An away match aiming for 3 points and a 5-game winning streak

　In Sec. 30 of the league, we will face Tokushima Vortis away. In the previous match, despite struggling against the hard work of Kitakyushu, we managed to secure our fourth consecutive win with our resilience and the quality of our offense and defense. This match marks the end of a three-game stretch, but Coach Okuma vowed to fight with the mindset of a tournament, promising to give it his all for victory in this match, aiming to secure 3 points away and achieve a fifth consecutive win.

　Tokushima, currently in 3rd place with 49 points, is 5 points behind Tokyo. The gap to 4th place is 2 points, and it can be said that they cannot afford to lose a single match in their pursuit of promotion. Moreover, this match is a home game, and "they will be focused on winning with a mindset like it's the final match (Coach Okuma)." Tall FW Sato, FW Tsuda, and left-sided FW Kakita have each scored 6 goals, and it is crucial to prevent the attacking lineup, including right MF Hamada and Eito, from gaining momentum.

　In Tokyo, Nagari will make his first start after transferring, replacing Sotan TANABE, who is suspended due to accumulated warnings. Tanizawa expressed that, "In the absence of Sotan, I want to be aware of the balance and utilize the characteristics of the players on the opposite side," aiming to find scoring opportunities by calmly taking control of the midfield. Additionally, Takamatsu, who has returned from injury, is showcasing his good form and has made the bench. As we head into the final stages of the season, we want to treat each match as crucial in this all-out battle.

　Both teams desperately want to score first, but Tokyo has recently been able to play in a way that builds momentum through substitutions. Even if the score remains 0-0, if they can create situations that induce anxiety in the opponent, they should be able to seize the opportunity for victory. As Tokunaga passionately states, "We will stick to our style of soccer with confidence and aim for 3 points," they want to cut off Tokushima's fighting spirit by controlling the game and lead to victory. The match started at 16:04 with Tokyo's kickoff at POCARI SWEAT Stadium.

Aiming For 5th. Straight Win In Tricky Away Fixture 

FC Tokyo traveled south to the island of Shikoku to take on Tokushima Vortis in the 30th game of the season. In their previous outing Tokyo had been made to work hard by a resilient Kitakyushu team but quality at both ends of the pitch and sheer perseverance produced a well-earned 2-0 win. Going into the third game in a week, Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma had urged his team to, "Play like it's a cup game," and in turn the players had vowed to win and extend the winning streak to five games.
Opponents Tokushima lay in 3rd place at kick off, 5 points behind Tokyo. In turn, Tokushima were 2 points ahead of the fourth-placed club, making the game a vital one for their own promotion hopes. With home advantage, "They're going to come at us as though it were the last game of the season," commented the Tokyo manager. Towering striker Sato, his partner in attack Tsuda and left-sided forward Kakitani had all notched 6 goals apiece so far, and together with midfielders Hamada and Eto would provide a stern test for the Tokyo defence.
For Tokyo, Tanabe was suspended, earning Nagasato his first start since his arrival at the club. Yazawa commented, "Since Sotan is out I'll be looking to keep the balance on my side and let the guy on the opposite side play to his strengths." Forward Takamatsu had returned from long-term injury and was sufficiently recovered to take a place on the bench. As the league prepared to enter the final stretch playing to the full extent of the available strength in each game became vitally important.
Although both sides would be desperate to score first, in recent games Tokyo had shown an ability to ask questions of the opposition with their substitutions. Further, if the game remained deadlocked at 0-0 the opposition's impatience to find a goal could leave them open at the back. Tokunaga was bullish about the match, "We want to play our own game with confidence and take the three points."
Tokyo kicked off shortly after 4pm on a cool, windy afternoon in the Pocarisweat Stadium.

Takahashi's goal in his first start after the transfer gave us the lead as we headed into halftime

　Tokushima pushed forward aggressively from the beginning. However, they remained calm and composed, enduring a period without conceding a goal. In the 9th minute, from a quick restart, Lucas passed to the left side where Muku Hara earned a corner from a cross. However, no one could connect with Tani Zawa's kick. In the 11th minute, Tokunaga intercepted on the right side. He connected to the front line, and Hanyu passed to the center where Lucas made a through pass to the right area. Tokunaga made a run but his shot was blocked.

