A crucial match to take revenge and maintain the top spot

The postponed 4th round of the league, which was postponed due to the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake, was held. The home team moved to Kumagaya and played against Tochigi SC. In the previous round, they suffered from Toyama's quick press and lost with no goals, resulting in their first consecutive loss of the season. The rematch with Tochigi will take place without a break from August 21st, but the players are determined not to lose to the same opponent twice and to avoid a third consecutive loss. Coach Ohkuma also sees this as a great opportunity for revenge.

　Tokushima, on the other hand, is currently in second place with the same 41 points as Tokyo. In the previous match against Ehime, they conceded a goal in stoppage time and ended up with a disappointing draw. However, as they showed in the previous Tokyo match, their quick pressing and attacking prowess, as well as the whole team's passionate play, are their biggest weapons. In order to prevent forwards like FW Ricardinho and Sabia, as well as MF Mizunuma, from playing freely, Tokyo will need to focus on their physicality and quick transitions between offense and defense, and create a rhythm.

　In Tokyo, while Tanizawa's suspension is lifted, Konno and Gonda are absent due to Japan national team activities. In this match, Tokunaga will replace Konno as center back, and Mukuhara will be placed as right SB. In the previous match, they were unable to convert their chances and were caught on the counter. If they can stay calm against the opponent's pressing and come up with another idea in their attack, they should be able to find a chance to win. They want to create unexpected plays from Lucas' post-play and the movements of players like Hayashi and Tanizawa.

　Manager Okuma says, "It is important for the team as a whole to cover for the absence of players Konno and Gonda. In order to do so, it is essential to 'fight'. Even if someone is missing in the future, we want to make up for it with a team that can fight. We want to show our fighting spirit in battles and situations, and lead to victory without hesitation or fear, playing Tokyo-style at home!" The match started at 18:04 with Tokyo's kickoff at Kumagaya Athletic Stadium.

Tokyo Gun For Revenge And To Retain Top Spot

Tokyo took on Tochigi SC at the Kumagaya Athletic Stadium in a match rescheduled from the 4th round due to the Tohoku earthquake. In their previous outing Tokyo had succumbed to Toyama's fast-pressing game, losing 1-0 to post successive defeats for the first time this season. The team was fiercely determined to halt the slide as they faced Tochigi for the second time in two weeks, with players commenting that, "There's no way we're losing to the same opposition twice," and, "We can't lose three straight games". Even manager Kiyoshi Okuma saw the fixture as, "a great chance for revenge".
Tochigi lay second in the league table at kick off, behind Tokyo on goal difference. The side had conceded a late equaliser in the previous game against Ehime and dropped two points but the qualities shown in the Tokyo game shone through: fast pressing, clinical finishing and, above all, a powerful team performance. Tokyo would need to attack the ball aggressively to deny midfielder Mizunuma and strikers Ricardo Lobo and Sabia any freedom to play, while quickly turning defence into attack and forging a rhythm.
Manager Okuma commented, "With Konno and Gonda missing it's important that we can cover for them. The bare minimum we need is players with fight; from now on, no matter who is missing, we want to supplement the team with players committed to the battle. We want to show our fighting spirit towards the match-ups right across the field and towards the ball, and want that to lead us on to winning the game".
Tokyo kicked off shortly after 6pm on a warm and damp evening in the Kumagaya Athletic Stadium.

Despite having control, they were unable to make a decision and remained scoreless in the second half.

　In the early stages, Tochigi gained momentum, but Tokyo calmly responded. They avoided Tochigi's press and quickly sent the ball to the front line, gradually dominating the midfield by picking up loose balls in battles. In the 12th minute, Tanabe launched a quick attack from Takahashi's interception and dribbled up the center. He was brought down just outside the box, but the ball spilled to the right side where Taniyama followed up with a decisive shot, but it went wide of the goal...

　18 minutes, the ball fell from Lucas' post to the right area in the center, and Mukuhara, who was up here, aimed for a shot that was hooked to the outside. Tanabe often shows his face in the connecting scene, and Hayu also attacks from the side while pushing behind the opponent, connecting to a chance. In the 29th minute, Nakamura dribbled through the left side from a one-two. He attacked to the line and made a minus last pass. Lucas followed this and headed it, but it went to the right...

　38 minutes, Tanabe created space on the left side and passed it to Nakamura who had moved up from the outside. Nakamura evaded the opponent's DF and made a minus pass into the area. The ball reached Kajiyama who had made a run up, but his decisive shot with his left foot...just missed to the right... There were also moments where Tochigi received a counterattack, but in the 43rd minute, FW Savia → FW Ricardo Robo's shot also missed above the goal, and there were also moments where they were saved by mistakes. However, Tokyo was unable to convert their chances into goals during their good period of play, and the first half ended with a score of 0-0.

