A match aiming for 3 points away, carrying the momentum from the previous round

In Sec. 32 of the league, we will face Sagan Tosu away. In the previous match, amidst a tense back-and-forth, Ishikawa scored a superb goal just before the end to secure the victory. Defensively, we remained calm and achieved our first seven consecutive wins by keeping a clean sheet for six matches in a row. This match is in the middle of a five-match series, an away match, and a direct confrontation with the second place team. While it remains just one of 38 matches in the league, it is indeed a crucial battle. As we aim for promotion, the importance of each point will increase with every match from here on out.

The opposing team, Tosu, currently has 53 points and is in second place. They have not lost in their last 11 matches and seem to be in great form with 4 consecutive wins. Their total goals are 52, total goals conceded are 23, and their goal difference is +29, which is the second highest after Tokyo. In particular, FW Toyota.S, who is known for his height, currently leads the ranking with 15 goals. On the member list, MF Ikeda is paired in a two-top formation, with FW Kim and MF Hayasaka serving on both sides. Goals from long throws by the defensive midfielder Fujita and aggressive dribbling breakthroughs from the sides are also key weapons, so it is important to prevent them from gaining momentum.

Tokyo will approach the match without changing the lineup, maintaining the momentum of their consecutive wins. Takahashi stated, "As we aim for the championship, I have the desire to firmly defeat those below us and prove our strength at the top. However, Tosu has matured since our last encounter. It is most important to respect that and to fight calmly as we always do." Coach Okuma also mentioned, "In a series of matches, the difference is made by our mentality, effort, and determination. We aim to surpass that and create a gap, making it crucial not to lose against the opponent's stamina and resilience."

Mukuara expressed his determination, saying, "Our defensive line is focused on keeping a clean sheet, but there may come a time when we concede a goal. How we feel and how we fight at that moment is important. I want to fight for victory without panicking and while maintaining a proactive attitude." Including the substitutes, everyone has the ability to score, which is Tokyo's strength right now. With the variety in our attack increasing, we will engage in a full team defense and offense to confront Tosu. The match started at BEST AMENITY STADIUM with Tosu's kickoff at 17:04.

Tokyo Aim To Maintain Momentum In Tosu

FC Tokyo traveled south to the island of Kyushu to take on Sagan Tosu in the 32nd game of the season. In the previous outing the side had won a tense match against Yokohama FC with a last-gasp wonder strike from Ishikawa to earn a sixth straight clean sheet and a club record seventh successive victory. The midpoint of a demanding schedule of five games in two weeks saw Tokyo take on the side ranked second in the league; only one game out of 38 but one laden with importance as Tokyo geared up for the final push towards promotion.
Opponents Tosu sat six points behind Tokyo at kick off. The side was in superb form: unbeaten in eleven games, on a four-match winning run and boasting statistics second only to Tokyo, having scored 52 and conceded only 23 goals so far. Chief weapon in the Tosu arsenal was towering forward Toyoda, top scorer in the league to date with 15 goals. Despite being registered as a midfielder Ikeda played alongside Toyoda in a twin-striker formation, with the pair supplied by wide men Kim and Hayasaka. The long throws of defensive midfielder Fujita added another dimension to the imposing attack. Tokyo's task would be to prevent them from gaining any kind of momentum in the match.
Tokyo were unchanged from the team that beat Yokohama. Midfielder Takahashi commented, "Beyond winning the championship we want to perform against the teams below us to show our strength as the league-leaders. However, Tosu have matured rapidly as a team since we met last time. The most important thing is to respect them as opponents while trying to play our usual steady game," while Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma emphasised the need for Tokyo to surpass the hard working, dynamic Tosu team in terms of effort and tenacity.
Mukuhara commented, "We defenders are aiming to keep a clean sheet but there's always the possibility that we can concede. If it happens then our response and reaction is important. We have to keep our composure and remain positive". Tokyo's current strength lay in the ability of any player, including the substitutes, to score. With that variation in attack and a commitment of all to both defence and attack, Tokyo faced up to the challenge of Tosu.
The home side kicked off shortly after 7pm at the Best Amenity Stadium.

Unable to create chances against the opponent's intense pressing, we head into the second half.

From the start, both teams pressed each other with a compact formation, leading to a back-and-forth battle for possession. In particular, they struggled against Tosu's intense pressing. In the 15th minute, Tanizawa quickly sent a free kick from the right side to Hanyu. From this exchange of passes, Tokunaga, who moved inside, received the ball and took a long shot, but it went wide. In the 24th minute, from a right throw-in, Hanyu passed to Kajiyama, who then sent a through ball to Tanabe in the right area, but the timing was off.