　After 15 minutes, Kajiyama won a header against the opponent on a feed to the front line and sent it inside. Following up, Tokunaga received a cross from Tanizawa, which deflected off a Tokushima defender and resulted in a corner kick. From the right corner taken by Tanizawa, Konno sent a ball forward from the left area, which Nagari managed to redirect into the goal despite losing his balance! They capitalized on the set-piece opportunity and took the lead.

　They wanted to seize the rhythm with this, but they couldn't stop Tokushima's counterattack, and the momentum completely shifted to Tokushima. With MF Kakita and Kurakuni as the starting point, they quickly advanced to the front line, creating chances one after another. However, Tokyo put their bodies on the line at the last moment, preventing any goals. On the other hand, they couldn't create a shape in their attacks, with only 3 shots compared to Tokushima's 12 in the first half. Still, they maintained a one-goal lead and headed into the second half.

Nagasato Gives Tokyo Crucial Lead

As expected, Tokushima flew at Tokyo from the kick off and penned the visitors back. Tokyo held firm and coolly weathered the early storm before breaking out of defence in the 9th minute and earning a corner from Mukuhara's left-wing cross. Yazawa stroked the ball into the danger area but was unable to find a teammate. In the 11th minute Tokunaga intercepted a pass on the right, laid the ball off and continued his forward run. Hanyu found Lucas infield and the Brazilian rolled the ball into Tokunaga's path on the right of the area. Tokunaga let fly but a defender blocked his drive away.
In the 15th minute Kajiyama won an aerial duel for a long ball, Tokunaga collected the knock down and attempted to find Yazawa, the ball striking a Tokushima defender and going out for a corner. Yazawa took the corner on the right, Konno headed the ball back across goal from the left and Nagasato, on his first start for the club, twisted athletically to hook the ball into the net. Tokyo had made a set play count to grab a vital early lead. With the breakthrough in the bag Tokyo were looking to impose their rhythm on the game but the hosts fought back strongly to dominate proceedings.
Tokushima midfielders Kakitani and Kuranuki used their pace to move the ball forward quickly as the hosts began to create chances. In response to the intensifying pressure, the Tokyo defence flung themselves into the breach, denying Tokushima an equaliser. The home side mustered 12 attempts on goal to Tokyo's 3, yet it was the visitors who led at half time.

Ishikawa scored a precise goal from the counter, pulling ahead and achieving five consecutive wins.

　After the start of the second half, Tokyo creates a chance. In the 47th minute, Kajiyama steals the ball from Tokushima's midfielder Kakita in his own half and counterattacks. Receiving a return pass from Lucas, he advances and sends a through ball into the left area. Nagari breaks free and shoots while competing with the defender, but he couldn't hit the target. In the 49th minute, from a combination on the right side between Tokunaga and Hanyu, Hanyu breaks into the right area and sends a grounded ball to the far post. Nagari was positioned behind but couldn't step forward in time to connect with it.

　However, after that, the passes to the front line did not connect, leading to a counterattack. In the 57th minute, Ishikawa replaced Nagari. In the 66th minute, Takahashi and Hanyu connected in the center, and Lucas turned and shot just before the area, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 71st minute, Sakata was brought in to replace Hanyu. However, Tokushima also made aggressive substitutions and continued to attack. In the 77th minute, as Tokushima pushed forward, Tokyo launched a counterattack, with Lucas passing to Sakata, who utilized his speed to surge up the left side.

　Sakata did not completely get past the opponent, calmly waiting for his teammates to advance, and passed to Taniyama in the center. Taniyama drew the defenders while moving forward into the right area. The pass was slightly long and tight, but Nao, who made a run, executed a brilliant shot from a tight angle, striking it into the near side! With a powerful counter, they secured their second goal. As they pulled away from Tokushima, who continued to attack without giving up, they endured a tough match with resilient defense, snatching away 3 points on the road and achieving 5 consecutive wins!

