The Tokyo Derby that cannot be lost, let's win the last of the five consecutive matches!

　League Sec. 33, the match against Verdy was held. It was a derby played as a home game. In the previous match, a painful defeat was suffered after conceding a late turnaround. Also, only 1 point was gained in the last two matches. This match comes after three days of rest, and Coach Okuma said, "Although it is the match immediately after the defeat and the last game of a five-match stretch, I want this to be the start of the next six games," renewing his determination to face the capital showdown with a unified attack and defense.Verdy, on the other hand, currently sits 6th with 48 points. They had a big win against Tochigi in the previous match. They still have a chance for promotion and are highly motivated. They boast the league's top total of 61 goals so far. Among them, FW Maki, who joined mid-season, has settled in well. At the same time, FW Abe and midfielders Kikuoka and Kono on both sides have mobility, with players capable of coordinated attacks and individual breakthroughs.In response, Coach Okuma said, "If we don't maintain a compact formation, we can't take the ball from Verdy," so Tokyo will counter with all-out defense. Of course, overall stamina is necessary, but the midfield, forward line, and defensive line must work as one to win the ball with coordinated defense. By doing so, if they can seize the initiative and excel in second-ball battles and quick transitions, they should create chances to disrupt the opponent's balance.Verdy scored three goals from set plays in the previous match and seems to have momentum, but it is also true that in the last four matches they have had ups and downs with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. To prevent them from gaining momentum, Tokyo aims to calmly read the flow of the game to find a chance to win. The weather was calm and clear, and Ajinomoto was dyed red and blue by 35,911 spectators. The match kicked off at 13:04 with Verdy starting.

Tokyo Derby Marks End Of Demanding Programme

FC Tokyo hosted Tokyo Verdy at Ajinomoto Stadium in the 33rd game of the season. In their previous outing Tokyo had conceded a late goal in a painful defeat to Oita, leaving the side with only a single point from the last two games. Manager Kiyoshi Okuma commented, "Today's match comes straight after that defeat, it's the final one of this tough stretch and we want to set ourselves up for the six games that start now. We want to play with a sense of unity in both attack and defence."
Opponents Verdy sat in 6th place with 48 points at kick off. Coming off a 4-2 away win over Tochigi in the previous round and still harbouring hopes of promotion themselves, the side was expected to provide fierce competition. Verdy boasted the top-scoring attack in the league with 61 goals and had been further strengthened by the arrival of forward Maki, who had quickly fitted into the team. Forward Abe together with wide midfielders Kikuoka and Kawano possessed both speed and mobility, equally capable of combining or going it alone in attack.
To counter that threat manager Okuma recognized the need to, "Keep a compact shape or we won't be able to get the ball off Verdy." The manager stressed the importance of the team defending as a whole and the need for co-operation to win the ball. Seizing the initiative and winning the second balls, then quickly turning defence into attack to stretch the Verdy defence would be the key.
A bumper crowd of 35,911 flocked to Ajinomoto Stadium on a cool autumn afternoon, turning the stands into a sea of blue and red. Verdy kicked off shortly after 1pm.

Taking advantage of the opponent's weaknesses with a tenacious fight, Lucas scores the opening goal!

