The final home game, which will be celebrated with a victory, will mark the championship.

　League Sec. 37 is held. Facing JEF United Chiba in the final home game. With the victory in the previous round against Tottori, securing a spot in the top 3 was confirmed. At the same time, the result of the other matches the next day would determine the winner. In order to grasp the "feeling" of winning, we want to end today with a victory. Not only to avenge the away game, but also to maintain our undefeated record at Ajinomoto this season, we must continue to grow with each game and approach the victory with a strong mindset. However, Kajiyama, who injured his left calf, will be absent to take care of himself. As a result, Hayabusa will be used as a defensive midfielder. Taniyama will enter as a FW, and Tanabe and Ishikawa, who were absent in the previous round, will play on the sides. On the other hand, Chiba is currently in 7th place with 55 points. The possibility of finishing in the top 3 is already gone, and this round can be considered a match to fulfill. However, in the Emperor's Cup, they defeated J1 Iwata and advanced to the 4th round. Also, today, FW Oroy and DF Mark Milligan will be suspended. While MF Sato Isamu will be absent, the motivation of the fresh members seems to be high. The lineup will consist of DF Takeuchi and Aoki as center backs, DF Chano as left back, and DF Watanabe as right back. In the midfield, MF Fangesel will be the anchor, with MF Yamaguchi and Murai in front of him. FW Kubo will be at the forefront, with MF Yonekura and FW Fukai on both sides, in a unique 4-3-3 formation. In particular, we must be careful of the sharp counterattacks from the second row, starting with FW Kubo. In order to take care of that, we need to be careful about our balance and how we lose the ball while attacking, but we want to take the initiative. We want to win with the soccer we have built up. As the night falls and Ajinomoto gets colder, the match started at 5:34 pm with Chiba's kickoff.

Tokyo Aim To End Season In Style

Jef United Chiba were the visitors to Ajinomoto Stadium for the 37th game of the year. Following the victory over Tottori that confirmed Tokyo's promotion on the previous Saturday, other results conspired to crown the club as J2 champions on Sunday afternoon. With the title in the bag, the team was determined to finish the season unbeaten at Ajinomoto Stadium with a win and gain revenge for a defeat in Chiba earlier in the campaign.
Kajiyama had suffered a calf injury and was rested, with Hanyu taking his place in central midfield. Yazawa played in a striking role with Tanabe and the returning Ishikawa on the flanks.
Chiba were in 7th place with 55 points at kick off. Despite all hopes of promotion being extinguished, the match was far from a dead rubber as the team had kept its season alive with a victory over J1 Jubilo Iwata to earn a place in the 4th round of the Emperor's Cup. Regulars Aaroy and Mulligan were suspended, while Yuto Sato started on the bench, allowing squad members a chance to stake a claim for a place in the first team. Takeuchi partnered Aoki in central defence with Chano on the left and Watanabe on the right of a back four protected by defensive midfielder Van Gessel. Yamaguchi and Murai filled out the midfield with Yonekura, Kubo, and Fukai in attack in a 4-3-3 formation.
Forward Kubo, with his sharp bursts from midfield on the counter attack, was the danger man for the Tokyo defence to guard against. Maintaining team balance and not losing the ball when pushing forward would be vital for the home side, who also needed to seize the initiative and dominate a game that was an opportunity to demonstrate the qualities developed over the course of the year.
Evening brought a chill to the stadium as Chiba kicked off shortly after 5:30pm.

Unable to break through Chiba's defensive block, it was a tough game...

　The first half was a battle for possession. Chiba started with a tough press, but Tokyo calmly responded without panicking. They tried to find their rhythm and Chiba gradually solidified their defensive block, forming a compact formation. There were times when Chiba dominated, but both teams had strong defenses and did not allow each other much freedom. In the 19th minute, Tokyo had a chance when Tanabe received a quick restart from a free kick by Tanihara, with the combination of Hayashi, Lucas, and Tanihara. However, Tanabe's trap was slightly off and he couldn't take the shot. In the 22nd minute, Tanihara tried to drop back and connect passes, but was intercepted and Chiba launched a counter attack. MF Murai's dribble couldn't be stopped and he took a powerful shot, but Shioda made a save and it resulted in a corner kick. In the 28th minute, Chiba's counter attack led to a pass to FW Fukai, who dribbled into the left area, but Morishige quickly covered and the shot went wide. After that, Tokyo continued to withstand Chiba's strong attacks and focused on their own attacks, mainly through Hayashi and the fullbacks. However, there were moments when their coordination in the front line was off and they made mistakes, and they were unable to break through Chiba's block. The first half ended scoreless.