　【Player Comments】《Nagari》"(Regarding the opening goal) I could see the position of the goal, so I struck it with the instep of my right foot. Everyone said, 'I thought it was an own goal' (crying). I'm shocked (bitter smile). In terms of my participation, I wanted to showcase my strengths, like making runs behind the defense and taking on defenders with dribbling. I thought that was what was being asked of me, but we struggled as we were pushed back by Tokushima. Everyone must have been tired, and there was little time to connect passes, but we were able to base our play on solid defense and secure the win. A skilled team won't lose if everyone works hard. That's how I feel, and I think this match made that clear."

　I was really nervous as a starter. I believe that being in the starting lineup in Tokyo comes with a sense of responsibility that is unmatched. It is an honor to be able to play there as a player, but I need to get more accustomed to it. Of course, we need to aim for good performances and winning football, but there will also be matches where we can't find our rhythm and where the opponent shows their strengths. I want to take the confidence from scoring two goals and winning today and carry it into future matches.

　Ishikawa: "In a series of matches we couldn't afford to lose, I absolutely wanted to win today as well. Since it was an away game, we were careful about how we started the match and aimed to bring it into our rhythm, and the bench shared the same thought. Even right after I came on, it was difficult to create a rhythm, but I was conscious of bringing speed to both offense and defense. (About the goal) The left side did a great job of creating rhythm, connecting it to me, and allowing me to showcase my strengths. Everyone says Yaza's pass was 'too long' (laughs), but if it had been a bit shorter, we could have aimed for both the far and near posts, and there would have been less hesitation in the course."

　With the speed I had, it became a choice only for the near post, so I could see the course clearly. I just had to kick it decisively. It was a good pass in the sense that Yazawa created a buildup and eliminated my hesitation. (Did I produce results after coming on as a substitute?) I think the opening goal was significant today, but I have always wanted to score, and as a team, we wanted to get the second goal quickly. It will be a total effort towards promotion, but I want anyone who plays to embody FC Tokyo's style of football, and in the end, the mindset is also important. I have my own pride. While using tough matches like today as a stepping stone, I want to play aggressively in a way that is characteristic of FC Tokyo.

　[Summary of Coach Okuma's Press Conference] "As expected, Tokushima is a focused and good team, so it was a tough match. There was also the wind direction, but we endured the first half with solid defense centered around Gonda. By being persistent and patient together, we were able to shift the momentum in the second half. Since we are both in a series of matches, I hope to draw the flow towards us, including substitutions. I think Nao's goal was significant both in terms of role and momentum. The Emperor's Cup is coming up, and the schedule in November will be more demanding than this series of matches, so it will be a total battle. Being ready to use players other than the starting eleven at any time, starting from practice, leads to results like today. Including the Emperor's Cup, I want us to focus on each match one by one."

　【Summary of Coach Minobe's Press Conference】 "Today, we faced FC Tokyo, and many people gathered, but it was very disappointing that we couldn't achieve a good result. However, overall, the players did their best in terms of the game's content, controlling the game, and the number of chances and shots. I believe we created a good game and content, so I wanted us to leave a result, and it's very regrettable that we couldn't. (What went well?) We approached the strongest FC Tokyo in J2 without fear, set a high line, and worked to win the ball back, which resulted in a quicker transition between offense and defense, and I think we created many attacking opportunities."