Still, without panicking, they tried to build up from the DF line, but while they could circulate the ball at the back, every vertical pass was blocked, leading to a counterattack. In particular, Toyota.S from Tosu was creating chances with sharp movements up front. In the 31st minute, Tokunaga made a dynamic advance and delivered a right cross. Lucas dropped it, and Kajiwara hit a mid-range shot, but... it was blocked by the DF wall.

In the 34th minute, Tosu accelerated from the right side, with MF Kim sending the ball to the center, where FW Ikeda skillfully controlled it to draw in Tokyo's DF, quickly connecting with the free FW Toyota.S on the left. The marking by the DF was disrupted, and a decisive shot was taken, but it went over the bar, avoiding a goal. After that, there were notable moments of sharp counters from Tosu, but they fought tenaciously and ended the first half scoreless.

Tokyo Attack Blunted

Both sides adopted a compact formation and pressed hard from the kick off, with possession changing hands frequently. Tokyo suffered under Tosu's hard pressing and had to wait until the 15th minute for their first attempt on goal. Yazawa took a quick free kick down the left to Hanyu and after an exchange of passes the ball reached Tokunaga, pushing forward into the inside right channel. Tokunaga shot from long range but failed to trouble Akahoshi in the Tosu goal. In the 24th minute Hanyu and Kajiyama exchanged passes from a throw-in on the right, the latter sliding the ball through into the Tosu area but Tanabe was slow off the mark and failed to reach the pass.
Nevertheless, Tokyo continued to build carefully from the back but straight balls played up the field were invariably picked off, allowing Tosu to counterattack. Forward Toyoda looked sharp and his darting runs created chances. In the 34th minute Tokunaga charged forward and crossed, Lucas nodded the ball down and Kajiyama let fly from middle range. The ball struck a defender and rebounded to safety.
Tokyo survived a major scare in the 34th minute as Tosu sped up the play down the right, midfielder Kim moving the ball inside to midfielder Ikeda. Ikeda controlled the ball skillfully, then drew the Tokyo defence towards him before slipping the ball out to Toyoda on his left. Toyoda had escaped his marker but crashed his shot over the bar. Although Tosu continued to hit on the counterattack the Tokyo defence held firm and the first period ended 0-0.

Unable to score against a solid defense in front of the goal, ending in a draw

In the second half, Tokyo dominated possession against a more defensive Tosu. Kajiyama, Lucas, and Tanizawa connected passes, continuing to push Tosu back. However, they struggled to create clear-cut chances against Tosu's organized defense. In the 55th minute, a counter-attack saw Kajiyama pass to Mukuhara, who dribbled up the left side and cut inside to take a shot from distance, but it went over the bar. In the 56th minute, Ishikawa was brought on for Tanabe. Morishige also increased his involvement in the attack, trying to create opportunities.

　In the 63rd minute, Morishige received a pass while advancing and spread the play to the right. Ishikawa delivered a cross, but it deflected off the opposing defender. Kajiyama slid in to finish but couldn't connect. In the 72nd minute, Roberto CESAR was brought on for Hanyu, aiming to utilize his speed to target the goal. In the 86th minute, they launched a counterattack, with Lucas passing to CESAR who brought it inside, timing the last pass to central Lucas. However, Lucas's shot went wide to the left...

　After that, Nagari was brought in to replace Tanizawa, and without easing their offensive efforts, they launched a fierce attack. During stoppage time, they tried to capitalize on several corner kicks and free kicks, but despite all players retreating to defend in front of the goal, they were unable to take any shots on target, resulting in a time-up. While they maintained concentration in defense and managed to keep a clean sheet, they could not break through the well-organized blocks of the Tosu defense until the end. The tough game ended in a painful draw.

　[Player Comments] {Kajiama} "I think I received the ball while stopping more often, and especially in the first half, we lacked attacking intensity. In the second half, the opponent's movement decreased, and conversely, our full-backs found space, so we were able to create numerical superiority by probing from the sides two or three times... However, we are not losing in terms of running. Even in this situation, I want to create opportunities to finish. I believe that by securing three points next time, today's one point will become meaningful."

　Muku Hara: "Tosu applied pressure from the beginning that made us think, 'This won't last.' As expected, their energy dropped in the second half, and we took control. That's why I wanted to win, but I believe managing to keep a clean sheet will lead to future success. The only real danger came from one of my passing mistakes, and we were able to attack like that. Of course, not being able to break through is a challenge, but the overall performance was certainly not bad. We achieved the minimum result and can return home. (Are you still updating your clean sheet record?) It will continue! I don't want to concede even one goal!"　