Tokyo Dominate Scoreless First Half

Tochigi attempted a storming start to the game but Tokyo remained calm, evaded the pressing and played the ball forward quickly, fighting for possession and slowly gaining the upper hand in midfield. In the 12th minute Takahashi intercepted a pass in midfield and moved the ball on to Tanabe who dribbled straight at the heart of the Tochigi defence. Tanabe's surging run brought him to the edge of the penalty area where he was flattened; the ball ran on to Yazawa, steaming down the inside right channel. Yazawa shot fiercely but the ball rippled the side netting.
Lucas held the ball up in a central position in the 18th minute before it ran free to Mukuhara, pushing forward down the right. Mukuhara attempted a drive with the outside of his boot but the shot flew narrowly wide of the target. Although Tanabe was heavily involved in the Tokyo attack, Hanyu was searching for space behind the Tochigi defence and that led to openings being created along the flanks. In the 29th minute Nakamura played a one two and set off on a run down the left wing, taking the ball to the byline and hoisting a cross into the centre, which Lucas met but directed his header wide of the post.
Tanabe was the instigator of another sharp Tokyo move in the 38th minute, spotting Nakamura's run infield from the left channel with a neat through ball. Nakamura shrugged off a defender and cut the ball back to Kajiyama, who shot firmly yet wide of the target again. Tochigi caught Tokyo on a counter attack in the 43rd minute, Ricardo Lobo setting up fellow forward Sabia inside the Tokyo area on the right. Sabia screwed his shot across goal and wide of Shiota's left post. The miss was beneficial, although Tokyo's inability to take their chances when on top kept the score to 0-0 at half time.

Ends in a scoreless draw with two consecutive games without scoring

　In the second half, the flow was cut off by Tochigi's tough defense. Tochigi's MF PAULINHO was replaced by DF Ochiai due to an injury, and Tochigi increased their counter-attack and did not force their attack, increasing the time to pass the ball in the DF line. Both teams continued to fight for the ball in the midfield, resulting in a stalemate. Then, Tokyo substituted Ishikawa for Tanabe and tried to attack with speed.

　In the 73rd minute, after a pass cut by Hayashi on the right side, Ishikawa dribbled up and passed to Lucas in the center. Hayashi then shot from the right area, but the ball was cut to the left by the opponent's quick defense. After that, Tochigi continued to defend their goal, making it difficult to finish. In the 82nd minute, substitute Nagasato started on the left side and sent a cross. Lucas in the far post brought it down, and in the midst of chaos, Taniyama fell, but there was no whistle.

　Tokyo, who went on the offensive, made a sharp shot at the goal in the 84th minute, with Ishikawa moving up the center and Nagasato on the left side bringing the ball inside. However, the shot was off target. In the 90th minute, Nakamura took a shot from the middle and it resulted in a left corner kick. Lucas made a perfect header from Ishikawa's kick, but it was blocked by Tochigi DF who was covering. In the second half, Tochigi's counterattacks were easily suppressed, but they were unable to capitalize on their chances, resulting in a scoreless draw.

　【Player Comments】《Morishige》"It was a new defensive line, but we were able to keep a clean sheet and didn't let Tochigi have many shots. There was a moment of fear on the counter, but I think we had no problems defensively and felt the difference in strength. As for the build-up, Tochigi was compact in the middle, so I was thinking of using the full-backs more simply instead of sending it to Luccon or Kaji or Yaza. If Tochigi's players are so vital and play soccer "head on", it's difficult to break through or even just take a shot. In the midst of that, Mokuhara was going up and crossing vertically, so I think we were able to show a new form of attack. In order to score, we need to use both the inside and outside and spread the opponent's defense a little more to be able to break through. We couldn't win, and there is still a sense of dissatisfaction as a whole, but I also think that this is how the league goes. We also hit a wall at the beginning of this season, but we have all overcome it together. We want to discuss and improve on how to overcome this."

　"Nakamura" "In the Tochigi game, the pressure in the center was tough, so the sides were easy to use. We talked about wanting to use ourselves simply if the fullbacks could go up and make it 1v1. However, our strength is being able to attack through the center. I think it's important to use that balance. There were more moments where we sped up compared to the Toyama game. Maybe we needed to do that a little higher up. We couldn't find a way through the middle, so we ended up making a lot of sideways passes and couldn't create many clear chances. It's also important to stay calm and connect like we do in the midfield when we're around the penalty area. We were dominating, but the situation wasn't great in that sense. To improve, we have to win and gain confidence. Personally, I want to show more breakthroughs. If I do that, I think I can earn the trust of players like Yuhei and it's necessary for me to make things happen on my own."

　[Summary of Coach Oikuma's Press Conference] "We have been conceding a lot of goals lately, so in that sense, I think we were able to take care of the counterattacks, which are Tochigi's strength, throughout the game. Also, when we tried to change gears, there were some disjointed parts due to the substitutions. However, there were players who showed their strengths, including Nagasato's shots. It's not just about finishing, but also about combinations and partnerships to score goals. With Roberto CESAR gone and changes in the lineup, we need to review that and look for more attacking threats, including changes in the lineup."