Defence Dominates In Tight First Half

The game began with possession changing hands rapidly. Chiba pressed hard from the front but Tokyo refused to panic and attempted to build a rhythm. As the game progressed the visitors gradually tightened their block defence, maintaining a compact formation. Although Chiba did enjoy some periods of possession defence dominated in a chance-free opening quarter.
In the 19th minute, Yazawa, Lucas and Hanyu combined to set up Tanabe from a quickly-taken free kick but the young midfielder's first touch was heavy and the shooting opportunity was squandered. Yazawa lost possession in the 22nd minute allowing Chiba to launch a rapid counter attack. Murai dribbled forward and unleashed a fierce low drive that Shiota tipped around the post at full stretch. Chiba threatened again on the counter in the 28th minute as forward Fukai took the ball inside the Tokyo area on the left. Morishige was smartly across to cover and forced Fukai to snatch at his shot which sailed well wide.
A gritty and spirited Chiba side continued to threaten with their speed on the break and although Tokyo responded through the fullbacks and Hanyu the attack stuttered and failed to penetrate the solid Chiba defence. The first half ended scoreless.

Lucas scores a goal at his home turf! Taking the lead, undefeated at Ajinomoto!!

　In the second half, we continued to create big chances from the start. In the 47th minute, Tokunaga's cross was dropped by Hayashi and Ishikawa took a shot. In the 48th minute, Hayashi on the right side made a perfect pass to Tanabe who ran freely into the left area. We created decisive chances, but were unable to convert them. In the 57th minute, Hayashi, who had intercepted Takahashi's pass, took a shot from the center, but it went left.

　Roberto CESAR came in for Tanabe just after that, in the 57th minute. In the 61st minute, Cesar broke through the area after receiving a pass from Hayu on the front line, but the shot lacked power... and was blocked by the GK. In the 65th minute, Takahashi intercepted a clearance from Chiba's right back and took a shot. It flew just barely to the upper right, and it seemed like it was blocked by the opposing GK's hand... but it ended up being a goal kick for Chiba.

　Chiba continued to push but couldn't score, and in the 75th minute, Chiba's MF Yamaguchi received his second warning and was sent off. With the numerical advantage, Tokyo completely dominated the ball. In the 77th minute, Morishige → Haruue in front of the area dribbled to create space, and passed to Cesar in the center. Cesar then sent a final pass to Lucas, who skillfully controlled the ball and broke through the defense to score a goal from the front of the goal!

　Lucas scored again at his favorite Ajinomoto Stadium and Tokyo continued to pass the ball to aim for an additional goal. In the 78th minute, Yuya Tanizawa on the right side made a strong run from the left area and took a powerful shot, but it narrowly missed to the right. In the 86th minute, from Tokunaga, through the center Lucas, and then to Murohara... and wide, the ball was passed to Murohara's area, then to Lucas, and Mori Shige also got involved, and then back to the opposite side. They continued to pass the ball, Suzuki → and finally on the right corner of the area, Cesar → Uchida Hayao on the inside tried to return the ball, but couldn't finish it.

　Although we were unable to score a second goal, we did not give Chiba a chance to counterattack. In the first half, we struggled to break through Chiba's defense, but in the second half, we completely took control and ended our final home game with a victory. It should be noted that we did not lose a single game at Ajinomoto Stadium this season and finished undefeated.

　【Player Comments】《Imano》"It was a game that we absolutely couldn't afford to lose, with so many supporters coming to watch. We weren't able to play very well and the content wasn't great, but we've been able to start winning. Chiba is a strong team and I can feel us growing little by little. Most of all, it was great to be able to win and report it to the supporters. I'm truly grateful for the passionate support we receive from our fans, both at home and away."

　"Hanyu" "It wasn't at Ajinomoto that we decided to promote and win, so today we wanted to leave results at home. It was a play in the volante, but it was stable because I could turn the ball behind, so I was trying to go out in front. I am grateful to the supporters for this year. I wanted to play with that feeling, and I want to fight together again, including the Emperor's Cup."

　[Summary of Coach Oikuma's Press Conference] "In the first half, we couldn't break through the opponent's solid defense. However, we were confident that we wouldn't give up, including our physicality, so we were able to keep the score at zero without panicking. In the second half, we were able to play our own football as the opponent started to tire. However, in order to move up, we need to play the same kind of football in the first half and develop the strength, decision-making skills, and variety of options to threaten the opponent for the full 90 minutes."

　In J1, there is a high chance of conceding goals, and in the remaining matches, it will be a fierce battle against Sapporo, who are fired up. Can we play the game with more threats from the first half? The challenge is to find more passes and spaces towards the goal, and to be able to dribble and shoot. However, we can have confidence that we were able to play our own style of football to some extent.

　[Summary of Chiba and Kobe Coaches' Press Conference] "Congratulations to FC Tokyo for winning the championship and promotion. We were unable to achieve it this season, but we hope to become like that for next season. In the game, the balance of power between us and FC Tokyo inevitably leads to us having more defensive time. We expected the game to be a retreat from us and a battle to aim for a counterattack from there."

