We want to seize the 3 points with further team unity and motivation.

　In Sec. 26 of the league, we will face Kataller Toyama away. Following the match against Tochigi.G, we are set for another away game. In the previous match, we failed to capitalize at crucial moments, and on the contrary, we lost the ball under Tochigi's intense press, resulting in two goals against us, leading to a bitter defeat. However, towards the end, Suzuki scored a determined goal, which was not a reason to hang our heads. We hope for further team unity and motivation, aiming to secure three points away.

　Toyama is currently in 19th place with 4 wins, 6 losses, and 11 draws. In the last match, they applied intense pressure against Chiba, resulting in a draw. Additionally, DF Fukuda joined in July, strengthening defensive stability and the power of set pieces. MF Hiraide, on loan from Tokyo, will not participate as in the first half of the season. Furthermore, FW Kokeuchi is injured and has left the team. Therefore, they will approach the match with a 3-4-2-1 formation featuring FW Kurobe as the lone striker, with MFs Asahi and Onishi as the two shadows, and both sides manned by Nishino and So Yondoku.

　In Tokyo, Suzuki starts as the lone striker in place of Tanizawa, who is suspended due to accumulated warnings. Lucas will play as an attacking midfielder, with Hanyu positioned as the right midfielder. It is essential to maintain possession and connect the play without losing the ball against the opponent's intense pressing counterattacks. Additionally, the key point will be how well the attacking line can create coordinated movements. We want to activate switches from fluid positioning to exploit Suzuki's runs behind the defense and ensure that Hanyu and Tanabe are not pressured in side defense.

　Ishikawa said, "Of course, it's important to create the team's rhythm with speed, but it's also crucial to adapt and fight according to the situation. I want to focus on various movements, not just breaking through the sides, but also receiving the ball in the center and allowing the full-backs to advance." He hopes to be a presence that can change the flow of the game in case it becomes stagnant. The team wants to overcome any accidents such as injuries or suspensions together, seize victory, and gain momentum in this match. The match started at 18:04 with a kickoff from Tokyo at Toyama Stadium.

United Team Aims To Dig Deep For The Win

FC Tokyo made the long trip to Toyama to take on Kataller in the 26th game of the season, the second away fixture in a week. In the previous outing Tokyo had been pressured into ceding possession and conceded twice in a disappointing loss to Tochigi; Suzuki's last-gasp goal was some consolation and the overall performance wasn't poor enough to cause panic. The side was united and determined to bounce back to take the three points.
Opponents Toyama lay in 19th place at kick-off with a W4 D6 L11 record. The side, boosted by the July recruitment of defender Fukuda who had added some stability to the back line and threat from set plays, had produced a fierce pressing display to grind out a draw with Chiba in their previous game. Hiraide, on loan from Tokyo, was ineligible and striker Kokeguchi was ruled out through injury. That left Kurobe playing as lone striker, supported by midfielders Asahi and Onishi in a 3-4-2-1 formation.
Yazawa's suspension meant a start for Suzuki as Tokyo's main striker, with Lucas lying deeper and Hanyu playing on the right of midfield. Tokyo would need to connect their passes and retain possession to deny their hosts chances on the counterattack. Suzuki was expected to exploit the available space behind the Toyama defence while Tanabe and Hanyu would need to provide defensive cover on the flanks as Tokyo sought a performance of fluid movement and decisive interplay.
Ishikawa commented, "Of course I'm aiming to use my pace to create a rhythm for the team but responding to the dictates of the game is important as well. Not only attacking down the wings but also receiving the ball in more central positions and bringing the side backs into the game are some of the things I'm aiming to do." Much was also expected of Ishikawa's ability to change the flow of games stuck in a stalemate. Despite the various injuries and suspensions the Tokyo team was united and determined to overcome the absences by fighting hard for the points.
Tokyo kicked off shortly after 6pm on a cloudy, warm evening on the Japan Sea coast.

Unable to grasp the rhythm of the attack, ended the first half trailing by one goal.

