Final chapter of J2! A match we want to conclude with a victory built on the soccer we've developed so far.

　The final match of the league will be an away game against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo. In the previous match against Chiba, we struggled to break down the opponent's defense, but made adjustments in the second half. With Lucas's skillful goal, we secured a victory and achieved four consecutive wins. This match is crucial for Sapporo as it is tied to their promotion. We will face the excitement and tension of an away game, and we aim to prove our strength as the championship team and reach 80 points. Additionally, we want to conclude the season with a strong performance to build confidence for the upcoming Emperor's Cup and next season. On the other hand, Sapporo is currently in 3rd place. They have the same points as 4th place Tokushima with 65 points, but they exceed them in goal difference by 2. They have been known for their resilient defense, which has allowed them to find their rhythm, and their speedy attacks starting from a lone striker. In this match, they will include the well-known FW Kondo as that lone striker, supported by MF Uchimura in the second line, and MF Furuta and Sunakawa on the sides. They will create chances from this coordination and will fight until the end without giving up. Tokyo welcomes Gonda back from U-22 Japan national team activities, returning to the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Kajiyama will sit out to take care of his foot condition. Hanyu will continue to be used as a defensive midfielder from the previous match. Additionally, Sakata will be positioned as an attacking midfielder. Coach Okuma stated, "Sapporo's strategy will change depending on Tokushima's match situation, making it difficult to fight against them. For us, this is a good opportunity to see if we can fight without losing the essence of our team. We want to increase our concentration and pull in the results." Moreover, the venue has a unique dome atmosphere, making it hard to hear instructions from the bench. Therefore, "the players themselves must communicate and fight with a clear objective as a team (Coach Okuma)." The adaptability and concentration will truly be tested in this last game of J2. To secure victory, we need our usual calmness and a fighting spirit that surpasses our opponent. The match will kick off at 12:32 with Sapporo's kickoff at Sapporo Dome.

Tokyo Aim To End Season With Flourish

Sapporo was the destination for the 38th and final game of the 2011 season. Tokyo had struggled to prise open a deeply defensive Chiba side in the first half of their previous outing, but an improved second half performance, capped by a supremely skillful Lucas winner, had seen the team earn a fourth straight win. Sapporo would provide a different kind of test of the champions' credentials as the home side was still in the running for promotion, and the expected bumper crowd and tense atmosphere would challenge Tokyo's attempt to reach 80 points for the season. With the Emperor's Cup on the horizon and with thoughts moving ahead to next year, a confidence-enhancing win and a performance to highlight the progress made over the course of the long season was called for.
Sapporo lay in 3rd place at kick-off on 65 points, level with 4th place Tokushima, but ahead by virtue of having a better goal difference. The side was noted for building a rhythm from its stubborn defense, playing a single striker system and breaking forward at great pace. Former Tokyo man Kondo filled the lone striker position, supported by midfielder Uchimura and wide men Furuta and Sunakawa. The interplay between those four was seen as carrying the greatest threat, together with the side's motivation given the nature of the match.
Gonda returned unscathed from duty with the Japan Olympic Team to reclaim his position in goal. Kajiyama was rested again owing to a leg injury, meaning that Hanyu continued in a defensive midfield role, while Sakata earned a place in the starting eleven in support of Lucas. Tokyo manager Okuma commented, "Depending on the situation in Tokushima's game, Sapporo may well have to alter their tactics and this could make things more difficult for us. We'll have to show our true quality and the game will provide a good test for the future. We want to increase our concentration and grind out a win."
The acoustics peculiar to domed stadiums meant that instructions from the bench would be largely inaudible to the players on the field, increasing the need for mutual understanding and a clear grasp of the strategy. To overcome a serious challenge in their final J2 game, Tokyo would need to remain composed while exceeding their opponents in every area of the game. Sapporo kicked off shortly after 12:30 pm.

Two goals conceded from counterattacks... Trailing as we head into halftime

　From the start, Sapporo applied tight defense to steal the ball from Tokyo and launched quick counterattacks. However, Tokyo responded calmly. Even when they managed to evade the press and advance the ball, they struggled to create clear chances against Sapporo's concentrated defense. In the 19th minute, Tanizawa persistently stole a loose ball in the opponent's half and made a through pass into the left area. Tanabe brought it forward and crossed to the far post, where Takahashi slid in but just missed… In the 25th minute, there was good coordination up front, with Lucas on the left side passing to Tanizawa in the center. Hanyu, with his wide vision, distributed the ball to the right, and Tokunaga advanced into the area with a dribble. He aimed for the goal but was blocked by the opposing defense. In the 28th minute, a big switch from Takahashi found Tanabe on the left side. He boldly dribbled and earned a left corner kick, but the chance did not continue. The game gradually became more intense with frequent changes in attack and defense, but until now, Sapporo had been well managing Tokyo's counterattacks. However, in the 40th minute, Tokyo penetrated deep into Sapporo's right side and delivered a last pass in front of the goal. Then, Sapporo's midfielder Uemura was slid into from the far side, resulting in a conceded goal… This further boosted Sapporo's momentum. In stoppage time of the first half, Kondo broke free on Sapporo's right front line, and Uemura executed a precise one-touch shot from a central pass into the bottom right of the goal. They ended the first half with a two-goal lead.

