stroked a low, straight ball up the field; Hanyu reacted fastest and set off in chase but the pass narrowly evaded him. Shortly after that Takahashi pushed forwards down the right and curled a sumptuous cross towards Cesar inside the penalty area. Unfortunately Cesar was unable to make contact with the ball. In the 63rd minute Tanabe picked out Yazawa inside the Kumamoto box on the right with a straight through ball; Yazawa recovered his balance sufficiently to whip in a low shot that a defender blocked away for a corner.
In the 62nd minute Kajiyama found Nakamura pushing forward down the left. Nakamura cut inside and produced a firm drive that flew straight at Minami. The hosts tightened up in defence, denying Tokyo any clear-cut attempts on goal, while increasing the pressure in attack. Tokyo responded by introducing Ishikawa in the 75th minute and using Uesato in a defensive midfield role from the 83rd, with Takahashi dropping deeper to counter the height of the Kumamoto front line.
In the 88th minute Ishikawa collected a pass from Yazawa and raced through the Kumamoto defence, into the area and to the byline on the right at point-blank range from goal. Ishikawa attempted to pull the ball back to Tanabe but a defender made a last-ditch block that saved a certain goal. As the clock ticked down Kumamoto continued to launch the ball into the Tokyo area. In additional time Gonda punched a cross clear then held an effort from Nagasawa under extreme pressure. That was the final action of the game as the whistle blew. Tokyo had survived a couple of dangerous moments but maintained their concentration to defend Cesar's goal and earn a vital away win.


Players' comments 
Roberto Cesar 
"I kept calm as the ball was deflected from the cross. It was a difficult shot to make but I got a good contact on the ball and I didn't think it wasn't going in. The goalkeeper got a touch but the shot had enough power to take it into the goal. We have a lot of top-level players in this team. We can't seem to put a run together but I want to add all my energy to the team so that we can go on to win consecutive games". 

Takahashi
"In defense I felt that I was late getting onto the ball and although I was trying to play crossfield balls I only managed one in each half. Personally it was a game that left me plenty of issues to think about. However, in terms of the team I think we corrected a lot of things from the last performance. After we scored we were challenging for the ball much higher up the field and were more active from the front. Maybe we didn't win the ball from there so much but there was a greater sense of unity in the performance. We used the width of the pitch in attack and tried to play diagonal balls. For example, when Hokuto ( Nakamura ) took the ball forward Sotan ( Tanabe ) was cutting inside into the area. I felt we managed to put together some attacks like that. It'll be good for the team if we can score from moves like the one that brought the goal today".

FC Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma 
"Although we managed to take the lead, our opponents played an aggressive, attacking game. We showed real tenacity in defense but at the same time were still trying to get the second goal. It was a hard game, but all the players, including the substitutes, showed great concentration to defend a slim lead and earn us the points. We're going to need to show that same concentration in all the remaining games. In addition, we need greater variation in our play and from our substitutes and combinations to get us that second goal. We also have to improve the energy levels of the starting players. Finally, I'd like to express my thanks to all our supporters who made the long trip down here in the rain to support the team. I'm really pleased to be able to share the win with them. 
Why did we start Yazawa today? One reason was the rain and another was the team’s need for hard work more than anything else at the moment. In the last game, the positions we won the ball in sometimes left us vulnerable and we wanted to keep it as tight as possible today. That's no criticism of any player but it influenced our decision in player selection. Also, Yazawa is a versatile player and can perform in different roles if we change the shape of the team. If the team loses its balance, we can deploy him in different areas." 

Kumamoto manager Takuya Takagi
"I'd like to thank the large number of fans who turned out to support the team despite the heavy rain we've had since last night. In all honesty this is the way the game goes sometimes and I'm very disappointed that we couldn't reward them with a win. Speaking subjectively, I felt that we showed a lot of what we've been doing recently in our performance today. I thought it was a good performance so to lose is bitterly disappointing. We have to accept the defeat and look to increase our confidence for the games ahead. We also have to recognize that we lacked sufficient power in certain areas and prepare to the best of our ability for the next match."