　At the start, Suzuki and Hanyu tried to pull the opponent's defense line back, creating a chance by breaking through behind them. In the 5th minute, Hanyu received a clearance from Nakamura and dodged the opponent's defender on the left side to take a shot. However, as it crossed the goal, they gradually began to struggle against Toyama's pressing. In the 13th minute, starting from Nakamura on the left side, a pass exchange between Hanyu and Suzuki led to Lucas taking a shot from the middle, but it resulted in a corner kick.

　In the 17th minute, Lucas passed to Tokunaga on the right side, who crossed between the opposing goalkeeper and defender. Hayu tried to connect with his foot but couldn't finish... As both teams continued to fight for possession while trying to move forward, Tokyo struggled to find their rhythm as time passed. Then, in the 34th minute, Toyama connected from their own half, with FW Kurobe passing to MF Onishi to move forward. MF Onishi sent a through ball aimed between Tokyo's defenders, allowing FW Kurobe to break free. Tokunaga chased after him, but a skillful ground shot was scored, allowing the first goal to be conceded...

　Tokyo wanted to launch a counterattack, but they couldn't find their rhythm against the opponent's intense press. However, as the opponent's legs began to tire in the latter stages, Tokyo started to connect their passes, but they struggled to switch gears. In stoppage time, Tokunaga's right cross was dropped by Lucas in the center, and Tanabe, just outside the area, took a shot with his left foot, but... it was blocked by the left post... They couldn't equalize and ended the first half.

Tokyo Struggle With Rhythm, Fall Behind

In the opening minutes Tokyo forced the Toyama defensive line deeper as Suzuki and Hanyu both attempted to exploit the space available. In the 5th minute Hanyu latched onto Nakamura's clearance, darted past a defender and shot. Hanyu dragged his effort wide and from that point onwards Toyama slowly began to restrict Tokyo with some fierce pressing. In the 13th minute Nakamura started a move that saw Hanyu and Suzuki exchange passes before a Lucas drive from middle-range earned a corner.
In the 17th minute Lucas found Tokunaga pushing forward down the right and his cross neatly bisected the Toyama defence and goalkeeper but narrowly evaded Hanyu's flying lunge. Despite attacking intentions neither side were able to retain possession for long and amid the flurry Tokyo struggled to find a rhythm. Then, in the 34th minute, Toyama broke forward from their own half and midfielder Onishi rolled a pass through to striker Kurobe; despite the attentions of Tokunaga, Kurobe was able to stroke a low shot past Shiota to give his side the lead.
Tokyo attempted to fight back but were stymied by Toyama's pressure on the ball and failed to settle into a rhythm. As half time approached Toyama began to run out of steam allowing Tokyo to string passes together but the visitors still failed to find a way through. In first half additional time Tokunaga crossed from the right, Lucas knocked the ball down and Tanabe thumped a shot against the post from the edge of the penalty area. The width of the post had denied Tokyo an equalising goal to take into the half time break.

Unable to score until the end, suffering consecutive losses

　In the second half, Ishikawa was brought on. Hanyu changed positions to play as an attacking midfielder. Despite struggling against Toyama's pressing, the attack gradually gained speed. In the 51st minute, Tokunaga advanced on the right side, and Ishikawa moved centrally, bravely taking a shot while surrounded by defenders, but it went wide. In the 54th minute, Kajiyama advanced through the center to Nao just in front of the right area. From there, a well-aimed shot was saved by the goalkeeper. Hanyu and Lucas tried to follow up on the rebound, but the defense held strong.

　Continuing to attack without letting up, Toyama's defensive awareness was high, and there were many moments where they couldn't break through even after advancing to the front line. In the 66th minute, a play was initiated on the left side, with Tanabe passing to Lucas in the center. Lucas trapped the ball while holding off a defender. He quickly turned and took a jumping volley, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper's save... In the 70th minute, a long ball sent forward by Konno found Ishikawa breaking into the left area, but he lost his balance and the shot went wide.

　Immediately after that, Sakata was brought on for Hanyu, making his first appearance since transferring. In the 78th minute, Tanabe brought the ball in from the left to the center and took a powerful shot, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. Following Sakata, Nagari also made his debut in the 78th minute. They applied pressure in front of the goal and attacked. However, Toyama had almost all players back, forming a block and solidifying their defense. They were unable to break through until the end... marking their fifth defeat of the season. Due to the results of other matches, they barely maintained their top position, but suffered their first consecutive losses.