Tokyo Stung On The Counter Attack

Sapporo began with grim determination in defence, regaining possession and looking to counter at high speed. Tokyo remained calm but on the occasions when they were able to bring the ball forward the home defence proved a formidable barrier and clear openings were scant and far between. In the 19th minute Yazawa battled hard to win a loose ball inside the Sapporo half, then rolled a pass down the left channel for Tanabe to chase into the penalty area. Tanabe took the ball on and drove a low centre across the goal that evaded Takahashi's slide at the far post by the narrowest of margins.
In the 25th minute the Tokyo frontline combined neatly as Lucas slipped the ball inside from the left channel, Yazawa dummied and Hanyu stroked it into Tokunaga's path as the right back stormed forward. Tokunaga let fly with a fierce drive that a defender blocked away. A sweeping crossfield ball from Takahashi found Tanabe on the left in the 28th minute; Tanabe took on a defender and crossed, the ball being cleared out for a corner. The chance came to nothing and Tokyo struggled to create further openings. Despite the gradually intensifying end to end nature of the game Tokyo coped manfully with Sapporo's attempts to counter attack.
Then, in the 40th minute, Sapporo broke down the Tokyo right, took the ball almost to the byline and crossed. Midfielder Uchimura slid in at the far post to force the ball over the line and Tokyo found themselves behind. The goal emboldened the home side who continued to pour forward and grabbed a second on the stroke of halftime as Kondo darted through the Tokyo defence before picking out Uchimura in a central position. Uchimura controlled the ball deftly before dispatching it into the right corner with a neat finish. Tokyo entered the break two goals down.

Taniyama scored a goal to respond, but we couldn't secure an additional point and the match ended.

　In the second half, Roberto CESAR came on for Sakata, and Ishikawa replaced Tanabe. They adopted an attacking formation. While connecting passes, they launched a speedy attack starting from the sides. In the 65th minute, from Mukuahara's cross → Lucas in the center connected with Hayabusa to switch sides, and Tokunaga, who advanced on the right, took a powerful shot, but it went straight to the GK. In the aftermath, CESAR, in the right area, seized the ball and attempted to shoot after a dribble breakthrough, but the shot lacked power... and went to the GK again.

　In the 68th minute, Tokunaga brought the ball in from the right and took another powerful shot from distance. However, it was cut off and resulted in a corner kick. On this right corner taken by Taniyama, Konno dropped it at the far post, and Morishige slid in, but Sapporo's resolute defense held firm... Immediately after that, Uezato came on for Takahashi. They aimed to score from set pieces and pushed forward.

　In the 80th minute, Morishige sent a perfectly aimed lob pass into the central area behind the opposing defender. At this moment, ZAGO made a brilliant run, trapped the floating ball, and took a shot, but it lacked power and was saved by the goalkeeper. However, Tanizawa, who ran in on the rebound, powerfully struck it into the right side of the net for a goal!! The score is now a one-point difference.

　They continued to threaten the Sapporo goal, but Sapporo remained focused. In stoppage time, Lucas hit the post, and Tanizawa took a shot just outside the area, but it went wide... Furthermore, from a free kick on the right side, Uesato sent the ball forward, and Morishige headed it, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. Despite their fierce attacks, they could not break through for a goal until the end. In the end, they managed to score one but could not secure a second goal against Sapporo's determination. The two goals conceded in the first half proved costly, and they could not finish the final match with a victory.

　[Player Comments]《Taniyama》 "I expected Sapporo.D to come at us from the front, but they didn't come at us that aggressively. They were quick vertically, but we faced a few counters and felt we could capitalize on our chances. At halftime, we aimed to attack by using both sides widely. The ball seemed to stop easily, and in the second half, there were many moments where we used the space behind the opponent, but I think we should have created those scenes from the first half. The league is over, but in the Emperor's Cup, I want to play matches where we can see if we can compete strongly even in J1."

　"Kono" "I wanted to win and didn't want to concede... It was a complete defeat. Although it seemed like we were attacking, we struggled to get to the shots, which was tough. In the second half, we aimed for the goal using the sides and managed to score one point, but the opponent stayed focused for the full 90 minutes, and I think it was Sapporo's game throughout. I want to reflect on what needs to be reflected upon and make corrections for the Emperor's Cup. I want to reset and switch gears. (What are your thoughts on your former club's promotion?) The supporters who have cheered for me were probably here to watch today. I want us to both do our best in J1."

