Entering the second half of the league, let's get revenge on Kusatsu at Ajinomoto!

　The league Sec. 24 match against Thespa Kusatsu will be held. After about a month, we will welcome a home game at Ajinomoto. The league has completed 19 matches, and we are now entering the second half of the season. In the previous match against Gifu, we struggled away but managed to secure 3 points and regained the top position. This match is against Kusatsu, whom we lost to in the first half of the season, but regardless of the opponent, we want to maintain our rhythm at home and aim for consecutive victories.

　Tokyo saw Ohtake complete a loan transfer to Cerezo Osaka, while Nagari and Sakata joined the team. Additionally, Konno, Gonda, and Tanabe were involved in their respective national team activities, resulting in only about one day of actual practice with the team. Nevertheless, building on what has been accumulated, Konno and Tanabe were also named in the starting lineup, approaching the match with the same members as the previous game.

　Kusatsu, currently in 12th place with 26 points, has been a challenge for Tokyo. FW Rafinha, who troubled Tokyo, transferred to G Osaka in July. Although there were times when the team struggled, new additions like the dynamic MF Ryuki Kobayashi and the tall DF Masaki Yanagawa have helped, resulting in 2 wins and 1 draw in the last 3 matches without a loss. In particular, in the last match, they broke through Tosu's solid defense to achieve a comeback victory, compensating for FW Rafinha's absence with everyone's hard work and perseverance.

　Above all, the distribution from midfielders Matsushita and Kumabayashi is the lifeline of Kusatsu. We want to not only apply pressure on them but also reduce connection errors and increase possession to stifle Kusatsu's attacking opportunities. On the other hand, in attack, the key is to score the opening goal before they can pull back. Kusatsu has conceded 31 goals, the second worst, but they have height, so we want to exploit the width and depth of the pitch to break them down. Despite the cloudy sky, the humidity lingers at Ajinomoto. The match started at 18:34 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Tokyo Aim For Revenge Over Kusatsu

Thespa Kusatsu were the visitors to Ajinomoto Stadium for a game that marked the start of the second half of the season. Tokyo had ground out a 2-0 away win over Gifu in their previous outing, a result that kept the side top of the league at the halfway point. Kusatsu had beaten their hosts in the reverse fixture earlier in the year but at home Tokyo were aiming to dominate and embark on another winning spree. 
In a flurry of midweek transfer activity midfielder Otake moved to Cerezo Osaka on loan while Tokyo gained midfielder Nagasato and striker Sakata. Konno, Gonda and Tanabe had all been involved in international games at their respective levels meaning that the full squad had only a single day's training together. Nevertheless, Konno and Tanabe both started in an unchanged first eleven. 
Visiting Kusatsu lay in 12th place with 26 points at kick off. Forward Rafinha, who tormented Tokyo in the first meeting between the sides, had departed for Gamba Osaka and the team suffered a dip in form afterwards, but the arrival of midfielder Shota Kobayashi and defender Masaki Yanagawa prompted a revival with the team unbeaten in three, having won twice and drawn once. The come from behind win over the usually miserly Tosu in the previous fixture had been particularly impressive with the side making up for Rafinha's absence with hard work, grit and determination. 
Midfield instigators Matsushita and Kumabayashi were the pair Tokyo would need to control, pressing them hard to deny time on the ball and nip potential attacks in the bud. The visitors had conceded 31 goals thus far, the second worst in the league, so using the full width and depth of the pitch would be the key to opening up the shaky defence. 
Tokyo kicked off shortly after 6:30pm under a cloudy sky on an oppressively humid evening. 

Although they maintained possession of the ball and attacked, they couldn't create any clear chances...

　Immediately after the start of the match, they faced a quick attack from Kusatsu, and a sharp shot was taken by FW Alex SCHALK, who broke free on the left side from a long pass by MF Kumabayashi. However, after this was saved by Shiota, Tokyo gradually began to maintain possession of the ball and found their rhythm. The full-backs also actively pushed forward, carrying the ball up to the edge of the area, but in the 19th minute, a pass from Tanabe, who positioned himself centrally, was dropped by Hayabusa in the front line, and Tanabe, who received the return pass, attempted a shot but it was caught by the goalkeeper.

　In the 21st minute, Tokunaga passed to Tanabe, who connected with Hanyu in the center, and finally, Roberto CESAR, who circled around to the center just before the area, took a shot but it was blocked by the defense and resulted in a corner kick. In the 24th minute, Morishige took a direct free kick, and in the 30th minute, Nakamura aimed but could not shake the net.

　In the 36th minute, Tokunaga was fouled, earning a free kick from the right side. From Tanizawa's kick, Morishige delivered a sharp header, but it was cleared by the defender just in front of the goal. In stoppage time, Kajiyama, who advanced on a counterattack, was fouled and earned a direct free kick, but Tanizawa's kick was cleared, ending the first half. In front of Kusatsu's concentrated defense, it was difficult to create any decisive chances.