　[Player Comments] {Konno} "Every opposing team comes at us from the start, and if we can't respond, they keep coming, and if that doesn't work, they fall back. We couldn't score first, and I think we still lack strength. After conceding a goal, we may have started to pass better, but due to impatience, we had fewer opportunities to reposition, and there were also fewer gentle passes that made it easier for the next player to play. In the final stages, we attacked, but ultimately we couldn't score... The players who came on as substitutes obviously have power, but just telling them to 'do their best' isn't enough. We need to utilize their strengths and draw them out. We have to fight in a more organized way."

　Nakamura: "I want to increase the methods and patterns of build-up a bit more. At the start today, we were unable to move the ball due to pressure in the center. During the match, I discussed with Morige that 'we can break through with two center-backs, so let's move a bit wider.' From there, we were thinking about getting through the gaps between the side midfielders or making runs behind... In the end, the opponent was able to man-mark us, so it might have seemed like the full-backs were also being marked from the center position. Still, we were able to hold the ball, but it was very slow, and we couldn't speed up. I want to increase our variations so that we can compete even when we can't play our style of football."

　[Summary of Coach Okuma's Press Conference] "I don't think the opponent had many chances either, but when we concede the first goal, the opponent tends to defend with more players. In that situation, we are struggling to circulate the ball and break through in the final moments. I feel that a certain simplicity is also necessary in a way. I believe it is important to endure and switch gears, and to perform well from the next match. (Were you unable to win the ball as you wanted?) The opponent's ball circulation was good, but our timing to push them back was slow, and there were moments where we were a step behind in our ball circulation."

　However, after changing Hanyu's position midway and altering the distance in both offense and defense, I became less concerned about winning the ball. At the start, as pointed out now, that distance didn't work well, and I think we lacked compactness. From now on, we need to pursue the threats and fears that come after conceding a goal. Since the members have changed, I felt that simplicity and ideas are necessary. (Was it more about our own soccer not being good today rather than the opponent?) We need to play without fear. Tatsuya should drop back a bit more and show himself on the ball side, or aim for the back with better timing. I think Tanabe should drop back to create rhythm and numerical superiority. As I mentioned earlier, I believe we need to build up threats and simplicity.

　[Toyama - Manager Anma's Press Conference Summary] "First of all, I would like to thank many people for coming to the venue; it really helped us before we faced a wonderful opponent. We are still a small club in the J-League, but I would be grateful if you could continue to come and support us without being discouraged by this. I believe the players really entered the game actively. One supporting point is that FC Tokyo is a team that has been committed to connecting the play even on a rough pitch in the previous match against Tochigi.G. Making the opponent choose to kick the ball at the start is, above all, a strong point. Within that, we were able to break through and score from the movements we practice regularly. I think it was a really good first half.

　As we entered the second half, of course, there was a difference in strength, so it was time to endure. During that time, I think it was good that we were able to firmly understand our positions and roles for 25 minutes, and to secure key areas to prevent the opponent from getting behind us. Regarding today's members, they are the players who were forced to play during the period when we couldn't win for 10 matches, and they were given challenges from the field. I am truly happy that they have built up their training and were able to play well against today's opponent, and I believe this has raised the level of the team. I am really grateful to the club, sponsors, supporters, and volunteers who created this atmosphere, and I want to carry this forward to the next stage.