　In the first half, we were able to finish without giving up any points by compacting our defensive line. If I had to say, I think we could have created chances if we had been more aggressive in going after the ball and launching counters from closer to the goal. In the second half, we couldn't go up to the front line to steal the ball, or we made mistakes there and couldn't attack. We had no choice but to defend, and it was tough... that's the impression I got. We were down to 10 players and then immediately conceded a goal, so maybe we could have held on if we had 11 players... but I think the players fought their hardest with the current level of ability.

Home Boy Lucas Grabs The Winner As Tokyo Go Unbeaten In Ajinomoto Stadium

In contrast to the first half Tokyo carved out two excellent openings as the second period began. In the 47th.minute Tokunaga crossed, Hanyu knocked the ball down and Ishikawa shot. Less than a minute later Hanyu played in Tanabe on his left with a superbly-timed pass as Tokyo pushed forward at pace; both chances were clear-cut but neither were taken and the game proceeded at 0-0.
Takahashi intercepted the ball in midfield in the 57th.minute and Ishikawa moved it on to Hanyu who shot narrowly wide from outside the Chiba area. Moments later Roberto Cesar replaced Tanabe. A long ball over the top of the Chiba defence from Hanyu in the 61st.minute allowed Cesar to show his pace and sprint clear of the visitors' backline; with only Okamoto to beat Cesar's attempt to place the ball beyond the onrushing keeper lacked power and was easily saved. In the 65th.minute Takahashi swung a boot at a headed clearance some 25 metres from goal; the shot seemed desultory at first until it appeared to be arrowing towards the far top corner, forcing Okamoto to backpedal rapidly and seemingly tip it over the bar. The officials awarded a goal kick to Chiba.
Tokyo continued to press without finding a way through. Their fortunes took a sudden upturn in the 75th.minute as Chiba midfielder Yamaguchi earned a second yellow card and was sent off. The home side ruthlessly exploited their advantage just two minutes later. Morishige picked out Hanyu just outside the Chiba area and the Tokyo midfielder held possession before laying the ball off to Cesar in a central position. Cesar rolled the ball forward to Lucas who then produced a sublime turn that left his marker for dead and the ball was in the back of the Chiba goal before Okamoto barely had chance to react.
Yet another goal at home from Lucas had broken the deadlock. Tokyo continued to control possession and pushed forward in search of a second goal. In the 78th.minute Yazawa found Cesar in a central position and the Brazilian took the ball on before blazing a shot narrowly wide of the post. As the clocked ticked down Tokyo enjoyed almost unbroken possession, moving the ball around fluidly and probing for openings in the harried Chiba defence. A second goal failed to materialise however, and the final whistle blew on a 1-0 win. The Chiba defence had frustrated Tokyo in the first half but the second period had seen near total domination by the home side. The result meant that Tokyo had gone an entire season unbeaten at Ajinomoto Stadium.


Players' comments
Konno
"With so many of our fans coming today it was a game we absolutely didn't want to lose. We didn't play much good football and it wasn't a great performance but we're winning games like these now. Chiba are a decent team so it feels like we're making progress little by little. Home and away our fans are fantastic and we're really grateful".

Hanyu
"We won promotion away and the league was also decided away from here so we really wanted to win today. I was playing in MF and since we were moving the ball around at the back fairly comfortably I tried to get forward as well. I'd like to thank the fans for their support over the year. Their spirit helps my game and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season with their support".


FC Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma
"We couldn't make much headway against their defence in the first half. But we thought that if we could keep them out then we'd be fine since we wouldn't let our work rate drop. Then in the second half they lost their shape and we were able to play our own game. However, to improve from now on we have to be able to play the way we did in the second half for the full 90 minutes, in terms of carrying a threat, the variety of our play and our decision-making. In J1 the likelihood of conceding is high and our remaining games this year, against a Sapporo team fighting for promotion and in the Emperor's Cup, should be similar matches. Somehow or other we'll have to carry more of a threat in the first half. Passing the ball more facing the opposition goal, finding space, dribbling and shooting are all issues for us to address but we have confidence and we were able to play our way to some extent".

Jef United Chiba manager Kambe
"Congratulations to everyone at FC Tokyo on winning the Championship and gaining promotion. We were not able to make our dreams come true this season but we hope to be in that position next year. Regarding the game, we seemed to spend a lot of time defending. We had expected that we would be playing deeply and hitting on the counter attack. In the first half, we kept a compact defensive line but failed to conjure a goal. If we could have been a little more positive from the front and won the ball nearer their goal, then maybe we could have created more chances. In the second half, we could not get up to win the ball as far forward as in the first, the mistakes appeared and we struggled to attack. There was nothing we could do but defend and it was hard going. We went down to ten men and then they scored almost immediately; if we had all 11 on the field, then maybe we could have hung on for a draw, who knows. The players gave everything they could during the game, I think".