　[Summary of Tochigi Matsuda's press conference] "You could say that we achieved the minimum result against FC Tokyo away, but it was a perfect situation to win 1-0. There were many wasted opportunities in the final precision. Honestly, I wanted to make it a game where we could win by improving our precision. In the end, it was a lack of precision. It's a challenge for us that we couldn't score at the end. However, I hope that the players will have confidence and courage in those situations. I think they know what they can do. I hope this will be useful in the future."

Tokyo Fail To Find Net In Scoreless Draw

Tokyo's attempts to break the deadlock were dealt a blow as the second half unfolded. Tochigi midfielder Paulinho was stretchered from the field after suffering a leg injury and was replaced by defender Ochiai, signaling a change in tactics from the visitors who sat deeper, rarely ventured forward and played the ball around more at the back. The midfield stalemate continued. Tokyo replaced Tanabe with Ishikawa in the 61st minute in an attempt to inject more pace into the attack.
In the 73rd minute Hanyu intercepted a pass on the right and moved the ball on to Ishikawa, who raced forward before cutting the ball inside to Lucas. The ball ran loose and Hanyu managed to get a shot away before the Tochigi defense closed him down; unfortunately it drifted wide of the post. Following that half-chance the visitors stiffened their defense further and although Tokyo enjoyed plenty of possession they were unable to convert it into clear-cut shooting opportunities. Substitute Nagasato created room for a cross on the left in the 82nd minute, Lucas headed the ball back into the danger area from beyond the far post and Yazawa crashed to the ground in a tangle of bodies as he attempted to reach the ball. The referee ignored the vociferous claims for a penalty.
Tokyo continued to take the offensive. In the 84th minute Ishikawa pushed forward in a central position before slipping the ball out to Nagasato on his left; Nagasato struck firmly but his drive sailed over the bar. In the 90th minute Nakamura tried his luck with a shot from outside the area, earning a corner as the ball deflected off a defender. Ishikawa took the corner and Lucas rose above the Tochigi defense to meet the ball with a thumping header that seemed destined for the back of the net until a Tochigi defender leapt to head the ball off the line from under the crossbar. Tokyo successfully negated Tochigi's threat on the counter attack in the second half but failed to take their own chances, and the game ended in a 0-0 draw.


Players' comments
Morishige
"Although we had a new defensive line today we kept a clean sheet and denied them nearly any shooting chances. There was one momentary scare on a counter attack but overall I felt we didn't have any real problems in defence, although I did feel a difference in strength. Tochigi packed the central defensive area so I thought that instead of using Lucas, Kajiyama and Yazawa it was better to bring the side backs into play. It seemed that given Tochigi's vitality in the centre it would be difficult to make a breakthrough there. Morishige pushing forward and getting crosses in also gave us an extra option in attack. I think that we need to stretch the opponents' defences further to give ourselves a better chance to open them up. We can't finish games off at the moment, it feels like something's missing and that's why the games seem to be repeating themselves. When we had problems earlier in the season we overcame them by discussing the issues amongst ourselves and that's what we've got to do again here".


Nakamura
"Tochigi applied a lot of pressure in the central area and the flanks were fairly easy to use today. I told the team that I wanted to play a straightforward role, pushing on to take on the opposite side back. However, our strengths lie in the central area so using both areas properly is important. We speeded up the play far more than we did in the Toyama game but we should be doing it a little further forward. When there was no-one open inside we played the ball straight down the field and didn't really create so many clear openings. We have to keep calm on the edge of our opponents penalty area and also connect our passes in midfield. We largely controlled the game but the circumstances weren't particularly great. Winning is the thing we need to give us confidence and improve the team. On a personal level I want to get forward in attack more. I feel I have to do more in attack as it would also generate more faith in me, the way it has in Tokunaga".


FC Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma
"We've conceded a few goals recently and considering that I felt we took great care to blunt Tochigi's counter attacking threat today. And then, when we thought about stepping up a gear the changes we made didn't really add to the flow of the game and were somewhat mismatched. Even so, including Nagasato's shot on goal, some of the players were able to express their individual strengths. Also, it's not the "finishing" but the combinations needed to score goals and the groupings within the team. Roberto Cesar is missing and the line up has changed. We have to look at things afresh and search for ways to carry a greater threat in attack".

Tochigi manager Matsuda
"You could look at the game and say that we came away with the bare minimum from an away game against FC Tokyo, but we could also have won 1-0. There were so many occasions where the accuracy of our final ball let us down. Frankly speaking, it was a match where we wanted to improve our accuracy and win. We lacked precision at the vital times. Scoring goals is going to be the issue for the team from now on. However, it's a case of whether the player on the spot has confidence or nerve. I think they know what they are capable of doing. We'll be fine if they can put that to use from here on".