Tokyo Battle To The Bitter End

Ishikawa replaced Suzuki for the second half with Hanyu moving into a central position behind Lucas. Toyama's pressure continued to hamper Tokyo's efforts but the visitors slowly began to inject some extra pace into their attacks. In the 51st minute Tokunaga pushed forward down the right and found Ishikawa in a central position; Ishikawa twisted and turned, eventually getting off a shot under pressure. In the 54th minute Kajiyama burst forward down the centre of the pitch before picking out Ishikawa on the right; Ishikawa struck firmly, drawing a save from Iida in the Toyama goal. The ball ran loose but neither Hanyu nor Lucas were able to pounce, the Toyama defence eventually clearing the danger.
Tokyo continued to attack yet failed to breach the increasingly resolute Toyama defence. Tokyo constructed a move down the left in the 66th minute, Tanabe finally playing the ball infield to Lucas. Lucas took the ball down succinctly under pressure from a defender then spun and cracked a jumping volley goalwards, drawing a save from Iida. A long ball played out of defence by Konno reached Ishikawa on the left of the Toyama area in the 70th minute. Ishikawa slipped as he shot, his effort flying wide of the post.
Sakata then made his debut for Tokyo, replacing Hanyu in the 70th minute. In the 78th minute Tanabe raced down the left, cut inside and shot, but his drive flew straight at Iida. Nagasato also made his Tokyo debut in the game, as a replacement for Tanabe in the 78th minute.
Tokyo had strengthened the attack and poured forward in waves but Toyama, with all hands defending in blocks, continued to frustrate the visitors. The final whistle blew on a 1-0 defeat, Tokyo's 5th of the season and the first back-to-back losses of the year. Despite the defeat, results elsewhere meant that Tokyo retained their place at the top of the table.


Players' comments 
Konno 
"Whatever the opposition, they come at us straight from the off and if we can't mount a response we struggle, or they then defend deeply. We couldn't score the first goal and I feel we're still lacking in power. After we fell behind we were attempting to play the ball around but were impatient which prevented us from correcting our positioning and led to awkward passes being played to people who weren't in a good position to receive the ball. We attacked a lot towards the end of the game but the result shows we failed to score. The substitutes who came on naturally have quality but simply encouraging them to 'Fight' isn't enough. We have to make use of their individual strengths in a more systematic approach." 


Nakamura
"We need to increase the ways we build up and the variety of our patterns. From the start today we couldn't throw off their pressing in midfield so I told Morishige I'd play wider to put pressure on their centre backs. I was trying to get beyond their side half and then behind the defence. They were man-marking us, from the centre to the side halves. When we got the ball we were too slow and couldn't speed the play up. If we're having trouble executing our game then we need more variations in our play".


FC Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma 
"I didn't feel the opposition created all that many chances during the game but now we're in a situation where if they score first they defend in numbers. Although we moved the ball around a lot we couldn't find the means to open them up. I felt we needed to play it more simply. Now we need to be patient and bounce back; doing what needs to be done in the next game is important. 
Did we find it difficult to regain possession? Well, the opposition certainly moved the ball around skillfully but I felt the timing of our forward runs was slow and we lost some of the initiative in retaining possession. 
During the game we altered Hanyu's positioning and reduced the distance needed to move the ball from defence to attack; I wasn't too concerned about where we actually won the ball. We didn't make the best use of that distance and couldn't create a compact shape out there. We have to increase the threat we carry when we fall a goal behind in the future. The line up is changing so we need to keep it simple and generate more ideas. We have to play without fear. Suzuki could have played a little deeper, could have received the ball in front of the defender and improved the timing of his runs a little more. Tanabe could drop a little deeper to create a rhythm and we could get more bodies forward into attacking positions. Basically, I think we have to keep it simple and carry more of a threat". 

Toyama manager Takayoshi Amma 
"Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who came today; they gave us the strength to take on such a strong opponent. I thought the players started the game in an extremely positive manner. One thing about FC Tokyo is that they always try to play a passing game, even on a terrible pitch like the one for the Tochigi game last week. Their constant forward movement forces opponents to boot the ball. Despite that we utilised what we had worked on in training, opened them up and scored. I thought we played very well in the first half. 
In the second half there was a difference in strength between the teams and we had to grit our teeth at times. For about 25 minutes the players had to appreciate their positions and their roles within the team and work to plug the gaps at the back and I thought they fulfilled their roles very well. These are the same players we fielded when we failed to win for ten straight games; we trained steadily and learned and, more than anything, I'm pleased with the disciplined performance they produced today, which has surely raised the level of the team. I'd like to thank the club sponsors, the supporters and the volunteers for creating such a special atmosphere today and hope that this will lead to greater things in the next game"