　From the start, Verdy applied intense pressing and tried to launch aggressive and powerful attacks. In response, Tokyo kept their formation compact and dealt with it firmly. They did not allow shots on goal and instead launched quick counterattacks. They simply sent the ball forward and tried to create chances with Lucas as the focal point. In the 8th minute, the whole team pushed up, and Morishige aimed a long pass behind the opposing DF from the right side. The ball was perfectly delivered to Lucas, who skillfully evaded the defender. Lucas swung his head to strike, but the ball went just slightly wide to the left. After this, there was a period without any decisive chances, and there were moments when Verdy launched counters. However, Tokyo fought tenaciously in this balanced game and gradually succeeded in gaining control. The number of occasions to advance centered around Hanyu increased. In the 34th minute, Tanabe cut inside the opposing DF on the right front and took a shot, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 38th minute, they earned a free kick just outside the left area, and from Yanazawa’s kick, Morishige attempted an overhead-style shot but only managed to earn a corner kick. At the 45th minute, they circulated passes to look for a chance, and Kajiyama sent a vertical pass to Lucas. Although it was not connected, they recovered the second ball again, and Yanazawa in the center was fouled and brought down. Yanazawa quickly restarted the free kick, passed to Tanabe on the left, who sent a cross in front of the goal. Lucas broke through between the opposing defenders and made a high-headed shot! The ball deflected off the opposing goalkeeper’s hand and went in, cleverly exploiting the opponent’s gap to score the opening goal just before halftime. In stoppage time of the first half, Verdy MF Kikuoka’s direct free kick hit the crossbar, creating a dangerous moment, but Tokyo did not concede and went into the second half leading by one goal.

Tokyo Grab Late Lead In Intense First Half

The game began at a furious tempo, with the visitors showing force and dynamism in the early exchanges. Tokyo maintained a compact shape and successfully denied Verdy any attempts on goal. The home side kept it simple in attack, winning the ball and then quickly moving it forward to Lucas. In the 8th minute Tokyo pushed forward, Morishige battled hard to get behind a defender on the right and curled a pin-point cross to Lucas near the penalty spot. Lucas met the ball with a firm header that sailed narrowly wide of the far post.
Following that effort clear-cut chances were few and far between, while Verdy threatened occasionally on the counter attack. The bruising struggle to gain the upper hand continued, and as the half wore on it was Tokyo that slowly began to assert themselves. Hanyu became increasingly influential, repeatedly carrying the ball forward into dangerous areas. In the 34th minute Tanabe cut inside from the right, dribbled forward and shot while Morishige's attempted overhead kick from a Yazawa free kick in the 38th minute clipped a defender and went behind for a corner.
The game had entered the final minute of the first half when Kajiyama played a pass straight up the field to Lucas. The Brazilian striker was unable to pick out a teammate but pounced on the loose ball to regain possession, then found Yazawa in a central position. Yazawa was fouled, then showed acute awareness to pick himself up and take a quick free kick, moving the ball out to Tanabe on the right wing.
Tanabe curled a superb cross into the penalty area where Lucas outjumped a defender and directed a header at full stretch towards the top corner of the goal. Shibasaki managed to make contact with the ball but was unable to prevent it hitting the back of the net. Tokyo had exploited the slightest chink in the Verdy defensive armour to take a well-timed lead.
As the game moved into additional time Tokyo were saved by the woodwork as Verdy midfielder Kikuoka crashed a free kick against the bar. That was the final action of the half; the teams left the field with Tokyo 1-0 ahead.

Allowed an equalizer from a set piece... Unable to secure a win in a fierce game, resulting in a draw

　In the second half, Verdy brought in midfielder Kono, who has speed and sharp dribbling. However, in the 47th minute, Tanabe broke free in front of the goal after a one-two with Tanizawa and took a shot, but it lacked power, missing a great opportunity for an additional goal. In the 53rd minute, Hanyu and Kajiyama utilized their strength to win the ball in the opponent's half. Hanyu broke through into the area, but Verdy's defense was fierce, and they managed to hold their ground.

　Verdy brought in forward Maranhon in the 57th minute, increasing their momentum in the front line. After the 60th minute, they allowed a breakthrough on the right front, leading to a series of corner kicks. Then, in the 61st minute, Verdy's midfielder Kono took a low right corner kick, and defenders Tsuchiya and Morishige jumped in at the near post to contest it. The ball grazed Morishige's foot, changing its course and going over the near post... They were equalized by an own goal from a set piece...