Tokyo Dominate Possession

Kusatsu nearly caught Tokyo cold from the kick off as forward Alex sprinted down the left, latched onto a long ball from Kumabayashi and hammered a drive at the near post. Shiota stood up and parried the shot away. Following that effort Tokyo slowly began to dominate possession and find their rhythm. Despite the sidebacks pushing forward aggressively clear-cut chances were few and far between. In the 19th.minute Tanabe chipped a pass forward to Hanyu who controlled the ball and played it back to Tanabe whose shot drew a save from Kita in the Kusatsu goal.
In the 21st.minute a neat passing move sparked by Tokunaga's foray down the right created a shooting opportunity for Cesar; his effort struck a defender and flashed narrowly wide of the post with Kita wrong-footed on the goalline. Neither Morishige's fiercely struck free kick in the 24th.minute nor a Nakamura shot in the 30th. troubled the Kusatsu keeper.
Tokyo won a free kick in a good position on the right after a foul on Tokunaga in the 36th.minute. Yazawa whipped a telling ball into the danger area where Morishige made a firm connection but a defender was well-placed to clear the threat. The visitors broke up a Tokyo counter attack by fouling Kajiyama in additional time; Yazawa's free kick was cleared and the whistle blew on a scoreless first half. Despite controlling the game Tokyo had struggled to create decisive openings in the face of Kusatsu's defensive concentration.

In the second half, which gained momentum, we secured a solid victory with just one goal from a penalty kick.

　In the second half, at the 48th minute, a counterattack was launched, and Roberto CESAR took a shot from the right area. Although it was blocked by the goalkeeper's save, this sparked momentum for the team. At the 54th minute, Roberto CESAR dribbled solo from his own half and brought it to a finish. After the 60th minute, Hanyu, Tanizawa, Tanabe, and Kajiwara executed a series of passes, creating a robust attack. However, all the shots were thwarted by the Kusatsu defense.

　In an attempt to change the situation, Ishikawa was brought in for Tanabe in the 66th minute. However, the proactive attitude paid off just after that, in the 67th minute, when Nakamura sent a floating pass into the left area, and Tanizawa, who broke through, was pulled down by the Kusatsu defender to earn a penalty kick. In the 69th minute, Roberto CESAR struck the net with this penalty kick, finally scoring the opening goal!

　After taking the lead, we defended against Kusatsu's attacks without any trouble, stealing the ball and transitioning to offense. Ishikawa and Roberto CESAR stirred things up in the front line, pushing up the defensive line to go for a second goal. In the 75th minute, Ishikawa launched a counterattack from Kusatsu's corner kick, with Konno joining in, and Ishikawa, who moved up on the right again, delivered a cross. Tanizawa made a run into the center but was offside...

　In the 81st minute, Lucas was brought on to replace Roberto CESAR. In the 85th minute, after intercepting Takahashi's pass in their own half, Konno passed to Tanizawa, who was running in the central forward position. However, Tanizawa lost control as he turned. In the 89th minute, Suzuki came on for Hanyu. They launched a fierce attack utilizing the movement in the front line, but... In the end, while Tokyo took 20 shots compared to Kusatsu's 4, they could not score any additional goals and were limited to just 1 goal from a penalty kick. Nevertheless, they managed to keep a clean sheet and secured a solid victory, achieving consecutive wins and maintaining their position at the top.

　[Player Comment]《Roberto CESAR》"The flow wasn't bad, but we couldn't score, making it a difficult match. Still, we managed to get one goal from a penalty and maintain our top position. Of course, I wanted to score in the first half, but at halftime, we talked about continuing the aim from the first half into the second half. We were able to score while continuing that. Although it was 1-0, I think it's important that we secured 3 points without conceding. Regarding the penalty, the fact that I missed last time crossed my mind for a moment, but I was focused at the moment of kicking. The next match will also be a difficult away game. Still, we have to win. I will strive to maintain the rhythm we had today and work hard to score and win."

　"Taniyama" "I am not satisfied with just scoring from penalties. I want to play in a way that connects more passes and breaks through to score, but recently there have been a few scenes where the balance has been slightly off. I want to communicate more and play in a way that allows us to connect and break through. (As we head into the second half of the season in first place?) Compared to the beginning, our style of play has become clearer, and the team has come together. With the addition of players like Nagari and Sakata, I want to foster good competition, allowing individuals to grow and enabling the team to perform well together."

　[Summary of Coach Okuma's Press Conference] "Kusatsu approached today's match with a defensive mindset compared to other games. It was difficult to penetrate behind their defensive line. While Tanabe and others did an excellent job behind the zone, we were playing in a formation close to a lone striker, so in the first half, we lacked combinations, numbers, and intensity from that position. Tanabe made few mistakes, but I believe the focus should be on how to capitalize on the fear and decisiveness in front of the goal. In the second half, both teams became stretched due to the heat, but our priority was to attack from the sides and increase variations towards the center. However, we couldn't secure the second goal, and at the same time, Kusatsu showed their fighting spirit. That is a point for reflection. Nevertheless, we kept moving in both attack and defense, running for the full 90 minutes. We want to maintain that and address our shortcomings as we prepare for the next match."