　[Summary of Coach Okuma's Press Conference] "In the first half, the opponent had momentum and was very focused, so we couldn't create a high starting point. We also couldn't get behind their defense. I knew that the momentum would drop a bit in the second half. We were able to hold the ball, but due to the opponent's substitutions and the fact that they had many players in front of the goal, we couldn't break through. We were able to create a starting point on the sides more than in the first half, but if we had better ideas and more accurate choices between shooting and passing when the opponent had many players in the center, we could have created more decisive moments. There's no point in dwelling on today's match, so I want to apply what we've learned to the next game. I want to focus on the next match while instilling a broader vision to effectively use our numerical advantage as a team."

　[Summary of the press conference by Tosu's coach YOON Jong Hwan] "First of all, I didn't expect so many people to come to the stadium today to welcome the top team, FC Tokyo, but I think we played a very good game. I told the players to avoid conceding goals today and sent them out for the game. Although we couldn't win in the end, I believe we should be satisfied with earning one point, and I think it's wonderful that the players fought hard without losing focus until the very end, even in tough conditions."

Solid Defence Dominates In Scoreless Draw

Tokyo enjoyed more of the ball in the second half as Tosu began to play deeper. Yazawa, Lucas and Kajiyama linked up, forcing the home side onto the defensive. Tosu defended systematically, denying Tokyo any clear-cut openings. In the 55th.minute Tokyo broke, Kajiyama finding Mukuhara on the left. Mukuhara raced forward and shot but his effort sailed over the crossbar. Ishikawa replaced Tanabe in the 56th.minute. Morishige began to venture forward in support of the attack as Tokyo created an increasing number of chances. 
In the 63rd.minute Morishige pushed up, received the ball and switched play out to the right, where Ishikawa launched a cross into the Tosu area. The ball struck a defender, altering its course; Kajiyama flung himself at the ball as it slid across the turf but narrowly failed to make contact. Roberto Cesar entered the fray for Hanyu in the 72nd.minute as Tokyo sought to make use of his speed to create a goal. Tokyo burst forward in the 86th.minute, Lucas shifting the ball inside to Cesar and continuing his run. Cesar took the ball forward, then measured a pass back inside to Lucas. Lucas shot but directed his effort wide of the post.
Yazawa made way for Nagasato as Tokyo continued to storm forward. The game entered additional time with Tosu almost entirely camped in defence, hacking away a stream of corners and free kicks into the box. The final whistle blew on a 0-0 draw. Tokyo had successfully neutralized Tosu's attacking threat but, in turn, had been frustrated by the home side's massed defence. 


Players' comments 
Kajiyama 
"We were receiving the ball at a standing start quite a lot, particularly in the first half, which showed a lack of punch in the attack. The opposition workrate slackened in the second half allowing our sidebacks freedom to push forward and a couple of times we outnumbered them on the flanks but couldn't make anything of it. We certainly didn't lose in terms of workrate, though. We want to be able to find ways of breaking the deadlock in games like these. Looking ahead, we want to take all three points in the next match, which will give some meaning to the point we got today, I think." 

Mukuhara
"Tosu pressed very hard from the off but we felt that they wouldn't be able to keep it up. Sure enough, the pressure slackened in the second half allowing us to control the possession. Although we had wanted to win, keeping another clean sheet will stand us in good stead for the next game. They rarely put us under any real pressure, only once and that came from my own poor pass, and we created plenty in attack. Not being able to find a way through their defence remains an issue but the performance today wasn't bad at all. A point was the minimum required and now we get to go back home again.
What about the clean sheet record? We're not finished yet! We don't want to let in even one goal".


FC Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma
"Our opponents played with a lot of energy and concentration in the first half. We couldn't put moves together high up the field or get in behind their defence. We knew they would lose some of that momentum in the second half. We enjoyed a lot more of the ball in the second half but couldn't open them up. Although we created more down the flanks we needed more ideas and better decision-making to create better chances. It can't be helped that today's game was a stalemate and we aim to make the best of the next match. We need to organize ourselves so that we can take advantage of situations where we have numerical superiority and maintain our concentration in the next game."

Sagan Tosu manager Jong
"First of all I'd like to say I didn't expect so many people to attend the game today and it was a good game for them to watch. We sent the team out telling them to avoid conceding. Although we couldn't get the win we must be satisfied with the point we earned. The way the players kept their concentration and fought to the bitter end was magnificent, I felt".