　In an attempt to take the lead, Ishikawa was brought on for Tanabe in the 65th minute. Verdy did not give up and fiercely contested possession, leading to a series of counterattacks. In the 67th minute, the ball was quickly moved forward, and Hayu at the near post connected with a cross from Mukuara with a back header, but the GK caught it. In the 71st minute, Ishikawa connected with Hayu from a short corner on the right, and it seemed the cross hit a Verdy player's hand, but it was awarded another corner. Takahashi headed this corner, and Konno rushed in on the spilled ball at the far post, but was thwarted by a save from the GK at close range, missing the chance.

　In the 78th minute, Sakata was substituted for Hanyu, and in the 87th minute, Roberto CESAR was brought on for Lucas. Immediately after, CESAR utilized his speed to make a move from the right side, creating a moment of pause before delivering a perfect pass to Ishikawa in the left area. However, the decisive shot was thwarted by a save from the goalkeeper. Both teams continued to challenge each other until the end, and in stoppage time, warnings were issued to both sides, with Takahashi, Sakata, and Kajiyama receiving yellow cards in a heated exchange. Ultimately, neither team was able to shake the net, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw. The derby, fought with pride and fighting spirit, concluded in a stalemate.

　[Player Comments] {Konno} "In order to promote, especially in the derby, I wanted to secure all three points. I'm very disappointed. (There have been no wins in the last three matches, is there a sense of urgency?) I don't think we should just label it as urgency. It means that our team strength is still lacking. We need to focus on that. However, without thinking about the future, we are seeking to improve our performance one match at a time, while only thinking about winning. I believe that if we can win with good performance, promotion will naturally follow."

　Ishikawa: "In the second half, I was warming up without watching the match. I tried to focus on my own play in a good way, but... Ultimately, it feels like I was either able or unable to make plays that changed the rhythm and flow, leaving a sense of frustration. Regardless of the playing time, I must produce results within the opportunities given to me. I want to learn from the regret of not winning and fight for the next match."

　[Summary of Coach Okuma's Press Conference] "In the first half, we were somewhat overwhelmed by Verdy's momentum, but from the time of the opening goal, we gradually created a rhythm and were able to attack. The flow in the second half wasn't bad either, but we were caught off guard by a set piece. It's not about what we did... but the opponent gained confidence after equalizing. We were able to regain momentum with substitutions, but we still missed several chances. However, I think we did reasonably well in aiming for goals while taking care of counterattacks. If we could have been a bit calmer and had the substitutes exploit the flanks, I believe our attacking depth and effectiveness would have increased significantly."

　[Summary of Verdy Coach Kawakatsu's Press Conference] "Since it's Verdy, the players' motivation was sufficient. We considered Tokyo's movement off the ball by players like Hanyu to be troublesome, so we set up in a 4-1-4-1 formation with the sides dropping back slightly. In the first half, we achieved our aim of winning the ball, but our mindset got ahead of us a bit, and we couldn't move the ball as usual, resulting in more dribbling starts. Our play lacked composure in attack. In the second half, we were able to move the ball a little more. We wanted to change the flow with another gear shift towards the end, but we had no attacking substitutions available. MF Kikuoka and MF Takahashi were substituted due to injuries. MF Kawano was medically advised to play only about 30 to 45 minutes, so we had to manage with the current members. Therefore, intentional substitutions were almost impossible. The players endured well under pressure, and I wanted to help them win. It's frustrating. However, the possibility of promotion still exists, so we want to prepare to fight the remaining five matches with motivation like today."