　[Kusatsu - Coach Soejima's Press Conference Summary] "We won against Tosu in the last match and aimed for 3 points today, but FC Tokyo was definitely a level above us. In the humid conditions, the game turned into one where we were forced to run, leading to significant fatigue. If we could have created a bit more time to move the ball around our final line, we might have been able to find a better rhythm. I want to clearly identify those issues again and aim to turn such games into situations where we can catch up and secure a win."

Penalty Earns Tokyo Solid Win

In the 48th minute Tokyo counterattacked, Cesar drawing a save from Kita with a sharp drive. The chance added impetus to the attack and Cesar went close again in the 54th minute, spearing a shot narrowly wide after a powerful surge from deep. As the second half progressed Hanyu, Yazawa, Tanabe and Kajiyama all combined to add numbers to the attack but the attempts on goal resulting from the neat passing approach play all struck Kusatsu defenders or were blocked away.
Ishikawa replaced Tanabe in the 66th minute in an attempt to break the deadlock. Tokyo's enterprising approach was finally rewarded just a minute later as Nakamura spotted Yazawa's sprint into the area and chipped the ball up to him from a position on the left. Yazawa took the ball down and was pulled back by a defender, earning Tokyo a penalty. Roberto Cesar sent Kita the wrong way from the spot and Tokyo had a priceless lead.
After taking the lead Tokyo successfully negated the Kusatsu attack, regaining possession and pushing forward. Ishikawa and Cesar flitted around the front line while the defence pushed forward as the side sought to deliver the knock-out blow of a second goal. In the 75th minute Tokyo counterattacked following a Kusatsu corner with Ishikawa and Konno leading the charge. Ishikawa crossed from the right but the unmarked Yazawa was given offside as he burst into the penalty area.
Lucas replaced Roberto Cesar in the 81st minute. In the 85th minute Takahashi intercepted a pass in midfield and Konno stroked the ball forward to meet Yazawa's run. Yazawa lost control of the ball as he turned inside and the opening quickly evaporated. Suzuki replaced Hanyu in the 89th minute to add some extra pace to the Tokyo attack. Tokyo continued to pour forward but a second goal was unforthcoming and the final whistle blew on a 1-0 win, Cesar's penalty being the difference between the teams. Tokyo had outshot the visitors 20-4, kept another clean sheet and the three points maintained their place at the top of the league.


Players' comments 
Roberto Cesar 
"We weren't playing badly at all but couldn't get the ball in the net and that made the game difficult. Still, we scored from a penalty and that kept us at the top of the table. Of course we had wanted to score during the first half but at the break we just talked about continuing with what we were doing in the second half. We kept going and then got the goal. It may have only been 1-0 but we kept a clean sheet and it was a solid performance, which is important. When we won the penalty I had a momentary flashback to the last time, when I missed, but as I ran up to shoot I kept my concentration. We're away again next week with what will be another difficult game. Even so, we have to carry on winning. I'll be doing my best to play with the kind of rhythm we had today, get on the scoresheet and win the match".

Yazawa
"We're not satisfied with scoring a single goal from a penalty. We want to pass the ball around more to open the opposition up but to some extent our balance has been poor on many occasions recently. Communicating better and playing flowing football to wear down our opponents is the way we want to go.
What about staying at the top in the second half of the season? Well, compared to the beginning of the year we've isolated the way we should be playing and the team is settled. We've got Nagasato and Sakata to come in which is great for the competition for places and should lead to individual improvement."


FC Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma 
"Compared to their other games Kusatsu started far more defensively today. It was very difficult for us to find space behind their defence. Tanabe and the others did very well playing behind the zone but with us fielding something close to a single forward formation today we had trouble in the first half with our combination play, lack of numbers and a shortage of momentum going forward. Although Tanabe made very few mistakes there's a question of how to add some threat in front of goal and some decisive finishing. In the second half the heat took its toll and both teams lost their shape somewhat. We wanted to add some variation to our attack, using the flanks and then moving into the middle. Not scoring a second goal left Kusatsu with some hope of salvaging the game and that showed in their spirited approach. It's a point we have to reflect on. Still, we kept running for 90 minutes. We have to maintain that as it's some compensation for areas we're lacking in as we prepare for the next game." 

Thespa Kusatsu manager Soejima
"We beat Tosu last time out and had wanted to take the points again today but, as I anticipated, Tokyo were one or two steps ahead of us. We were forced into a lot of running in the heat and that exhausted our energy, making the game very demanding. If we could have played the ball around more at the back then perhaps we could have enjoyed a better rhythm to our game. That's an issue we have to address as we work on ways to take something from games like this".