　[Summary of Coach Okuma's Press Conference] "I don't think it's about the content. We conceded a goal because there was support from the opposing supporters and we had a gap in our hearts. There were wonderful plays from Sapporo, but we needed to have the concentration to counter that. A gap was created there. The top teams in J2 and J1 have the concentration to exploit those gaps. If we don't address that properly, we won't be able to accumulate victories. The past cannot be changed, so from now on, we have the Emperor's Cup, which connects to Asia, and I want to train ourselves to come together in a good way. (Were you able to conclude with your best football?) In this match, we were able to hold the initiative. However, the top teams in J2 and J1 have strong counterattacks. As a team, including myself, we must take care of that. From what I saw in the first half today, I felt that a reconsideration of the members, including my own determination and mentality, is necessary for the Emperor's Cup and J1."

　[Summary of Coach Nobu Ishizaki's Press Conference] "Before the match, I told the players, 'We must win and finish strong.' Depending on the results from Tokushima, just winning might not have been enough, but we were determined to win no matter what. I truly believe the players did their best. This season has had its ups and downs from the start, but I think the players have grown stronger by overcoming those challenges. (Did the pre-match instructions go well?) During yesterday's press conference, when asked, 'Which player should we be cautious of?' I mentioned player Tanizawa. I believed he was the key player for FC Tokyo. He scored one goal against us, but I think the other players did a good job responding to him without committing fouls. However, it is very frustrating to have been scored on by Tanizawa. I think this is what it means to repay kindness with malice (laughs)."

Yazawa Goal Insufficient As Fightback Falters

For the second half Tokyo replaced Sakata with Roberto Cesar and Tanabe with Ishikawa as they sought to bolster the attack. They continued to play the ball around but the emphasis shifted to the flanks where they attacked with pace. In the 65th minute Mukuhara crossed, Lucas and Hanyu combined to move the ball out to the right and Tokunaga, arriving at full speed, lashed a shot goalward. The attempt flew straight at Lee in the Sapporo goal but he was unable to cling on to the ball and Roberto Cesar pounced as it ran free. Cesar dribbled into a shooting position but his attempt lacked power and Lee claimed comfortably.
Tokunaga produced another driving run and ferocious shot in the 68th minute, the ball striking a defender and flying out for a corner. Yazawa floated the ball to the far post, Konno headed it back into the danger area and Morishige slid in but his attempt was blocked away by some solid Sapporo defence work. Uesato replaced Takahashi shortly after as Tokyo attempted to profit from set plays.
In the 80th minute Morishige floated a ball over the Sapporo defence and Cesar's run was perfectly timed to beat the offside trap. Cesar controlled the ball neatly and shot; despite the effort lacking real power Lee failed to hold the ball and Yazawa was on hand to smash it into the net and give Tokyo a way back into the game.
Although Tokyo continued to attack the home defence held firm. In additional time Lucas held the ball up and Yazawa shot narrowly wide from the edge of the area while Morishige headed Uesato's free kick straight at Lee. Despite Tokyo’s best efforts Sapporo managed to hang on until the final whistle and claim the win. Conceding two goals late in the first half had been Tokyo's undoing as the side failed to end the season with a fifth straight victory.


Players' comments
Yazawa
"We had expected Sapporo to press very hard from the front but they didn't press as hard as we thought they would. They played a lot of straight early balls, countered a few times and took their chances when they came. At half time we discussed using the wings and stretching the play more. It felt like it was easy to make the ball stop and in the second half we made much better use of the space behind their defence, something we should have done more in the first period. The league is over now but the Emperor's Cup is still to come and we'll be up for the challenge regardless of who we play."

Konno
"We had wanted to win and not concede any goals. It was a total loss. We seemed to attack a lot but didn't manage many attempts on goal. We aimed to use the wings more in the second half and pulled one back but overall Sapporo concentrated well and deserved to win, I felt. We'll reflect on where we went wrong and look to put things right for the upcoming Emperor's Cup game.
How do I feel about my former club gaining promotion? I imagine some fans who supported me came to the game today. I hope we can both do well in J1 next year".


FC Tokyo manager Okuma
"The performance was neither here nor there, I think. Our opponents were well supported by their fans, we had a chink in our armour and they exploited it. Although Sapporo played some excellent football we should have had the concentration to withstand them. That's where the openings came from. The top teams in J2 and in J1 have the concentration to take advantage of weak points. If you can't keep it tight then you aren't going to rack up the wins. We can't change the past and have the Emperor's Cup coming up soon so we'll be trying to forge ahead in training.
Did we play our best game today? Well, we seized the initiative again. However, the top teams in J2 and J1 have real force on the counter attack. The team and myself have to be more aware of that. Looking at the first half today I can't help but think we have to reconsider the line up for the Emperor's Cup and J1 next year."

Consadole Sapporo manager Ishizaki 
"Before the game we told the players we absolutely wanted to finish the year with a win and then sent them out onto the field. Depending on the Tokushima result just a win might not have been enough in itself, but anyhow we wanted to finish by winning. The lads played incredibly well, I think. Various things happened at the start of the year yet the players overcame the setbacks and have toughened up because of it. 
Did our gameplan work out? I was asked in the press conference yesterday about players we had to watch out for and my answer was Yazawa. I think he's the key player for Tokyo. He scored one but apart from that we managed to stop him without resorting to fouling him. 
It's still disappointing that he scored though. I guess this is what returning evil for good means"