Tokyo Concede From Set Play

Verdy sent on speedy, dribbling midfielder Kawano for the second half. However, it was Tokyo that created the best chance of the second period. Yazawa played a defence-splitting through ball that Tanabe ran onto with perfect timing, leaving the young midfielder clear of the Verdy defence with only Shibasaki to beat. Tanabe snatched at his shot though, a weak effort that Shibasaki comfortably saved low to his left. Hanyu and Kajiyama combined to wrestle the ball away from a Verdy player in the 53rd minute, the former then racing forward and into the visitors' penalty area. The Verdy defence was able to regroup and crowd Hanyu out before he could inflict any damage.
Verdy introduced striker Maranhao in the 57th minute, adding further strength to their attack. The visitors increased their pressure on the Tokyo goal, winning consecutive corners in the 60th minute. In the 61st minute midfielder Kawano drove a low corner to the near post, where Morishige and Verdy defender Tsuchiya fought hard to reach the ball first. The ball clipped Morishige's boot and deflected past Gonda, squeezing narrowly inside the post. Tokyo had conceded an own goal from a set play and the match was all square again.
Tokyo replaced Tanabe with Ishikawa in the 65th minute. Emboldened by their goal Verdy continued to threaten and the game evolved into a tempestuous, counter-attacking affair. In the 67th minute Mukuhara drove a cross into the Verdy area and Hanyu back-headed the ball towards the far corner, an unexpected effort that nearly caught Shibasaki out of position. Ishikawa cracked a shot from a right-wing corner in the 71st minute, the ball reaching Hanyu who again crossed into the danger area; Hanyu's effort seemed to strike the arm of a Verdy player but the referee waved away appeals for a penalty and awarded a corner instead. Takahashi outjumped the Verdy defence and directed the ball to the far post, where it fell kindly for Konno whose run around the back of the Verdy defence had gone unnoticed. Konno smashed the ball hard and low but Shibasaki flung himself to block the danger at point-blank range.
Tokyo replaced Hanyu with Sakata in the 78th minute and Lucas with Roberto Cesar in the 87th. Moments later Cesar raced away down the left and drove a perfect ball across the Verdy area to Ishikawa on the right; it was a golden opportunity to grab a late winner but Shibasaki produced a fine save to deny Ishikawa. Neither side was prepared to give an inch and as the 90 minute mark approached the intensity ratcheted up even further, with a plethora of yellow cards being handed out. The fighting spirit and gritty obstinacy continued to the very end, with the final whistle blowing on a hard-fought 1-1 draw.


Players' comments 
Konno 
"For our promotion prospects and to say nothing of it being the derby, we had wanted to win so it's very disappointing. 
With no wins in three are we getting impatient? We have to forget about the word 'impatience', I think. We're still lacking in overall team strength. That's what we have to focus on. We're not thinking about what lies in the future, just concentrating on the performance in each game as it comes and trying to take the points at the same time. If we can play well and win games then promotion will come, I think". 

Ishikawa
"I didn't watch the second half as I was warming up. I was wanting to concentrate on my own play. I'm not really sure if I was able to contribute to the result or to changing the flow of the game. Regardless of when I get on the field I have to take the chances that come to get the result. We have to reflect on not winning today while we look ahead to the next game".


FC Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma
"We were pushed back by Verdy in the first half but after taking the lead we found a rhythm and were able to create in attack. We didn't play badly at all in the second half but then conceded from a set play. It wasn't so much about what we were doing as the mental strength the equaliser gave to the opposition. We made various changes to regain the momentum but weren't able to put away the chances we created. However, I felt we were sufficiently careful about leaving ourselves open to the counter attack while we were pushing forward to find another goal. If we could be a little more composed and the substitutes could find more space down the flanks then we will be able to attack more fully and in greater numbers."

Tokyo Verdy manager Kawakatsu 
"The players were highly motivated today. We were concerned about the off-the-ball movement of Hanyu and the others so we went with a 4-1-4-1 formation, and withdrew the two wide midfielders slightly. In the first half things were going pretty much according to plan until we won the ball, when we tended to get a little ahead of ourselves and didn't play the ball around as much as usual, starting more moves with a dribble instead. We needed a little more composure in attack, I felt. We enjoyed less of the ball in the second half. As the game wore on we had wanted to change up a gear but couldn't as we were forced to take off Kikuoka and Takahashi because of injuries. The medical staff told us that Kawano was fit for only 30 to 45 minutes so we had no choice but to go with the players we had available. We couldn't make any tactical substitutions. We played very well today so it's disappointing that we couldn't win. We still have a chance of promotion though so we'll give it everything we have in the remaining games to show the kind of motivation we displayed today."