Ishikawa Goal On the Counter Seals 5th Straight Win

Tokyo created the first chance of the second half. Kajiyama robbed Tokushima midfielder Kakitani inside his own half, exchanged passes with Lucas and strode forward before releasing the ball into Nagasato's path inside the opposition penalty area. Nagasato held off a defender and shot but failed to hit the target. Tokunaga and Hanyu combined down the right in the 49th minute, Hanyu darted into space inside the penalty area on the right and drove a low cross to the far post where Nagasato failed to connect by the narrowest margin.
After that brief burst Tokyo struggled to connect their passes in attack and once again the pendulum swung back to the hosts. Ishikawa replaced Nagasato in the 57th minute. In the 66th minute Takahashi and Hanyu combined in midfield and moved the ball on to Lucas on the edge of the Tokushima area. Lucas swiveled and shot in one movement but his effort flew straight at Oh in the Tokushima goal. Sakata replaced Hanyu in the 71st minute. Tokushima made attacking substitutions themselves, pushing further forward in search of an equaliser. Then, in the 77th minute, Tokyo caught Tokushima on a counter attack. Sakata received the ball from Lucas and used his pace to drive down the left wing, then held the ball up as he waited for support from the midfield. Sakata slipped the ball inside to Yazawa, who drew the home defence towards himself before moving it out to the right, to meet Ishikawa's run. Yazawa seemed to have overhit the pass at first but Ishikawa met the ball at full speed and drove it firmly inside the near post from a tight angle. A deft and lightning fast counter attack had given Tokyo a two-goal cushion at the perfect moment. Tokyo blunted the Tokushima attack with a tenacious defensive display while clinically dispatching their own chances, taking the three points and extending the winning streak to five games.


Players' Comments 
Nagasato 
"I saw where I was in front of the goal and caught the ball with my right instep. Everybody said they thought it was an own goal ( Cries ). I was shocked ( Bitter laugh ). When I knew I was starting I wanted to show what I'm capable of: using my movement to get in behind the opposition defence and my dribbling ability. That's what was wanted from me but Tokushima pushed us back and put us under pressure. I'm sure everyone was suffering from fatigue and we really didn't spend a lot of time moving the ball around but we started from a defensive base and managed to see out the win. If you're a good team and everyone works hard then you're not going to lose. That's what I felt and the game made it clear, I thought. 
I was very nervous about starting the game. You can't really compare the sense of responsibility you feel starting a game for Tokyo with anything else. It's an honour and it's something I have to get used to more. Of course we want to play attractive, winning football but there are going to be more games where we can't find our rhythm and the opposition play well. Scoring twice and winning today will give us confidence for the upcoming games".

Ishikawa 
"The games we can't afford to lose are coming thick and fast and today was another one we absolutely wanted to win. Since we were away we were very careful about the way we started, about keeping our rhythm, and that was the same for us on the bench as well. After I went on we still couldn't really find our rhythm so I was focusing on using my pace in both defence and attack. For the goal the guys created a nice rhythm down the left and worked the ball across to me, where I was able to show what I can do. Everyone said Yazawa's pass was too long, ( Laughs ). If it had been a little shorter I could have gone for the far post as well as I was a little undecided as I ran onto the ball. 
At full speed there was only the near post I could go for but I saw the path clearly and just hit the ball. The way Yazawa held the ball up and made the decision of where to aim for me meant that it was a good pass. Did my substitution decide the game? The first goal was very important but I've been after a goal for a while and I just wanted the team to score again as quickly as possible. We need to play to the limit of our ability to achieve promotion and want to play FC Tokyo-style football regardless of who is in the team, so spirit is the most important thing. I've got the backbone for the fight as well. We want to take the performances from tough games like today's and use them as we carry on playing aggressive Tokyo-style football in the future". 


FC Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma
"Just as we expected, Tokushima concentrated well as they're a good team and it became a difficult match. We had the wind in our favor in the first half but we defended perfectly, with Gonda at the heart of it. Everyone was tenacious and persevered, then in the second half we controlled the flow of the game. Nao's role off the bench and goal was massively important in shaping the outcome today. With the Emperor's Cup game in there as well, the November schedule is even harder than this run of games so we'll need everyone to play their part. Apart from the first eleven, the other players have to be ready when called upon and what we work on in practice is reflected in results like today's. We want to carry on taking each game as it comes."

Tokushima manager Minobe
"Today was the showdown with FC Tokyo and that drew a lot of people to the stadium so it's very disappointing that we couldn't get the result. But if you look at the performance, the game control, the numbers of chances created and those on target, then you can see that the players fought hard. It was a good game and we played well so it's disappointing not to take anything away from it.
What was good about the performance? Many things, I felt. Tokyo are the best team in J2 yet we played without fear, kept a tight high line and developed our moves. We went out to win the ball, switched over from defence to attack quickly and created a lot of chances."